The Oriana - 17th July with two kids...

[Jimmy_Twotimes]

Hello everyone - cracking forum can i say first off...

 

OK - i am hoping to book my family (wife and 2 kids aged 7 and 2) on our tenth anniversary holiday and have decided on a cruise, never cruised before BTW. Having researched (and wanting to leave from UK as opposed to flying) we have found one that suits times and pocket.

 

The Oriana doing a 7night sailing on 17th July. Now it appears to be very family and kids orientated but havin read a few reveiws by people on the web i am now concerned.

 

Some reviews have said that their experience has been that the there are very few parent and child activiries, to the point where it appears most things are geared for putting the kids in the creche/play scheme so parents can go off on there own.

 

Even to the point where the restaurants wont allow kids (other than the bistros)....

 

Is this the case in peoples experiences on here? I certainly would like to eat in the flashy restaurants with my kids as or will i be forced into eatin burgers and chips if i want to eat with my children?

 

Or was the review I read nonsense?

 

It also said it was really for the more mature generation? I have absolutely no issue with this - but my wife and I are in our mid 30's - will we stick out like sore thumbs!!??

 

Any advice from a first time cruiser with kids much appreciated. We do really want this to be a family holiday....

 

Thank You.

 

:)

[Jimmy_Twotimes]

Sorry, just one more concern - are these ships very "formal" or are they quite relaxed? Obvioulsy we would prefer a more relaxed atmosphere, or is P and O the wrong cruise line for this...?

 

I know its a lot of questions but I just want this holiday to be one to remember (for the right reasons!).

 

Thanks again.

[capnpugwash]

Jimmy, the Oriana is a lovely ship and has one of the nicest bars on Deck 12 outside the Conservatory Buffet. I understand you wanting to dine with your kids but it will restrict you to the lesser restaurants which serve earlier tea at 5.y30. This does then leave you both free to dine later whilst the rug rats are in the creche up till 2 am. I do not know of any parent and child activities as the kids are seriously happier without you having fun in the clubs that P & O operate on board. I don't think that 7 nights is enough personally, very hard to explain but it doesn't really give any of you any flavour of cruising, it takes about 12 to 14 days imho. Oriana is fairly relaxed but there will be 2 formal nights where black tie is the usual form of dress, this gives the ladies a chance to dress up and look beautiful and is a wonderful part of the cruise. We are just back from a 22 night cruise which only had 6 formals.

Have fun and let the kids have theirs. :D:D

[Jimmy_Twotimes]

Many thanks Capn - have now opted on an NCL cruise for 12 nights to the baltics! Hopefully this will be ok - im sure it will!!!!

 

Thanks for the info...

[livylotte]

I am looking to book of cruise but have never sailed on P&O. I've just noticed this thread... can someone please explain the dining arrangements? Not sure if I've read it right... are children not allowed to eat with their parents in the main dining room?

[capnpugwash]

Young children would normally have "tea" from 5pm in the Conservatory Buffet where the food is to their tastes and it is a relaxed atmosphere. Teenagers would normally eat in the main restaurants. As you may be aware there are 3 levels of formality adopted by P & O and these are applied in the restaurants. It would be for you to decide whether you children would be comfortable dressing for dinner or not. You should bear in mind that you may be sharing a dinner table with strangers who might not be so forgiving of kids. Your kids will not be excluded but might well be happier elsewhere with others of their age. Difficult really.

[humpy]

hi livylotte we have been on 6 p&o cruises so far and we have seen children of all ages in the main dining rooms.its always been fine.if you are having any doubts you can always request a table just big enough for your own family just in case.we found oceana to be very very child friendly.happy sailing humpy..

[livylotte]

Ok thankyou! We have 3 girls, 2 teenagers who think they are sofistication itself ...and an 8 year old going on 19. The elder 2 would be fine but I'm not sure how the younger one would feel about missing out on getting dressed up for dinner. Of all my children she is the least faddy eater and actually prefers veg to chips :eek: We had a lovely time on our first cruise (RCCI) and were very lucky to share a table for 10 with 2 other couples and their grandson. They'd been cruising for over 30 years and made made us feel very welcome. To be honest getting dressed up for dinner and the whole dining room experience was the highlight of our cruise and it would be a shame if we couldn't do that. Only joking here... they did warn us that not all table guests were as nice as them!!

 

I don't know what I've done wrong but I can't persuade my kids to join the clubs no matter how hard I try... they just won't go!! I think we may have to look at another cruiseline, I know my children would behave impeccably but wouldn't want to upset anyone or stand out as the only table with children.

[livylotte]

Thanks humpy, I have only just seen your post. I won't rule out P&O altogether then, I think I'll wait until the new 2010 cruises are released and then have a proper look. I'm sure we won't be the only family onboard as we are going in the school holidays. I don't know if it's just us but we didn't get involved in any of the 'activities' on our last cruise and we spent a lot of time just sitting together, reading or talking. I had hoped P&O might be a little less 'hectic' than RCCI.

[capnpugwash]

Please don't let what I said deter you, I would think that teenagers and an 8 year old would be fine and as you rightly say the dressing up is so much of the experience.

[livylotte]

Yes, dressing up is definitely the best bit :p

 

LOL I think we girls will be fine... it's my husband that needs sending to eat elsewhere :D ;)

 

Thanks for your advice!

[happidaze]

Livy, I have 2 cruises booked this year, one with RCI and one with P & O, we have 2 lads aged 16 and 14, I am led to believe that RCI will be more for them?

[K8T]

Hi

 

I think some of the posters are not well informed here, children are not restricted to 5pm tea and any age are allowed in the restaurant. High chairs are even provided. Although I don’t think anyone would take a child in Rhodes or The White Room!

 

We have been cruising with our dd who is four now since she was six months old. Oriana is a great ship for kids. In fact we choose P&O because of their child friendly policies and facitlites. The club is smaller than some of the others, but well equipped. You can stay with your two year old if you wish and you can also sit outside the big window and keep an eye on what is going on. Your seven year old will probably just go off with friends and will be in a separate area, as the age split is five years old.

 

Although there are only a small number of activities with the children and you, no one objected at us staying with dd, although we sat on the sofas at the edge and just watched her interacting with the others. Before she was two we had to do this, as you can't leave them anyway, and when she was a bit older, we stayed and maybe popped out for a drink or coffee for half an hour or an hour, until we felt she was happy. The children occasionally go up to the sports nets for a runaround - all well supervised and singing as they go and we would meet up there, or when they go to one of the lounges to practice for the show or fancy dress.

 

Sometimes we would just go in with her and do some colouring. The staff are extremely accommodating and will also give you things to take back to the cabin. Our experience on the Ventura last year - where the kids clubs are exceptionally large and fantastic, was that there was a lack of activities to do together as a family, apart from the fancy dress. As this is a family ship, we were a little disappointed with this. You can of course use the pools and the play area outside the kids club.

 

Children can be signed in and out during the day and you have a timetable of what is happening, now our dd picks what she particularly wants to do and we try and work around that, but we also like her to spend time with us!!!

 

In the evenings, a lot of people check the children in and they usually have an 'appealing' activity around sixish like making sweets, or similar, which helps if you want a dinner on your own as a couple. Leave which restaurant you are in and table number and you will get a message if a problem. You can also phone in and check they are settled from any phone on the ship. At 8.00pm, they get out cushions, dim the lights and a film goes on. A lot of kids fall asleep, we would always pick our dd up by 8.30 and then go for a little walk before bedtime. The older ones do similar, or have a ‘sleep over’ type thing going on. However, if you want them to stay for the sleepover. or watching the films for the littlies, you need to go back before 10.00pm and confirm this. You then have until 2am to collect. Lots of people put them in pyjamas and just carry them to bed. Your little one may be happier in the night nursery, which is a row of travel cots and little beds in a separate area. A nice idea but they do have to be settled before you go and this can be a little difficult. If they are in the night nursery, you will be given a pager, I have spent some time in here settling our dd when she was small and can't praise the staff enough. If you are worried during the day and leave your little one, you can ask for a pager, which they say is only for children with special needs, but if they are not being used, they are happy to give them out.

 

 

Children are allowed in all the restaurants, but there is childrens tea in the buffet at 5pm which is particularly geared up for the little ones, with small cutlery, high chairs and what is supposed to be child friendly food, although our dd is happy with salmon, lobster, olives etc. etc., so some of the kids food are not to her taste!! Lots of parents go to this and it becomes a bit of a social event for children and parents. I expect your seven year old would want to sit with her own friends and you can keep an eye on them. We used to do a mixture of early tea and leave her in the kids club while we went to early sitting and collect her by 8 and another night take her with us to the restaurant (early sitting). A formal night is particularly nice to all dress up and have a lovely time. Having said this, our dd is very well behaved at the table. Sleeping babies in pushchairs are also regularly seen parked at the edge of the restaurant and providing they are settled and older kids well behaved, no one will object.

 

The waiters are great in the restaurants and will provide chicken and stuff without sauces and they do have a childs selection, although you have to ask for this. Between courses we would go out into the atrium or hallways for a little walk, to keep her relaxed and give her a break from sitting and behaving! I would also take some crayons and paper just in case.

 

Please don’t worry about children on any P&O Ships, you will not have a problem atall. We believe in good manners and are aware that others may not be so tolerant of children as we now have to be and I think providing you respect this you will find you have a lovely time.

 

 

Excuse the long post, but I did feel that perhaps you were getting the 'wrong' feeling of the P&O Ships.

 

Kate

[livylotte]

Livy, I have 2 cruises booked this year, one with RCI and one with P & O, we have 2 lads aged 16 and 14, I am led to believe that RCI will be more for them?

 

Go for both! I'm going to book on P&O next time but thats not because I didn't enjoy RCCI. Yes, your kids with love it, the service is fabulous and teenagers have a ball. It gave use the best of both worlds, quiet places for us relax and plenty of activities for the chidren. Mine weren't really interested in joining the clubs so I can't really comment on how good or bad they were. It was a little bit over the top for me at times (but then again I'm a quiet, shy type of person) but I've not let that deter me as we have a 4 night booked on Idependence in May. We didn't go on a huge ship last time so goodness knows what I've let myself in for!! LOL, don't let me put you off ... we had the holiday of a lifetime!

 

To be honest, I was more concerned with the dining room as eating together as a family is very important to us. Yes, some kids and parents eat seperately on RCCI too, it must be a cruise thing!! I'm a novice I've only ever been on one cruise so I'm still learning the ropes!

 

Kate, thanks for reasurring me. P&O sounds great too and I can't wait to book my next cruise. I can't fly so sailing from Southampton makes planning a lot simpler and P&O has some great itineries. It sounds like it depends on which ship you go on? I have been looking at Oriana and would love to do the Fjords next year.

[Norfolk Brit]

I can't fly so sailing from Southampton makes planning a lot simpler and P&O has some great itineries.

 

Digressing somewhat, but my beloved doesn't fly and we use Eurostar/TGV to get to the Continent. May open up a few extra possibilities to you? An excellent website is: http://www.seat61.com/

 

Mary:)

[livylotte]

We did just that last year! We went on Eurostar to Avignon, picked up a car and drove to Barcelona. We stayed a couple of days before our cruise on the Costa Brava and then in France afterwards.

 

Digressing ever further :p I looked at a cruise from Rome and decided to give it a miss as I couldn't get my head round the logistics. I didn't fancy the overnight train... have you ever travelled on that? Husband tells me Southampton is much easier but I do like a challenge :D

[Norfolk Brit]

Digressing ever further :p I looked at a cruise from Rome and decided to give it a miss as I couldn't get my head round the logistics. I didn't fancy the overnight train... have you ever travelled on that? Husband tells me Southampton is much easier but I do like a challenge :D

 

We haven't, but it's on our agenda for 2010, to get further into Europe. Seat 61 gives some excellent tips on it, though. Agree about the logistical problems, particularly with having to cart all that stuff and move it on and off trains, but some of the cruises starting from, say, Barcelona look very interesting.

 

Mary

[livylotte]

I'll have a proper look at that site later it looks interesting. Yes, Barcelona is easy to get to and theres some great cruises from there. Travelling overland is a pain sometimes but we've had some great holidays! Good luck with your travels!

[happidaze]

Livy are you doing the Cork cruise?

[livylotte]

Livy are you doing the Cork cruise?

 

Yes, we are going on the May sailing :D

[southwinds]

Children are allowed in the resturant and we have seen babies in there however most people perfer to dine early if they take children in there. Oftne the children prefer to eat early aat the childrens tea at 5pm and find waiting for dinner at 8.30 too late for them... depends on the age,also some cant find anything on the menu they like.

CHildren have to adopt the dress code for the evening as well so again some prefre to have burgers with friends, again this is why parents like cruiseing as they can leave their off spring knowing they are safe while they enjoy thier dinner alone.

Ventura and Oceana have freedom dinning so you could dine at different times to suit the family.

Friends who cruised as a family last year found her grandchildren prefered to eat with friends at the childrens tea and so got bored at the grown up dinner and often there isnt anything on the menu they like.

They went on Oceana and so could pick and choose what night to take the children to dinner with them.

[tartanexile81]

We did just that last year! We went on Eurostar to Avignon, picked up a car and drove to Barcelona. We stayed a couple of days before our cruise on the Costa Brava and then in France afterwards.

 

Digressing ever further :p I looked at a cruise from Rome and decided to give it a miss as I couldn't get my head round the logistics. I didn't fancy the overnight train... have you ever travelled on that? Husband tells me Southampton is much easier but I do like a challenge :D

 

I don't like flying either so last year we followed the advice of the man in seat 61 TO THE LETTER and had a trouble free overnight journey to Barcelona via Paris to pick up our ship. We returned from Venice and had no problems at all, so much so that we're embarking at Southampton but coming back by train from Rome this year. We just think it widens our options. We met quite a few children on the train and it seemed to be like an adventure for them. We travelled what they call first class so we had a compartment to ourselves- small but perfectly formed :)! Took our DVD player and a book, had a meal in restaurant car, slept reasonably well .. and arrived rested.