Christmas on P&O?

[SuzyWoo]

Does anyone have any experience of this? Hoping a few of you have just got back!;) Am in the process of 'negotiations' with DH and wondered what they do for children etc? Does Santa visit? Our two will be 6 and 4 this year, so that's a very important question!

[Druke I]

Way way back, Christmas 1970, three generations of my family, (8 adults, 10 children) cruised on P&O's Oriana (the old one, not the current ship), RT San Francisco to the Mexican Riviera.

 

It was a wonderful trip, and while the children were worried that Santa Claus might have difficulty finding the ship on the ocean, he came through! Santa had gifts for all ages, and was readily available in the public lounges.

 

We had a grand time.

[daiB]

Does anyone have any experience of this? Hoping a few of you have just got back!;) Am in the process of 'negotiations' with DH and wondered what they do for children etc? Does Santa visit? Our two will be 6 and 4 this year, so that's a very important question!

 

The answer to the last question is yes. To the general question every comment I have read, hear and on other boards are that it is a brilliant experience with all and more of what you would expect.

 

The ships are very well decorated. Santa comes down the stack on Christmas Eve, everyone gets a prezzie. They have carol services and there is a choir.

 

These cruises are soon booked up and are very popular.

 

We have just booked for X820 on Oriana for next Christmas.

 

Go for it.

 

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

Dai

[scareyness]

We are just back from our Christmas cruise, first time with P&O too! We sailed on Arcadia and had a great time. Not much good for you though as its child-free.

 

Santa came on Christmas Eve and I was thrilled (never grown up!) he appeared on the funnel during our sailaway party after leaving Puerto Quetzal, we had a passenger carol choir which was really lovely.

 

It was our 1st ever Christmas away and also our 1st Christmas without our family, overall enjoyed it, but it would have been VERY easy to forget it was Christmas altogether, many other passengers complained about that fact, but it was ok for us.

 

Anyone got any recommendations for next year?

 

Thanks in advance

[daiB]

We are just back from our Christmas cruise, first time with P&O too! We sailed on Arcadia and had a great time. Not much good for you though as its child-free.

 

Santa came on Christmas Eve and I was thrilled (never grown up!) he appeared on the funnel during our sailaway party after leaving Puerto Quetzal, we had a passenger carol choir which was really lovely.

 

It was our 1st ever Christmas away and also our 1st Christmas without our family, overall enjoyed it, but it would have been VERY easy to forget it was Christmas altogether, many other passengers complained about that fact, but it was ok for us.

 

Anyone got any recommendations for next year?

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

 

Do you think it was like that because it was Arcadia and no children?? Everything I have read about Aurora/Oriana has been positive.

 

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[tom_uk]

Do you think it was like that because it was Arcadia and no children?? Everything I have read about Aurora/Oriana has been positive.

 

Also perhaps the fact that it was in the Caribbean might have reduced the Xmas factor a bit?

[scareyness]

Do you think it was like that because it was Arcadia and no children?? Everything I have read about Aurora/Oriana has been positive.

 

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

 

As I said it was ok for us. Not much happened to do with Christmas really, I personally think if you are awy like that you can't expect to re-create the Christmas you would have at home, it bound to be different.

 

We purposely picked this cruise and ship because of the 'child free' bit! (nothing against kids, just wanted to be away from this year!)

[scareyness]

Also perhaps the fact that it was in the Caribbean might have reduced the Xmas factor a bit?

 

 

It never ceased to amaze me while walking around the Caribbean, suddenly you would come across a Santa outside someones door or Xmas decs in the blazing heat, I found it quite funny!!! Didn't know what to expect on the ship though. Whats are other folks experiences of Christmas cruising?

[Scorpio1411]

As I said it was ok for us. Not much happened to do with Christmas really, I personally think if you are awy like that you can't expect to re-create the Christmas you would have at home, it bound to be different.

 

We purposely picked this cruise and ship because of the 'child free' bit! (nothing against kids, just wanted to be away from this year!)

 

 

Totally agree.

[flea b]

We are just back from Xmas & New Year Oceana. Brilliant, to us we had a much better time than we could ever of had here! Cannot compare. Every other person we spoke to seems to do it every year, can't mess about with thinking about booking them as the demand is so high! It does seem a shame that this year Oceana is split, one cruise has Xmas and the next one has New Year, it looks to me as if you would have to pack your cases on Xmas day......but I might be wrong, still dead tired??

[cwazyfish]

I was Oriana for Christmas and Newe Year. I thought the cruise was amazing, On sailaway santa came down the funnel and there was a passenger choir. Also all the kids from Peter Pans got on stage and sang a few songs. Christmas day they put up a grotto and every child went in there and got there photo taken with santa and a present. In Peter Pans there were lots of activities geared towards christmas like they all decorated stockings and wrote a letter to santa which they later got to post in Santas post box. At dinner on christmas day you get hats and crackers and a traditional christmas dinner. I thought it was great not having to cook or anything on christmas day and because we were in the caribbean we could just sunbathe all day. Hope this information helped :D

[Scorpio1411]

We had such a good time on the Arcadia at Christmas, we've booked on the Oriana for next Christmas. We're hoping they let you stay on cheap for New Year too. We could have stayed on the Arcadia for an extra £500 each but we had to get home for work etc. Next time, we'll book the time off and hope they do the same.

[daiB]

We had such a good time on the Arcadia at Christmas, we've booked on the Oriana for next Christmas. We're hoping they let you stay on cheap for New Year too. We could have stayed on the Arcadia for an extra £500 each but we had to get home for work etc. Next time, we'll book the time off and hope they do the same.

 

 

 

Hi Scorpio1411,

 

We have booked on Oriana as well for Christmas. We are looking forward to it very much.

 

We did the New Year on Aurora 2 years ago.

 

I am going to set up a Roll call for the cruise so I look forward to chatting to you before we sail.

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

:cool:

 

Dai

[OldJerseycruiser]

Hi

We have just returned from the Sea Princess Christmas/New Year caribbean cruise. We thoroughly enjoyed the ship etc but we still think our two P & O caribbean festive cruises were much more Christmassy. Didn't enjoy our Aurora - Southampton cruise quite as much as it was more suited to an older passenger.

 

I know you will have a great time, especially with younger children.

[happyhappy 68]

Thoroughly recommended. However Mrs happy missed the English Xmas day ritual at home. However I think we will be going over Xmas in Dec 09.

 

We've done Canaries twice over New Year & Caribbean over Xmas and new Year.

No contest. Caribbean wins hands down. The weather is so much better as are the islands & scenery.

However everyone should see the Madeira New Year's fireworks at least once in their lifetime.

 

My Kids (6&9) thoroughly loved the caribbean and are keen to go again over Xmas

[Host Sharon]

Does anyone have any experience of this? Hoping a few of you have just got back!;) Am in the process of 'negotiations' with DH and wondered what they do for children etc? Does Santa visit? Our two will be 6 and 4 this year, so that's a very important question!

 

If you didn't want to be away over Christmas, it's worth looking at the Winter Wonderland cruise just before Christmas. This visited the Continental Christmas Markets and was a great way to get into the right spirit.

[Pontius Navigator]

We took the Arcadia's first winter cruise and the last before the Christmas cruise. Because of flight times we were the last to leave the ship in Barbados and lots of new passengers had already embarked. But this gave us an opportunity to witness the way the ship was dressed.

 

Christmas was pre-planned, bit like Margo in the Good Life, and delivered in boxes which were loaded the day we arrived in Barbados - we overnighted on board. Boxes were labelled deck 6, forward port lift etc etc. Then a complete gang of fitters arrived, also flown in from UK. They then set too dressing ship.

 

By the time we left 24 hours later most decorations were in place and 'hidden areas' such as the dining rooms probably not complete until the evening meals.

 

You know what it is like at home when the decorations come out - chaos. Well this was well organised chaos. I was just surprised that they flew all the 'hored help' out from UK. If you pay more for your Christmas cruise then that is one reason why :)