groovechick
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Posts posted by groovechick
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15 hours ago, Plastowc said:
On the theme nights, do we find out what the theme is before we set sail or only the day before in the horizon newsletter ? (Want to plan outfits!) And what are some examples of themes you have had on previous cruises?
To be honest, apart from the formal, black and white night, for which the majority make the effort, people really don't bother at all for the 60s/70s night or the tropical night. For the tropical night at most men wear Hawaiian-style shirts and ladies may wear something tropical florally, but that's about it.
One out last cruise, for the 70s night I just wore a maxi dress, love beads, lots of bangles and tied a long floaty scarf around my hair and apart from maybe one or two other people, I was the only person who'd bothered!
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7 minutes ago, jen2020 said:
Thanks so much for this info- really useful. I'm getting really excited about it now!
Forgot to say the Twin Islands tour included a cooler full of drinks in the boot - rum punch, beer, soft drinks and water. Our driver said we had to finish the lot by the end of the tour!!
Courtney Taylor will also provide drinks, but for a small extra charge - I think it was a dollar or two for a Red Stripe beer!
All the vehicles were modern, air-conditioned and immaculate. The oldest one was on Grenada, an old minivan, but it was still clean and safe. All the companies provided comprehensive info on meeting points and itineraries (although with Courtney Taylor they will be quite flexible), picked us up bang on time and got us back in plenty of time too. Glenn was our driver on Grenada.
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18 hours ago, jen2020 said:
Just wondering if anyone can recommend best Caribbean excursions on Azura in the Autumn?
On our first (and only) Caribbean cruise, the only P&O excursion we did was the submarine trip in Barbados. Very, very good - we were amazed at how much we saw, but the two members of P&O staff who accompanied us were useless. Didn't introduce themselves, didn't speak to anyone and looked totally bored.
Otherwise we took the plunge and went DIY. Cannot recommend Courtney Taylor Tours on Jamaica highly enough. We did the river tubing/beach/lunch/shopping tour and it was fab and worth every penny. Ask for Karl-Linton as your driver.
On St Maarten - Twin Island Tours - we saw the whole island, had time at a lovely beach, shopping, etc.
On Antigua - Scenic Island Tours - again, wonderful day with Hudson as our driver.
On Grenada - Grenada Sunsation Tours, waterfalls/nutmeg factory/lake/rain forest, etc.
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When we visited Barcelona I was apprehensive about using the Metro to get to Sagrada Familia, but need not have worried. It was very straightforward. We took the Metro from the stop near the Christobal Colon shuttle drop-off point, changed once and got a train to just outside Sagrada Familia. You used to be able to buy a "Friends of Sagrada Familia" ticket on the Internet very cheaply and that gave you priority in the queues, but I think they have stopped that, although you could check the Sagrada Familia website. I found this website very useful for info on how to navigate the Metro system, ticket prices, etc.
https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/maps/barcelona-map.html
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11 minutes ago, moonstone01 said:
Hi
My wife and I feel that standards have dropped somewhat over the years, and if we wanted to see football shirts with logos, we would have booked to go to a northern seaside resort. Smart casual always wins the day.
I wasn't aware that football shirts with logos were the exclusive preserve of northern seaside resorts. Must make mental note to avoid. Thank you for the heads up. 😖
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Just checked photos of our last cruise and DH is wearing smart, shoe-type trainers with a smart pair of chinos and short-sleeved collared shirt for a casual night. Sure he's done this on many occasions and it's never been a problem.
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On 4/22/2019 at 7:28 PM, dazlight said:
What age are the kids clubs as I have a 13 and 11 year old and would like them in the same club.
dazlight - we have had children split across clubs. I asked P&O if they could go together but they would not give way. Anyway, I shouldn't have worried. They were both absolutely fine and the older one didn't get into any trouble or get led astray in the teen club. They do organise age-appropriate activities for teens who prefer to stay in the club, which daughter tended to do. When son got to that age he tended to meet up there with a group of friends that formed, then they would go off and play pool, or board games, or table tennis/football, or spend time in the pool.
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With regard to the funicular in Bergen, if you are docked at the container port, P&O run a shuttle that drops you in a central square in Bergen. From there it's a 10-minute stroll to the fish market, the Bryggen old quarter and the funicular. Check if there are lots of ships in port on that day because if so there will be big queues. I think you can possibly buy tickets in advance online. Can't help re the ice bar.
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23 hours ago, waughy said:
our ages 46 and 48
first cruise for me was aged 15 in 1988 - school trip around Greece, Israel and Turkey to cover geography, history and classics.
First cruise for hubby was the same but in 1986 - his dad organised them.
Our next cruise was our honeymoon with NCL in 1997 around the Caribbean.
and a 22 year gap we will be going on with P and O on azura for Christmas around the Caribbean - this will be our children's first cruise and they very much looking forward to it - its worlds apart from our usual holidays - think they have only done one package type holiday and that was because i was 6 months pg.
It's a slippery slope waughy! We'd enjoyed cruising so much before children, we promised ourselves that we would take them on a cruise one day. We did, they loved it and haven't looked back. DD in particular is totally hooked. Now when we discuss family holidays, cruising is always pretty near the top of the choices. I hope you and your family have a wonderful time.
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15 hours ago, Ranchi said:
Groove chick stated ‘P&O now does 3-course dinners, so fish will be one of main couse options. I love when they have barramundi on the menu.‘
I must admit it’s about 18 months since I was in P&O but the menus given as exemplars on the P&O web page all seem to be Starter/Soup or Salad/Main course/Dessert/Cheese. That’s 4 not counting cheese. The fish course certainly has been displaced from modern P&O menus which I think is a shame. In my youth I would have taken all the courses but now I certainly take fewer. I do however like a fish course occasionally and in the recent past it has always been brought for me usually in place of a starter but following the soup (if that makes sense,) Only once did a waiter seem a little reluctant to bring me fish. Unfortunately they do seem to be wanting to get rid of the idea of a fish course as when you do get a fish course these days it’s a main course size. The idea was that a small fish course was a suitable prelude to the main event.
Im going on a P&O cruise fairly soon so I will find out more, then.
I should have been clearer - you can have any combination of the courses you want, i.e. if you want two starters and skip the main course you can, but I seem to recall a couple of years ago P&O syaying they were dropping courses/switching to what is effectively a three-course menu as it was more in line with modern dining trends, i.e. people don't want to sit for hours over a multiple course dinner, but prefer to be around the ship doing things. I feel you are "encouraged", however, to think that the Starter/Soup/Salad is your first course, your main course is second and dessert course is third. As mentioned previously, many of the waiters will not automatically offer the cheese course. The cynic in me says there are two reasons for this - 1) they have cut the number of waiters and wine waiters, they now have to serve a greater number of tables and so have less time. Particularly on Freedom dining, which so many pax opt for now, they like to keep the turnover flowing. We've had waiters starting to clear the table for the next sitting while we were still finishing desserts and coffee. 2) If you're not lingering over dinner, you're more likely to be in the bars, or maybe shops, spending money, therefore increased revenue for P&O.
I struggle to eat more than 3 courses, when we did the tasting menu in the Glasshouse on Aurora it was amazing and highly memorable, but just about finished me off!
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We're 58 and 56. First cruise was in around 1991/92 on Canberra, followed by Sea Princess in 1994. Then had a 17 year break, returning to cruising with our teenage children on RCI Voyager of the Seas in 2011. We cruise once every couple of years and have since been on Aurora x 2, Azura and Britannia.
Most people are parents/grandparents and don't mind children. As another poster said, there are plenty of adult-only ships to cater for those who prefer a child-free ship. I'm sure that even if your children are playing up - and they all do, even (especially!) the teens - people will understand and appreciate your efforts to calm them.
Hope you have a lovely holiday.
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1 hour ago, phoenix1975 said:
I'm going on Britannia at the weekend and haven't cruised with P&O (or any other cruise line) for several years. I'm sure some things will have changed since I last cruised so have some quick questions that I hope someone will be able to answer. For reference I'm single in my 40s and a bit of a foodie, hence several questions about food!
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Do they give you anything to put your cruise card in, or what's best to carry it around in?
You can buy a lanyard with a plastic wallet on the end, they don't give you anything to carry your card. -
Can you still have the fish main course as a fish course in the MDR?
P&O now does 3-course dinners, so fish will be one of main couse options. I love when they have barramundi on the menu. -
In the MDR is there a cheeseboard the waiters bring out or is it a plated selection of cheese as on some other cruise lines?
The cheeseboard used to be offered as standard but now you have to ask for it and some waiters are reluctant to bring it out. You definitely have to ask for the stilton/stilton with port. They also tend to be quite measly with the portions if you're a real cheese lover, as hubby and daughter are. Once they realise you're going to ask for the cheeseboard most nights, they're better. - Do they still put the dinner menu for the next evening outside the MDR the previous night (helps to decide where to eat)?
- Does Sindhu (on Britannia) open for lunch every day?
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This will be the first time I've done Freedom Dining - as a single passenger will they just slot me into empty spaces on larger tables, or how does it work? I will want to have whichever courses I want rather than going with whatever the rest of the table are having.
We saw several solo travellers on their own on tables for 2. If this is what you'd like it might be harder to obtain if you want to dine at peak times. -
Can you still get frozen margaritas?
Think so. -
Is there anything that's useful to pack for my cabin, having not been on Britannia before? Or any tips specifically for Britannia in general?
Whereas before the stateroom fridge was empty, it is now stocked as a mini bar, but if you don't want the items in it you can ask your steward to remove them. The Beach House on Britannia is lovely and the service was outstanding. We did the tasting menu in the Glasshouse on Aurora, pairing food and wine, and this was amazing, so if that's your kind of thing it might be worth doing on Britannia, although I don't like the Glasshouse there. The Serenity pool area is very nice.
I hope you have a wonderful cruise.
Thanks in advance 🙂
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Do they give you anything to put your cruise card in, or what's best to carry it around in?
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What we like about P&O:
Sailing from Southampton - it's not a deal breaker for us, but the embarkation times mean a reasonably leisurely start to our holiday.
Tea-making in cabin (love my morning cuppa)
Reasonable drinks prices
Brilliant kids clubs (sadly no longer needed)
Generally good, sometimes excellent food. Speciality restaurant supplements are still not too pricey.
Buffet (yes, I know not everyone likes it, but DD adores buffet breakfasts. If you get swept aside in the corridor one morning by a slip of a girl, it's probably her powering her way to her cooked breakfast!)
Sea days - sailing from Southampton means more of these - we love lazy days at sea
Formal nights - in our day jobs/ordinary lives neither me nor DD get to dress up, so we love a chance to glam up
Friendly people, from the staff to fellow pax. On other lines we've found the mix of nationalities tend not to chat (inhibited by the language barrier, maybe?), whereas on P&O often someone will strike up a conversation in a lift, in a bar, etc.
Entertainment - not to everyone's taste, including ours sometimes, but we have seen some really good acts/shows, we like a good quiz or two, I enjoy the dance classses.
We cruise much less frequently than most on this forum, but every time we do we have a fab holiday with wonderful memories and are thankful we have the opportunity.
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On 4/4/2019 at 7:49 PM, galeforce9 said:
Don’t want to hijack the thread. I thought possibly with the introduction of one of the new drinks package options. I hope I’m wrong
I may be behind the times or have missed something galeforce, but I was under the impression the drinks package idea had been quietly dropped because the one trialled recently did not go down well.
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12 hours ago, Nellie100 said:
thank you and hope I don't get slated for our unusual rationale for marriage
Why would you be slated for your reason for marrying? Friends of mine married for exactly the same reason. Like you they had been in a relationship for a long time.
On a different note, please be aware that if you are a same sex couple and plan to marry during a Caribbean cruise, Bermuda does not permit same-sex marriages, so you can't be married on any cruise ship registered in Bermuda, which includes P&O vessels. It doesn't matter whether the ship is sailing in the Caribbean or elsewhere in the world - it's the registration that counts.
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Priority is usually given to P&O-organised excursions when tendering. If it's a port where you can walk off, as is Stavanger, then pax on organised excursions make their own way off the ship at the appropriate time for their tour. Whether or not the ship will be late docking is impossible to predict. In August the weather shouldn't be an issue, but it's the North Sea, so anything is possible. Barring a mechanical problem, however, I would think you have a pretty good chance of docking on time.
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The hour was mainly dictated by the need to decide whether it was safe to tender or not, given the swell, and then by a passenger who was very nervous stepping from the ship to the tender and took quite a while. i didn't think an hour from entering the theatre to stepping ashore was bad under these circumstance.
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When we tendered from Britannia in the Caribbean, we had to go to the theatre, collect a ticket, take a seat in an area allocated to those ticket numbers and wait to be called. Disembarkation was delayed a little because of the heavy swell - the previous night the Captain had said we might not be able to call at Grand Cayman at all. They started as soon as it was safe, but there were the usual impatient people chuntering about the delay and getting stroppy with the Ents staff who were doing their best. Supposedly people who were on P&O tours were given priority, but I can't say I particularly noticed that. System also fell apart a bit because pax had been asked to enter the theatre and take tickets at stalls level, but people were coming in higher up and just sitting down without tickets or jumping the queue of people coming in at stall levels to take tickets.
Once it got started it went smoothly and havinf gone down to the theatre around 9ish, we were ashore by 10 am at the latest (we had a rum distillery tour booked for 11). No problems with queues coming back.
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On 3/18/2019 at 9:29 AM, PAMJP said:
Thank you all for your replies, I have just rang P&O Peninsular Club and they confirm that our points gained when it was called Portunus Club are transferred over to existing club. We also are treated as past cruisers to get booking discount. Waiting now to see which cabin we have been allocated on Iona, email sometime today! Once again thanks. Pam
I'm pleased for you Pamjp that you have been able to transfer your points, but this annoys me immensely because we had accumulated about 21 nights' worth of points. We stopped cruising for quite a few years and when we resumed, my husband specifically asked if we could carry over the points to the new system and was told yes, but when we received our points statement they had not been added. He contacted P&O and this time was told no. We would now be well into Atlantic tier rather than languishing in Pacific - not that it makes much difference these days, but it's the principle.
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3 hours ago, kruzseeka said:
For my money, yes there is enough to do for a first visit at Stavanger. You berth in the harbour right in town so it's a very easy walk off port. If you imagine it as a U-shape harbour along one arm is the old town with cobbĺed streets, whiteboard houses with flowers around the door. Very picturesque.
Along the other arm is the waterfront with old, Hanseatic style colourful wharf buildings, now cafes with outdoor seating - again an attractive area. On that side of the town is also a tower which you can go up for the views. Make sure you see the old Hanseatic shops/cafes behind the waterfront - its only really one street but so colourful and flower be-decked - again very photogenic. There is a more modern shopping area too.
Facing the harbour on the connecting stretch between the two arms is the Cathedral with a lake behind it which is nice to walk round. So plenty of interest just walking around and I would also recommend the Oil Musem too. We went on a wet day to get out of the rain but we're very impressed with it and found it very interesting.
If you really wanted an excursion (not cheap but a real spectacle) is the trip to the Flor and Fjeare Gardens. I dont think you can do that independently so would have to go with P&O. If you are just doing a trip on the water to see Pulpit Rock you will only be looking up at it from sea level - check out whether you also get to see it from above otherwise I imagine it doesn't have quite the same impact.
But a lovely port we which always enjoy.
If the gardens you mention are the tropical gardens on an island, you could get a boat tour to them from the harbour - literally a few hundred yards from where the ship was docked. Just walk up, they had a signboard with a description and the prices. A family who were on our table at dinner did the tour, they said it was very good and a fraction of P&O's price.
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Another vote for Wesley Dunlop. He was the captain on our last cruise on Aurora (2017) and was very personable. Always had a word if you saw him around the ship (and we're not "must talk to the captain" people) and often seen eating in the buffet. Been on two cruises with Paul Brown as captain (1 x Azura, 1 x Britannia) and don't particularly rate him, in that I never saw him around the ship or interacting with passengers.
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I can't see why they would prohibit them. The only thing P&O asks is that you don't refill water bottles from the water dispensers in the buffet, for hygiene reasons.
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I would say not. The technology on Britannia is much more up to date and when we sailed on her back in 2015 the choice of in-cabin movies was excellent, relatively recent releases, to suit most ages and tastes.
Two years later on Aurora, with older style TVs and technology, the only films and TV shows were very old and the choice very limited. Didn't watch anything at all.
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On 1/25/2019 at 11:32 AM, daiB said:
Sorry I had not realised you booked on day one. Did you pre-register? If so and you booked direct you do not get a choice of cabin. If you pre-register with a TA you do. This is because on the first morning whe bookings open TA’s have an hour to register their bookings. So if you want a certain cabin and book with P&O they can’t guarantee you can have it as a T A may have booked it. Secondly if you are not in the top tiers those who are will have had first pick. So again the company cannot guarantee a certain cabin.
After this process whe you book through P&O they can tell you which cabins are available and you choose. Unless most cabins are allocated when they move to a guaranteed status where you wil get a cabin of the grade you want or a better one.
This has been in operation for at least 10 years if not more.
No, we didn't pre-register. For our previous cruises we had used a TA, but this particular one had a disagreement with P&O and stopped selling their product, so we booked direct with P&O. P&O told us where cabins were available in our preferred grade, we selected a location and said we want cabin X and they said you can't book a specific cabin, you can only book a cabin of a guaranteed grade and it will be allocated nearer the time, but it will be located where we can fit you in. We insisted that as we were booking Select at launch we should be able to pick our specific cabin, but they refused. They then said if you want to be sure of a specific cabin and location right now, we can do that if you take an obstructed balcony cabin instead. We asked the extra cost (around £1,000) and declined. The P&O agent we spoke to said they release cabins in blocks and deliberately oversell them, at which point they only offer guarantee, then adjust nearer the time as people cancel/upgrade. It seems to me, from posts on this forum, that P&O's reservations policy is best described as "fluid", like its customer service, you get a completely different story and approach depending on the agent you speak to.
Britannia re positioning cruise doubts
in P&O Cruises ( UK )
Posted
Afraid I haven't been on a Celebrity cruise but can help generally regarding Britannia.
Dressing up: P&O is the right place for this. On a longer cruise there will be several formal nights and the majority of passengers adhere to the dress code, with the men wearing dinner suits or tux and ladies wearing cocktail dresses, gowns or smart trousers and sparkly/floaty tops.
Dancing: of the newer P&O ships Britannia probably has the best dance floor in the dedicated Crystal Room.
Sunbathing: as you're likely to be outside of the school holiday period and provided you're not bothered about being around the main pool area, you shouldn't have a problem finding somewhere to sunbathe. There is a separate area with cabanas and things, for an extra charge per day/week pass.
Dining: two set dining times in the MDR, plus another dining room dedicated to Freedom dining, which serves the same menu as in the set time dining rooms. With Freedom dining you just turn up and request a table. If you want a table for two or arrive at a peak time, then you will be asked to wait and given a pager so you can go off and have a drink. The wait isn't usually long.
You also have the option of the bookable speciality restaurants for which there is an extra charge.