P&O questionnaire

Has anyone else been asked to complete a questionare for P&O in the last few days. The questions as far as I can remember them were in the following groups

Where do you want to cruise/ type eg adult only

Do you shop around to save on a cruise or no limit to budget

Daytime entertainment options

Evening entertainment options

Formality of dress code and should this be enforced or only a suggestion

Types of cuisine you might like eg Thai, Italian, tapas etc

All customers the same or pay more and get more

TV shows / game shows you watch

Paper you read

Is service important to you / prefer informal eating

In among 20 minutes of questions a few raised alarm bells with me.

The dress code questions were quite pointed

The questions around do you want a bargain cruise and pay to upgrade or an "every customer the same" approach.

Other questions may have chimed with other people if it was something that affects their enjoyment.

Yes and I agree with your concerns and I tried to read into them as to how p&o would take the answers :(

If people lose formal, it's because a lot of people have said they wish to wear comfortable clothing... umm formal wear is comfortable in formal nights!!

Questionnaires are generally used by big companies to get the decision they have already made or to get the decision they want. They use leading questions or very clever ones to get the answers they want and then they justify the changes by the statement "it is what the customer wants" which nobody can argue with because nobody knows the full results of the original questionnaire.

I always worry about P&O's questionnaires when they ask about enjoying dress codes or formal dress etc as opposed to having a relaxing holiday not worrying about what to wear and ask for you to grade on a scale....... We fall in the middel of all this I guess. We love land based holidays eg in a villa in a sunshine resort where we are casually dressed all the time - and we love cruises where we are relaxed in the day and then enjoy dressing up in the evening, We do not 'worry' about dressing up - we enjoy it. But how do you get this over to these questionnaires?????

I haven't had the recent one but have had a few in recent months. I tend to reply on the basis of knowing the questions are skewed.

One of the other areas of questioning was very specific about why you choice that cruise eg is this a main holiday or just one of others in the year, is it a once in a lifetime special occasion etc

I think Majortom is right, the way the questions were phrased and the method of presentation looked like they were after confirmation of something. It wasn't all just the standard scale questions, they used paired statements and you were forced to select one with no option for saying neither or skipping the question.

I'm sure this isn't a new questionnaire, I had a random questionnaire like this a couple of years ago (i.e. Not after a cruise).

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I suspect the formal night is on limited time, certainly on the larger family ships.

Other competing lines have dropped the black tie and gone to 'smarter than other nights' a few nights on every trip.

The World is changing. I work daily with professionals, business owners and we are all far more relaxed in what we wear. Suits and ties are not as common as they were.

This will be reflected in other areas of life.

 

The World is changing. I work daily with professionals, business owners and we are all far more relaxed in what we wear. Suits and ties are not as common as they were.

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Yes, I work in IT. Even in our industry (finance) we in IT are far more casual; suits are just not really seen. I used to work for a small IT company many years ago where we'd have a formal party once a year in December. It was the occasion where us girls/ladies would dress up... Companies don't do that as much now, so cruises provide me with this luxury again

I love the formal nights. I think the percentage of them is just right for Southampton cruises, which is all we can currently do. However, I do wonder if the first cruises to drop formal nights may be the 7 day cruises to the Caribbean. I think I see more concerns about formals on those cruises, due to limited luggage space and the heat (heat isn't a prob for ladies as dresses can be thin and lightweight, but a DJ is different )

Family ships? I am not sure. We have done Aurora for 2 years at Christmas, and maybe I am generalising, but I think the younger couples, love the dressing up. The dresses I see being worn are amazing :) Maybe for a similar reason to me, it's that opportunity we rarely get now, which for a few of the older generations has worn a bit thin now. Maybe December is different?

Maybe the new big ship will be the more informal ship... mainly shorter fly cruises to the Med and Caribbean... Some want informal, maybe that ship will provide the option.

OMHO...

p.s. Some of the questions were the same from the last two years, but many were new and leading.

On the specific point of formal nights, I don't find wearing a DJ to be too hot, even in the Caribbean, on most cruise ships the inside temperature is the same whether it's freezing or red hot outside. As for the extra weight in the suitcase mine is quite lightweight, so no real issues for those who do fly cruises.

As far as P&O is concerned, I cannot see why they would be concerned, unless and until those who don't want to do formal start to vote with their feet and switch cruise lines, which at current price comparisons with their main competitors seems a long way off.

The online questionnaire we received was based solely on our cruise, it mentioned all the entertainers by name, individual shows, guest speaker, all the various restaurants, and each port and also cabin and cruise staff I did think this was a good start, then the usual questions about who you have cruised with and so on. Then onto the how much do you earn etc, which I never fill in. Apart from one of the first questions, there were no boxes to enter any individual comments. I would have like to add a comment on adding new ports to cruises, especially around the med as I do think for those of us who pick cruises on destinations, some new non-fly ones would be helpful.

The onboard questionnaire was the same as usual and for the first time in 7 cruises our cabin steward made a point of telling us twice that he hoped we would select excellent, once when we first met and the second when he handed us the forms, we didn't take too kindly at that, although he did do a good job.

The online questionnaire we received was based solely on our cruise, it mentioned all the entertainers by name, individual shows, guest speaker, all the various restaurants, and each port and also cabin and cruise staff I did think this was a good start, then the usual questions about who you have cruised with and so on.

The onboard questionnaire was the same as usual and for the first time in 7 cruises our cabin steward made a point of telling us twice that he hoped we would select excellent, once when we first met and the second when he handed us the forms, we didn't take too kindly at that, although he did do a good job.

We had a similar one after our last cruise, but I am fairly certain it did have some free format areas for comments, and I remember commenting on the specific excellent "demand" now made by stewards in order to achieve their bonus. My point being that I would rarely give anyone excellent on any questionnaire, unless they were totally outstanding.

I also find it extremely irritating when told that if I don't give maximum scores it will have consequences for the staff member and we have had several P&O cabin stewards tell us this, which leaves a very bad taste in the mouth. My car dealers deliver this line to me every time I buy a car or have it serviced and I'm afraid it's a red rag to a bull with me. I pointedly tell them that I will score accurately based upon my experience - and I do. Customer satisfaction surveys are completely pointless if staff try to influence the outcome. I also find that the P&O ones do not allow sufficient space to provide adequate feedback on issues that the simple tick boxes don't allow you to do.

As for dress code, rightly or wrongly, I can see it being relaxed. The passenger profile has changed beyond all recognition in the 21 years that we have been cruising with P&O, particularly on the new ships. If you walk through the buffet on formal nights you can see that the numbers of passengers who shun formality is significant. And the 'interpretations' of formal by another proportion are, shall we say, interesting! Personally, I think that the current situation is about the right balance. That said, having worn a suit to work for 35 years, I am at my happiest in casual attire and if formal nights were scrapped altogether it wouldn't stop me cruising with P&O and I know that my daughters would much prefer it.

On the question of dress codes, P&O are rarely in the vanguard of change. They follow at a safe distance but change they do, eventually. Up market lines like Regent, Azamara, Oceania have had all smart casual for many years, but now that they have been followed by direct P&O competitors like NCL and Celebrity the writing must surely be on the wall. Ironically, P&O were for a short time trend setters. Those who were P&O regulars at the time Oceana and the previous Arcadia (the white sisters") were announced will recall the latter was to have only two dress codes, smart casual and "dress to impress", on which passengers were invited to dress a little more formally than they would on other nights. Sounds very similar to what Celebrity have introduced many years later. P&O however, got cold feet and reverted to the then traditional three codes before she was actually introduced, moving P&O from the vanguard to the rearguard.

As far as I know there are 3 sorts of questionnaire namely: website feedback, post cruise and ad-hoc. I have received ad-hoc questionnaires in the past and in fact I think there was a similar thread last time they were issued. Personally I think they are just tracking trends and opinion and only when the swingometer is consistently in the casual camp will there be a change in policy, maybe that is now and maybe it isn't, I suspect that rather than removing the formal code altogether when they do make a change they will do something like reduce the number of formal nights. We had 7 on our cruise last year and in my opinion it's just too many.

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We've got 4 on our upcoming 12 night cruise, 1 too many for my liking.

what frustrates me even more is when they have enough sea days available to do the formals but they still schedule one formal on a port day.

We've got 4 on our upcoming 12 night cruise, 1 too many for my liking.

what frustrates me even more is when they have enough sea days available to do the formals but they still schedule one formal on a port day.

I agree. 4 out of 12 would be too much for me as well. I further agree that Formal nights should be restricted to sea days only. It can be a rush for dinner after a day ashore, especially if you enjoy watching the sail away before getting ready for dinner, whereas having a formal evening, with the often associated gala dinner menu, is nice to look forward to on a sea day.

The pay more get more or all equal question intreged me.

I wonder if this to see if pax will wear even more de-bundling. In some respects the select and saver was the start of this, pick saver and pay for shuttles etc. There are extra charges on things that used to be inclusive eg room service and to get the type of food that was served in the main dining room years ago, particulalrly on gala nights, you now have to go to the speciality restaurants and pay.

I am pragmatic about this so long as I can get bookings at Epicurean, Sindu etc. I would not be happy to spend a whole cruise eating just out of the main dining room any more as in my opinion it is not as good as it once was and service is more rushed, the buffet is not great either. Perhaps this is the way of the future - book a basic price then enhance it if you want to.

That particular question sounds like they are seeing just how basic a basic package they can sell.

The questionnaire I had after my recent cruise on Britannia had the same loaded questions and it's obvious that P&O have decided on change of dress code and they're going to blame that on feedback just as they did stopping FCD and changing embarkation arrangements. BTW I've just come back from 'working' on a Princess ship and they've still got FCD and were advertising them loudly and proudly.

I enjoy the fact that I get the chance to dress up on a cruise and I was happy with 4 formals on my 14 nights on Britannia recently but I've just checked my CP and it says we've got 10 in 35 nights on Ventura in Feb and that's just too many for me.

It is obvious what they are up to - ask the questions in such a way that you can get what you want and then say you are responding to public demand. It will be very sad if they get rid of the formal nights as all of the cruise lines then become much of a muchness. Agree about the timings though - why not just have them on a sea day and not too many. We are on Ventura for a 17 day cruise and, though we love the formal nights now, we think the 5 they have planned are 1 too many.

Having said that, we have a choice and that's what is good about the P&O arrangement at the moment.

Whilst I prefer to dress smartly and casually, I have no objection to Black Tie evenings as long as there is reason to dress up. For example, captain's reception, black and white ball, gala dinner. What I do not appreciate is being asked to don white tie for no apparent reason other than to satisfy a quota.

Whilst I prefer to dress smartly and casually, I have no objection to Black Tie evenings as long as there is reason to dress up. For example, captain's reception, black and white ball, gala dinner. What I do not appreciate is being asked to don white tie for no apparent reason other than to satisfy a quota.

A very valid point. I think that I stopped enjoying formal when silver service stopped, slowly the formal meals were somewhat down graded in my opinion and I was left wondering what the occasion was, other than as you say; ticking a box on non-party nights.

With regard to the posts about unbundling, I'm happy with this. I know my choices. There are things I like about P&O; British culture, food and no-fly. I also quite like the low base price, I can get a high grade cabin for a much lower price than on other lines, then I can achieve the holiday I want by paying for hydro pool, Retreat, Select dining, room service etc. I don't expect to have had virtually static prices for 10 years and not have to pay to retain the standard of holiday I want. I'm very adaptable to people and I'm happy to get to know people from all walks of life on a ship, I like diversity. The low base price and unbundling allows P&O to sell cabins, please the majority and remain profitable.

I've been exasperated by people on P&O (non hand washers etc.) but the only time I've been truly disgusted by fellow passengers was on Princess when I was unfortunate enough to witness unacceptable behaviour towards a trans-gender passenger. On that same cruise there were passengers fully clothed and drunk in the pool at sail-away, I consider myself to be fairly easy going but I didn't like this. Low prices and low standards of behaviour don't always go hand in hand.

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A very valid point. I think that I stopped enjoying formal when silver service stopped, slowly the formal meals were somewhat down graded in my opinion and I was left wondering what the occasion was, other than as you say; ticking a box on non-party nights.

 

With regard to the posts about unbundling, I'm happy with this. I know my choices. There are things I like about P&O; British culture, food and no-fly. I also quite like the low base price, I can get a high grade cabin for a much lower price than on other lines, then I can achieve the holiday I want by paying for hydro pool, Retreat, Select dining, room service etc. I don't expect to have had virtually static prices for 10 years and not have to pay to retain the standard of holiday I want. I'm very adaptable to people and I'm happy to get to know people from all walks of life on a ship, I like diversity. The low base price and unbundling allows P&O to sell cabins, please the majority and remain profitable.

 

I've been exasperated by people on P&O (non hand washers etc.) but the only time I've been truly disgusted by fellow passengers was on Princess when I was unfortunate enough to witness unacceptable behaviour towards a trans-gender passenger. On that same cruise there were passengers fully clothed and drunk in the pool at sail-away, I consider myself to be fairly easy going but I didn't like this. Low prices and low standards of behaviour don't always go hand in hand.

 

 

 

 

 

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P&O have not served silver service on their ships since the 1990s what they used to serve is vegetables out of a dish that is not silver service and it meant that if you were on a table for 8 by the time everybody got served your meal was cold.

P&O have not served silver service on their ships since the 1990s what they used to serve is vegetables out of a dish that is not silver service and it meant that if you were on a table for 8 by the time everybody got served your meal was cold.

Mine was fine [emoji1360]

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Whilst I prefer to dress smartly and casually, I have no objection to Black Tie evenings as long as there is reason to dress up. For example, captain's reception, black and white ball, gala dinner. What I do not appreciate is being asked to don white tie for no apparent reason other than to satisfy a quota.

Agree 100%.