pete14

Those boarding times at 3.00 to 3.30pm are unacceptable. When other companies can manage to get most of the passengers on by early afternoon, why can't P&O ? Bizarre !!! What if you have stopped in a nearby hotel after travelling down the night before. What are those passengers going to do for 6 hours ?

I cannot believe that P&O are doing this to upset passengers. They must have a good reason. Those who travel great distances that entail an overnight stop before embarkation could perhaps book a hotel en route rather in Southampton. Compared with airports and flights being scheduled very early or late, a boarding time of 3:00 seems greatly convenient. My cruise next month has given me a check in time of 2:00 to 2:30. I have a three hour drive and will leave home with the intention of arriving at the terminal around 1:30 to allow time for CPS to take the car and for us to get to check in. If we have to wait for 20 minutes or so then I don't consider that unreasonable. I just hope I am not delayed by those with checkin times of 3:00 - 3:30 pushing in.

So you think that loyalty is based on the amount of money sent with P&O ?

What about the people who have cruised with P&O for many years and who have amassed the required nights to EARN priority boarding based on the rules of the Portunus Club ? Should they have this perk removed ?

What you say about loyalty being based on spend may well be what current passengers would rather have but that is not the criteria by which this perk has been earned.

If you read my second paragraph carefully you will discover that I don't think that loyalty should be based on money spent but I suspect there are some that do. However I do agree that those who spend more on their cruise by paying select fare should receive enhancements in addition to the basics that are given to those who pay saver fares. Choice of embarkation times may be an additional enhancement that can be justified.

I think the higher tiers of the Peninsular club (not Portunus any more) receiving priority boarding is a separate topic to getting the new embarkation process right. I think there is a separate thread on that.

With respect that is just your opinion.

I don't see how type of fare booked should have any affect on boarding. Priority boarding has been earned through loyalty via the conditions of the Peninsular Club with no mention of fare types. I often wonder if the difference in the 3 fare types is an incentive to Select customers or a way to penalise the customers who buy savers.

Surely it is reasonable that those who have paid more and presumably added more to P and O's profits should receive an enhanced service. Everybody boards the ship but if there are preferable time slots, I don't see why they aren't offered first to those who pay the higher tariff. That is a deserved incentive that you could argue has been paid for. Buyers of Saver fares are not being penalised, but they don't get to receive the benefits of the enhanced service that Select fare payers pay for and perhaps should receive.

You mention loyalty and you are quite correct that peninsular club levels are reached through more frequent cruising. Don't forget though that nights spent cruising saver fares in the lowest grade of inside cabins are credited in exactly the same way as nights spent in the most expensive suite. I completely agree that the loyalty shown in each instance is the same but I suspect many would prefer Peninsular points to be based on money spent rather than nights aboard.

Perhaps choosing embarkation time should be another select booking perk. Saver fares could then be slotted in at the less popular times. If they then stuck to it, it should work.

Hi, can anyone tell me if Britannia has an outdoor movie screen.

I am pleased to say that no it doesn't.

If you buy an item in Gibraltar which is sold in ships duty free shop and drink it during your cruise, keep the receipt and preferably a photo of the bottle on the shelf in Gib and duty free shop aboard will price match if you want to take a full bottle home (or they did in March this year).

I have to say that it is an eyesore ruining one of the most beautiful places I have been to. It may help passengers to go ashore but I think that aesthetically, it is a price too high to pay. I know a few are unable to use tenders comfortably but presumably some are unable to walk the distance comfortably either. I applaud P & O for their apparent reluctance to use it.

I bought mine for the shareholder benefits rather than as a investment. I paid over £2000 for the hundred shares and notice that they have increased by about 50%. With the number of cruises I do the onboard credit i get as a shareholder is equivalent to over 20% net interest, shareholder benefits are not taxed. A good investment :D:D:D

A good investment for dividends and OBC but their buying price is high at the moment. Three years ago, I paid £2400 for a hundred. Not a financial expert but remember they could go down and you may face a loss, at least on paper. If you intend to keep them for many years for the benefits, they may be worth it even at current prices.

Yes they do, including a Saturday 3:00 kickoff which we cannot get in UK. Sport 24 is a great addition to the rest of the TV channels

Not sure the ice hotel is a possibility on this cruise but if so, it is well worth a visit from Alta. I wouldn't be tempted to visit the prehistoric rock carvings in Alta though as they are likely to be covered in snow or frost and it may be rather treacherous underfoot. Fascinating in the summer though and a nice little stroll. Dog sledding and skidoo rides are also popular for the more adventurous.

Whilst at sea, you should be able to connect to the ship's maritime network. I don't know whether pay as you go allows you to do this. It is however quite expensive. In port, with international roaming, you should be able to automatically connect to a local network which is probably cheaper. It would be a good idea to contact O2 to make sure you can do this with your pay as you go phone. There is a phone in each cabin that you can use. However, this is very expensive but in an emergency I guess such expense is not a major consideration. I wouldn't suggest using it for anything but an emergency.

Yesterday at the Cake and Bake show in Harrogate, Eric Lanlard (One of the Britannia Food heroes) was being interviewed whilst he cooked, and he spoke about his time on Britannia. He told a hilarious story about meeting the Queen onboard and how much he enjoyed going on an excursion in La Rochelle. I'm gutted we couldn't be on that cruise, but they had no family rooms left. Is anyone going on Britannia to do the Food Hero sessions? Or has anyone already been on one?

We had his afternoon tea on maiden cruise when he was onboard. Tea was excellent and although not scheduled to do so, Eric arrived towards the end and went from table to table shaking hands, posing for photos and signing menus. A nice touch I thought.

Three reasons for not using the table for two.

 

1. If there was one available why was I lied to and why was it not already allocated to someone who had requested one on their booking? Passengers should not have to complain to get what they asked for if it was available.

 

2. We had already made the effort to arrange dining elsewhere.

 

3. The food was crap!

So if I am reading this correctly, you ate in the MDR for one night, unhappy at not being on a table for 2 and feel it is reasonable to describe the food as 'crap'. Surely, your very limited experience of the MDR (1 meal at which you were unhappy with the seating arrangements) does not constitute sufficient evidence for such a judgement. On the maiden cruise, I ate in the MDR several times and enjoyed every meal. No dish I was served, or have ever been served on a P&O cruise could be described as 'crap'. It was good of you to explain to your fellow diners why you would not be eating with them again. From the tone of your post, I think they may have been quite relieved.

It is much smaller than on Azura and feels more like a bar than the Glass House on Azura. It is not formal unless on a formal night perhaps. I recommend Epicurian on Britannia and Sindhu which were both very enjoyable.

The occasional Glasshouse tasting menu evenings are well worth booking but if you want to book, do so ASAP because it books up very quickly and cannot be done before boarding.

You are more likely to get the same if you opt for freedom dining because there are 2 freedom restaurants and only one club on Britannia. I don't see any way that you can be guaranteed the same however, and if you all want club dining, you may not be allocated the same table (although you may if you ask). Maybe your best bet is to book direct with P&O by phone so you can make your requests and be given proper advice.

Good to hear a positive review. How did the ship handle choppy waters? (If you had any!) And how did you find the dreaded lift situation I keep reading about?

I agree with the positivity on this thread with the exception of the lifts. It is easy to use stairs fore and aft where there are some, but not mid ships as there are none in use.

On the maiden we did not have rough seas but through B of B movement would probably have been more noticeable on a smaller ship and the swell that affected tendering in Monte Carlo had no affect on the ship.

She is NOT for sale ( we'll certainly not through this method) This is purely a broker trying to find a buyer for her even though she is not for sale. Basically they are a third party broker that will try to find a buyer for vessels that are not for sale. If they can find a buyer who is willing to pay then they contact the owner and if a deal goes through they take a cut. It's common practice. This is very common in the ferry industry. Most of the Brittany ferries fleet has appeared on these websites but they were never for sale. If Carnival were to dispose of her then it would be done behind closed doors and not through a broker like this. Also ship ownership can be a very complicated thing.

So it is legal to advertise something for sale even though it doesn't belong to you and which the real owner has no intention of selling? Bizarre!

I think that there are people who have a genuine 'grievance' *- such as the lack of stairs which does seem to be a design fault - but there are others who are just professional moaners who go out of their way to find something and everything wrong with a ship or hotel. We all know the ones I mean.

 

Fellow cruisers with sensible complaints & suggestions about how things can be improved are exactly what CC (and the cruise lines) need as they can help things to improve and to help us all to make the right choices.

 

The 'professional moaners' don't help anyone. :(

 

* Can't think of a better word so please be nice to me about this term. ;)

No moans about this post Presto (at least not from me!)

Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed Britannia and defended her in response to several onboard moaners but feel a little aggrieved at being termed a moaner for commenting on the fact that an alternative way of going up and down decks is denied to passengers especially as it would free up the lifts for those who want/need them.

Pete,

I had no intention of upsetting anyone, and was not aware of the secret stairs. My main issue was with why people felt the need to queue for the lifts and to take the lift down when they wanted to go up to get quicker access to the lifts. Other that trying to get a seat in the theatre or to get to an excursion on time I have never felt in much of a rush to do anything on a cruise.

Whilst it was frustrating when people went up in a lift in order to come down to the deck they wanted to get to, it is tempting to do this when you have waited 10 minutes for a lift and having only seen lifts packed like cans of sardines going in the direction you want to go. I know it is selfish because it means people are in lifts un-necessarily, taking up space others may need, but it is understandable.

Opening up the closed off staircase would help to prevent this although I do realise that getting it to the decorative standard passengers are used to cannot be done whilst at sea just in case there is an emergency and they are urgently needed.

I get really iritated by people moaning about the lack of a central staircase.

 

Although I dislike people moaning, and there were plenty of moaners on the maiden cruise, I really don't think it is fair to criticise people who have commented on the lack of a central staircase. It is a major flaw that needs to be addressed. In fact, there is a central staircase and it can be used between decks 5 and 7. However, it is kept behind closed doors on decks above 7. It is not carpeted and the walls are not decorated as it is for the use of staff and in emergency only. That was the frustration people felt, not that there was a lack of a central staircase but that passengers were not allowed to use the one that was there. I believe that when the opportunity arises, they will bring it up to passenger standard and open it up for passengers to use.

 

Apart from that, I thoroughly enjoyed Britannia and defended her in response to several onboard moaners but feel a little aggrieved at being termed a moaner for commenting on the fact that an alternative way of going up and down decks is denied to passengers especially as it would free up the lifts for those who want/need them.

Are the wine waiters being phased out?

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Not as far as I know. The wine waiter we had on Britannia maiden in March was excellent. Presumably if they were being phased out, they would not have had them on a new ship

If you don't mind being right at the back of the ship, the cabins across the back have bigger balconies although some may be partially overlooked from above. Presumably more movement than mid ships but no vibration that I have noticed.

There is not a cinema as such but films are shown in other entertainment venues such as the theatre and studio during the day.

Will there be a black and white night on a 7 day cruise?

 

Thanks :)

I guess there will probably be two.

If you have an aft suite you will have a long walk as Epicurean restaurant is at the opposite end of the ship!