pete14

Holland America organise theme cruises around things like blues and country music. They are very popular. Last year on Ventura we berthed opposite to their blues cruise ship in Sint Maarten. They had a blues band playing on deck and they were marvellous. I tried to book it for this year on my return to Britain but found that it had already sold out.

I think that is a fascinating idea and could generate a different angle for attracting new cruisers and cruise ships populated with more like minded people. Maybe this could give a different role to a small ship such as Adonia. A folk festival at sea, a specialist Country and Western cruise, a 70's or 'swing' (not swingers) cruise. Provided the artists were booked early and people were told which singers/bands had been booked well in advance of sailing (that is crucial), any cruise line introducing it could be on to a winner.

Yes, but the opening post clearly states it would be the same acts as seen in free public theatres unlike Limelight, it also states it is not directly related to P&O but the cruise industry as a whole, the concept would be a free drink and canapes - Limelight is a full dinner service with exclusive entertainment.

Whilst that may be true, 38 posts often tend to broaden and develop an original post. I don't think the way this has gone is very far from your original idea and it is actually rooted in an innovation that P & O are introducing. Maybe other lines do this already, I don't know. Whether it is successful or not may influence thinking about providing exactly as you suggest.

You are correct but this thread/idea has no connection to Limelight or the artistes that will be appearing in it.

Apart from the fact that to my knowledge, for the first time, the Limelight club has 'paid for entertainment; the subject of the thread.

 

So if you have 200 people paying £10 for an intimate venue experience and this generates £2k for the artist ON TOP of the fee for appearing in the main theatre then you may get the more well known or desirable acts appearing.

The Limelight club artistes on Britannia will not be appearing anywhere else on the ship, only their 3 or 4 night stint in the Limelight. If they were to appear in the theatre or other show lounge, I guess fewer people would pay to see them. The singers on the Britannia maiden, presumably the only ones we know of at the moment until her second cruise starts online bookings, are maybe past their best but in the 'dining club' atmosphere their professionalism, experience and expertise should ensure a great show. At least they are not tribute acts which seem to be P&O flavour of the month at present.

the garden kaff is just a d****d inconvenience. Oceana was designed without any internal cover charge space and it shows :mad: Passengers using winners bar or the casino have no level acces to public toilets or the fore part of the ship. Passengers with cabins on the fore part of the ship have no access to winners etc. There are public toilets on that deck, forward of the kaff where they can't be accessed. The kaff is not a full restaurant like the White Room etc, it does not have the galley space for that. The obvious solution is to build new toilets aft of Winners but that won't happen because it costs money and they would lose the cabin revenue:(

Although I think Cafe Jardin is an excellent facility, I agree with what you say about access to other parts of the ship. This is due to the space taken up by the height of the atrium. Cafe Jardin makes use of space that would probably otherwise be another bar which would be OK to walk through but hardly necessary. To my recollection, Cafe Jardin seemed to be used by more people than either Winner's Bar or the casino (possibly both).

Mentioning food there is much more choice on Ventura which, apart from the main dining rooms, has the White Room and East, Beach House american diner in the evening and the Glasshouse.. In contrast Oceana has Cafe Jardin, (think posh pizza) and Horizon grill which resides in a roped off area of the Plaza buffet in bad weather.

 

Oceana is nice though, just like an old pair of slippers ;)

Cafe Jardin on Oceana is much more than posh pizza. In the evening it is an Italian restaurant that carries Marco Pierre White's name which serves a range of Italian dishes for only a small surcharge. It is also a great place for a light breakfast. The Eggs Royale (Eggs Benedict but with smoked salmon rather than ham) are deservedly popular. The Atrium, whilst possessing the wow factor, does make navigating the ship a bit awkward, especially for those who rely on lifts. Not been on Ventura but Oceana would be a good choice.

Your expectations were perhaps a little bit too high no P&O ships are in comparison to a 5 star hotel and I am sure you would not get the same as you did in a 5 star hotel for the same money. At best P&O rate 3/4 star in the current cruise market.

How many 5 star hotels would charge you around £100 a night for full board plus entertainment? In none of them would you wake up somewhere else each morning. Arcadia is in generally good order although if you were looking for faults you would find them, just as you would in any top hotel and I venture to suggest in most people's homes. Cruising with P&O is not compulsory. I wish those that do not find it to their taste cruised with another line so we would have to suffer less of their moaning.

This is just another way of extracting more cash from us - just like all the specialty restaurants. Cruising is getting cheaper each year and so they need to keep the profit up.

The speciality restaurants and limelight club are optional. If people don't want their money extracted from them they will not use them. If this happens they will close. What is wrong with giving the option to people who want to exercise it? I never use the casino and rarely use the shops but would never deny those who want to use them to do so, even though they also extract money from passengers.

Limelight is going to be a supper club with a full meal as you watch a show, not quite the same.

Maybe not quite the same but pretty close. It isn't crystal clear how it will work but it is a 3 course meal with entertainment. Whether it is a meal followed by a show or a meal with entertainment between courses and afterwards has not yet been made clear. The entertainers will not be performing anywhere else on board. We have already booked 2 nights in there for the Britannia maiden (Kiki Dee and Madeleine Bell). Each starts at 7:00 and you can stay all night with dancing after the show/meal and the cover charge is a reasonable £22. Seems like a good idea to me provided the entertainment is good and not just tribute acts and the cast of 'The Comedians' from the 70s.

Forget tips, factor staff wages into the cruise fare and forget it!! Most people would prefer that, including the crew. They will know exactly how much they are going to get paid and not have to rely on the generosity of the passengers. Passengers will know exactly how much they are paying for a cruise. Everyone's happy.

 

 

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Were this to happen, would you add a standard amount to all cabins / passengers regardless of their grade of cabin and the same for Select and Saver fares? This would increase the headline lead in prices used in the advertising of cruises by the same amount as for much higher grade and more expensive cabins. The alternative would be a small percentage added to the fares across the board so the most expensive cabins and select fare passengers pay more? The former would be the fairer option but maybe not best for P&O.

Big is not beautiful, just more profit

 

 

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I will wait to express a judgement on Britannia until I have travelled on her

If the Britannia Maiden Cruise is anything to go by, at least the Limelights dinner club will have authentic musical artistes Jaki Graham, Kiki Dee and Madeleine Bell - not really current but good experienced original entertainers. What acts perform in the theatre is anyone's guess though!

I find it a little disappointing that P&O have so many tribute acts as part of the entertainment. There are plenty of excellent original singers and musicians desperate for work but they are denied opportunities by people pretending to be someone else and singing their most popular songs. If I want to listen to Freddie Mercury, the Beatles et al,

I will listen to a CD or download tracks I want to listen to rather than watching someone less talented than them pretending to be them. Pretty much like karaoke on stage.

Any idea where she is arriving in soton?

 

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As maiden is March 14th, presumably a week or so prior to this.

Although I have sympathy with your position, I cannot understand why you think it is an issue of loyalty. All P&O have done is to act according to the terms and conditions that apply to all bookings. You should have made yourself aware of them before completing the booking. The price matching promise that applied to Vantage fares from memory only lasted for about a year and has been replaced with Select, Early Saver and Saver fares which do not have a price promise. Select prices for the last cruise I went on (Nov 2014) rose after we booked and remained higher than we paid. At no time did I feel the need to offer P&O extra to match the increased price.

The responses you highlight from the letter you were sent are honest and not unreasonable in my opinion. Not good news but according to their terms and conditions and pricing policy, perfectly correct. Sorry!

Tropical nights seem to be mainly for warm weather cruises such as Caribbean. 60s and 70s nights seem to be on other cruises. I just take my 'tropical' shirt bought on board a few years ago and wear it as 60s and 70s but most people seem to ignore the theme. In the past, waiters dressed for the theme but they don't seem to now.

Attention ex-Adonia sailors.

We have booked a saver cruise on Adonia. As we cannot guarantee that we will get our preferred dining sitting, we are resigned to the fact that we will probably dine in Sorrento most nights.

How easy is it to get a booking in this restaurant, was it busy most nights?

It shouldn't be too difficult to get a booking at Sorrento. On a recent 17 night cruise I think it was only closed for one night. Cover charge is quite small but I cannot understand why you feel you will probably need to eat there most nights. If there is a medical reason why you need to eat at a certain time if you let them know in advance they should be able to cater for your needs. If it just personal preference, it seems rather a drastic thing to do especially as the food in the MDR is so good

Filled one in a few days ago having returned from Central Med on Adonia.

Hi Indiana - I quite understand, it was a little bumpy across B of B and front of the crows nest was interesting to say the least. We probably bumped into each other at some time during the 17 days without realising!

Thanks for that. Hope she gets back to Southampton on time as we board then.

Brian

Nice day in La Coruna today and back on schedule so should be back bright and early on Sunday morning

Does anyone know why Adonia is still in Livorno? Should have been in Monaco today.

Brian

On Adonia as I write. Winds up to 45 knots in Livorno yesterday afternoon made it too dangerous for us to leave the harbour so we have had an overnighter in Livorno. Rain, hail, thunder and lightning this morning but pale sunshine now and winds have died down so we will be leaving for Tangiers at tea time. Disappointed to have missed Monaco but prefer to be safe!!! Apart from that and a lumpy B of B, most enjoyable cruise so far.

 

The weather forecast for the B of B is 'fronts and things:rolleyes:)' so it might be a bit lively!

All adds to the fun! Also on that cruise leaving Thursday and looking forward to sailing on Adonia once again. I can only echo the positive comments already made and add that there are no children!

After eating at his restaurant on the Oceana last April this may be a blessing. It was awful.

If it is the Italian restaurant in Cafe Jardin you are referring to, I have to disagree. Whenever I have eaten there I have been very happy with the quality of the food. Well worth the very small surcharge

Are bottles/cans stored on a cold shelf/fridge does anybody know?

 

Thanks,

Rick.

Usually they are stored in a cold place but if you ask for a bottle at room temperature, they seem to have no problem finding one. Why they serve ales cold as the norm, I have no idea!

Tried them both last August. East was excellent and grill was very good, not quite as good as East. Can't remember how much the supplement was but whatever it was it was well worth it for both restaurants.