Capnpugwash is going to the Caribbean for Christmas 2011 on P&O’s Arcadia.

[LibraLass41]

Thank you for your posts as a frequent P & O cruiser your comments make me laugh and have brightened my days over the last weeks.

We have never liked Arcadia and after your posts will not be booking any more cruises on her.

 

Wishing you many more Happy cruises.

 

It could of been worse, you could of had a Christmas cruise on Aurora or Oriana which had the Norovirus! Who's to say the food wasn't worse on those 2 ships as well? All subjective! As even Mr Pugwash says.

 

Make your own minds up folks.!

[jojo67]

Another one here who has really enjoyed your blog, thank you so much for posting such a comprehensive account when you're supposed to be on your hols :)

 

I'll miss your daily 'updates' & can't wait for your next trip!

[capnpugwash]

Here are some pictures from the trip

https://picasaweb.google.com/117604515292735584030/ArcadiaChristmas2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCN2nrb6fxfb8lwE#

[florrie135]

we were also onboard, although I agree with most of your comments, we were unhappy with day time entertainment and as we are not card players or Quiz masters we felt there was a lack of music during day time, with live music only happening on a few days.

Disembarksion was however every efficient. We were in the car before 8-30 and home by 12-30 and washing and Ironing now compleated !

[capnpugwash]

we were also onboard, although I agree with most of your comments, we were unhappy with day time entertainment and as we are not card players or Quiz masters we felt there was a lack of music during day time, with live music only happening on a few days.

Disembarksion was however every efficient. We were in the car before 8-30 and home by 12-30 and washing and Ironing now compleated !

 

I agree, there were a couple of afternoon classical performances but mostly not.

[alibabacruisers]

Capn, I sure do appreciate reading all of your reviews and getting to travel thru you. I also love the pictures you take. All of those ships were so nice to see.....how huge is the Allure of the Seas! We have only been on two cruises and I have learned so much from you. I remember in the beginning wondering about peoples routines on cruises so I have enjoyed seeing how you progress throughout the days and/or nights...meals, spa routine, cards, quizzes, visitation of the lounges/bars and other areas of the ships, meeting people as well as learning nautical information and location information. I have made notes to myself to research whist, many of the desserts or dishes you talk about, quiz answers, etc. So, again I wish to thank you for all of this and I look forward to reading more in the future! :)

 

Barbara

[Saz]

It could of been worse, you could of had a Christmas cruise on Aurora or Oriana which had the Norovirus! Who's to say the food wasn't worse on those 2 ships as well? All subjective! As even Mr Pugwash says.

 

Make your own minds up folks.!

 

 

Hi Libralass,

This is the first we've heard of Noro Virus on the Oriana after her refit. Can someone else who went on her Christmas Cruise confirm whether this was the case and what precautions were taken to isolate those who had the Virus and what steps if any were taken by the Authorities to rectify the problem.

 

The Oriana has only just commenced her world cruise and perish the thought if those on board have to endure the possibility of contracting the Virus during her 97 night voyage.

 

Look forward to reading more Posts on the subject.

 

SAZ.

[DamianG]

Hi Libralass,

This is the first we've heard of Noro Virus on the Oriana after her refit. Can someone else who went on her Christmas Cruise confirm whether this was the case and what precautions were taken to isolate those who had the Virus and what steps if any were taken by the Authorities to rectify the problem.

 

The Oriana has only just commenced her world cruise and perish the thought if those on board have to endure the possibility of contracting the Virus during her 97 night voyage.

 

Look forward to reading more Posts on the subject.

 

SAZ.

 

We were onboard Oriana over Christmas and weren't aware of any Noro Vrius going round. We didn't use the Conservatory but certainly Al Fresco was self serve throughout whereas when we've been onboard previously and there is the virus self service has been suspended. Also they weren't dispensing hand gel when you entered the MDRs in the evening. All of this makes me think that if there were some cases of Noro Virus on board they were isolated and it was not well known.

On the second last day the ship was rolling about in 20 metre swells and I even became seasick myself (first time in years) so I wonder if someone has associated that with the virus?

All the best

Damian

[KarenR_UK]

Final update

...

 

I am just stuffing the tip envelopes to hand to the respective parties later this evening and I am reminded that there is always a lot of discussion about tips or hotel and dining charges, currently on P&O the recommended amounts are £1.50 per person per day for the cabin stewards and £1.60 for waiters. They currently keep all the money that they receive. This is all due to change in April when P&O institute an auto-tip programme, this will be directly linked to the performance of the stewards and waiters as reported by the passengers on their voyage questionnaires. In order to keep all the money they will need to achieve 95% customer satisfaction or the company will withhold between 23 and 32%. It is unclear whether the crew member can ever get that back. This seems to me to be a very harsh way to deal with the crew on a subject over which they have no control. Passengers fill these forms in arbitrarily and don’t realise the consequences of ticking the good box rather than the excellent. There is a myth that circulates that says P&O don’t read the Customer Service Questionnaires, let me assure you that they do!

 

... /QUOTE]

 

 

Hi Capn

 

May I ask where you got this info - it's the first I've heard of it (but I don't visit many boards anymore:)) - if it is true, its awful :mad: - the only way I would find it approaching acceptable would be if a passenger reduced their auto-tips and explicitly said it was because of bad service by a particular staff member.

 

BTW, thanks for all your posts - we did the Aurora Caribbean last Christmas and this thread brought a lot of it back during the past rainy weeks stuck in the UK :D

[capnpugwash]

Final update

...

 

I am just stuffing the tip envelopes to hand to the respective parties later this evening and I am reminded that there is always a lot of discussion about tips or hotel and dining charges, currently on P&O the recommended amounts are £1.50 per person per day for the cabin stewards and £1.60 for waiters. They currently keep all the money that they receive. This is all due to change in April when P&O institute an auto-tip programme, this will be directly linked to the performance of the stewards and waiters as reported by the passengers on their voyage questionnaires. In order to keep all the money they will need to achieve 95% customer satisfaction or the company will withhold between 23 and 32%. It is unclear whether the crew member can ever get that back. This seems to me to be a very harsh way to deal with the crew on a subject over which they have no control. Passengers fill these forms in arbitrarily and don’t realise the consequences of ticking the good box rather than the excellent. There is a myth that circulates that says P&O don’t read the Customer Service Questionnaires, let me assure you that they do!

 

... /QUOTE]

 

 

Hi Capn

 

May I ask where you got this info - it's the first I've heard of it (but I don't visit many boards anymore:)) - if it is true, its awful :mad: - the only way I would find it approaching acceptable would be if a passenger reduced their auto-tips and explicitly said it was because of bad service by a particular staff member.

 

BTW, thanks for all your posts - we did the Aurora Caribbean last Christmas and this thread brought a lot of it back during the past rainy weeks stuck in the UK :D

 

I was told this by two employees on board, can't really be more specific than that.

[tom_uk]

I am just stuffing the tip envelopes to hand to the respective parties later this evening and I am reminded that there is always a lot of discussion about tips or hotel and dining charges, currently on P&O the recommended amounts are £1.50 per person per day for the cabin stewards and £1.60 for waiters. They currently keep all the money that they receive. This is all due to change in April when P&O institute an auto-tip programme, this will be directly linked to the performance of the stewards and waiters as reported by the passengers on their voyage questionnaires. In order to keep all the money they will need to achieve 95% customer satisfaction or the company will withhold between 23 and 32%. It is unclear whether the crew member can ever get that back. This seems to me to be a very harsh way to deal with the crew on a subject over which they have no control. Passengers fill these forms in arbitrarily and don’t realise the consequences of ticking the good box rather than the excellent. There is a myth that circulates that says P&O don’t read the Customer Service Questionnaires, let me assure you that they do!

 

This might explain something I've seen on Celebrity ships. On pretty much all three of the X cruises we've done, on the last dinner-but-one the senior waiter at our table has spoken eloquently and passionately to us about the importance of giving 'Excellent' marks to the dining team on the questionnaires. Indeed, it was probably the most eloquent speech those people ever gave us! They never actually explained why this was so important - perhaps there is a company rule that says "crew must not discuss their remuneration or tips with passengers" - but it would fit. And if this is the case, we can expect similar speeches from P&O waiters in the future.

[fue-fue]

Once again Captain, thanks for posting throughout your voyage. Have really enjoyed reading them.

 

Thank you again.

[LibraLass41]

Hi Libralass,

This is the first we've heard of Noro Virus on the Oriana after her refit. Can someone else who went on her Christmas Cruise confirm whether this was the case and what precautions were taken to isolate those who had the Virus and what steps if any were taken by the Authorities to rectify the problem.

 

The Oriana has only just commenced her world cruise and perish the thought if those on board have to endure the possibility of contracting the Virus during her 97 night voyage.

 

Look forward to reading more Posts on the subject.

 

SAZ.

 

A friend and his wife both had it on Oriana just back from Christmas cruise, although I have NOT read of anyone else getting it or how many 'official' cases they had. Hopefully it was not a declared outbreak just isolated incidents.

 

Although I do know that AURORA still has Norovirus onboard on her world crusie despite the deep-clean which was done on turnaround before she set sail for the world cruise !

[Saz]

Thank you DamianG and Libralass for the update. Rather disturbing to note that the use of hand gel prior to entering the meals areas was not being enforced by P&O Crew on the Oriana.

 

Says a lot about their ability to check and control the spread of disease on the ship. Negligence such as this could ruin a good holiday for many passengers, not to mention the precipitation of far more serious illnesses which could incur substantial financial losses as well.

 

C'mon P&O get your act together and do the right thing!

 

SAZ.

[capnpugwash]

Thank you DamianG and Libralass for the update. Rather disturbing to note that the use of hand gel prior to entering the meals areas was not being enforced by P&O Crew on the Oriana.

 

Says a lot about their ability to check and control the spread of disease on the ship. Negligence such as this could ruin a good holiday for many passengers, not to mention the precipitation of far more serious illnesses which could incur substantial financial losses as well.

 

C'mon P&O get your act together and do the right thing!

 

SAZ.

 

The use of hand gel doesn't do very much to prevent or slow down Noro virus. The proven and most effective method is regular and thorough hand washing with soap and warm water and keeping your hands way from your face.

[DamianG]

Thank you DamianG and Libralass for the update. Rather disturbing to note that the use of hand gel prior to entering the meals areas was not being enforced by P&O Crew on the Oriana.

 

Says a lot about their ability to check and control the spread of disease on the ship. Negligence such as this could ruin a good holiday for many passengers, not to mention the precipitation of far more serious illnesses which could incur substantial financial losses as well.

 

C'mon P&O get your act together and do the right thing!

 

SAZ.

 

Hand gel was dispensed each time we entered Al Fresco, though amazingly some passengers still tried to dodge it and of course none of those walking through as a shortcut ever used it. I don't know about the Conservatory as we avoided it.

Another thought is that the Captain never made any official announcements about Noro Virus which also makes me think that cases were isolated. Last time we were onboard with the virus there were constant updates and reminders about hygiene.

I agree with Cap'n Pugwash however, it is more to do with hygiene in general than occasional use of hand gel.

Cheers

Damian

[malct]

Tried the MPW restaurant last Friday on this cruise and had an execellent meal. The chataubriand was a huge piece of very tasty beef. Couldn't manage a dessert but did have the cheese and biscuits to finish off a very good bottle of Mt Hallett shiraz. Much larger portions than Gary Rhodes and still the same good service in the restaurant. In fact a brilliant criuse altogether. This was our 24th and have another 3 booked on Arcadia this year plus the wife going on the Ventura in September for a week.

[NSWP]

Tried the MPW restaurant last Friday on this cruise and had an execellent meal. The chataubriand was a huge piece of very tasty beef. Couldn't manage a dessert but did have the cheese and biscuits to finish off a very good bottle of Mt Hallett shiraz. Much larger portions than Gary Rhodes and still the same good service in the restaurant. In fact a brilliant criuse altogether. This was our 24th and have another 3 booked on Arcadia this year plus the wife going on the Ventura in September for a week.

Hi, MPW restaurant, what is MPW? I know MDR. Thanks.

[figgy1978]

Hi, MPW restaurant, what is MPW? I know MDR. Thanks.

 

Marco Pierre White

[capnpugwash]

Hi, MPW restaurant, what is MPW? I know MDR. Thanks.

 

Marco Pierre White is an English chef who now has the franchise on P&O replacing Gary Rhodes.

[NSWP]

Marco Pierre White is an English chef who now has the franchise on P&O replacing Gary Rhodes.

Figgy and Cap'n Pugwash, thanks for that now I know, have to give the bloke a try on Arcadia, might get sick of the MDR during the 49 days, Sydney-Southampton.

 

Now I can put MPW with the MDR and all the rest. So MPW replaced GR.

[Norfolk Brit]

Marco Pierre White is an English chef who now has the franchise on P&O replacing Gary Rhodes.

 

Sorry if I've missed it in your musings, but have you tried MPW? If so, was it as splendid as Gary Rhodes?

 

The only thing that would have got us back on Arcadia was GR's excellent food...

 

Mary

[capnpugwash]

Sorry if I've missed it in your musings, but have you tried MPW? If so, was it as splendid as Gary Rhodes?

 

The only thing that would have got us back on Arcadia was GR's excellent food...

 

Mary

 

I tried it on New Years Eve and found that it was OK but not as great as I remember Rhodes was. The service was not as polished and the place lacked atmosphere. Having said that, others went on different nights and said that the Chateaubriand was great meat but overall they tought that the experience did'nt merit the surcharge. All very subjective I am afraid.

[Norfolk Brit]

Very many thanks. Agree food is subjective (though if it isn't well sourced and well cooked, it perhaps isn't...), but don't think I've ever read a criticism of Mr Rhodes's food on board.

 

Someone will now be along to prove me wrong.

 

Mary

[DreamflightPat]

Capnpugwash is going to the Caribbean for Christmas 2011 on P&O’s Arcadia.

 

The whole family were travelling today so I arranged a mini-bus from Smiths for Airports to pick us up at 10.30 for the drive to Mayflower Terminal at Southampton. He arrived at around 10.10 so 15 minutes later having loaded all the luggage, we set off and had a very pleasant journey through the sunshine. We arrived at the docks at 11.50 and by 12.15 we were checked in, security scanned and on the ship. We went straight to the cabins despite this being forbidden and dumped our carry-on bags and jackets and went to the Lido for a bite to eat. The curry looked and tasted delicious so I indulged in a small portion of it. After that I took a stroll around the ship to re-acquaint myself with it. I think that this is the third time that I have been on board and it is quite simple to negotiate although I am having a little initial trouble. I am sure that this will pass fairly quickly. During my mini-tour I called at the spa and booked a pass for the full cruise, it cost a touch over £5 per day and they wouldn’t negotiate at all. Still that seems quite a fair price doesn’t it?

 

I bumped into 4 friends with whom I had travelled before and they went off to the Crow’s Nest bar where there was a reception for gold members of the Portunus Club, I am entitled to go but normally decline to attend as it gets so very crowded there, plus they serve poor wine although the buffet is usually quite good.

 

I went back to the cabin at about 1.30pm and a little after 2 they announced that the cabins were ready, so I was able to relax. Whilst there and with time on my hands I thought that I would read the information overview on what to expect on board. Imagine my horror to find that the star of the cruise will be Tom O’Connor, the first time I saw him on a ship he wore a shiny suit and was quite funny, I have been on 4 ships since then when he has been the top attraction and he wears the same suit and worse still he performs exactly the same act. I know that this is true as I have been unfortunate enough to see the start of his act several times and others who have more perseverance than I have told me that there were no changes. Considering that we are paying for him I think that it is absolutely appalling that he is allowed to get away with this.

 

The cabin has what appear to be balcony doors but they are actually fixed floor to ceiling panes of glass, outside there is the bow of a lifeboat and a little triangular metal deck that could function as a mini balcony but is more normally used to access and service this craft, shame really. The cabin is just aft of the forward stairs on deck 4 which seems to be a good location for access to most places, the exception is the main dining room which is the Meridian and is situated aft on decks 2 and 3.

 

My cases started to arrive just after 3pm and I am awaiting 1 more, the passenger muster starts in 35 minutes. The storage in the cabin is very poor with only 4 small drawers split between 2 bedside cabinets, 3½ two foot wide shelves, 4 feet of hanging rails and a small dressing table with 2 ridiculously small 6”x 6” triangular shelves in a small side cupboard and that is it! The power sockets consist of 1 UK 240v, 1 220v European and 1 US style with an earth. There is an additional US socket behind the flat screen Panasonic Viera TV but that doesn’t really count in my book as it may or may not work. There is a 5’ by 4’ mirror above dressing table which could easily be reduced by a third and shelves fitted on the wall, another glaring absence is a drawer under the dressing table top which would be immensely useful as I am currently storing my medicines in the fridge. There is a fair sized bathroom with a small bath and a moveable head shower over it, the bathtub is less than 4 feet long so it is not designed for a tall person, there is a shaver point in the room and a mirrored cupboard above and to the side of the basin.

 

The passenger muster has just finished and during it an announcement was made about the unusually large number of wheelchairs that are on board for this cruise, apparently it is 64, this is a lot and at peak times will make getting into and out of lifts quite interesting. I don’t know what the average passenger age is but there are an awful lot of very frail people around the ship and they can’t all be the entertainment staff! There are some younger people but not very many, I did at one stage ponder whether I had mistakenly boarded the Saga Ruby.

 

The ship is due to sail at 5pm which is in 20 minutes, there is a sail away up by the Neptune Pool on deck 9, which is covered so shouldn’t be too cold but it is pitch black and not an exciting prospect as we depart for Madeira, where we are due to arrive in 4 days’ time. That means that there are 3 lovely sea days ahead!

 

We actually pushed away from the quay at 5.50 and are now heading along Southampton Water, it is a cool 8/46 degrees and there is a force 4 breeze blowing. We have an interesting journey ahead, as I said we have 3 sea days now covering 1322 nautical miles and then we spend a day in Funchal . Then we have to cover 2615 miles to Antigua where we arrive after a further 6 sea days on December 27th, if any passenger has forgotten a Christmas gift they had better look to buy it on board. After that we have only 149 miles to St Maarten. I will tell you more about the other 3 islands as we progress otherwise it is too much information and way too many numbers.

 

More later

Dear Capn Pugwash,

 

I have read with interest your comprehensive report on the Christmas and New Year trip. I was on this trip as well and have to say I agree with a lot of your comments. For me, my 14th cruise on 6 different cruise lines, I was very disappointed in the food on Arcadia. I know that food is very subjective and what suits one person will not suit another. I personally found it quite bland and had no Wow factor that you get on other lines. I did eat in the MPW on two occasions and that is the type of food I would have expected in the MDR every night. My second visit I was disappointed. Just my thoughts. I also ate in the Asian restaurant as well and wasn't exactly overwhelmed by it.

 

I was also disappointed in the standard of entertainment, as you said. The only thing that I thought was very good was the lecture by Sally Kettle about rowing the Atlantic. I notice you didn't go to that. She was very interesting. I also realise that it is probably very difficult to get top stars to work over Christmas.

 

The cabins I thought were good and I certainly still enjoyed my cruise, but it did fall short of my expectations. I worked as air cabin crew for nearly 42 years so know a lot about customer service and presentation of food etc, etc.

 

I notice that you have only cruised on P & O and Cunard but you do have a cruise booked with Celebrity Eclipse. I look forward to your report on that ship, as I cruised on her just four weeks before Arcadia. I think you will probably be very pleasantly surprised.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to write a detailed report. I am not trying to be negative just my thoughts. My cabin steward and other staff I thought were very friendly and tried very hard.

 

Regards

Patricia