Has P&O lost your trust

[Eastbourne]

Thank you Dai!

I hope you're on my cruise as your comments certainly keep me entertained!!

[Thejuggler]

Hello Cruisers!

 

I have read (too) much now about the ins and outs of fares but have a question!

It seems that Getaway passengers (I have booked 10 of these for Christmas!) don't get transfers included at the port. Can anyone tell me please does this refer to a trip to say, the town centre or is it for when the ship is far from the port entrance and therefore a bus is required just to leave the port?

I know many of the port entrances are within easy walking distance but I also remembered somewhere in the Middle East taking a lengthy ride just to get to the port exit!

 

Thank you in anticipation!

 

A perfect demonstration as to why as soon as there are differentials in service details such as this should be available before booking.

Edited November 8, 2013 by Thejuggler

[Josy1953]

Hello Cruisers!

 

I have read (too) much now about the ins and outs of fares but have a question!

It seems that Getaway passengers (I have booked 10 of these for Christmas!) don't get transfers included at the port. Can anyone tell me please does this refer to a trip to say, the town centre or is it for when the ship is far from the port entrance and therefore a bus is required just to leave the port?

I know many of the port entrances are within easy walking distance but I also remembered somewhere in the Middle East taking a lengthy ride just to get to the port exit!

 

Thank you in anticipation!

If they follow the Princess model they will charge for all shuttles that are not supplied free by the local authourities. In many ports where there is a long walk from the ship to the dock gate or where the port authourities do not want people walking around the port area the the shuttles are free to the dock gate but there can still be a quite a walk to the centre of town. We rarely use shuttles even when they are free because we prefer to walk but on the occassions when we have used a paid for shuttle we have found that the cost is not what we would consider unreasonable.

[janny444]

I notice that the cruise that you are comparing P&O with was on Crown Princess, we have done 23 cruises on Princess and their standards have dropped so much since Carnival took over that we have said that we won't cruise on Princess again. We were on the Crown in May 2012 and it was so bad that for the first time ever I complained on board the ship about the standards of food and about the levels of service. Since then we have been on Ventura, Azura and Queen Mary all of which out-performed Princess by a long way. We will be going on Aurora in December and I feel sure that we will enjoy that too. We have also found that P&O are less expensive than Princess for the actual cruise, for tips and for onboard purchases. My only concern is that P&O are going along Princess's route of stopping free courtesy buses and making extra charges for things that have been free in the past and I just wonder how many other things will be introduced that will reduce the P&O offering to the level of Princess.

 

You are quite right I was comparing the Ventura directly with our cruise on the Crown Princess. I still say the standards...some of which had only just been introduced on P&O...were far below Princess's standards. As far as service goes at times it was "snail pace" so that if you were on second sitting you had no chance at all of seeing the show....at least on Princess the show is shown 3 times so you could go to the 7'O clock show before dinner.

[janny444]

PS... I am not biased one way or the other as I have sailed on both....I am just saying how it was on this cruise on the Ventura in October.

[daiB]

You are quite right I was comparing the Ventura directly with our cruise on the Crown Princess. I still say the standards...some of which had only just been introduced on P&O...were far below Princess's standards. As far as service goes at times it was "snail pace" so that if you were on second sitting you had no chance at all of seeing the show....at least on Princess the show is shown 3 times so you could go to the 7'O clock show before dinner.

 

My wife goes to the show most evenings and never has had a problem getting away. Where do you get the idea that P&O do not do 3 shows a night. It does not happen every night but it has happened many time with our cruises even on Aurora and Oriana, this year. If you are going to put facts on the site make them correct.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

 

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[janny444]

My wife goes to the show most evenings and never has had a problem getting away. Where do you get the idea that P&O do not do 3 shows a night. It does not happen every night but it has happened many time with our cruises even on Aurora and Oriana, this year. If you are going to put facts on the site make them correct.

 

 

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

 

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Fact...two shows a night...20:30 & 22:30

[majortom10]

On Azura November 2012 they cancelled the 1030 show and everybody crammed into Malabar and Manhatten. It was like a workingmens club in Manhatten young children running on dance floor during show, lying on seats asleep at midnight when other people were standing and some groups who had obviously been there since dinner were the worse for drink.

[Winkster]

Fact...two shows a night...20:30 & 22:30

 

On the whole - yes. It's only on the occasions when there's a lot on the P&O have 3 shows a night. On our last 17 night cruise, it only happened about 4 times.

 

That being said, we never had any problem at all getting out of the second dinner sitting in time for the 10.30pm show. We even had time for cheese, coffee and a chat.

[janny444]

I think what also added to the problem that for set dining you used the Bay Tree restaurant...Cinnamon and Saffron are now both for freedom dining....because of the position of the restaurant you have to come up to deck 7 then go the full length of the ship to reach the main theatre. As I said if the service was slow then it was quite a rush to see the second show and finding a seat once there was a problem....you really needed to be there 10;20 at the latest to stand a chance of having seats together.

[daiB]

Fact...two shows a night...20:30 & 22:30

 

That is a fact only on some cruises. On others there are 3 shows. Your fact appears to include all cruises.

 

Our experience is that second sitting is finished by about 10.00 to 10.10. Although on our last cruise we talked and talked and rarely left before 10.45.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[janny444]

That is a fact only on some cruises. On others there are 3 shows. Your fact appears to include all cruises.

 

Our experience is that second sitting is finished by about 10.00 to 10.10. Although on our last cruise we talked and talked and rarely left before 10.45.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

If you had read my original post...54...correctly...you would see that I am referring to our latest cruise on the Ventura. I have sailed four times with P&O...three out of those four there has been only two shows.

[kevinyork]

My wife goes to the show most evenings and never has had a problem getting away. Where do you get the idea that P&O do not do 3 shows a night. It does not happen every night but it has happened many time with our cruises even on Aurora and Oriana, this year. If you are going to put facts on the site make them correct.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

In 5 cruises on Azura and Ventura, only on one cruise has there been 3 shows per night.

[davecttr]

some nights there have not even been 2 shows! On Ventura recently it looked to me if the venues were being under used.

 

I wonder why they close the venues during rehearsals?

[daiB]

In 5 cruises on Azura and Ventura, only on one cruise has there been 3 shows per night.

 

Well on all our cruises on Ventura and Azura there have been 3 shows. Not every night, but most. As I said above i was surprised to see 3 shows on Aurora and Oriana as well.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

[kevinyork]

Well on all our cruises on Ventura and Azura there have been 3 shows. Not every night, but most. As I said above i was surprised to see 3 shows on Aurora and Oriana as well.

 

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

We were on a new years cruise on Ventura. When the pattern appeared to be only two shows per night we spoke to the Cruise Director. She advised as some passengers may have seen the same shows on the previous 2 week cruise they had decided to just have two shows on our cruise, despite the overcrowding and dissapointed passengers who could not get in to the theatre.

 

There is a theme here. Go on a cruise that Dai goes on and everything will be perfect...........

[cruisebore]

 

There is a theme here. Go on a cruise that Dai goes on and everything will be perfect...........

 

 

Tut tut you will be accusing him of wearing P&O tinted spectacles next :rolleyes::)

 

Cb

[daiB]

We were on a new years cruise on Ventura. When the pattern appeared to be only two shows per night we spoke to the Cruise Director. She advised as some passengers may have seen the same shows on the previous 2 week cruise they had decided to just have two shows on our cruise, despite the overcrowding and dissapointed passengers who could not get in to the theatre.

 

There is a theme here. Go on a cruise that Dai goes on and everything will be perfect...........

 

Well there is that.

 

It is not my fault that on the cruises I have been on they have had three shows. I do not even go to the shows.

 

Someone said it happened on Princess and not on P&O, that was not true and so I said so. What has that got to do with liking P&O or Princess or any other line.

 

Gan Canny

 

 

Dai

 

 

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Edited November 14, 2013 by daiB

[bee-ess]

We were on a new years cruise on Ventura. When the pattern appeared to be only two shows per night we spoke to the Cruise Director. She advised as some passengers may have seen the same shows on the previous 2 week cruise they had decided to just have two shows on our cruise, despite the overcrowding and dissapointed passengers who could not get in to the theatre.

 

 

Yes Kevin you are correct, we had the same problem on the Ventura T/A home in March. We only ever had 2 shows and there were numerous rows outside the theatre as 2nd Sitting pax never got a seat but the CD Hughie was not interested in complaints.

Edited November 14, 2013 by bee-ess

[terrierjohn]

I think Dai's memory is failing a little or perhaps he is being a little nostalgic, certainly on our 2012 P&O cruise we had 3 shows on a number of nights because we found the 7:00/7:30 show suited us best.

However on our two 2013 cruises we only had 3 shows advertised on one night in the Horizon mag., and the one on our Oct cruise. ended up being cancelled.

[simonpjd]

I blame the Headliners. Lazy good for nothings !

I would crack the whip and demand 4 shows each evening and an afternoon cabaret. Anyone would think they were on holiday too.

[daiB]

I think Dai's memory is failing a little or perhaps he is being a little nostalgic, certainly on our 2012 P&O cruise we had 3 shows on a number of nights because we found the 7:00/7:30 show suited us best.

However on our two 2013 cruises we only had 3 shows advertised on one night in the Horizon mag., and the one on our Oct cruise. ended up being cancelled.

 

Thats correct John 2 months is an age.

[davecttr]

I blame the Headliners. Lazy good for nothings !

I would crack the whip and demand 4 shows each evening and an afternoon cabaret. Anyone would think they were on holiday too.

Yep, the headliners have an easy time.

 

Thomson show teams do 12 shows a week and afternoon plays on sea days. One day off when the comedian is on. IMO They are more talented than the headliners too.

[davedex]

I would not say that P&O have lost our trust but we think that their cost cutting and new fare fiasco, has meant that we will take our money to a different part of the carnival group. We have just booked to go on the Nieuw Amsterdam next August and it is much better value than if we did a Ventura fly cruise! Maybe we will return to p & o at some point in the future ( but maybe not if we like what we try!)