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Cunard vs P&O


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Having seeing security being called to seperate a passenger and a waiter fighting on QE2 in the buffet restaurant one lunch time, and that was in the supposedly good old days. I do not think anyone can take the high moral ground and knock P&O as bad behaviour can happen on any cruise line even Cunard.

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Far prefer Cunard...we have just returned from QV and there were a lot of first time Cunard cruisers on board, many of whom have previously cruised with P&O and most of whom did nothing but moan about the price of the drinks! We have done a fair few cruises with both P&O and Cunard but feel Cunard is our cruise line of choice now, we don't find the drinks that expensive but then again we don't drink excessively...

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I always think that when comparing P&O with Cunard, a good place to start is by looking at Arcadia vs QE/QV. So I'll just stick to that rather than include the larger and smaller ships. I've done around 150 nights on Arcadia and around 200 nights on the two smaller queens. Both of the Cunard ships are far more elegant and for me have better theatres. Even now there is still a bit of a wow factor when I board any of the queens.

 

The queens have a higher staff to passenger ratio, but it now seems to me that these extra staff are in the revenue generating areas rather than cabin steward and MDR waiters. I'm just sticking to Britannia grade as I've no experience of the grills. Cabins are virtually the same, main difference being Arcadia has a bath in most balcony cabins.

 

I've seen passengers taken off P&O and Cunard, so it happens on both lines.

 

I've done the Baltic itinerary on Arcadia and QV. QV scored on a few extras and when I went the price was similar on both lines. I'm prepared to pay a bit extra for the Cunard product and am travelling again on QE in 2019. However, when I went to look at an autumn 2019 cruise, both lines offered a very similar 19 night cruise to Venice from Southampton - QV left a couple of weeks earlier. However, when it came to price in a balcony, QV was £5,700 and Arcadia was £3,300 for me as a solo. Sorry, Cunard, no sale or sail ;p at that price. Some of their prices do seem to have been significantly higher this year and for 2018/19.

 

For me, little to choose between MDR food and service. However, I find the alternative dining options on P&O offer a greater choice than Cunard. I guess Cunard's answer would be to use the Grills. A plus point for me is the lunch options in the pub on Cunard.

 

I like the Commodore Club but the Crow's Nest on Arcadia is similar and now has an improved range of cocktails, so little to choose between the two, but drinks wise, CC wins just. Enough has been said about drink prices elsewhere, yes they are higher, but I just cut back a bit.

 

Overall entertainment for me would be to go for Cunard, but I do like the string quartet and harpist that they have on board. Cunard also seem to have more speakers than P&O but most come from the same pool.

 

Some of it is down to the exchange rate, but I went to the Canaries on QE last December and on Ventura this January and it was noticeable that the Cunard excursion prices were 50% higher than those charged by P&O. However, compared to some Celebrity excursions I've done, Cunard are quite reasonable.

 

At the end of it, if there is around 10-15% difference in price, then I'd pay the extra and go with Cunard, otherwise, P&O gives me what I'm looking for.

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Carnival know what they are doing with their marketing. Cunard and P&O DO address different segments and demographics, with Cunard the more upmarket brand (whether that term offends people or not). There IS a different ambience on Cunard (generally older age group with all that implies, more formality, etc). Consider this: P&O has had Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeway broadcast from its ships, and ITV's "Lorraine"; a P&O Captain has appeared in a show on board, culminating with him chasing a member of the theatre company off stage to get back his cap that she has just stolen off his head; P&O promote the fact they have X Factor competitors performing on board. These seem as unlikely on Cunard as do speakers like David Blunket appearing on P&O, or P&O dining room managers wearing tails on formal nights (as happens in Grills). Different people will have their own view on which experience suits them best and whether the price difference is justified, but a difference there certainly is.

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P&O one of the few lines I have heard of groups of people being thrown off for drink and drugs offences. I have been told about rowdy clientele on many occasions from different people who would not cruise with them again.

 

In general, the pricing and overall formal atmosphere on Cunard ships tends to discourage the "booze cruise" types. In general, because there are those in the cheapest inside cabins who act like ladies and gentlemen while there are those in penthouse suites who have long lost the right to be called either.

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Carnival know what they are doing with their marketing. Cunard and P&O DO address different segments and demographics, with Cunard the more upmarket brand (whether that term offends people or not). There IS a different ambience on Cunard (generally older age group with all that implies, more formality, etc). Consider this: P&O has had Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeway broadcast from its ships, and ITV's "Lorraine"; a P&O Captain has appeared in a show on board, culminating with him chasing a member of the theatre company off stage to get back his cap that she has just stolen off his head; P&O promote the fact they have X Factor competitors performing on board. These seem as unlikely on Cunard as do speakers like David Blunket appearing on P&O, or P&O dining room managers wearing tails on formal nights (as happens in Grills). Different people will have their own view on which experience suits them best and whether the price difference is justified, but a difference there certainly is.

 

The P and O entertainment you quote is probably on the more family orientated ships like Britannia, but on the adult only ships i.e. Oriana, Arcadia and Adonia life is quite different !!

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Carnival know what they are doing with their marketing. Cunard and P&O DO address different segments and demographics, with Cunard the more upmarket brand (whether that term offends people or not). There IS a different ambience on Cunard (generally older age group with all that implies, more formality, etc). Consider this: P&O has had Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeway broadcast from its ships, and ITV's "Lorraine"; a P&O Captain has appeared in a show on board, culminating with him chasing a member of the theatre company off stage to get back his cap that she has just stolen off his head; P&O promote the fact they have X Factor competitors performing on board. These seem as unlikely on Cunard as do speakers like David Blunket appearing on P&O, or P&O dining room managers wearing tails on formal nights (as happens in Grills). Different people will have their own view on which experience suits them best and whether the price difference is justified, but a difference there certainly is.

 

That would be my deduction from all marketing and pricing information too.

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Interesting thread, especially on pricing. Cunard was the cheapest cruise I have ever been on, and I stayed in a balcony cabin for the first time! However the cruise was a mid-May one to the fjords and I booked it last minute, about three weeks out.

I didn't enjoy my first P&O cruise on Oceana but I blame that on my mindset at the time, however the cruise on Ventura earlier this year was very enjoyable. Probably because my eldest son cane along too!

In my opinion Cunard "top trumps" P&O but they are both enjoyable in their own right. If the ports of call interest me then I wouldn't mind which line I cruised with, if I had to choose between them.

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We sailed both P&O and Cunard this year for the first time. QV was streets ahead of the Britannia in our view. Our balcony cabin was much bigger on QV and food and services was as different as night and day.

 

Beer with breakfast was a common sight and two people were thrown off in the Azores for being abusive to others onboard as well as the staff. Never again for P&O for us but we have already booked again with Cunard.

 

 

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We sailed both P&O and Cunard this year for the first time. QV was streets ahead of the Britannia in our view. Our balcony cabin was much bigger on QV and food and services was as different as night and day.

 

Beer with breakfast was a common sight and two people were thrown off in the Azores for being abusive to others onboard as well as the staff. Never again for P&O for us but we have already booked again with Cunard.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

I am pleased you have posted, You will no doubt be told by someone on this thread that people being thrown off could not have happened on P&O, like I was told. Clearly not urban myth then!

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I am pleased you have posted, You will no doubt be told by someone on this thread that people being thrown off could not have happened on P&O, like I was told. Clearly not urban myth then!

 

 

 

Definitely no myth. The captain made a public address apology to the crew and passengers. He had the people responsible confined to their cabin until he could put them off. The Azores was the fist port of call after leaving the Caribbean. This was one of the few things P&O did that really impressed me.

 

 

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Definitely no myth. The captain made a public address apology to the crew and passengers. He had the people responsible confined to their cabin until he could put them off. The Azores was the fist port of call after leaving the Caribbean. This was one of the few things P&O did that really impressed me.

I was on this cruise too, although to be fair I have been on 10 or more other P&O cruises without a similar occurrence - and all other P&O ships have bigger balconies than Britannia. Still prefer Cunard though.

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