balf

Some on here have hit the nail on the head. The more pax that line up at the pursers desk and remove their 'service charge' then more chance that P&O will increase the daily service charge to make up for lost revenue. At the end of the day the 'service charge' is a wage subsidy.:evilsmile: I would love to know the percentage of pax on P&O Cruise who remove the service charge.:rolleyes:

Well, looking at the posts here and assuming that we are average and that we are not telling porkies, there is a large percentage who pay the full gratuities. And most give envelopes as well. So is there a problem?

DAVID,

We tip and also leave the auto charge on our final bill and really the cabin steward get an easy time with us, we make the bed in a morning before going to breakfast unless it's changing day, we clean the bathroom apart from the loo when we have been in it and are tidy and everything is away in draws so easy to just wipe down, it has often been commented on by the cabin steward but we still leave a small tip. We are easily pleased in the dining room so again not too much trouble for the waiters we don't tip as we are freedom dining and rarely get the same waiter we have on occasions come across an excellent waiter so my OH always carries a fiver just in case

Do wish people wouldn't cancel auto tips as it just pushes the price up for those who don't

You clean the bathroom, why? You have a room steward, that’s his/her job. It isn’t self catering, not yet anyway.

DAVID.

Even the things that could have been on this ship but are missing - are missing for a reason.

 

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So what’s the reason for serving inedible steak?

DAVID.

The essence is choice. We have always sat at six tables in the hope of meeting folk who could hold a reasonable conversation. Sometimes we have found them but have had some horrors as well which are much too painful to repeat. I think the mds would always be willing to sit passengers at two seating tables though the room would need to be double the size to give much privacy.

David

The OP has had the usual jumping on from the “perfect” brigade for simply stating facts as experienced. I don’t doubt that many do find Cunard perfect in every way and I am happy that they do but others, including myself find it hard to understand how eating food which is often well below the standard eaten and cooked at home can be classed perfect. I have often sent back steak that was uneatable and left the replacement un eaten.

I have no doubt that standards have slumped well below the early days after QM2 launch.

DAVID.

So it is all about Saver fares, I thought so. A bit mean. But them's the rules and they are the Rulers.

With the multiple careers the employment of the age an ex serviceman joining the fire service then becoming a nurse and finally a social worker that would be a nice little hoard of OBC, oh and the guy is a shareholder too. Carnival ends up owing him money.

DAVID.

It was described as 'White Sturgeon Caviar' on the one occasion it was on the menu. Unspecified on the Room Service menu.

Californian farmed I believe. Doubt only an expert would tell the difference.

DAVID.

That's a slightly pessimistic way of looking at things. Shorter menus don't mean less choice as you can still ask for whatever you want in QG, including dishes no longer on the a la carte. Plus luxuries like caviar which only appeared on the daily menu once but which people were eating every evening.

What type of caviar is available.

David

With what they are presently saying, it would be very difficult for them to refuse anything!

 

 

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In my experience they don’t find it difficult at all.

Piece in the Times today

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/insurers-selling-useless-cover-to-boost-profits-customers-told-c7gj296lt?shareToken=a02e3c1eda16e490d3b46be50c9cf8de

DAVID

My policy document says nothing about either of those things so they cannot claim they are not covered, otherwise it would show in there.

Ain’t necessarily so.

David

Then you know why P&O have limited amount of alcohol taken onboard at embarkation and at ports of call. The reason being that people are taking alcohol onboard supposedly for drink in their cabins only but are not they are drinking it around the ship because they are too tight to purchase it from a bar. You will be complaining next when Cunard follow P&O and ban unlimited amounts of alcohol being taken onboard.

They are P&O but we are Cunard, we would never be so common......I don’t think.

David

Ok you save a little bit drinking wines you didn’t order and this happens often, not by me though, I’d rather drink what I want on the ship day by day.

David

We just cruised on another line and did not see nearly half of the cleaning we see on Cunard. We can not wait to get back to “the Queens” and will triple think about cruising on another line again.

Let me ask you truthfully... would YOU stay strictly on your cabin if you had a cough?

 

 

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Many passengers get the cruise ship cough which is probably caused by the air con. Doesn’t mean they have an infection. It’s the cold and flu sufferers wandering the ship we should be concerned about.

DAVID

I don't mind the larger ships but would not want them all tl be family ships as they are unbearable during holiday periods. Would like to see some adult only ships in the future.

But this is just the problem, the adult only market is not big enough to fill a large ship. An Adonia size new build with possibly double the fares and the service to match could be a success, but this is not P&O’s market, they have opted for “stack em high see them fly”. Traditional cruisers need to move on - there are other lines than P&O or Carnival.

David

P&O are after what used to be the “package holiday” market and cruises have changed, cheapened and many would say gone down market in the process. I can see the time coming when ships don’t call at ports at all and provide all that the new cruise market wants aboard. If we want a small ship experience in the future forget P&O.

David.

I don’t care about Cunard standards I’m there to have fun and I dared someone to look at me or remove me from a venue for being underdressed. Regarding the people being sick that concerns me because some people don’t care about spreading illnesses stay in your cabin if you are sick ! This is going to be for sure my last cruise with Cunard for what I’ve bern hearing it’s not worth all the money spend . I’ve read lots of bad reviews . I’ll stick with RCCL.

Women generally have much more leeway in regard to dress code and I have seen some shockers over the years. Flip flops for formal nights!! It’s worth remembering though that aboard ship a sort of dictatorship exists and it is possible if any passenger refuses to comply with the dress code, in theory they could be removed by security, though I have never seen this happen thankfully.

David.

Just asking, but why should we expect ALL members of the forces to be given obc by a cruise line. To those who have actively served in combat, and particularly sustained injuries I would say yes. But the much larger percentage who have not should not expect benefits for what for them is or was, doing a job like any other in the country.

David.

I

And yet all these passengers declare they would be happy to have the auto grats included in the headline cruise fare, which would deny most the opportunity to feel smug/superior as they hand over their envelopes. And of course they would still be subsidising the wage bill.

I’ve sailed a few times with Saga where tips are in the fare price. Doesn’t stop most giving a good tip at the end of cruise though. Don’t forget the phycology - once the fare has been paid we we forget that part was to pay tips and probably give more in the fabled envelopes than we would otherwise.

David.

What’s the advantage of booking pre cruise?

David

The OP would have no problem if Cunard adopted the P&O policy. One bottle of wine though would not last long for cabin consumption.

David

Why does the term “dumbing down” come to mind.

David.

What's the evidence of that?

None yet but the trend is towards a change of policy as with P&O and Carnival and many others. I’d expect Cunard to follow the others soon.

David.

Well passengers, happy passengers, more likely to book again and Cunard makes a profit.

 

 

 

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Passengers wouldn’t be too happy if they got it as well because an infected passenger was let loose among them.

David

I would generally agree about not paying compensation for illness. I would say though that if the cruise line confines you to your cabin then a refund might be justified. You were prevented, by the company, from enjoying the facilities, entertainment, food and ports that you had paid for. They confine you to your cabin for their benefit. This may after symptoms have cleared up or because you share a cabin with an ill passenger. From your perspective you are well and should be able to enjoy the cruise you have paid for.

 

Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

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Can’t agree that you are confined to cabin for Cunards benifit. It’s for the benifit of all the at present well aboard.

David

As of yesterday Cunard can no longer add a fee for bookings paid by credit card. Payments by cc do give consumers added protection if things go wrong. Can’t help thinking Cunard will be too happy with the loss of this nice little earner.

David