Simon Calder on Ventura this weekend!

[jojo67]

Hi,

 

Just back from a weekender on the Ventura & saw Simon Calder onboard, so keep an eye out for an up to date review!

[SeaSickGill]

I love Simon Calder. I'll look out for his review - or maybe it was just for pleasure - I think not. I'll look forward to your review too Jojo, I trust that you had a great time:)

[jojo67]

We had a fab time thanks! Little treat for myself & my husband, no children & our first time in a suite! The husbands now realised what a mistake that was :D

 

I did overhear the lady that Simon was with make the comment "I'd describe the food as very mediocre" - only thing is I'm not sure where they'd just eaten!

[SeaSickGill]

I'm sure that it's not as mediocre as the crap I serve up every night!:D

 

I've been on Slim Fast for 10 weeks for my April cruise - I'm really looking forward to the grub!

[MattyBarlow]

I'd like to think he wouldn't choose a weekender to base a published review on.

[ROSEBASKETS]

I'd like to think he wouldn't choose a weekender to base a published review on.

 

I hope he does! The prices will plummitt :D

[Pink-belle]

Interesting, we never saw him, but when we were shown the restaurant plan in The White Room, MPW was hosting 2 tables of 8 that were marked Press.

 

I like the idea of prices dropping due to weekender review :D

[shoreham01]

I'm sure that it's not as mediocre as the crap I serve up every night!:D

 

I've been on Slim Fast for 10 weeks for my April cruise - I'm really looking forward to the grub!

Marvelous, that really made me laugh. I had to stop using Slim Fart as I could not walk two steps without a problem.

[LibraLass41]

I was on this weekender cruise too, and god help P&O if he was reviewing them from this cruise!

If you read the Horizon magazine in your cabin , it did say they were filming onboard for a 'Introduction to cruising DVD' ..I expect that was the reason Marco Pierre White and Simon were onboard?

 

Lucky you in a suite, no doubt you weren't troubled by the many gangs of hen parties onboard, we were unlucky to be surrounded by them, we had a balcony on R deck and in the insides opposite were lots of cackling hens, with the cabin doors wedged open, radios blaring and running and banging of doors during the late afternoon when they were preparing for the evening and then again at 3am when they came back drunk to their cabin....both nights....very disrespectful to other passengers,

 

I've read a few reviews now on this cruise and it wasn't confined to R deck, people on other decks mention parties on balconies, and men behaving badly too.

 

3000 people decided to self-disembark between 830am and 930am with queues stretching all around the deck,laden with luggage, the queue went down the stairs and into another deck it was mayhem.:(

 

I've done 5 weekenders now, in as many years, so know to expect a couple of hen party groups but this was something else.... perhaps because its late Spring and lots of brides marry in the next few months, or perhaps they reduced the cruise price to fill up this large ship, but whatever the reason, a 2n cruise is no longer a CRUISE BREAK, it is a PARTY CRUISE...:eek:

[LibraLass41]

Interesting, we never saw him, but when we were shown the restaurant plan in The White Room, MPW was hosting 2 tables of 8 that were marked Press.

 

I like the idea of prices dropping due to weekender review :D

 

Sucking up to the press then not the paying passengers onboard.... the White Room supplement on this cruise was £30pp, which was higher than on a longer cruise...unfair for the same meal.... I decided £120 plus wine and water was just too much a supplement and didn't bother to try and get a table. I wonder if MPW was informing the press that he will be going onto Oriana after the refit, and poor old Gary Rhodes has got the boot, which is a great shame, It was a superb supplement restaurant. I think? Rhodes on Arcadia is going too, all such a shame.

 

I did see Marco walking around Bruges enjoying the sunshine, he seemed smaller than on Tv, prehaps he's lost weight,

[jojo67]

Sucking up to the press then not the paying passengers onboard.... the White Room supplement on this cruise was £30pp, which was higher than on a longer cruise...unfair for the same meal.... I decided £120 plus wine and water was just too much a supplement and didn't bother to try and get a table. I wonder if MPW was informing the press that he will be going onto Oriana after the refit, and poor old Gary Rhodes has got the boot, which is a great shame, It was a superb supplement restaurant. I think? Rhodes on Arcadia is going too, all such a shame.

 

I did see Marco walking around Bruges enjoying the sunshine, he seemed smaller than on Tv, prehaps he's lost weight,

 

I did notice when we had breakfast in the White room on the last morning that the new menu outside displayed a supplement of £20! Do you think the £10 extra was because MPW was onboard or because they expected it to be very popular? We too were hoping to give it a try but also decided £30 ph too expensive.

[Hal 500]

Interesting. I hope we weren't subsidising the press meals. I suppose since it was full they had the supplement just about right.

 

I know it was cheaper when we did the repositioning in October. I still think it was good value, you couldn't eat in one of his restaurants for £30 a head. We went on the first night and when we booked there were hardly any tables left. I thought the meal was fantastic, if anything even better than in October, and well worth the extra. The service was outstanding.

[thranite]

I wonder if MPW was informing the press that he will be going onto Oriana after the refit, and poor old Gary Rhodes has got the boot, which is a great shame, It was a superb supplement restaurant. I think? Rhodes on Arcadia is going too, all such a shame.

 

Now, there's a strange thing. I absolutely agree with you. Rhodes is far superior to MPW (IMHO).

 

:D

[tom_uk]

I've done 5 weekenders now, in as many years, so know to expect a couple of hen party groups but this was something else.... perhaps because its late Spring and lots of brides marry in the next few months, or perhaps they reduced the cruise price to fill up this large ship, but whatever the reason, a 2n cruise is no longer a CRUISE BREAK, it is a PARTY CRUISE...:eek:

 

I think it was also the first weekender of the year (on any ship), so possibly a lot of demand.

 

Must have been a hell of a shock for the crew after 5 fairly sedate months in the Caribbean!

[LibraLass41]

Tom

I can only assume the sheer number of hen party groups were because its late spring now and many brides are getting married in the next couple of months, and as you say this is the 1st weekender since christmas.

I was on Aurora in November on a weekender and we hardly saw any. But this was mad.

 

By libralassie at 2011-03-27

[LibraLass41]

Interesting. I hope we weren't subsidising the press meals. I suppose since it was full they had the supplement just about right.

 

I know it was cheaper when we did the repositioning in October. I still think it was good value, you couldn't eat in one of his restaurants for £30 a head. We went on the first night and when we booked there were hardly any tables left. I thought the meal was fantastic, if anything even better than in October, and well worth the extra. The service was outstanding.

 

 

 

Hal

I've noticed this before, weekender cruises supplements are more expensive per person than longer cruises. I noticed on a Azura 7nighter I did in July too Seventeen was £10pp dearer than on a 14n cruise. So not just weekenders, any short cruise under 8nights.

So unfair for the same menu/service, but I suppose they think they can charge it as people on short cruises want to try it, when on longer they have more days on when to decide to go.

[SeaSickGill]

Heck first tattoos and now chavs:eek:

[LibraLass41]

I did notice when we had breakfast in the White room on the last morning that the new menu outside displayed a supplement of £20! Do you think the £10 extra was because MPW was onboard or because they expected it to be very popular? We too were hoping to give it a try but also decided £30 ph too expensive.

 

Just because it was a weekender I think.

[feebee_71]

The price increase is not unique to Ventura - I have noticed the same thing on Arcadia when I was onboard last year. Prices for Arcadian Rhodes went up from £15 (normal night) and £18 (gala menu) on a longer cruise 3 months earlier the price onboard for the weekender was £30.

 

They know people onboard on a weekender will make the most of the facilities (and that includes the speciality restaurants) and they have cashed in on it by raising the prices.

 

I liked the experience in Rhodes last year and may try Ocean Grill on Arcadia with my parents next autumn (if the price is not extortionate) depending on whether we think the menu is worth paying supplements for. Not impressed by the MPW menus I've seen for Ventura, Aurora or Oceana so decided not to pay to dine there on previous cruises.

 

Feebee_71

[LibraLass41]

You are quite right Feebee not just Ventura, all ships seem to charge more at their supplement restaurants on weekenders/cruises of 7n or less.