FangedRose

1 hour ago, FangedRose said:

Obviously they can't. They will ask you to take the bottle out of the bag and show them. If it is alcoholic (unless it is the permitted bottle of wine) they will confiscate it until the end of the cruise. If it is anything else they will thank you for co-opering and wish you a happy holiday. Don't make such a big deal out of a simple process. 

I mean the staff won't make a big deal of a simple process that it is already in place for other contraband.

25 minutes ago, Goosebear Mum said:

I wonder how they distinguish bottles of alcohol, from bottles of non alcoholic ginger ale/ elderflower, etc?… 

Obviously they can't. They will ask you to take the bottle out of the bag and show them. If it is alcoholic (unless it is the permitted bottle of wine) they will confiscate it until the end of the cruise. If it is anything else they will thank you for co-opering and wish you a happy holiday. Don't make such a big deal out of a simple process. 

On 5/9/2024 at 12:38 PM, david63 said:

One thing that has just occurred to me - do you still have the health questionnaire to complete before boarding?

No.

24 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Do you ever do that? Most people have plans for their evening, so once dinner has finished they go their separate ways.

If the company is that engaging that I can't tear myself away of course I do! I wouldn't dream of hogging a dinner table once I'd finished my meal. I would be too aware of other people waiting to eat, or the staff waiting for you to leave so they can go to bed!

3 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

We certainly did not adhere to Princesses 2 hour table turnround recently. Our sharing tables were so enjoyable that we often were well into the 3rd hour before we were finished, and I would hope for a similar situation on our next P&O cruise.

Why not move to a bar to continue your enjoyment instead of blocking a table and preventing others from having their evening meal?

Yes that's true.

5 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

On Princess a week ago, and their show times were 8:00pm and 10:00pm, which we thought was much better times than the P&O, 8:30 & 10:30.

The theatre times are a perfect fit for the fixed dining times of 6.30 and 8.30. Allowing a two hour window between seating in the dining room and getting to the theatre in plenty of time. 8pm and 10pm would not work.

I book mine online months before boarding. You don't need to wait until you're onboard. They are available up to a year before sailing. Cheaper too.

8 minutes ago, tring said:

 

Maybe, but all the cleaning equipment was near the sinks, so would seem strange to me if that was the case.  I still say it is management who should make sure everything is run properly and it is management who I would criticise, as I had said.  I am genuinely surprised that the temperature of the "hot" food on the servery is not monitored correctly, for instance, to make sure it stays hot.  That should be easy to manage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I ate in the Buffet and found the food to be a fine temperature.

30 minutes ago, tring said:

Also, I was in the ladies toilet when a young lady was "cleaning" them.  She went into each cubicle in turn, looked at the loo, folded the paper into a point, then moved onto the next cubicle.  S

How do you know she was meant to be cleaning them? Perhaps she was just replenishing the supplies.

11 hours ago, indiana123 said:

On Ambience last week we had full muster drill, but no lifejackets.  On hearing the alarm we had to go to the ground floor of the theatre where there was a full muster with recorded instructions and a  full demonstration about life jackets by about four crew around the stage.

So Ambassador then, not P&O.

26 minutes ago, Josy1953 said:

Is this MDR booking on all P&O ships ?

We haven't been with P&O for a few years.  We were due to go on Aurora last November but had to cancel and moved it to November this year but I want a stress free time on holiday.  I don't mind having fixed dining but we usually have freedom dining on Princess so that if we are a little late getting back on board after a port day we can just stroll to the MDR and join a usually short queue to get in.

Not on Aurora, only for the new bigger ships.

19 hours ago, Bill Y said:

I can’t remember so many quizzes so late. It may be that people retired early, as despite being mid-seventies we felt like the youngsters on board.

As I am in my mid 60s I very much echo your sentiments! On my table two tablemates (out of six) were in their 90s. One other went to bed after (first sitting) dinner, another went after the show. We all commented on the number of wheelchairs, rollators and walking sticks on this cruise compared to previous cruises on Aurora. So maybe not surprising that the Silent Disco was empty, on my previous Aurora Cruise it had been packed. Granted, that was during school holidays and had a cohort of school employees wishing a child free break.

There are signs that Aurora is being "neglected". Games equipment not being replaced when necessary. No recognisable guest entertainers (though the ones we had were excellent), despite them being on the other ships etc.

I have two more cruises booked on Aurora and tbh I doubt I'll be booking any more. I have realised that I sailed on Aurora a lot because of the length of cruises (to me the distance I need to travel to Southampton makes anything less than 14 days not worth it, and the hassle of airports put me off flying) I have a btb booked on Britannia which I am looking forward to and I think that is the best option for me. Longer cruises mean people "pace" themselves and shorter cruises could be more lively because of fomo.

On the other hand The Headliners were one of the best I've ever seen!

28 minutes ago, david63 said:

Not always. Apparently every so often there is a full muster (without life-jackets) where you have to attend.

That only happens once every six months or so per ship. A pretty rare experience.

1 minute ago, Cathygh said:

We have always gone to our cabin to collect the room cards and then gone to our muster station to scan them. Besides the ships are now doing full musters, every 6 months I believe.

They don't scan the card, they scan the QR code on your boarding pass. Always been directed to do that immediately on boarding, you get asked "what's your muster station" and pointed towards it. It is almost always on the way to your cabin anyway, and it is on the boarding level so saving an unnecessary trip in the lift when people have still got their hand luggage with them. Why do two trips when one will do? I am aware that a "proper" muster drill is needed at times but that is the exception.

12 minutes ago, Windsurfboy said:

I thought your card was by cabin door, don't you need that to register at muster Station. 

You don't need your cabin card, they scan the QR code on your boarding pass

Just now, Interestedcruisefan said:

Yes

 

Normally get directed to do that as well

Just edited my reply to say that 😬

3 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

You do still have to go and get scanned off at the muster point though

 

To show you know where it is

Yes I know, but you should that on boarding before finding your cabin. Always directed to your muster station when greeted upon boarding

23 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

Drop hand luggage in the cabin, go to muster, stroll round the ship to checkout where everything is, go back to the cabin and unpack as soon as the bags arrive.

 

No muster anymore

23 hours ago, Cathygh said:

Drop hand luggage, go to muster, walk the ship from top to bottom, unpack

No muster anymore.

I follow the instructions. Go to muster station to get my boarding card scanned. Then find cabin and dump hand luggage. Then eat (either embarkation lunch if in time or buffet), hopefully by then luggage has been delivered so unpack. By then it is time to get ready for dinner.

Just now, emam said:

 

Reading this I would not have classed a walking stick as a device. Though that could be because I don't use one.

What would you class it as?  Nobody (now) uses it but as a mobility aid.

Just booked a cruise on board. Was asked "did I have any medical issues or any food allergies or mobility problems that would mean I needed assistance in case of emergency", and to let them know if that changed. So you are asked when booking.

It's being enforced today.

On 4/26/2024 at 12:29 PM, david63 said:

The one exception to having to wait is if you are in a suite.

Caribbean level and above also have priority boarding