Drinks package/policy changes?

[Lee Jones Jnr]

19 minutes ago, S1971 said:

 

Depends what ship though.

 

The older ships are pricing at times up to £350pppn as previously posted 😳

Do you happen to which cruise or cruises that is?

I haven't looked at every single cruise but a random selection of half. dozen Aurora and half a dozen Arcadia cruises all come in at £189 or less so perhaps thats a rare anomaly?

I suppose it's difficult to know what to do with pricing and policy as they must feel like the same rules have to apply to all ships whilst at the same time being quite different products.

[GSPG]

23 minutes ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

You aren't factoring in the cheap cruise prices

Well I can see these getting ‘attention’ soon too if they are not already. I’m sure the adult only ships are quite a bit more expensive than they were.

Just when will P&O push the ‘go button’ on the bigger ships too once enough families have ‘come over to cruising’.

[JeanieC,Aston]

7 minutes ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

It was a perfectly earnest question.

I'm not sure that I have spoken to someone who told me about their discerning palate before who also enthused about Southern Comfort.

Cognacs yes, though you said that you are satisfied with that, vodka is vodka, people pretending that they can tell the difference between Smirnoff and Grey Goose or higher are drinking the emperors new vodka.

All in all it sounds like you, like me, will be cruising elsewhere, though our reasons are different.

I don’t pretend to know the difference,,I do.

If you think Smirnoff tastes the same as Grey Goose your taste buds must have been destroyed by drinking cheap vodka.

Try a Baltic cruise and visit a small off-licence in Tallin they will let you try different vodkas,,,,wheat,rye,potato based,they are all different,,,now there is one in the DF shop in St Pete’s called Kalashnikov,it will tip your throat out.

[Megabear2]

Just now, Lee Jones Jnr said:

Do you happen to which cruise or cruises that is?

I haven't looked at every single cruise but a random selection of half. dozen Aurora and half a dozen Arcadia cruises all come in at £189 or less so perhaps thats a rare anomaly?

I suppose it's difficult to know what to do with pricing and policy as they must feel like the same rules have to apply to all ships whilst at the same time being quite different products.

It's a regular poster who travels solo in balcony cabins on the two smaller ships who is paying that amount.  @Fionboard mentions the cost further up the thread.

[Lee Jones Jnr]

1 minute ago, GSPG said:

Well I can see these getting ‘attention’ soon too if they are not already. I’m sure the adult only ships are quite a bit more expensive than they were.

Just when will P&O push the ‘go button’ on the bigger ships too once enough families have ‘come over to cruising’.

Perhaps so.

BUT... I really don't mean this to sound as bad as I feel it does, but if the prices go up I think the 'new P&Oers' will just go back to all inclusive package holidays.

[Lee Jones Jnr]

Just now, JeanieC,Aston said:

I don’t pretend to know the difference,,I do.

If you think Smirnoff tastes the same as Grey Goose your taste buds must have been destroyed by drinking cheap vodka.

Try a Baltic cruise and visit a small off-licence in Tallin they will let you try different vodkas,,,,wheat,rye,potato based,they are all different,,,now there is one in the DF shop in St Pete’s called Kalashnikov,it will tip your throat out.

 

Okay, you know best.

I don't really drink, however I do own a few bars and at one time owned eleven. My experience talking to bar tenders, mixologists, reps from suppliers and customers is different to yours.

I am sure that there are some people who can tell the difference between some vodkas in the same way that I am sure there are some people who can tell which variety of potatoes were used to make their French fries.

I suppose I, like many people, hold many contradictory views at the same time. For example somewhere on this thread someone said that they drink quality not quantity whilst also complaining that P&O don't sell Southern Comfort.

 

 

[GSPG]

4 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

I don’t pretend to know the difference,,I do.

If you think Smirnoff tastes the same as Grey Goose your taste buds must have been destroyed by drinking cheap vodka.

Try a Baltic cruise and visit a small off-licence in Tallin they will let you try different vodkas,,,,wheat,rye,potato based,they are all different,,,now there is one in the DF shop in St Pete’s called Kalashnikov,it will tip your throat out.

Interesting, thanks! I’m due to be in Tallinn Saturday week, all being well. I’m not sure if I could enjoy neat vodka though!

Do they carry you back!

[JeanieC,Aston]

Just now, GSPG said:

Interesting, thanks! I’m due to be in Tallinn Saturday week, all being well. I’m not sure if I could enjoy neat vodka though!

Do they carry you back!

There used to be a sign above the bar in Yates Wine Lodges I’ve always tried to adhere to….

’Moderation is true Temperance’ 

Tried and failed many times😏

[S1971]

17 minutes ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

Do you happen to which cruise or cruises that is?

I haven't looked at every single cruise but a random selection of half. dozen Aurora and half a dozen Arcadia cruises all come in at £189 or less so perhaps thats a rare anomaly?

I suppose it's difficult to know what to do with pricing and policy as they must feel like the same rules have to apply to all ships whilst at the same time being quite different products.

Posts 202 & 204.

[Lee Jones Jnr]

6 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

It's a regular poster who travels solo in balcony cabins on the two smaller ships who is paying that amount.  @Fionboard mentions the cost further up the thread.

 

Ah, well in that case 'its a scandal that this is the policy when cabins are £999.60pppn' (the cost of a solo suite on the first Aurora cruise that I clicked on).

 

I dunno, I suppose the whole concept is difficult for me to empathise with because it would never occur to me to take bottles of spirits onboard or to a hotel or take popcorn from home to the cinema etc.

[Lee Jones Jnr]

10 minutes ago, GSPG said:

Interesting, thanks! I’m due to be in Tallinn Saturday week, all being well. I’m not sure if I could enjoy neat vodka though!

Do they carry you back!

 

It does actually sound like it could be a shorex doesn't it

[Megabear2]

2 minutes ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

 

Ah, well in that case 'its a scandal that this is the policy when cabins are £999.60pppn' (the cost of a solo suite on the first Aurora cruise that I clicked on).

 

I dunno, I suppose the whole concept is difficult for me to empathise with because it would never occur to me to take bottles of spirits onboard or to a hotel or take popcorn from home to the cinema etc.

I'm confused now! The lady in question didn't mention anything other than the cost of her cabin as far as I am aware.

 

On the subject of taking drinks to hotels, I've encountered some pretty stringent rules on only drinks anc food purchased in house can be consumed, particularly in Cornwall.  During the pandemic I saw a really interesting debate about a bag of crisps being consumed by a child beside a pool at a Lostwithiel hotel.  The customer was most put out.

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, Peter Lanky said:

Yes they are higher standard, but not necessarily more expensive as I've previously mentioned. My 20 night cruise on Azamara last November from Gran Canaria to Cape Town was far cheaper than (for example) a 19 night cruise on Arcadia in October this year. Add the P&O drinks package, and the price of the P&O becomes almost double that of the Azamara. We were also booked on an Azamara cruise that we should have been on at this very moment, but was cancelled because of the Red Sea problems, which was 27 nights and also cheaper than the 19 night P&O cruise.

 

Careful choice of cruises can reap dividends. I do a lot of homework. The only reason I went on a P&O cruise this year was because it was so cheap, it would have been foolish to stay at home in January. I also previous said that it was acceptable without being inspiring, and I am glad that we took the cruise, but we managed the trip with our permitted litre of Scotch, which never left our cabin, and no other drinks.

Quoting one specific cruise as a general price comparison is extremely faulty. I would guess that this cruise was selling very badly for whatever reason, and your price was not truly comparable to the normal pricing of Azamara cruises.

In fact you state that you do a lot of homework to find special offers, which is admirable but not very prevalent among the general cruising public. 

 

[Megabear2]

6 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Quoting one specific cruise as a general price comparison is extremely faulty. I would guess that this cruise was selling very badly for whatever reason, and your price was not truly comparable to the normal pricing of Azamara cruises.

In fact you state that you do a lot of homework to find special offers, which is admirable but not very prevalent among the general cruising public. 

 

I'd agree.  I remember ICF getting a really good deal on his South African cruise early this year and a look at the Azamara site shows all the South African cruises are generally considerably lower cost than their other offerings. The cruise quoted was also a repositioning cruise and like most lines these are generally cheaper anyway.

Edited May 8 by Megabear2

[Eglesbrech]

10 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

I'd agree.  I remember ICF getting a really good deal on his South African cruise early this year and a look at the Azamara site shows all the South African cruises are generally considerably lower cost than their other offerings. The cruise quoted was also a repositioning cruise and like most lines these are generally cheaper anyway.

ICF has not been around much recently, unless I have missed posts.

[Windsurfboy]

I do a lot of cruises South Africa to UK,  perhaps I'm unlucky but never found them much cheaper per night than normal. 

 

Going back to general  discussion.  P&O prices from what is said and cursory examination are much more expensive on older Adult only ships.  Almost two different companies. To my mind once to start paying  smaller (P&O)  ship prices, might as well pay that extra for next level up.

 

Mega ships are the bargains. But they are marmite ships 

[david63]

1 hour ago, GSPG said:

Their balance sheets must be looking pretty healthy right now!

Not really - there is still the massive debt that was incurred during the closure that is being repaid

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

ICF has not been around much recently, unless I have missed posts.

Yes, nothing since he came back from South Africa apart from a couple of photos from his Maleth flight in February. Shame really, he gives a very positive spin to things.

[Megabear2]

15 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I do a lot of cruises South Africa to UK,  perhaps I'm unlucky but never found them much cheaper per night than normal. 

 

Going back to general  discussion.  P&O prices from what is said and cursory examination are much more expensive on older Adult only ships.  Almost two different companies. To my mind once to start paying  smaller (P&O)  ship prices, might as well pay that extra for next level up.

 

Mega ships are the bargains. But they are marmite ships 

ICF uses inside savers so you probably would not pay the same.  His South African Azamara cruise was about half full and cost if I recall correctly around £1700pp for 12 nights or thereabouts. He didn't sail to the UK, he was staying in an Airbnb in Capetown and flew out for a month.

 

Moley has mentioned that the break even price on the two small ships is far higher and as a result so are the fares.  Those that choose the ships seem to do so regardless of the cost. Whilst saying that there are a couple of Ventura Canaries cruises with extremely high lead balcony cabins as well.  The real pushing up for prices apart from Iona/Arvia is the difference to choose a select fare. If a solo cruiser takes that option it really can be eye watering.

[BandBlady]

1 hour ago, Clodia said:

Thank you to those who posted the list of room service drinks. I am perfectly happy with Courvoisier VSOP cognac as opposed to what they used to sell, so will buy a bottle from Room Service for balcony nightcaps. They DO need to widen the range though; gin and whisky drinkers are adequately catered for but not the rest. I shall be writing to P and O on this point.

Malt whisky drinkers are not well provided for these days .To a Scotsman who knows his malts my husband can only  find one since Covid .We don’t take spirits on board ,our pleasure is a nightcap in crows nest metropolis or wherever is the top of the ship ,it doesn’t stop us cruising with P&O but you wonder what the issue is as we are about to go with Princess and there is a very good selection .Maybe someone knows the answer ?

[Lee Jones Jnr]

12 minutes ago, BandBlady said:

Malt whisky drinkers are not well provided for these days .To a Scotsman who knows his malts my husband can only  find one since Covid .We don’t take spirits on board ,our pleasure is a nightcap in crows nest metropolis or wherever is the top of the ship ,it doesn’t stop us cruising with P&O but you wonder what the issue is as we are about to go with Princess and there is a very good selection .Maybe someone knows the answer ?

I would imagine that it is as simple as 'add simplicity and save costs'.

(Genuine question) Is one brand that he likes not enough? Is it normal to mix and match?

[MellyMoo1989]

14 hours ago, david63 said:

Unless something has changed recently I would not say that P&O have generous choices on their drinks menu, certainly not compared to pre Covid.

Having not cruised with P&O before I’ll just take your word for that one but for me, personally, there seems to be a lot of decent offerings and a lot of reasonable substitutions should I drink them dry of pink gin 😂 

[BandBlady]

8 minutes ago, Lee Jones Jnr said:

I would imagine that it is as simple as 'add simplicity and save costs'.

(Genuine question) Is one brand that he likes not enough? Is it normal to mix and match?

Pre Covid there were 7 to choose from check post 93 for the list .My husband says depending on the mood and what he has eaten can influence what strength he likes .

As we are Carnival shareholders we cruise with brands in the group our favourites are Holland America ,Cunard and to a lesser extent Princess but they too have a far superior choice .We have asked onboard ,and the answer is always supply chain,Brexit or Covid .

We,ve reached the stage with P&O that if the itinerary suits and the price is right we’ll go and not expect too much .For us we  can still have a great cruise eating in speciality dining most nights ,night caps in upstairs bars and sunbathing on our balcony ,avoiding the buffet and always washing our hands .

[Bazrat]

All this fuss about taking away your 1 bottle allowance, imagine if they removed the turn down service and your little chocolate on your pillow, or our favourite cheese wheels.

[Gettingwarmer]

8 minutes ago, MellyMoo1989 said:

Having not cruised with P&O before I’ll just take your word for that one but for me, personally, there seems to be a lot of decent offerings and a lot of reasonable substitutions should I drink them dry of pink gin 😂 

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