leesam

9 hours ago, Jennizor said:

I rang P&O this morning and was told I should speak to my TA. Our TA says I should be able to book the seats through Cruise Personaliser.  We have had the flight details from P&O and have been told we can only book seats 30 days ahead (tomorrow). We have no specific Virgin reference. I will give it a go in the morning. I am just concerned, with all the problems CP has had, it doesn’t work.

Hi Jennizor

We are waiting to be able to do the same thing with Virgin, please let us know how you get on today with booking your seats.

Good Luck

Ian

you can find reviews on the drinks package on you tube.

We just tried the full drinks package for the first time on the New year cruise and thought it worked out great for us, plenty of coffees during the day, water throughout the day, cocktails when we wanted one and wine with our meals (No problem getting glasses of wine in the MDR whenever required, service was very efficient)

My Wife had the toughest job, trying to remember to get her cruise card out when we ordered drinks!!!!!!😂😂

You can purchase the package once aboard  and use immediately, you can also purchase hot drinks from Costa's and bottled water for your cabin etc. 

4 hours ago, Presto2 said:

I'm one of those CC members who sometimes has a good moan about the things that seem to have disappeared from P&O cruises over the last 5 years or so.

Thought it was time that we had a thread where we suggest what P&O should introduce to make our cruising experience even better.

 

The rules are that we can't ask them to reintroduce something that has been taken away as this will turn in to just another good moan.

 

I would like to suggest 2 things for a starter:

Staffordshire Oatcakes to have with your cooked breakfast, or just on their own with cheese, bacon, sausage --- yummy

A departure port somewhere oopp North so that we don't always have to travel to Southampton and can make more use of the short breaks etc

 

🙂

Definitely agree with some departures from a port oopp North, just returned from the Ventura New Year cruise, 6 hour run from North Wales either way on a good day!!

Liverpool would be good for us?? Anglesey would be great..😂😂

On 12/29/2019 at 2:32 PM, AndyMichelle said:

Well that was easy.. 

Onboard within minutes of arrival. 

There was no queue at all for the online check in, but rather a large queue for the normal check in. 

This was probably due to not many people having the option. 

They did not take photos and our cards were ready. 

Right, what cocktail to have first... 

Andy 

Exactly the same for us, we went straight to online check in desk, think they scanned passport pics, approx 10mins from entering the port we were on the ship!!👍

2 hours ago, AndyMichelle said:

No, I assume that is the bit they do at the port. 

Or, I wonder if, like driving licences etc, they use recent pics for a period of time? 

Our last cruise was only in November, maybe that is why we were selected for the trial and others weren't. 

Just speculating. 

Andy 

We are also on this cruise and have checked in on line, we were also on a cruise late Oct early November and like you say maybe they have our pics etc still on their computer data??

3 hours ago, peteukmcr said:

Well lots of people were online at midnight last night to book seats for the 27th March. Got what we wanted and all Premium now gone apparently. £35 pp.

sorry are these for TUI flights to Barbados on the 27th March your discussing?

1 hour ago, peteukmcr said:

I would like to think that the reason only a few Premium seats showing is that they have been pre allocated and that yours are included in those. 

 

As for getting your deposit back (I assume for the whole cruise) you’d have to talk to P&O but the change of carrier wouldn’t appear to be a reason as things with airlines do happen and P&O may not see this as a reason to cancel. 

 

As for collecting your baggage, unfortunately that again is something out of P&Os control if the flight isn’t a full charter. Not too much of an issue surely? Imagine if P&O had cancelled your holiday because they couldn’t get an alternative flight for you in light of the collapse of Thomas Cook, that wasn’t within their control and they have worked really hard to find alternatives. 

I really do hope you are right regarding the reservation of premium economy seats, i suppose only P&O are the ones to let me know.

Do you have any experience of time scales of the online booking of seats for the Virgin schedule flights arranged by P&O prior to your holiday?

I know the luggage collection Scenario is not the end of the world, i'm not having a go at P&O i'm just trying to get as close to what i paid for.

7 hours ago, peteukmcr said:

I disagree because as I mentioned earlier not all the flights for P&O with Virgin will be full charters, and that's according to a P&O rep. So it's important for some who are not on a exclusive Virgin P&O charter to understand the difference and therefore, the seating policy and in those cases the fact that bags may have to be collected upon arrival and will not be automatically transferred to ship which is what many are used to with full P&O charters. 

We have booked the TA on Britannia on 28 March 20 direct with P&O, premium economy cabin on TC as is a special occasion. 
Have  been told now Flight with Virgin which as has been said is a scheduled flight, been told by P&O that if booked premium that remains the same but if you go to book this flight Independently  via Virgins website there’s not many premium cabin seats left and the reason we paid extra originally was to be able to be in premium and sit together!!

Not looking too optimistic really especially if you also have to sort your own luggage out as well, I wonder what the options of Getting your deposit back is on this considering we had Paid upfront for the air preferences?

On 10/17/2019 at 2:26 PM, hansol1966 said:

We were in a Brittania Suite in May with my son who is into his technology he used his MacBook Pro to Bluetooth to their Roberts Bluetooth Hi- Fi.....He said the sound was great. Also easy to set up. Fred.

Yes easy enough to connect your I phone or I pad and play your own music, as above sound was excellent.

I'm sure on both 2015 and 2017 New Year cruises there was 2 black tie nights.On Ventura this year and looking forward to it. 

All enjoy.

We have done the New Years cruise a couple of times now in Hamburg and if I remember rightly most of the shops close really early as the German people love to start celebrating at lunch time onwards!!

(just in case shopping was on the agenda)

Bought the 20 pint beer package on the Ventura 3 weeks ago, purchased in the glass house on the first night of our cruise. 

8 hours ago, Ranchi said:

RI agree that some of the newer non or very low alcohol beers are pretty decent. I used to like one if I fancied a drink in the summer months at lunchtime and didn’t want to nod off in the afternoon.  I think that since the alteration to the drink driving laws in Scotland there has been an added impetus for sales north of the border. I certainly like Brew Dog’s effort and one of the wheat beers is also good.

This got me wondering about the process of producing low/non alcoholic beers and one day I was in the company of a former prof of brewing and he explained that one of the methods is to make the mash with a high proportion on non fermentable sugars. That of course may be a concern for drinkers who are looking to limit their sugar intake. 

dear all, does anyone know if suite guests have to give a time they want to depart and meet somewhere before being taken off or can they leave at any time and just head for the gangway ?

 

Thanks

I'm pretty sure when we had a suite on Brittania in March we were given a letter which allowed you to go to the front of the que whenever we were ready to leave the ship.

We were on this cruise too, we were constantly being told the problem was across the whole fleet, anyone know if this was the case? Or was it Britannia only?

I just got off the 7 day cruise on Friday. Yes they kept cruise cards but the process was relatively easy still. Orders and any payments took longer he last eve and I did feel for the staff trying their best. We were woken on the second night by the announcement noise going off but no announcement and noticed when I went to the WC that the lights wouldn’t go on. Then we stopped dead in the water for around 30 minutes. All resolved quickly and no sign of trouble after. The captain addressed this the next day and reassured all. :-). Great cruise. :-)

 

 

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I was onboard for that NY cruise to. I loved Aurora to,,very nice ship. I'd love to sail on her again. I was impressed and very pleased at how well she handled all that rough weather and storm Eleanor on the way home! Shame if they do get rid of her.

On the same NY cruise, we do like Aurora too, had a great time and have to agree she handled the force 12 gales extremely well.

Hope to sail on her soon.

Have to say that in August on Ventura we were surprised that there was no one checking on hand washing at the entrance to the buffet area or any of the speciality restaurants at all. It is the first time that we have seen this lack of checking on any cruise / cruiseline we have been on.

I.e. no obvious reminders in the Epicurean, the Glass House, Sindhu's and buffet by the entrance .... in fact, I can't remember any thing at all in most of these areas that stood out as a 'you need to use me before entering'.

I have to say we were on Aurora in October and you could walk into most eateries without being requested to use gel on your hands, back on Aurora NewYear and there was the odd occasion when this was being enforced as you entereda restaurant. (Which I totally agree with but fail to understand why this isn’t maintained at all times)

Has anyone stayed in this cabin? I have heard stories that steels run through the balcony. It would be great to hear if people found this annoying as we have just booked for 14 night Med cruise May 2019 today. I booked first and researched later...doh!

Please find link below.

https://tomscruiseblog.co.uk/2012/05/04/ventura-and-azura-balcony-resource/

Great pictures, came off Oriana Sunday, fantastic 4 night break and i do have to agree with you on the plastic plants (not the best idea) we were on the ship last summer and thought the fit out has made a great difference and freshened the whole ship.

Staff, food, service and entertainment all excellent.

We would definately sail on Oriana again.

Came off Oriana on Sunday and they were hoping for all passengers off by 9.30am

Very smooth disembarkation, started about 8.15.

If you look through the thread , we used the Intercruise bus from Chester and the stops before were Bangor and Llandudno. So there are buses from Llandudno. Our travel agent booked it for us. It was free , part of the deal they were doing , but would have been about £85 so may be about £100 for you Leesam

Thank you Mrs Tinkywinky, we have now booked direct with Eavesway, I was just wondering if anyone had travelled from our area (Colwyn Bay) and what there experiences had been of the Journey down with the company.

Leesam

Hi, first time with P&O. I am getting the coach from Manchester Airport to Southampton on 27th Oct. Does anyone who has done this before know what time the pick up usually is?

Thanks in advance.

 

Mark

Hi Mark

Have you ever used the coach from North Wales to Southampton?

We have always driven down but, are thinking of using Eavesway on our August cruise.

Leesam

That's interesting. We have a 3 night trip booked in December on aurora. Just checked cruise personaliser but we don't have this option available.

 

 

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When we first looked at the tour options for Bruges I'm pretty sure it wasn't available we sail next week and I think its only just been added. we have visited at least 6 times and this has never been advertised on any past cruise.

Extract below.

A completely hassle-free way to visit Bruges. Early birds can enjoy the morning and return for an afternoon on board. Leisurely risers can explore later on and be back in time for the sailaway. And unlike shuttle transfers, you’re guaranteed a seat on your designated return coach, so nothing is left to chance.

On your transfer you’ll receive a Bruges City Map and be greeted by a local guide who can highlight the iconic activities and attractions. They’ll map your route to the city centre ‘Markt’ and provide details of where and when to meet for pick up.