P&O vs Royal Caribbean

[kevinyork]

Good try Kevin that is the third time you have said that in this thread.

 

To be more objective, P&O have more choice if you want to cruise ex UK, with seven ships from next year to choose from. Also they cruise year round from the UK. RCI, Celebrity and Princess do not.

 

Can I remind people that this is a P&O section of the site so you would expect more people have used them.

 

If you can fly and are happy with that then you have a great deal more choice.

 

 

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Dai, when you have cruised RCI please come back and offer your considered, balanced opinion.

 

 

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[daiB]

Dai, when you have cruised RCI please come back and offer your considered, balanced opinion.

 

 

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What a pathetic statement. I have said nothing against any other company. You do not have to travel with a compsny to know how many ships they have sailing from the UK.

 

Dai

Edited February 17, 2014 by daiB

[kevinyork]

What a pathetic statement. I have daid nothing against any other company. You do not have to travel with a compsny to know how many ships they have sailing from the UK.

 

 

 

Dai

 

 

Dai, how can you offer a critique when you have not experienced both cruise lines. Have to say Im getting pretty tired of the P&O forum on here since ANY negative comment is met with such OTT post from you. In fact, it makes me pretty despondent and feeling like there is no point offering advice to others in case it contradicts yours, thereby triggering your put downs.

 

Think Im going to stay over on the Celebrity forums for now, much more reasoned and pleasant. Like their ships and clientelle.

 

 

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[daiB]

Dai, how can you offer a critique when you have not experienced both cruise lines. Have to say Im getting pretty tired of the P&O forum on here since ANY negative comment is met with such OTT post from you. In fact, it makes me pretty despondent and feeling like there is no point offering advice to others in case it contradicts yours, thereby triggering your put downs.

 

Think Im going to stay over on the Celebrity forums for now, much more reasoned and pleasant. Like their ships and clientelle.

 

 

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Must be a fantastic critique when I only compared the number of sailings each company has. I have not mentioned at all the quality of either line. I think that you are way off the mark and reading things into my posts which are not there.

 

You are once again attacking me and not what I am saying. If you read the thread I said the OP should try both companies.

 

 

 

 

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[kruzgal]

Blimey..I'd be surprised if anyone booked a cruise after reading this thread!

[rubydoobydoo]

My friend goes with Royal Caribbean and loves it, I myself have not really fancied it

 

I can however recommend Celebrity over P and O but that is my own personal preference

 

Last year we went with both and decided that this year we will do the Fjords in May but have chosen Celebrity, which actually worked out a lot less than P and O too for a balcony

 

But, I am sure whoever you cruise with you will have a fantastic time

 

Janis

[RobboM]

Hi All, I have been on Oceana, Ventura, Independance of the Seas, and Navigator of the seas, and I have to say in my opinion there is not that much differnce between the two products. They both have their pros and cons!

 

Both have more food than you can eat, loads of different bars and venues, speciality restaurants, Theatres, Pools, Spas, Gym, Casino etc.

 

As one of the earlier posts said - it really depends on what you want from a cruise.

 

If you want a climbing wall, ice rink, boxing ring, surf rider etc then RCI might be for you! However when we went with RCI we didn't use these facilities (although we did see the ice show). Indy even has tea making facilities in cabins similar to P&O. A downside to me is that most of the RCI ships are similar in layout and therefore a bit boring - there is nowhere new to explore!

 

........ just my opinion! ;)

[livgarb]

Thanks everyone for their helpful advice! We are looking for good facilities for our young children so are more siding towards the p and o however I have just seen another trip around the same time with celebrity... decisions decisions decisions! x

 

 

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[Suebiker]

Thanks everyone for their helpful advice! We are looking for good facilities for our young children so are more siding towards the p and o however I have just seen another trip around the same time with celebrity... decisions decisions decisions! x

 

 

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All I can say is the main reason we cruise with P and O is the kids clubs! After having had a really dreadful cruise on IOS. We decided to go back to P and O and have never looked back! We only ever have one problem - dragging our dd away from the kids clubs lol! The staff in the kids clubs are amazing, there are loads of activities. I always feel 100% happy leaving my dd with the staff and you are always welcome to stay in the club with the younger children if you don't wish to leave them on their own. You can also ask for a pager if you are worried. Anyway all I can say is if you want to know that your kids will be happy then I can definitely recommend P and O.

 

Sue

[daiB]

All I can say is the main reason we cruise with P and O is the kids clubs! After having had a really dreadful cruise on IOS. We decided to go back to P and O and have never looked back! We only ever have one problem - dragging our dd away from the kids clubs lol! The staff in the kids clubs are amazing, there are loads of activities. I always feel 100% happy leaving my dd with the staff and you are always welcome to stay in the club with the younger children if you don't wish to leave them on their own. You can also ask for a pager if you are worried. Anyway all I can say is if you want to know that your kids will be happy then I can definitely recommend P and O.

 

 

 

Sue

 

 

Have they not noticed your DD is 22 yet. :) :) ;)

 

 

 

 

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[rubydoobydoo]

Thanks everyone for their helpful advice! We are looking for good facilities for our young children so are more siding towards the p and o however I have just seen another trip around the same time with celebrity... decisions decisions decisions! x

 

 

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Celebrity have some real bargains at the minute, I have no idea what they are like for children though as I saw very few on Equinox

[cclarke12]

I've sailed with both cruise lines a few times. They are very different so comparisons are tricky. With young children I think P&Os clubs and night nurseries are much better, and much less rigid than RCI. I also felt the child :adult ratios in clubs were much better on P&O and that staff got to know families over the course of the holiday. Opening times were more rigid on RCI and my son refused to go in the club on our first couple of cruises; no free play allowed - you have to join in the set the activities. You walk into P&O clubs and they have loads of toys. On contrast RCI clubs are sparse and toys only come out at the allotted times.

 

I much prefer the RCI ship facilities and design overall, as they have many more activities you can do together with the kids, ice-skating, golf, rock climbing etc. I also appreciate the free ice cream and lemonade/fruit punch in the buffet. These made quite a difference to onbaord spend with kids as they liked the free soft drinks better than paid for fizzy variety. I also think RCI buffet much better than the P&O themed ones in the evening. You can take your own drink on P&O, but long gone are are the days when their onboard bar prices were cheap. We spent less on our most recent 7 night cruise on RCI than the previous one on P&O. Drinks prices look dearer but measures are much larger and better value on RCI (with the exception of wine).

 

We always DIY tours so not a deciding factor to us. We base our cruise prices on inclusion of grats so we compare like with like when making decisions.

 

I still like P&O but would now only sail on Azura/Ventura. We like big newish ships with lots off facilities so that probably sways us to RCI though if price was similar.

[pete14]

I'm looking to cruise again this summer, my last 4 cruises were with carnival. I have heard mixed reviews about P&O with respect to food and service. I would like to try the independence - royal Caribbean. Would this be a better ship than say the Ventura? Any advice would be really appreciated. P.s I'm 35 yrs old and travelling with my husband, no children

 

OP is travelling without children so maybe one of P&Os adult only ships would be worth considering.

[sarah78]

Thanks for the comments - really useful.. RCI won x

[Redrobo]

Considering moving to P&O next year. One for the ease, flights from a nearby airport and two for the ports of call. However we have heard that there is no set dining time and it becomes a bit of a free for all with long waiting lines, any truth in this? Do P&O do formal night dining, are they more likely to be more regulated about being booted and suited?

[daiB]

Considering moving to P&O next year. One for the ease, flights from a nearby airport and two for the ports of call. However we have heard that there is no set dining time and it becomes a bit of a free for all with long waiting lines, any truth in this? Do P&O do formal night dining, are they more likely to be more regulated about being booted and suited?

 

 

Do not know where you got the idea of no set dining room. Up to April of this year most ships had all fixed dining times. From April all ships except Adonia will have freedom dining and set dining in their main dining rooms. When you book you make a choice. If you book late you may not get your choice but fixed may be the easier to get into. Even on freedom the problem of long queues seems to have gone away. They have pagers and you can go away and have a drink until your table is ready.

 

Yes P&O do have formal nights, generally 2 each week. They also have jacket required nights (used to be called informal) on most ships.

 

Yes they are more insistent about being correctly dressed for the dress code of the night. eg. On formal nights 90 to 95% of gentlemen will wear a DJ. If you are not dressed correctly you will not gain entry to the main dining room and certain bars.

 

If you want to remain casual you can go to the buffet and some bars. I find this option is used by only a very small group of people.

 

So if you are looking for a formal experience then P&O is for you it not then perhaps they are not for you.

 

 

 

 

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[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi Redrobbo,

P&O offer both club dining open over two seatings 6.30pm and 8.30pm in addition they also offer freedom dining between 6.30pm and9.30pm in the main dining rooms.Both Azura and Ventura have three main dining rooms two of which were allocated for club dining and one for freedom I believe that due to the popularity of freedom dining this is now changed to two of the dining rooms being allocated to freedom. in addition to the main dining rooms you can also dine in the buffet part of which on each ship is changed into a waiter service restaurant in the evening but with open seating(no booking) and a small surcharge for a small number of dishes, eg fillet steak cooked on lava rock, the Glasshouse also serves meals at a small surcharge and are rather tasty.You can also make use of the speciality restaurants which you can book and also charge a supplement. A queue always forms outside the main dining rooms at opening time but soon dimishes,in the freedom dining there can be a demand for tables for two and therefore you will be given a pager to let you know when a table is available ( longest wait I have had 20min), the same applies at the waiter service section of buffet as they have a limited number of tables. On a fourteen night cruise there are normally four formal nights and 99% of passengers adhere to it with a large number of the men wearing dinner suits or tuxedos and you cannot access the main dining rooms, speciality restaurants and some bars unless properly attired,Prices in the bars are on par with a good town centre British pub approx £3.50 pint, £2.75 a spirt but the cans of mixer are expensive.Wine prices are very good both for a bottle and by the glass, in the Glasshouse Wine Bar you can buy wine flights ( 3 different glasses to sample) at a resonable cost.P&O also allow you to bring alcohol including spirits onto the ship for consumption in your cabin although you can obtain a bottle for your cabin from room service eg Litre of Bombay Sapphire £26.00. My wife and I have cruised with P&O a number of times and have never had a bad cruise, we have never experienced some of the horror stories described on this and other forums but there again we do not go looking for things to complain about. If we have a problem we have it attended to at the time on board ship. We have cruised on board Arcadia,Oceana,Azura and Ventura all different in their own way but we do like Azura and Ventura. I hope you enjoy any cruise you may take with P&O.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Sanjam cruisers
Punctuation

[Redrobo]

Thanks for the replies to my questions, set our minds at rest. May see you yet on a P&O ship.

[thesparkster]

I have been with RCI twice and P&O once. I think they are very similar. I like the cenrtal promenade of the RCI ships. also I think the food is better on RCI having said that I prefer the buffet restaurant on P&O. I like the fact that P&O is british, its just easier with the money etc. The Independence is a beautiful ship but I found it very hard to find a seat in the evenings and a sun lounger during the day. there was far too many kids on board being I booked it for May when the kids should be at school but it didn`t seem to make a difference. the kids were well behaved but like I said far too many.

[Two 2 Tango]

I'm looking to cruise again this summer, my last 4 cruises were with carnival. I have heard mixed reviews about P&O with respect to food and service. I would like to try the independence - royal Caribbean. Would this be a better ship than say the Ventura? Any advice would be really appreciated. P.s I'm 35 yrs old and travelling with my husband, no children

 

Indy will depend on the time of year it gets a bit hectic during school holiday times. Food and service on RCI were far better but that is to my personal taste.

 

I found Ventura to need a good clean, we were in a small suite, I filled a large envelope with dust from the skirting board showed it to reception, no action. I wrote please clean me on the coffee table in my room, that never got cleaned. Would have told the cabin steward but he ran away every time I tried to talk to him. We were left on Christmas eve without a main meal (ended up in the buffet) because the waiters had had a party the previous night, and went missing during our meal. The ship is not cleaned in the way it should be, but I set my standards with the cleanliness of my own home.

Even though it was Christmas people were going to bed after the first show, the whole ship was half empty by eleven.

Edited February 28, 2014 by Two 2 Tango
Missed a bit

[daiB]

Indy will depend on the time of year it gets a bit hectic during school holiday times. Food and service on RCI were far better but that is to my personal taste.

 

I found Ventura to need a good clean, we were in a small suite, I filled a large envelope with dust from the skirting board showed it to reception, no action. I wrote please clean me on the coffee table in my room, that never got cleaned. Would have told the cabin steward but he ran away every time I tried to talk to him. We were left on Christmas eve without a main meal (ended up in the buffet) because the waiters had had a party the previous night, and went missing during our meal. The ship is not cleaned in the way it should be, but I set my standards with the cleanliness of my own home.

Even though it was Christmas people were going to bed after the first show, the whole ship was half empty by eleven.

 

 

There are no small suites on Ventura. If it were a suite you would have had a butler to sort out all this for you. So you did not get this sorted at all and no meal on Christmas Eve. How very strange. Had the head waiter run away from you as well.

 

 

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[Two 2 Tango]

There are no small suites on Ventura. If it were a suite you would have had a butler to sort out all this for you. So you did not get this sorted at all and no meal on Christmas Eve. How very strange. Had the head waiter run away from you as well.

 

 

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Well I did expect that sort of pettiness from a P&O cruiser, I guess I should have used the correct word for the cabin. It was a superior deluxe balcony cabin, the one with the sofa and two tv's; but on RCI they call them a junior suite DO!!!! and no there is not a butler. It is quite obvious you seem to have a different standard of cleanliness but if you look at my profile you will see the photographs. Just as a footnote the head waiter was told of the incident but just shrugged and said that they are not at there best because they had been on a party the night before.

Having said all this I would sail with P&O again but not as my first choice. Sorry don't publish a list of all my cruises but can't see the point.

[daiB]

Well I did expect that sort of pettiness from a P&O cruiser, I guess I should have used the correct word for the cabin. It was a superior deluxe balcony cabin, the one with the sofa and two tv's; but on RCI they call them a junior suite DO!!!! and no there is not a butler. It is quite obvious you seem to have a different standard of cleanliness but if you look at my profile you will see the photographs. Just as a footnote the head waiter was told of the incident but just shrugged and said that they are not at there best because they had been on a party the night before.

 

Having said all this I would sail with P&O again but not as my first choice. Sorry don't publish a list of all my cruises but can't see the point.

 

 

So he shrugged his shoulder and you did not get your dinner? And you left it at that?

 

 

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[Two 2 Tango]

So he shrugged his shoulder and you did not get your dinner? And you left it at that?

 

 

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Sorry but the rest is my business, enough said that it was very very lucrative and paying for my cruise in May with RCI.:D

[daiB]

Sorry but the rest is my business, enough said that it was very very lucrative and paying for my cruise in May with RCI.:D

 

 

Well we can all make our own minds up about complaints like this without detail. Very easy to write what you have done on a forum, but quite meaningless.

 

I have never heard of anyone not getting their meal in the MDR because the waiters did not turn up.

 

 

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