groovechick

It may have changed, but the soft drinks card used to only cover fizzy drinks from the guns, not juices, mineral waters, teas or coffees (you could buy a separate coffee card), which is why we never bothered with it for our children.

Afraid I can't believe that P&O will not recoup this in some way.

If they were making as much money as has been alleged from the proportion of services charges/gratuities that were reputedly not being distributed to staff but going direct into P&O coffers, it will represent a substantial loss.

I, too, hope the staff will not fall foul of this move, but if it is what it says on the tin - then hooray!

It might be the browser version you are using. Although I'm UK based I had a similar problem and it was because the P&O website was not "optimised" for the browser version I was using. P&O's tech is notoriously clunky - try a different browser.

This is such a great post. Will be so useful when we take our Christmas cruise on the Azura.

If you are calling at Grand Cayman, and nothing else grabs you in the way of excursion, I highly recommend a DIY trip to the Seven Fathoms Rum Distillery. The tours operate at fixed times: when we booked three years ago, IIRC you could book your place online and then pay cash when you turned up on the day. Unless things have changed, you get generous samples of all their rums and liqueurs. The distillery is only small, but with the tasting etc taken by the guide Moses (who is a lovely guy and absolutely hilarious) we were there a good couple of hours. My daughter doesn't really drink, so he made her a lovely fruity cocktail instead of the samples, and you could have juice too. Take a taxi from the port (it's too far to walk along a very busy road), and the distillery will call you a taxi for the return to port or wherever you want to go. We just returned to port and mooched around the shops. The American newlyweds with whom we shared the return taxi went on to do swimming with turtles which they'd booked.

You can get to the beaches on your own but l would say do an excursion or stay on board in St Vincent the town is very poor.

The same is true of Roseau, Dominica. We were docked a long way out and had to get a shuttle into town, for which there was a local charge. We wanted to just look around, but a combination of next to nothing to see as the town was still recovering from a hurricane, heavy downpours every 15 mins and being constantly hassled by people asking if we wanted tours or other services, even off the main tourist strip, meant we gave up after a couple of hours and returned to the ship. I believe there is a very good tour operator there, though, Bumpiing (?) which comes highly recommended.

I, too, like the smaller places: loved Cadiz and Koper. I think cruise ships had only just started calling there when we went (2011), easy to walk into, friendly people, great ice cream place just off the main square and what seemed like the whole town turned out to line the sea-front promenade as we sailed away, complete with band! On that same cruise the sail out of Venice on a beautiful evening, with a magical sunset was a "I can't believe this is happening" moment. I have a soft spot for Lisbon too - love the sail up/down-river.

On our only Caribbean cruise nearly 3 years ago, the only P&O excursion we did was the submarine trip on Barbados (and that was only because the operator would not let you book direct). It was well worth it though, although the accompanying P&O staff didn't once speak to or engage with the small group of pax.

Despite not having much experience of DIY I took the plunge and booked all our excursions direct with local operators. They were all unfailingly friendly, helpful and well organised and everything went exactly as described and without a hitch. We mainly did island tours because, being our first time (apart from our honeymoon on St Lucia, which wasn't one of our ports), we wanted to get an overview of each island, or wandered around on our own, i.e. in Aruba, Grand Cayman, Dominica and Tortola (I had a beach trip planned but DS has skinned his knees and shins on the ship's sports court so couldn't get sand and saltwater on them). Happy to recommend the companies we used if that is your kind of thing. Alternatively there are always mini buses/taxis at the port offering tours or trips to a beach. Just be sure both parties are clear about what has been agreed in terms of duration, price, pick-up times and vehicle you'll be travelling in and you should be fine.

Our first cruise as a family was on Voyager (2011), our second on Aurora (2012). Aurora is quite a bit smaller and more understated (think mid-price country house hotel rather than glitz and glam) but is more like a ship. Despite being smaller she never feels crowded and is very elegantly designed. MDRs, entertainment venues are all easily reached. More variety (and space) in the Windjammer (but then she's a bigger vessel).

Theatre entertainment is very much geared to the British market. Headliners troupe shows vary in standard and, except on Britannia, do not involve much technical wizardry. Lots of tribute acts (Dusty Springfield, Freddie Mercury, Phil Collins...), variable quality of singers and bands. P&O used to have the occasional "household name" headliner (comedian Tom O'Connor, musician Elio Pace and others), but these seem to be few and far between now.

There is usually a daytime lecture - topics vary widely (MI5, jewellery, chocolate industry, fraud and counterfeiting, famous murders....), other talks that are presented as lectures/infotainment are actually sales tactics for the spa/speciality restaurants.

Wide variety of quizzes - syndicate quiz, Battle of the Sexes, music, entertainment, general knowledge - but all geared to British market. Pax will be mainly British, possibly older demographic, especially during term-time cruises.

Dressing up on formal nights is very well observed - probably 90% of passengers will adhere to the dress code, but if it's not your thing you can eat in the buffet or some of the speciality restaurants and some of the lounges will admit you.

Drinks much cheaper. Gratuities lower.

Aurora's my favourite ship - I'm sure you will have a great time if you choose her.

but I would be concerned that some people may be suckered into it (particularly new cruisers, who may think drinks prices are higher than they are, or don’t appreciate that it would be nigh on impossible to drink that amount on port days).

If our last two cruises are anything to go by, an increasing number of new cruisers do not go ashore on port days. They take the view that they have paid what is effectively AI (minus drinks) and are therefore going to get their money's worth by staying on board. This drinks package would therefore probably appeal. Had this said to me by several people I spoke to on our cruise last year. Seems as though the perceived change in demographics might be affecting sales of shore excursions - seasoned cruisers/the more experienced travellers tend to DIY, new cruisers prefer to stay on board.... a drinks package might help to redress some of the balance. FWIW we won't be taking up the offer either. If we could share a package, yes, but as I mainly drink tap water, tea and the odd cocktail or glass of wine, no way could I drink £40 worth.

I think the only way you can be sure what will happen is to contact P&O direct and ask. I have no experience of this, but I would have thought it will be problematic because I believe the baggage left out overnight and forwarded en masse to the airport does not go through the normal check-in procedure. If your biggish bag is too big to be classed as hand luggage, you would have to check it in, then presumably it will not be with the rest of the P&O luggage for that flight, or will have to be married up with it (and we all know how good the airlines are at losing luggage!). I am sure more knowledgeable posters here will correct me if I am wrong.

Last year we had an inside cabin on C deck, 174, slightly forward of midships and found it perfect for getting to everything, either by stairs or lift. Cabins above and below so no noise, not close to a steward's service cupboard so no clattering/banging from there. Highly recommended.

There are local companies that operate boat trips to the tropical gardens direct from the dock at Stavanger - literally 2 minutes from the berth. You just turn up and buy a ticket. I don't know the price, but the family on our cruise who did it said it was significantly cheaper than P&O's package.

Groovechick. I'm just finding the whole thread laughable but entertaining. 68 years ago today I was probably sat in a puddle eating mud and I'm still here! :o :D

Strawberry field - somewhat younger than you and Jean, but ditto.

Strawberry Field - killing myself laughing at your posts #82 and #84.:');p

I always take a copy of the insurance certificate, the summary of what is covered and the emergency contact numbers with me (paper copies and on my phone).

Things to look out for when checking what is covered are confinement to cabin in the event of illness, cover for ports missed due to the ship being unable to dock, compensation if you miss out on pre-booked excursions due to the ship being unable to dock, due to you being ill, or for other reasons, curtailment of cruise, as well as the usual things like repatriation/Medevac/cost of medical treatment abroad.

I'm sure there are others I've forgotten but OPs on here will advise. Hope you have a wonderful time.

Our one and only upgrade was from an inside on R deck to an outside on P deck on Azura several years ago. Our cabin was more central, just off the Atrium, so we thought there might be a problem in the evening with music from the Atrium (which was a concern as our children were younger), but you could only hear it faintly and it finished quite early. Otherwise no issues with P deck other than noise of waves hitting the hull (we had some choppy seas on our cruise). We found it very convenient when going ashore because the gangways were usually on our deck, so no queuing and also for getting up to the restaurant, Lido deck etc because you were at the bottom of the lifts.

The only problem we had (and this might not affect you being forward) was that on disembarkation day we had noise from luggage being shifted around in the hold and machinery operating from very early in the morning (@ 4 am IIRC, we docked @6), but it wasn't the end of the world as we had to be up early to be out of the cabin by 8.

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, Azura's a very nice ship, my second favourite after Aurora.

Last year I had the privilege of singing at the Royal Albert Hall. There were 3000+ singers, plus orchestra, audience and general staff. There were absolutely no security checks, not even a bag search.

Two weeks ago my daughter and I went to a performance at the Royal Festival Hall. As my daughter tends to carry the kitchen sink in her handbag, I warned her that there would probably be a security check. The sole security was a tiny, elderly lady asking to see our tickets in the Green bar - "because people just walk in and eat their lunch, come for a sit down, or fall asleep on the sofas and then patrons can't use the facilities".:D It was a glorious day, the South Bank was heaving, the café and bar terraces were packed.

I'm very much of the "you're far more likely to be run over by a bus" and "carry on as normal, don't let them win" school of thought, but I have been surprised by the complete lack of security at two major London venues. Incidentally, last year we were in London on the day of the London Bridge attack, albeit at the Royal Albert Hall.

I am sure that on our Aurora cruise last year there was a small section in the buffet at lunchtime for gluten free puds and there definitely was for GF cakes, pastries and sandwiches during afternoon tea. IIRC it was either a completely separate unit for GF, or one side of a unit, so hopefully minimising the risk of cross-contamination. Fingers crossed for you Britannia will be the same.

They organise a sailaway party run by the Ents team, but by the time you've attended muster there is not much time before dinner if you're on first fixed sitting, or if you've had a long day, were not on board in time for lunch and want to grab an early dinner in Freedom dining or the buffet. We're either freshening up before dinner or unpacking.

We stayed at The Melleiha Bay Hotel, which is the far side of the bay (beyond Melleiha Village) and a bus went between Valletta and the Ferry to Gozo, which is further on again. That bus stopped very near our hotel. Looks like the bus takes about an hour to Mellieha Village, but would be a bit longer if you go on to the beach area. There was not much in the way of facilities at the beach when we went, but development was taking place in the area.

We stayed at the Paradise Bay hotel, right at the end of the bus route, just a short walk from the ferry terminal. We took the bus to Mellieha a couple of times, but as the hotel had its own small beach and a fantastic pool complex we didn't bother too much. As you say, I think a lot of development has gone on in the meantime (we were there early 2000s).

Having done a fjords cruise in school holidays (early August) with our children (on Aurora), comparatively there were fewer children and certainly fewer very young ones than you would get on a Med or Canaries cruise. I would say Ventura and Britannia are equally family orientated (been on Azura, Ventura's sister ship and Britannia).

Hi All,

My one and only cruise was in 1991 on the Sea Princess with P&O. My grandmother took me and my then partner on a two week cruise. My grandparents were veteran P&O cruisers having had at least three world cruises that I know of and countless shorter ones. My grandmother said the Canberra was far larger but she preferred the Sea Princess.

 

I loved the experience and thought the level of service on the ship was very good. Nothing was too much trouble for the cabin steward (standard cabin, nothing flash) who woke us every morning with a piping hot pot of tea. The dining was a high quality experience with a good spread of formal and less formal evenings.

 

A general read of the foums suggests that the level of service may not be what it once was and that the dining experience may have slipped somewhat. How would a modern cruise compare with my 1991 one?

I cruised on Sea Princess a couple of years after you, my second after a cruise on Canberra. Then had a gap of 17 years until we cruised with RCI, and since then 4 cruises with P&O. I felt Sea Princess had the atmosphere and décor in places of a country house hotel. We were in an ordinary cabin but were on the Purser's table at dinner (lovely man). That's one thing that has changed - the crew are generally very remote from the passengers. Some of the captains are sociable - Neil Turnbull, Wesley Dunlop, others less so. Fewer courses at dinner (three, four if you have cheese, sometimes more if it's a gala dinner, whereas before it was at least five, IIRC. Personally 3 is enough for me.) Standard of food varies greatly from ship to ship and cruise to cruise, even in the speciality restaurants, presumably depending on the chef. So does the standard of service. Sun loungers are much more packed together. Our Sea Princess cruise felt like a luxury holiday. Our more recent cruises have been very nice holidays, but I wouldn't say luxury. With regard to passenger demographics - it takes all sorts. On a recent cruise we met an extended family who some might have found off-putting (tattoos, piercings, etc.), but who were really nice, incredibly polite, friendly and excellent company. In contrast we also met an apparently very well-to-do couple (who took every opportunity to talk about their money, connections, etc.), who were snobbish, unbelievably rude to crew and other passengers, he drank heavily and became very belligerent towards whoever he spoke to, etc. It's all very personal - I would say you would have to try several lines to decide whether modern cruising is for you. Choose your cruise, go with an open mind and determined to enjoy your holiday and make up your own mind. Don't let comments on fora and reviews put you off.

P&O are offering half-day excursions from Valetta mainly geared to those who are flying home later in the day. There aren't any full day trips for those doing a b-2-b on the CP at present. Has anyone who has been on this itinerary (on Oceana) noticed whether there are any longer trips on turn-around day? I know often a few additional excursions are offered on board - and hope this may be the case. Or..... has anyone done a DiY trip to any of the beaches on the NW coast and if so, which local buses did you use? Or........... any other suggestions? Any help would be much appreciated. (We have done the HoHo from Valetta in the past so we're looking for something different.)

There is a bus which goes direct from Valletta to Mellieha (probably the best beach on the island) - 41, 42 or 44. It takes about 1.15 hours, though, IIRC. The fare is EUR 2 pp single. I can't remember if the bus goes down to the bay. If it doesn't, it's a 10-minute walk down a steep hill to the beach from the square in Mellieha where the buses stop.

Thanks for the review. We're taking our first P&O cruise on Britannia in August. And thanks for the heads up about the serenity pool area, I was anticipating spending lots of time in the pool, maybe not lol. Really hoping that's not the case though as we have to go in school summer holidays so it may be full of kids. Think I'll pay extra for the retreat depending on how much it is.

We were on Britannia during her maiden Christmas in the Caribbean and there were no children at the Serenity Pool during the various times we were there (although lots on board) and the loungers were not too tightly packed, at least compared to other parts of the ship, so the OP may just have been unlucky. I've never used the Retreat myself, but spoke to a couple of pax who had, who said they felt P&O tried to get away with providing the bare minimum of "perks" advertised and that it was not really exclusive at all. On Aurora last summer (summer holidays) there were two members of the Ents team on duty as lifeguards around the pool at all times and they would calm kids down and ask them to stop running/jumping etc. if they got too boisterous.

SeaScreen was unwatchable during our cruise, both sound and picture terrible. We struggled through one film, tried again a few nights later because we hoped they might have rectified the problem and it was a film we really wanted to see, but gave up after a short time. There were lots of complaints at the time and it was one of the things I highlighted on the end of cruise survey. Either they've fixed it in the interim and it's on the blink again, or they've let it go for 5 years and clearly don't think it's a priority.