Cruisemeister2002

I don't wish to be confrontational but myself and wife started cruising back in 2002 and whilst they always say your first cruise is the one you remember the most we have had many excellent cruises with P&O since. However I believe the reverse is true of what you say with regards to cruises getting better. When we first cruised ladies had toiletries in a little P&O bag to greet them in the bathroom. You had a turndown every night with a chocolate on your pillow. The biscuits you were provided with the tea and coffee were better than now. Things like tours of the bridge and galley were free. You had chocoholics tea one afternoon where the display of cakes and pastries and an ice carving were wonderful. It was laid out buffet style and you helped yourself to as much as you wanted. Tea and coffee was served at your table. Menu wise if you didn't like anything on the main course you could ask for a steak. These were much better than the things dished up now. The first cruise we even had a guy giving information over the tannoy system about the port you were entering and the daily paper had port information in them.

I use a stock and financial service Company where I have a Stocks and Shares ISA (These are UK savings schemes where you can invest up to £20,000 tax free) You can also buy individual shares such as CCL. I had 100 of these, informed them when my holiday was due. They then contacted P&O at Southampton (Also where Princess headquarters UK is) and they applied the OBC. I know cruise lines have to be contacted each time as like myself an individual may decide to sell the shares.

In 2022 I bought 100 Carnival shares for £700, early 2023 we had a 35 night cruise so £150 onboard spend (P&O Ventura) got back of the cruise and a few months later the share price hit £13.40 so I sold making £600 profit. Not that I am a shares wizard or anything like, but that was a good deal to me. We didn't intend taking any more long cruises, but have decided on one last long one later in the year as I am retired and my health and age are against both myself and wife as far as long cruises are concerned as the cost of insurance is restrictive and has gone up from being in the hundreds to being in the thousands.

Have never had a problem selecting a cabin. When you access the cruise line website and book whenever I have looked it always say's " Let Princess or whoever decide later you cabin location or select which cabin you require now" It will then ask if available they will upgrade you. So you can say yes upgrade, or no I want the cabin I have booked. How this works in relationship to bidding for an upgrade I don't know but would imagine that the more that bid the less chance of getting upgraded without bidding.

I really cannot understand why any cruise line questioning who is drinking what. Does it matter as long as the limit isn't exceeded and if it is you get charged anyway. As I have previously said I have purchased the Plus package for myself and wife as you cannot have one package under the rules. But then why not. Again if you exceed the 15 drinks per day you pay. I realise why the rules are so because the cruise line want's to make as much out of you as possibly that's why in many cases sea days have been extended and ports of call cut. Yes they have to feed people on sea day's but the take from shops and alcohol outweighs the extra food costs. Cunard used to do a twelve day round trip to New York. Four day's out, four days back Southampton and four days in New York. You won't see any cruise line crossing the pond in less than five days now and last year on Ventura after missing our first port of call Burmuda it was ten days before we reached Freeport Bahamas. The return journey from Port Canaveral was six days to Ponta del Garda and then a further three to Southampton.

I do feel sometimes there's more concern as to whether a passenger is maybe bending the rules to suit themselves than there is to what a cruise line charges against what a customer pays for a package and doesn't use their full entitlement. I know it's up to an individual to decide whether to pay the extra for a package as to whether the upside is better than the downside or in other words they are getting their monies worth. I for instance have taken out a Plus package for an up and coming cruise. I know I won't use the two gym sessions, I know neither I or my wife will consume two of the desserts per day. That's my choice and i accept the cost. What I cannot understand is how some would deem it a no,no, to take advantage of the system if they could get away with it as with someone getting drinks on their package and then giving them to someone not on the package. I am aware that those in the same cabin, like myself and wife both have to be on the package therefore there's no way of bending rules. Does anyone for one moment think Princess or any cruise line thinks about the poor passengers who pay for their $15 x 15 drinks or those paying for their $20 drinks that if they only have two drinks in a day that they would be concerned that the passenger hasn't used their allowance. Of course they wouldn't. The bottom line is all that matters.

I presume you are on Sky Princess ? What are the cabins like compared say to Ventura. Have you had what some seem to describe as these awful deserts (The ice cream one's with all the toppings) We are on Sky Princess later in the year and have taken up the option of the Plus package. If you have also got this what is it like regarding choice. Some say the wine is from boxes and it's not that good. Also we come under the Elite tier which as you probably know includes mini bar, free laundry, shoe polishing, afternoon tea in cabin, canapes on formal nights, priority boarding and shuttle ship to shore. If you are Elite, how did you find these. Thanks.

We are on a Canada/USA cruise later in the year from England and I have been booking excursions when they appear on the Princess website. Unfortunately one we had booked we have been informed that the port of call will no longer be in the itinerary and has been substituted by one in France. To get back to your question I have found that of the four remaining excursions booked they are now between them $120 more. So I am glad we booked them earlier. It may seem strange that we haven't booked excursions in all ports but many we have been to before and done most of the excursions or as with New York did the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on our own which saved us 50% on what the cruise line charged. We had as long as we wanted in both places, even took in Battery Park and a cab to Macey's appartment store.

I have a bit of a wicked sense of humour, but I never intentionally try to offend. One guy on the Princess part of this forum, an American, was saying that he doesn't use the free laundering of shirts as they came back stiff. After writing a reply, I decided to delete it as a) I didn't want to offend and b) I wasn't sure his sense of humour was the same as mine. The deletion was as such " Perhaps before you send your shirts to be laundered you should take the ***** tablets out of the pocket, that's why they are coming back stiff"

I am quite surprised by what you say. Not that the desserts are awful, but that you were refused just ice cream. As I have now booked a cruise on Princess I tend to visit their section on this forum rather than P&O and the general feedback seems to be that if you just ask for one or two scoops of ice cream with no fancy bits on top then they will gladly accommodate you. There does though to be different ideas from one ship to another and also possibly one member of staff to another which can be confusing.

Don't know if you ever heard this one but in the UK we had a spate of restaurants having an area where you were allowed to smoke. This wasn't a completely separate room divided by doors, just an area in the main restaurant. Sir Paul McCartney said "Having a smoking area in a restaurant is like having a peeing area in a swimming pool"

Must admit looking forward to our Princess cruise later in the year. After having been a loyal P&O customer for many years suffering the affects of an horrendous 35 night cruise onboard Ventura last March/April where they couldn't get anything right I have switched allegiance to Princess. As with every cruise line reports vary, but in the main seem to be o.k. with Princess. We are also partaking in the Plus package which allows 15 x $15 drinks per day which includes juices, water and speciality coffee, two desserts per day, two gym sessions, two casual dining . We are also Elite tier, which as with P&O gives 10% off purchases, free laundering, mini bar, wine tasting, afternoon tea in cabin, priority boarding and ship to shore tendering (But not shore to ship) .The ship is medallion class therefore cabin access via medallion, delivery anywhere on the ship of drinks , food and goods from shops. Ability to bid for upgrading cabin after final payment made although I believe this is getting a common thing throughout most cruise lines. Also by the time we embark we will be able to have set dining times which they are reintroducing, along with anytime dining and walk in.

What makes people so dirty ? Is it really too much to expect people to observe a modicum of cleanliness when eating. Do what you wish in your own home, but don't expect others to put up with dirty habits. In some ways it doesn't surprise me as even in foodstores/supermarkets hygiene isn't taught properly to staff. Frozen goods are left in shopping isles because someone is told it's time for their break so allowing food to defrost. Whenever I take anything from a freezer compartment I always make sure that the contents are not all stuck together. A sure sign they have thawed and then been refrozen. At catering college food hygiene was my favourite subject. Place cooked meats above uncooked in your fridge. Buy something you already have in your larder place the old where it can be used first before the new. Most of food handling is common sense. Sadly some seem short of it.

We cruise on Sky later in the year, I understand that once the final demand is settled a few days later a passenger is contacted with regards to bidding for an upgrade. We are currently inside. Anyone ideas as to the sort of money to offer for a balcony upgrade ?

We are Elite and enjoy the 10% off goods in the shops. It's good to wait as although I am not totally familiar with Princess I presume they have as with P&O day's where they have sales of goods and there's bargains to be had. Plus of course any other spending you do also gives you 10% off. We have gone for the Plus package, this will be our first cruise we have taken up such an option therefore I would hazard a guess that when onboard we won't be spending anywhere near what we have in the past. As for laundering I doubt I will have much use of this service. Maybe a couple of dress shirts. The desserts look interesting although I doubt we'll get through two a day. There's also the two casual dining we get in the package and a mini bar comes with Elite status which is o.k. as we like a drink prior to going to a bar for a pre-dinner drink. I hope I haven't confused you by mixing Elite status and the Plus package which of course are totally separate.

As far as I am aware the new system doesn't kick in until after the 14th of September. Therefore I'd be amazed if Princess cancelled dining arrangements for those cruising before then. Also I believe that no arrangements can be made until final payments are made.

I cast my mind back to a P&O cruise I took last year. First time ever I gave our cabin steward a £5 tip (around $7.5) as I thought he was very good. Although I had prepaid service charges. Bad error I am afraid he just got worse the longer the cruise went on. I preferred the old system of tipping those who personally serve you, but can understand that if everyone onboard just tip their cabin steward and their dining waiters that many staff miss out although they are still serving us in the background.

Don't know how strict Princess are, but I have brought onboard bottles of wine, snacks, fruit and bourbon and rum on P&O ships without question.

You are correct. In the UK collection of the medallions only takes place in port. I do believe however that dependant on what level of tier you have reached, we are Elite (Not personally, you understand) boarding is prioritised. Although we are Caribbean tier with P&O and that didn't make any difference last year as the ship was late into port and it was every person for themselves on check in.

Have a cruise booked on Sky Princess for later in the year. A day after the new arrangements come into force in fact. I do believe that I will not be contacted by Princess with regards to what dining we require until after we have paid the balance. We were quite pleased to see they had reintroduced the fixed time dining as apart from one cruise where we didn't have a choice due to late booking we have always gone for second sitting. I understand that the times on Princess are different to P&O, as P&O are 6.30 first sitting and 8.30 second sitting. Please correct me if different but aren't Princess 5.30 or 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. ?

I appreciate if weather conditions are bad that a port of call is missed. I can't speak for Princess cruise lines as I am unaware of how many ports are missed for other reasons. We have in the past sailed with P&O from Southampton. Last year we were on a 35 night cruise from Southampton. I'm not a great sea day's person although I appreciate if you sail from Southampton to the USA, Caribbean also taking in Cozumel Mexico, Belize and Roatan that it's inevitable that there will be a few more sea days than sailing to the Med with stops at Virgo Spain, Lisbon Portugal or Gibraltar. However our 35 night cruise was supposed to have been 6 days before our first port of Bermuda. Due to the Captains crystal ball we were told three days into the cruise Bermuda would be missed. Therefore it was ten days before getting to Freeport Bahamas. Stir crazy was putting it mildly as the entertainment on the whole was dross and the only speaker of any note throughout the cruise talked about photography. The food was poor, except Speciality restaurant Sindu (Indian cuisine), immigration at New Orleans a shamble. The first day for some turned into a few hours as it was 16.30 in the afternoon before some got through. Various other things too numerous to mention made it a very poor cruise. Sailing back was 6 day's to Ponta del garda in the Azores then a further three to Southampton. If I and the wife could have flown back we would have from Port Canaveral, but she's unable to fly.

I have heard of the new arrangements and it blends in great with what we like. Fixed dining, second sitting. I doubt though we will be asked for our preference until I have paid the balance which is on the horizon as Princess have emailed me with a reminder.

Nothing to do with future cruises and hotels etc, but we went on P&O's Ventura many years ago one evening we returned to our cabin and found a P&O dvd in the slot outside our cabin. Apparently someone had instructed staff to put these dvd's outside people's cabins and charge to their account. Suffice to say there was a huge queue at the reception desk the next day demanding a credit back to passengers accounts. Having read many articles on this forum I have come to the conclusion that many things are not explained to passengers as they should be and not all ships adhere to what a passenger is entitled to as with packages where some things seem to be charged on one ship and not on another.

I don't intend to put you off and maybe our experience was one that not too many encounter. We went on Ventura last March/April 35 nights to US and Caribbean, taking in Mexico and Belize and Roatan. To say the cruise was a disaster was putting it mildly. From start to finish not a cruise we cherished in any way. Cabin changed the day before so had to reprint labels for cases. Ship five hours late into port so huge queues at port. Got on ship, went to cabin, wrong cards to open door. Had paid £400 for a Celebration package. Nothing in cabin. Took 17 days of the cruise to sort out. Part of that was a formal photograph with frame. No photographer onboard, then when one was available, no frames. Again part of package a facial or massage at the Spa. They weren't aware of change of cabin. Got to New Orleans, immigration a nightmare (not P&O's fault) but it was supposed to be two full days, some never got through until 4.30 in the afternoon. Food was poor, except the meals we had in Sindu. Back to when we arrived firstly at our cabin. A huge line of cases, half not ours. The last one when we were going to bed. Problems at Miami with airbridge. People coughing and spluttering onboard and norovirus as a section was closed in the corridor with people in white overalls spraying carpets etc. One deck many were moved due to flooding as some pipe had burst or broken. Might have known as didn't like Ventura first time around although that cruise was way better than the one just explained. Cruising this year, but have switched allegiance to Princess as we have heard better reports of them. But as I say everyone has a different view/experience of a particular cruise. I suppose it's sods law that out of 17 cruises one might be less than satisfactory.