P&O OCEANA - Drinks, Freedom Dining

[FRED52]

As a relative newcomer to cruising I have a few naiive questions!

 

1. Can you bring your own bottled water on board?

2. Can you bring your own bottles of wine on board? I ask this question as we are docking in two French and two Spanish ports.

3. What's the Freedom dining like and how will we fare for queues if we eat at around 6.15pm each day? We did want first club but this is waitlisted

 

Thanks in advance

[Presto2]

Hi

 

We've just got back and the answers are:

 

1) Bottles of water as much as you want --- don't bring a truck full though!

2) Wine - ditto - within reason - we took a 3l box of wine and a bottle of brandy on at Southampton, no problems. We took 6 bottles of wine / sherry on in Cadiz no questions asked. I think there were some restrictions at Gilbraltar or advice given re drink allowances but I can't remember what it was - (and not that's not due to drink;))

3) Freedom dining was great - If you want to go at 6.15pm it is a good time on the formal nights though you may have just missed getting a table if you want one for 2 so I'd go at 6pm to be sure. We always wanted a table for 2 and found that if we went at about 7pm we had to wait about 40 minutes but that didn't bother us as we went for a pre dinner drink.

Someone else may be able to help you if you want a table for 4 or more people. The Ligurian Restaurant is excellent -

 

Happy cruising

 

:D:D

[CASPALL]

Tip - You will get 2 small complimentary bottles of water in your cabin.

Don't throw them away when you drink the water. Fill up with water out of the large bottle you bring on board so you can carry around with you on board -eg - take to gym, or for emergency supply if you go ashore.

We usually buy one of these very large bottles from a supermarket.

P&O charge far too much for a bottle of water. We drink a lot (of water!!) on a cruise and want our OBC to go as far as poss! I prefer to spend it on cocktails and champagne!:D

 

Ask the restaurant manager when you board the ship if your dining request can be sorted.

 

Caryl

[butterflytiger]

Hi

 

We've just got back and the answers are:

 

1) Bottles of water as much as you want --- don't bring a truck full though!

2) Wine - ditto - within reason - we took a 3l box of wine and a bottle of brandy on at Southampton, no problems. We took 6 bottles of wine / sherry on in Cadiz no questions asked. I think there were some restrictions at Gilbraltar or advice given re drink allowances but I can't remember what it was - (and not that's not due to drink;))

3) Freedom dining was great - If you want to go at 6.15pm it is a good time on the formal nights though you may have just missed getting a table if you want one for 2 so I'd go at 6pm to be sure. We always wanted a table for 2 and found that if we went at about 7pm we had to wait about 40 minutes but that didn't bother us as we went for a pre dinner drink.

Someone else may be able to help you if you want a table for 4 or more people. The Ligurian Restaurant is excellent -

 

Happy cruising

 

:D:D

 

 

This might sound a daft question but is the buffet full because people do not want to dress up?:confused:

[cclarke12]

This might sound a daft question but is the buffet full because people do not want to dress up?:confused:

 

I think you may have misunderstood? Freedom dining is in the main dining room. It is just that rather than a set time you turn up when you would like a table. Generally speaking (from experience on Azura and Ventura), you are in with a good chance of easily getting a table at that time. Peak time when you tend to have to wait a while is 7.30 ish because people who have went in at 6-6.30 are still finishing their meals.

 

If you want to go in the buffet to eat you should have no problem finding a table at that time - they have some niced themed evenings on P&O (Indian buffet evening is really popular)

[Presto2]

This might sound a daft question but is the buffet full because people do not want to dress up?:confused:

 

In a word - no - it was busy on the 2 nights we used it but not over full and most people dressed up in smart casuals then anyway. Some people didn't and some couples had a mix - one in smart casual and the other in very casual stuff.

 

One evening we saw a family in shorts and t shirts having their meal from the buffet restaurant outside by the pool. They were more than happy - and they also did the formal night the next evening and sat by the pool again.

 

The Ligurian was always very busy as were the other 2 freedom dining restaurants.

 

Oh, just remembered, there's also the option of room service so if anyone wants to eat naked they can do that as well --- with or without bow tie! ;)

[butterflytiger]

I think you may have misunderstood? Freedom dining is in the main dining room. It is just that rather than a set time you turn up when you would like a table. Generally speaking (from experience on Azura and Ventura), you are in with a good chance of easily getting a table at that time. Peak time when you tend to have to wait a while is 7.30 ish because people who have went in at 6-6.30 are still finishing their meals.

 

If you want to go in the buffet to eat you should have no problem finding a table at that time - they have some niced themed evenings on P&O (Indian buffet evening is really popular)

 

Thank you for that information. As I prefer to wear Smart Casual rather than Formal it seems I will be alright for my next cruise which will be on Oceana.:)

[miniyorkie]

Hi there. Do you know if bottles of wine, purchased in the dining room for Freedom Diners, can be saved for the next evening meal if they have not been finished. I understand that they have your name and table number on them for the club dining option to be returned to the table the following evening, but not sure how it works for Feedom dining as you will be at a different table. I presume that just the cabin number would suffice. ..... Hopefully this will not occur very often as we will probably consume the bottle but my partner and I have different wine preferences so it means 2 bottles per night. Thanks

[LEESRE]

Hi there. Do you know if bottles of wine, purchased in the dining room for Freedom Diners, can be saved for the next evening meal if they have not been finished. I understand that they have your name and table number on them for the club dining option to be returned to the table the following evening, but not sure how it works for Feedom dining as you will be at a different table. I presume that just the cabin number would suffice. ..... Hopefully this will not occur very often as we will probably consume the bottle but my partner and I have different wine preferences so it means 2 bottles per night. Thanks

 

The wine in Freedom is just the same as Club, if you leave any then you can ask for it to be saved till the following evening. They just put your cabin number on.

We have even asked if we can have it in another restaurant, and they said yes just tell the wine waiter and he will bring it. (By the way we have never done the latter)

 

Rex

[LibraLass41]

Taking wine or any alcohol onboard is only a problem on Ventura at the moment who are having a strict no alcohol taken onboard policy.

[FRED52]

......for all the helpful advice.

 

I have also been told that upgrading to the Marco Pierre White restaurant is a very good value for money option

[Presto2]

......for all the helpful advice.

 

I have also been told that upgrading to the Marco Pierre White restaurant is a very good value for money option

 

We enjoyed it for a change but didnt find the food any better than in the main freedom dining restaurant ------ and not as good as The Bistro on OV2

[asda]

This will be our second cruise with p&o and we have got £100 on board credit which we were very pleased with, but if we were to book the same cruise now the obc credit is £550 and the cruise price is roughly the same as when we booked in april 2009,

 

What is the best way to get a good cruise holiday price and get some obc?

[Smee]

The only time we used the buffet restaurant was for breakfast and occasionally for lunch, in the evenings we left it to the hoi polloi...:eek:

[Beckyfaye-2008]

The only time we used the buffet restaurant was for breakfast and occasionally for lunch, in the evenings we left it to the hoi polloi...:eek:

 

Same here, the buffet for us is a day time activity, in the evening prefer to be waited on in the main Freedom Dining Restaurant, which on Oceana is excellent. :D;)