Bazrat

13 hours ago, gsmt47471015 said:

Very impressed with Azamara, yes they do cost more but it certainly shows 🙂

Bit of an understatement yes they do cost more an hell of a lot more, but the benefit for us are we will not pay those prices.

3 hours ago, wowzz said:

A five year old thread resurrected. That must have taken some finding !

Gets better with age heh

We are looking forward to our TA next year on Arvia and have absolutely no interest in going on old ships, but saying that we might do Marella again.

13 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

I wasn’t actually referring to the pre-boarding health declarations, although I accept that people lied on these pre Covid and will probably do so even more now! I was thinking more about people catching it on board, which is arguably more likely.
 

Either way, the issue is the same though, in that procedures pre Covid were entirely different. If someone came on board with a virus, or caught it on board, and was selfish enough to share a table (as somebody once did with us), then you might have caught it, but you could carry on with your cruise as normal (albeit feeling rough). With Covid on the scene, if you shared a table with someone who the next day reported Covid symptoms and then tested positive, you could be classed as a close contact and be told that you had to be quarantined in your cabin, which would ruin your cruise. As I say, an entirely different approach. 
 

I have lost track with what the current approach is though. Do people still have to quarantine if they test positive on board? If so, do they quarantine in their booked cabin or are there still quarantine zones? Does anyone know for certain?

We did not see any on Britannia in October, just a normal cruise.

The only vloggers I dislike are those who are paid to be there, I automatically switch off because you cannot believe what they are saying, and one particular couple who said that the beach house food is the worst on land or sea.

On 12/14/2022 at 10:26 AM, Selbourne said:

Interesting and this, of course, is where the problems arise. Many who may have Covid symptoms won’t test or report it, but will continue to enjoy their cruise, hopefully being sensible and not dining with other passengers or sitting close to others, just as you would do at home or on any other holiday for that matter. However, if you dine with other passengers who report symptoms, not only is their cruise ruined, but yours is too. 

The same can be said precovid you would have passengers lie on the health declaration form about health issues 

I received my refund for flight delay, it was like trying to fight an hydra but less fun, from not being able to find us on there system, than them trying to contact us on a phone number which we used to book an holiday with them at least ten years ago, to eventually paying out.

On 12/1/2022 at 10:22 PM, Snow Hill said:

Trustpilot reviews are a heck of a lot worse.

I wish I had read those reviews and not gone on our cruise and had a brilliant time

6 hours ago, zap99 said:

Posh folk use ' Butlins ' as a derogatory term. They mean only the common masses go there. They haven’t been either.🤣

To be honest never met a posh person but I have met an awful lot of pretentious people 

We have been on Arcadia going again on her soon bit old but adults only so good for us as we are in our sixties, love Brittania just done a TA on her and going on Arvia next year on another TA, but there as been comparisons made of some ships being like Butlins at sea, sorry to say never been to Butlins nor want to so that comparison is lost on me.

I am surprised anyone is upset about the naming, the ship was built in Germany and will spend most of the time abroad, and will be registered abroad and is American owned.

35 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Probably. P&O (and others) seem to operate the DFS Sale method these days. When one offer ends, another one usually isn't far behind. What it will be though is anyone's guess...

Most companies run that model nowadays, apart from the breweries 

On 12/1/2022 at 2:49 PM, bobstheboy said:

Not complaining, just stating facts.

Funny enough you was stating the facts and I was just asking do wish to set the pricing 

1 hour ago, majortom10 said:

 

 Nobody is saying what their profit margin should be just that many are comparing P&O prices to pub prices in the UK. All pubs pay alcohol duty and VAT where P&O dont so there profit is a lot higher.

You cannot compare land based drinks prices to onboard prices, there are so many variables your on a cruise = ship = not on land for one, just out of interest how does pando's prices compare to others 

3 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

Surely P&O do not pay duty on alcohol whilst outside territorial waters ? Their profits must be huge.

So not defending pando would you like to set the profit margins for them

6 hours ago, Palaceman said:

I have read the thread from the beginning and I do have the full facts as you would see from my previous contributions throughout this thread.  My point is that P&O do not have a particularly high mark up compared to pubs in my area, plus the fact the drinks are served to you at your table rather than having to purchase from a bar.

The thing is no one is forced to buy the drinks, on our last cruise a couple sat next to us in crows nest, and the few hrs we was there all they had was water.

For us obc gives us meals in the speciality restaurants drinks in the bar etc, as for the extra discount for whatever tier your on is just a little bonus long may it continue 

43 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

Talking about alcohol purchased in the bars not by the bottle from duty free shop.Tjere is a huge mark up on drinks sold onboard whether alcohol or soft drinks.

Sorry you lost me bar prices was reasonable considering your on a ship, probably your comparing them to wetherspoons.

4 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

They will never abolish it because they can charge you higher for a Select fare and then the OBC is spent on board which majority has a high mark up especially alcohol so costs P&O very little.

Alcohol high mark up ? It wasn't on our TA some good bargains to be had, better than last year

8 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

But you don't if you have OBC

It does after you have spent your obc than most things are discounted after

36 minutes ago, Happy afloat said:

No, Southampton round trip.

That makes a difference no weight limit for flights, my point would it be worth it to pack a DJ just for two nights.

22 hours ago, Happy afloat said:

Just back from two weeks on the Iona. Both the formal nights were very well attended and the dress code followed by the vast majority on board, including the younger generations. Children included. Ships officers notable for their absence.

Was it a fly cruise 

They do do a great discount on the drinks package, but it ends as soon as the ship enters service.

5 hours ago, devonuk said:

There lies my conundrum…

Doing a TA Arvia cruise to the Caribbean for a 2 week cruise on Jan 6th. Now do I take my tux, shirt, cummerbund, bow tie, medals and shoes for 1 night. Or not bother at all due to the weight restrictions on the flight back? Perhaps I would for 2 nights (or more on some ships) but I won’t bother for 1 night 🙁

For me a further erosion on what cruising is about. 

We did the four formal nights on this year's TA on Britannia and enjoyed them will not bother on next year's TA on Arvia, for us it is not an erosion but moving with the times and trying to keep up with the younger generation.

We are on Arvia TA next year and not taking formal wear, twice in a fortnight not really worth it, but we enjoyed the four formal nights this year.