Arcadia - 14 December 2007

[Scorpio1411]

Hi there. Going on above cruise and can't wait. :D

 

Can anyone give us the answers to the following please.

 

1. Is it free drinks on the plane?

 

2. Are you allocated your seats on the plane or is a case of the earlier you get there, the more chance you have of getting where you ask for?

 

3. Can you spend US dollars in the ports of call or do you have to buy the local currency?

 

Thanks in advance.

Lynn

[ukcrusing]

drinks are free but

 

if you are in normal cabin seats are NOT pre allocated, so get in early and either grab the exit row or one of the pairs at the back of them plane

 

found that you can US dolloars in any of the carribean ports, though with the way its value is dropping maybe not any more ;)

[CASPALL]

You'll have to be pretty early at the airport to beat the hardy POPs (P&O passengers)!!! When we flew to Acapulco to join the Arcadia we were quite early but were amazed at the length of the queue we had to join. One of the airport staff told us that the first POPs had started arriving at noon. Our flight was leaving at 9 or 10 30 -PM!!!!!!!

Have a great time!

 

Caryl

[Scorpio1411]

Thanks. I've read so many bad reviews about the flights to Barbados/Acapulco that we've resigned ourselves to the fact that the flight will probably be bad but once we get there, the holiday will be worth the hassle. We intend to enjoy every minute of it as we have done in the past.

[CASPALL]

That's the right attitude!

 

Caryl

[Elsea]

Scorpio1411

 

We'll be suffering the flights with you, the cases are now packed and just under 25kgs. See you on Friday.:cool:

[scareyness]

Hope you enjoyed the cruise as much as we did?:D

 

I was totally gob smacked at the length of the que on our arrival to Gatwick! I read the posts about the POP's with a grin, does that mean its usual to have such queuing? We are used to using our much smaller closer airport and have rarely had more than 10 people in front of us! Of course I expected a lot more people, but we stayed close by overnight and arrived at Gatwick at 9am (told to check in from 9.15) and we were passenger numbers 258 and 259!!

[LEESRE]

scaryness

It seems to me that some of the

seats are already allocated by the airline or P & O. What time was your flight? you say you were in the que at 9am.

 

Some people have said that they were second in the que and still had seats apart, so how come this can happen???

[CASPALL]

The seats apart thing happens on the scheduled flights that P&O book as well. They just make a block booking and don't put "cabins" together it seems. When we travelled out to Hong Kong Last March (with BA) we couldn't believe it when we were told I had a seat at the front of the cabin and my husband at the back. Luckily we were in plenty of time so we could change and get seats together .

When we got on board the plane we realised that all the P&O folks were in a muddle and some changing around had to be done.

I don't know why they do this! We're flying off to SanFrancisco to join the Aurora and you have just reminded me that I should check the seats out with P&O! You can't check in on line beforehand because it's not an individual booking.

Thanks!

 

Caryl

[scareyness]

scaryness

It seems to me that some of the

seats are already allocated by the airline or P & O. What time was your flight? you say you were in the que at 9am.

 

Some people have said that they were second in the que and still had seats apart, so how come this can happen???

 

Our flight was 12.15 and we were told to be there from 9.15.

 

We know of lots of people who had to sit apart who were in the que long before us so I don't know how that works??

 

As far as I am aware the entire flight was for passengers going on the cruise?

[CASPALL]

Yip! You were on a special charter - all POPs.

P&O really need to get their act together on this one.

 

Caryl

[Scorpio1411]

Because of what we'd been told about getting there early, we decided to stay at the Travel Lodge just down the road and arrived in the queue at 7.30am and there were about 20 - 30 people in front of us! God knows what time they got there. Anyway, I asked for exit seats and was told there was only one left so I asked for the double seats towards the back and we were lucky enough to get these. We were also allocated these on the way home which was good. I'd been told this was what happens so if you got a "crap" seat on the way out, you usually ended up with the same "crap" seats on the way home. We heard a few people couldn't face the flight back from Acapulco so stayed on for the next cruise for £500 so they could fly back from wherever it ended up - Barbados I think.

 

We enjoyed being away for Christmas so much, we've been looking at next year and might do the Canaries one on the Oriana. No family arguments, no same old films on the tele, no last minute rushing around for food etc. It was so lovely to be away from it all. I would thoroughly recommend it.