Bye bye Royal Caribbean hello P&O!

[Tink78]

Hi everyone, have just booked our first cruise with P&O after deciding not to return to Royal Caribbean. We'll we went all out and booked balcony cabins aboard the Azura for two weeks staring Boxing Day 2015 round the Eastern Caribbean! Can't wait for New Years Eve! So first time with P&O and first time to the Caribbean. Looking forward to reading all about P&O cruises :)

[P&O SUE]

Welcome Tink! May I ask why you don't want to cruise RC any more? (I've never cruised with them) I'm just curious!

[Tink78]

Hi just had a not very good experience on our last cruise it seems standards have really dropped and many people on the cruise felt the same. I know it's probably been said on here a million times about children running wild but wow it was bad on this cruise! I work with children and children are loud and excitable but this was something else, guests were losing patience and we were told guest services were fighting a losing battle. It wasn't just a little of the usual running up and down the corridors and messing about in the lifts it was awful' they ran literally riot at midnight to 1am was the worst for it. Banging and kicking cabin doors then running off, swapping breakfast orders on doors, removing do not disturb tabs etc. blocking you and not allowing you in the lifts bad language if you tried to reason with them. Being told to 'get off' the chess board. Running around tables in bar areas guests having drinks knocked over.... Was horrible and worst big all staff just didn't seem to care. On the Independence of the seas last year we had none of this as staff stopped it immediately, I tried to reason with this years cruise being a blip?!! But it seemed from regular cruisers it's getting worse so along with other complaints I'm spending my money else where and I constantly hear glowing reports from P&O cruisers so we've gone for it!

[jeanlyon]

Oh that's awful, no wonder we book Adult Only. I'd probably murder a few of them! What on earth were their parents doing>

[P&O SUE]

Exactly what i was thinking Jean, what were the parents doing? Terrible! i would have hated that.

 

Really hope you enjoy your P&O experience Tink :)

[Presto2]

Hi just had a not very good experience on our last cruise it seems standards have really dropped and many people on the cruise felt the same. I know it's probably been said on here a million times about children running wild but wow it was bad on this cruise! I work with children and children are loud and excitable but this was something else, guests were losing patience and we were told guest services were fighting a losing battle. It wasn't just a little of the usual running up and down the corridors and messing about in the lifts it was awful' they ran literally riot at midnight to 1am was the worst for it. Banging and kicking cabin doors then running off, swapping breakfast orders on doors, removing do not disturb tabs etc. blocking you and not allowing you in the lifts bad language if you tried to reason with them. Being told to 'get off' the chess board. Running around tables in bar areas guests having drinks knocked over.... Was horrible and worst big all staff just didn't seem to care. On the Independence of the seas last year we had none of this as staff stopped it immediately, I tried to reason with this years cruise being a blip?!! But it seemed from regular cruisers it's getting worse so along with other complaints I'm spending my money else where and I constantly hear glowing reports from P&O cruisers so we've gone for it!

 

Hi, have done Celebrity, P&O and just one mini cruise on the IOS last October. I liked some of the things RCI offered, but not for us as a we are just a couple without children (but work with 500!). Don't think you will get many families on your cruise so it should be a good one. We're jealous ! Am sure you will love P&O - enjoy :)

Edited September 5, 2014 by Presto2

[Manilow fan]

Hi Tink78

 

We're going on the same cruise as you! It will be our 2nd cruise having done RCI Serenade of the Seas this year (again like you!) Have you joined the roll call yet?

 

Sue

[Mysticalmother]

Oh that's awful, no wonder we book Adult Only. I'd probably murder a few of them! What on earth were their parents doing>

 

By the sound of it not a lot! That's why we now always book either "adult only" ror "out of school holiday" cruises. Gone are the days when all children on board were well behaved....unfortunately. Our first ever cruise was in August and the children on board were great company ...... But now we have mass market cruising....

[tartanexile81]

Hi everyone, have just booked our first cruise with P&O after deciding not to return to Royal Caribbean. We'll we went all out and booked balcony cabins aboard the Azura for two weeks staring Boxing Day 2015 round the Eastern Caribbean! Can't wait for New Years Eve! So first time with P&O and first time to the Caribbean. Looking forward to reading all about P&O cruises :)

 

Sure you'll enjoy Azura but she is very different from the RCI ships. We think the layout of P&O ships is better because instead of everything being centred round the main street area there are bars around the ship and you can find some quiet corners without swarms of children roaming the ship at night. The kids' clubs on P&O are excellent but the children are kept fully occupied. There are no climbing walls or similar so maybe there is not quite the high proportion of families you get on RC. The Eastern Caribbean is a great area and the islands are all so different. Enjoy!

[wilson2579]

Oh dear, hope I haven't made a big mistake. Work in a school so have to sail in school holidays. Have always gone with P and O but decided to give RCI Independence of the Seas a try in October half term (well it is only for 3 nights):eek:

[frenchcanrican]

RCI in October should not have many children.

 

I have been on RCI and Carnival and if you go during a school holiday it will be a family vacation with ages 1-90. If you go on a non school holiday it will be very different.

 

That's know of there is no October vacations so you should be fine.

 

 

"Half of a DINK and proud of it!."😜

[lancashire_cruisers]

Oh dear, hope I haven't made a big mistake. Work in a school so have to sail in school holidays. Have always gone with P and O but decided to give RCI Independence of the Seas a try in October half term (well it is only for 3 nights):eek:

 

Hi Trish

 

We (me, DH, and DD14) just got off Independence this morning and had a fabulous time, so much so that I can't see us cruising with P&O again for quite some time.

 

We're Caribbean Tier cruisers with well over 200 nights onboard P&O ships!

 

Debbie :)

[daiB]

RCI in October should not have many children.

 

I have been on RCI and Carnival and if you go during a school holiday it will be a family vacation with ages 1-90. If you go on a non school holiday it will be very different.

 

That's know of there is no October vacations so you should be fine.

 

 

"Half of a DINK and proud of it!."😜

 

 

Unfortunately English schools have a half term near the end of Oct and clearly this cruise has been timed to fit the holiday. The other cruise lines over here try to ave cruises then to catch this market.

 

 

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[davecttr]

We had kids swopping stuff on cabin doors on Oceana. Apparently all those with kids were given a letter outlining their responsibilities and pointing out that if misbehavour continued the groups with guilty children could be removed from the ship.

 

 

The kids stopped :)

[wilson2579]

I have never had any trouble with children on the P and O ships in the school holidays (well that is as long as you don't want to use the hot tubs as there were over 15 teens squeezed into them lol) so keeping my fingers crossed.

[lancashire_cruisers]

I have never had any trouble with children on the P and O ships in the school holidays (well that is as long as you don't want to use the hot tubs as there were over 15 teens squeezed into them lol) so keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Indy has hot tubs in the adult only Solarium ;)

 

Debbie :)

[Presto2]

Oh dear, hope I haven't made a big mistake. Work in a school so have to sail in school holidays. Have always gone with P and O but decided to give RCI Independence of the Seas a try in October half term (well it is only for 3 nights):eek:

 

Don't panic - we did the same cruise last year for my 'big' birthday (and work in a school) and had a lovely time -- even with the children! You'll love it. :)

[wilson2579]

Don't panic - we did the same cruise last year for my 'big' birthday (and work in a school) and had a lovely time -- even with the children! You'll love it. :)

 

Thanks. Thought we would sail on Indy before she leaves Southampton.:cool:

[Presto2]

Thanks. Thought we would sail on Indy before she leaves Southampton.:cool:

 

We'd never done RCI before but got lots of perks as former Celebrity cruisers. There were some plus points for IOS and some things we thought that Celebrity did better. At that time of the year you won't be swamped with children. I hope that you don't have a storm like we had last year :)

 

If you are going to Bruges re think and go to Ghent. We loved every minute of this wonderful excursion. Re the Paris one - we did Paris on our own which worked out ok.

 

Have to add that we stayed at the Holiday Inn before our cruise and had a fantastic time watching the ships from our window. Worth checking out to make it that bit special the night before. :):)

 

PS Notice that you are sailing on Britannia the week after us --- seems like you have the same tastes as us! We'll keep you informed about how things go!

Edited September 6, 2014 by Presto2

[Turbofun]

Hi everyone, have just booked our first cruise with P&O after deciding not to return to Royal Caribbean. We'll we went all out and booked balcony cabins aboard the Azura for two weeks staring Boxing Day 2015 round the Eastern Caribbean! Can't wait for New Years Eve! So first time with P&O and first time to the Caribbean. Looking forward to reading all about P&O cruises :)

 

First time to the Caribbean, you'll love it and, perhaps, like me, not want to leave.

Do plenty of research about the ports and trips available outside of ship's ones.

I'm a bit concerned about your recent RC experience though because Allure is on my radar, just because I want to go on the largest cruise ship in the world, although we can go outside of school holidays.

[wilson2579]

We'd never done RCI before but got lots of perks as former Celebrity cruisers. There were some plus points for IOS and some things we thought that Celebrity did better. At that time of the year you won't be swamped with children. I hope that you don't have a storm like we had last year :)

 

If you are going to Bruges re think and go to Ghent. We loved every minute of this wonderful excursion. Re the Paris one - we did Paris on our own which worked out ok.

 

Have to add that we stayed at the Holiday Inn before our cruise and had a fantastic time watching the ships from our window. Worth checking out to make it that bit special the night before. :):)

 

PS Notice that you are sailing on Britannia the week after us --- seems like you have the same tastes as us! We'll keep you informed about how things go!

 

Normally we would have gone on your cruise at the beginning of the summer holidays but we have had to change for next year. We were at Bruges at Easter so depending on the weather what we will do this time.

[Lanzalady]

Originally Posted by Tink78

Hi everyone, have just booked our first cruise with P&O after deciding not to return to Royal Caribbean. We'll we went all out and booked balcony cabins aboard the Azura for two weeks staring Boxing Day 2015 round the Eastern Caribbean! Can't wait for New Years Eve! So first time with P&O and first time to the Caribbean. Looking forward to reading all about P&O cruises :)

 

Hi Tink.

 

My hubby and I are doing the same thing! We were on the Serenade of the Seas in June and were lucky enough not to have many children on board, so were not affected by the usual chaos that school holidays bring. But whilst we had a wonderful cruise around the Eastern Mediterranean, we found the overwhelming Americanism around the ship (I know that it's an American company but we were sailing within Europe!) did our heads in in the end. The constant pushing of products and services and the ludicrously high prices of everything, made us stay out of the bars etc. and stick to enjoying our balcony cabin and the gorgeous ocean just outside it. The food was OK but again, very American and generally lacking in anything healthy - like vegetables. You could tell that many of the passengers ate nothing but burgers and fries!

 

So we have now booked our first P and O cruise on the Azura for June 2015 and will be cruising the Baltics. The idea of a cruise aimed at the British market appeals to us and although we are not the "stiff-upper-lip, let's get dressed up for dinner" types, we are looking forward to having tea-making facilities in our cabin. We are keeping an open mind and hoping that P and O will suit our personalities. If they do, we´ll be back again for another one!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

Edited September 7, 2014 by Lanzalady
correcting

[Magicdi]

Hi everyone, have just booked our first cruise with P&O after deciding not to return to Royal Caribbean. We'll we went all out and booked balcony cabins aboard the Azura for two weeks staring Boxing Day 2015 round the Eastern Caribbean! Can't wait for New Years Eve! So first time with P&O and first time to the Caribbean. Looking forward to reading all about P&O cruises :)

 

We went on this cruise last year - Azura New Year in the Caribbean and loved it so much we are booked on it again and fly out on boxing day this year.

 

There were some younger children on board but they were no trouble at all as they have good children's clubs to keep them entertained. Didn't seem to be many school age teenagers due to clash with school term dates. We certainly did not experience any noise or rude behaviour at all.

[louhun88]

Hi everyone, have just booked our first cruise with P&O after deciding not to return to Royal Caribbean. We'll we went all out and booked balcony cabins aboard the Azura for two weeks staring Boxing Day 2015 round the Eastern Caribbean! Can't wait for New Years Eve! So first time with P&O and first time to the Caribbean. Looking forward to reading all about P&O cruises :)

 

We have done the same, after our last RCI cruise we decided to cancel the one we had booked and do land based this year but have booked the new Britannia for next year!

[kevinyork]

We went from Royal to P&O then to Celebrity. Celebrity IMO is way ahead of both of the other lines. However we would sail RCI again for the right price and itiniary. For us 1: Celebrity, 2: RCI, 3:P&O.

 

We do appreciate the service on the US lines whereas our experience on P&O has been that the service is average with some quite poor experiences ( 45 mins to clear soup courses). I know others say the service is wonderful but have they experienced other lines to make a valid comparison?

 

 

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