JeanieC,Aston

25 minutes ago, indiana123 said:

Because the P and O forum is such a happy (and informative) place we don't mind if the odd thread goes astray, its a bit of fun when it happens.  We don't complain or get cross about it, we usually get back on track sooner or later!

 

Strange about the original poster though.  Disappeared completely.  Hope all is ok.

Hi

Not strange at all.why would the OP want to?

Have a look at the likes of post #9,,,and if the OP had come back I can guarantee a similar posts would have appeared.

And 7 posters though it was funny,,,not funny when you are on the receiving end.
No need.

Just now, Interestedcruisefan said:

I kind of feel it was nicer talking about Thorntons now!

 

Lol

 

 

Hi

You would do.

9 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Was nice talking about chocolate though

 

Nothing sinister here on my part at least

 

Sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise on Iona 

 

Do you want to expand on why it was the worst cruise you've had?

 

And get us back on track Jeannie?

Hi

For probably the 10th time,,,the reasons of probably been done to death between yourself,myself and others in the last few months.

To summarise…..

The queues.

The bar service due to not being able to go to the bar was not good enough,,,waiters with iPads a bad idea.

No atmosphere,,especially in the Atrium.

MDR service was a shambles.

Lack of live music venues for number of passengers,,,I was on Marella Voyager last month and I could. Get a seat in the Caberet bar,,watch a musician/singer then a game show then a party band and then stay there for a couple of hours,,,where on Iona can I do that without seeing a repeat set x4 times in the evening in the Clubhouse.

Getting in queue on App for dinner at 19:00 and getting sat down at nearly 22:00.

Late supper in buffet only one counter open for the many who wanted a snack.

Thats enough for now,,,,,I don’t want to repeat a well worn thread.

You liked Iona I didn’t….walk on.

5 hours ago, david63 said:

That is not necessarily the case. Your contract is with the coach operator and not the cruise line therefore it does not fall within the Package Holiday regulations.

 

The cruise line will do all it can to wait for a coach that is delayed but at some point the ship will have to sail.

 

There are precedents for this - albeit not often.

Hi

Are you sure,,,,you are booking the holiday with P&O that includes coach transfer,,,that is you are booking a ‘package’.

Absolute disgrace how this thread has been sidetracked,no doubt by those who didn’t want any criticism of their favourite cruise line to go on.

Its turning the thread into a Chat Room as opposed to a Forum.

For what it’s worth I totally agree with some of the OPs  points, my cruise on Iona in February was the worst in over 80 cruises on different lines,even worse than MSC.

Hi Jim

I believe it’s Raffles Hotel,,,you should have tried the famous Singapore Sling in the Long Bar,,,only $26.

Enjoying your travel……

Looking at a Ventura cruise to the Canaries for next April….its £300 cheaper today than yesterday.

Leaving Flam September 1st last year,,,,,sun cream required.

Hi

The big thaw sets in by April where the waterfalls are full bore,,,I was last there in August last year and they were barely a trickle.

Bare in mind that the Fjords are for the beautiful scenery not really the ports many being quite boring,,

also keep in mind Bergen is the rainiest city in Europe,,,pack a waterproof.

The highlight for many is the ride on the Flam Railway return trip to Myrdal,,book cheapest on line.

Another photo of Flam with the station,a brew pub in the town.

We always buy the DP.

I may have a couple of V&T before dinner,,x2 glasses of wine with dinner and a few more drinks during the night,,,without coffee or soft drinks I’m quids in.

My wife easily makes it pay,,,she likes Prosecco,,,,,x6 tiny 125ml glasses a day @£6.50 a glass it’s easy.

On 11/9/2023 at 10:09 PM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

We’re on the Connie TA , just left Cartagena and the Captain comes on the PA to announce that on November 11 we are stopping in Gibraltar and our stop in Azores on November 13 is canceled because of adverse bad weather along the path 

I guess we will heading farther south to miss it , which is ok 

Hi

In 20 minutes time at 11:00 Gib time everything will stop for 1 minute to mark Armistice Day.

Noticed she is bunkering for the long run across the Atlantic.

Watch the planes landing in the wind on that short runway,,done it a few times and it can be quite hairy.

In Gib last month,,,,shuttle taxi ship to town,,,bought a couple bottles of whiskey then back to ship.

Bottle of Teelings Irish for £17.

Hi

I was on Marella Voyager last month And after pulling away from the quay in Gibraltar the ship was plunged into total darkness,engines stopped and we were drifting 150m from the quay.

Emergency lighting came on and with the drummer from the band making the beat the whole of the Squid & Anchor pub went into a good old sing song.

This was 21:00,,,Captain dropped anchor and x3 tugs came out pretty swiftly to stop any drift towards the quay,,,,,it was a fuel to generator problem,,,we sat there until repaired until 01:30.

Then the Harbour Master wouldn’t let us sail until the repair was inspected and a certificate issued by a Marine Surveyor,,we moved to an anchorage in the bay and waited for surveyor to travel overnight,,,,he arrived at 13:00 next day inspected,signed the certificate and we sailed at 14:00 straight to an unplanned overnight in Malaga missing Cadiz.

Fun at the time but not so funny if we would have been miles out at sea.or even in the Bay of Gibraltar with the huge number of ships at anchor.

I have done x3 NYE cruises on Ventura ( the 5 day one),,,for NYE dinner they gave everyone a set time in one of the restaurants so everyone dined together,,,on one of them we where allocated Sindhu as an overflow restaurant.

This enabled the entrance of a piper and the Haggis Address.

A superb night was had by all.

It was 2019 so May have changed now

11 hours ago, sandancer said:

That may be a challenge as we have a wheelchair to deal with as well. Need to make sure the taxi drops us as close to the coach area as possible. 

Hi 
Cant remember re Intercruises but on Eavesway if you are immobile with a wheelchair you will be sat in the special seats downstairs on the coach behind the driver,,,no need to struggle up the stairs to the main seating part.

Thats if you are on one of the coaches with upstairs seating,,,,I expect you may have to pre book these seats.

Others may know.

An Eavesway coach……..

6 minutes ago, the penguins said:

 

This was discussed at an open

meeting in the theatre on Silhouette where the passenger load on three successive cruises was 2000/800/2800.

The Hotel Director explained as follows:

1) All ships are fully staffed - they have to be as contracts are for many months and there is no way a ship can increase/decrease staff to match changing loads. Crew visas and health certificates mean they must remain on the ship.

2) staff are all paid a basic wage and have accepted, that in these very unusual circumstances, tips will be lower than pre pandemic. Most of the staff have been out of    work for 2 years.

3) most staff had to have a minimum  of 6 weeks quarantine from the time they left home until the time they could work on a ship - the basic wage was paid for all that period.

4) When passenger levels were very low Waiters/Assistant waiters/ Cabin Stewards were all given whole days off. This is something that had never happened before and was greatly appreciated by the staff,

5) tips were distributed using normal system. 

Hi

Well that goes some way to answer my question,,,the crew get a basic wage whatever tips are or aren’t given,,,tips look like what I imagine they should be,a bonus on top of the basic pay.

Im happy seeing it that way.

25 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

They are, and I always find something I like. If not, there is always chips and mayo! 

Hi

That saying is similar to the ‘the food no good but you won’t go hungry’..

Not good enough,if I’m paying a few £000 for a cruise I want better than chips and mayo.

18 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Perhaps you should just give up or use the buffet. I get the impression these menus are fleet wide and probably here for the foreseeable.

Hi

I don’t know about the foreseeable,but that menu and others seem to have been with us for years.

On every P&O cruise I have the Asparagus and poached egg,,,,,Bouillabaisse,,,and Atlantic haddock every time I see that menu and very nice it’s been too.Those who cruise P&O know those menus off by heart yet still complain and book P&O.

If I disliked every menu all the time like some do I wouldn’t cruise with that line.

8 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Clearly they would not get as much.  Maybe even not enough, but I honestly don't know the base pay.   

Hi don’t think many people do….that’s why I asked the question.

Many are saying that crew get less money when tips are reduced or not paid,,,,but the question is ‘do they’ get less than basic salary.,I would be happy if tips are in addition to basic pay if performance warranted it.

What happened post COVID when ships where running at 50% capacity with some X ships only having ~400 passengers,,,did the crews have to live on 50% pay?

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

One question

Why, as you are set against X’s, and most other cruise lines, pricing system, don’t you book with cruise lines where tipping is not required?

Or, if you do carry on booking with X, just be up front and admit that your decision not to tip directly reduces the take home pay of every crew member who is included in the “auto grats” system.

 

Hi

Just curious,,,,if nobody on the ship paid tips would the crew get nothing.

Surely they are on a contracted guaranteed’minimum wage’.

Hi

Been through the Suez Canal a few times,,most is boring but there is a few gems to look out for.

Watch out for ships sailing across the desert when you go through the Balah By-Pass.

The Defence Memorial…

The Peace Bridge…

23 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Do they not have Old Speckled Hen ale on board?.

 

Hi.

Yes they do,,,,,thank god they also have John Smiths and Guinness😏

Hi Markeb.

I don’t really drink wine,,,most of the time it’s Irish whiskey and Guinness and bitter.

But I do enjoy being educated about wine reading your knowledgable observations.

I did enjoy a glass of Villa Maria on my recent cruise…..which my local Asda sells here in the UK,,what do you think?

17 hours ago, scmomofboys said:

Enjoying your trip report very much! Did Celebrity have a shuttle into Porto from the port area (free or purchase)?  Thanks!

Hi.

They are carrying out lots of building work in Porto including new roads.

The drop off point for the shuttle is now on the opposite bank of the river by the port lodges.

Its a fair walk across the bridge into Porto itself.

Hi

Screenshot from ‘Windy’ app.