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P&O shops closing?


BanburyBlue
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Hi,

 

We're off on a P&O cruise, embarking on the 2 May (Aurora).

 

I've just received an email saying "

We are embarking on a new era in shopping on P&O Cruises, as we transition our

 

 

retail shops on a select number of ships. In order to prepare for this change,

 

 

we will need to close the shops during this cruise in readiness of the arrival

 

 

of our new products.

 

 

The on board shops will be fully open until 10 May and will then have a phased

 

 

closure where all shops will be closed by the last day of this cruise. After

 

 

the shops have closed, selected sundry items will be available for purchase at

 

 

the Reception Desk".

Surely this can't be right? So since we booked the cruise in January, the daily cabin charge has increased, the bringing on board alcohol policy has changed, and now we're being told that the shops will be closed half through our cruise.

 

Surely this is not right - not happy!!

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Hi,

 

We're off on a P&O cruise, embarking on the 2 May (Aurora).

 

I've just received an email saying "

We are embarking on a new era in shopping on P&O Cruises, as we transition our

 

 

retail shops on a select number of ships. In order to prepare for this change,

 

 

we will need to close the shops during this cruise in readiness of the arrival

 

 

of our new products.

 

 

The on board shops will be fully open until 10 May and will then have a phased

 

 

closure where all shops will be closed by the last day of this cruise. After

 

 

the shops have closed, selected sundry items will be available for purchase at

 

 

the Reception Desk".

Surely this can't be right? So since we booked the cruise in January, the daily cabin charge has increased, the bringing on board alcohol policy has changed, and now we're being told that the shops will be closed half through our cruise.

 

Surely this is not right - not happy!!

Never understood why anyone wants to buy the overpriced goods in the on board shops in the first place! However, all the shops will be open at the start of the cruise, so if you desperately need to buy a tea towel you just need to "Buy Early!" to misquote Fred Pontin.

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

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Never understood why anyone wants to buy the overpriced goods in the on board shops in the first place! However, all the shops will be open at the start of the cruise, so if you desperately need to buy a tea towel you just need to "Buy Early!" to misquote Fred Pontin.

 

Sent from my SM-T580 using Forums mobile app

 

To be honest, that's not really the point....

 

- Sometimes it's nice just to have a browse in the evening.

- I don't always know what i'd like to buy on day 1 of my cruise.

- It's a way of using up 'unused' onboard spend.

 

The point is that P&O are removing an advertised facility 2 weeks before the cruise start - a facility (that for whatever reason) some people like and enjoy!!

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Yes over the last couple of years P&O have frequently changed the goalpost after people have booked, it’s becoming a bit of a bad habit with them.

 

While the onboard shops are not a large part of my holidays I understand that if it is something that the OP and other people enjoy then closing them with little to no notice is annoying. I felt the same way when they started charging for all room service items, again introduced after people had booked and paid for their holidays.

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Hi....I think P&O started to alter the goalposts after people had booked when they stopped Silver Service in the MDRs. Since then it has been a slight cutback here...a slight cutback three....each one not a big issue but collectively have an overall impact on the cruise. On our last cruise last week....no boiled sweets in cabins & no " nibbles" with our pre dinner drinks were the cutbacks... from our last cruise with P&O in Sep 2017. It has now got to the stage where we are thinking what will have been cutback on our next cruise with P&O in April 2109.

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As I stated previously individually each one not such as a big issue

 

Silver Service in MDRs

 

No bath robes....even though they were the thin waffle type

 

No boiled sweets in cabins

 

No Free Galley tour

 

On Sea days no exhibition of the different departments on the ship....meeting the engineers & officers and being able to ask them questions ...that used to be really good and very interesting

 

No " nibbles"...nuts/crisps etc with pre dinner drinks

 

No port lectures in Main theatre

 

Afternoon tea in MDR was a real poor do last week....not the usual choice ....served the scones first....then some time later came with a couple of choices of sandwiches...then some toasted teacakes and then disappeared....no asking if you would like any more until we were ready for leaving then they came with a few cheese and onion pies.

A selection of cakes were already on the tables.

 

These are the ones that spring to mind initially.....

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And to continue where Janny left off

 

Charges for room service menu now, previously complimentary

No hot savoury

Much less choice on the cheese board

No proper hot chocolate

No chocolate buffet

More limited cabin toiletries

No special midnight buffet with the carved fruits, veg and ice sculptures

Change to the loyalty club meaning passengers who had certain perks had them taken away eg invitation to club party.

And going back further, no steamers (which were fun), no champagne tower and no decent sparkle at the captains party - the stuff they serve now is undrinkable.

 

 

On their own none of them are major but collectively the product has been dumbed down - but then so has the price.

 

 

People only notice or care about the ones that they found useful / enjoyed so the others slip under the radar.

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In the past 6 month we have had the department exhibition, port talks and nibbles on the bar

 

Sent from my SM-G930F using Forums mobile app

 

We had nibbles in the bar on Aurora but no sweets for example which I know you have had Dai on another ship.

 

There appears to be a lack of consistency across the fleet.

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I used to erally enjoy the department exhibitions & the port talks in the main theatre.....not quite the same watching it on the cabin TV....bar nibbles too are enjoyable .. so as I said will look forward to going on the Ventura to enjoy them again. Just can't understand why only some of the ships have these things and others don't....no consistency.

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Overall it does seem to be a rather a lot of minor cutbacks, which do add up.

 

As I understand it Silver Service went years ago and plates are ready to serve in the MDR.

 

I suspect it won't be long before they remove the biscuits and pillow chocolates. They'll also start charging for galley and backstage tours and then have a "Chef's Table" at £75 a head to bring it in line with the rest of the US Carnival brands.

 

How long before the kettles are removed and the free bottle of water is stopped?

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We really fancied the 'Backstage Tour' on Britannia recently but seeing the £75pp price tag soon cooled our enthusiasm.

 

One thing we did find though,& quite by accident,was that there was hot chocolate available at the Horizon Buffet,not actually obvious but tucked away behind the scenes in a big pot,no signs or anything,almost like they wanted to keep it for themselves!

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If a cruise line changes anything, whatever time it chooses to do so there will be some people who booked before and others after a decision has been made. Shops might be changing on board but rest assured in the interim a lot of charities will be filling the spaces left vacant selling second hand stuff through the gallant efforts of the volunteers who give their time freely and do not expect to be paid.

 

Regards John

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If a cruise line changes anything, whatever time it chooses to do so there will be some people who booked before and others after a decision has been made. Shops might be changing on board but rest assured in the interim a lot of charities will be filling the spaces left vacant selling second hand stuff through the gallant efforts of the volunteers who give their time freely and do not expect to be paid.

 

Regards John

 

Sorry - confused? don't understand your post?

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Hi....I think P&O started to alter the goalposts after people had booked when they stopped Silver Service in the MDRs. Since then it has been a slight cutback here...a slight cutback three....each one not a big issue but collectively have an overall impact on the cruise. On our last cruise last week....no boiled sweets in cabins & no " nibbles" with our pre dinner drinks were the cutbacks... from our last cruise with P&O in Sep 2017. It has now got to the stage where we are thinking what will have been cutback on our next cruise with P&O in April 2109.

 

P&O have not done real silver service since mid 1990s it was just a pretend imitiation and if you were on a table for 8 and had manners and waited for everyone to receive their vegetables if you were first served then by the time you started your vegetables were cold. The plated service, like nearly all if not all cruise lines, currently is far superior and you are served quicker with hot meals.

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P&O have not done real silver service since mid 1990s it was just a pretend imitiation and if you were on a table for 8 and had manners and waited for everyone to receive their vegetables if you were first served then by the time you started your vegetables were cold. The plated service, like nearly all if not all cruise lines, currently is far superior and you are served quicker with hot meals.

 

Interesting isn't it - we are fairly new to cruising and have never had the silver service, so don't miss it. Agree to current method seem to work well.

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I used to erally enjoy the department exhibitions & the port talks in the main theatre.....not quite the same watching it on the cabin TV....bar nibbles too are enjoyable .. so as I said will look forward to going on the Ventura to enjoy them again. Just can't understand why only some of the ships have these things and others don't....no consistency.

 

 

 

Certainly had them in the Crows Nest and Red bar or the Blue bar whichever one is on Ventura. Not in the glass house and not on the first few days.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

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