Has P & O changed much?

[DevonianCruiser]

I did the Oriana in 99 and the Aurora in 01. I enjoyed them both at the time. Since then I've done Cunard, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean among others and I enjoyed them even more.

 

I guess my question is, how are P & O nowadays compared to then? How do they compare to the lines I've suggested. A decade plus is a long time and maybe things are different. I've been looking at the Azura and being able to fly into Barbados is a huge plus to me. I've always liked trying lots of different lines and had some amazing experiences. Dining is a very important part of the trip so any comments on would be be appreciated. Thanks :-)

[Selbourne]

We have been cruising with P&O since Orianas 2nd year (98?) and whilst we are still great fans of P&O we have noticed a gradual deterioration in many aspects, notably;

 

1) Daytime entertainment options drastically reduced (speakers etc), especially for non sun-worshiping males.

2) Time in port reduced to save fuel as ships can sail at lower speeds and therefore use less fuel. 7pm departures of 15 years ago now more likely to be as early as 5pm.

3) Food quality in main dining rooms more akin to 3 star UK hotel (whereas more like 4 star previously).

4) Passenger mix more diverse, a lot younger and less exclusive than previously. Some aspects of this are welcome (it's no longer predominantly OAP's) but there are a number of the brash, loud and poorly behaved families that seem oblivious to the fact that they are sticking out like sore thumbs and almost relish in the fact that they do.

5) Headline shows. Whilst all shows throughout the cruise used to be very good, you now get a few great ones and a number of very average ones.

 

In the interest of balance, it is fair to say that dining choices have improved drastically, with the select dining restaurants being a welcome addition for foodies and well worth the supplements.

[Host Sharon]

I only travel on the smaller P&O ships and find the food has improved a lot after a downturn a few years ago - they use the same chefs and suppliers as Cunard but more veg and less meat. I also find the service is better and friendlier than Cunard. But from reports on here it seems the two largest ships are in a different league and not such good service etc.

[DevonianCruiser]

We have been cruising with P&O since Orianas 2nd year (98?) and whilst we are still great fans of P&O we have noticed a gradual deterioration in many aspects, notably;

 

1) Daytime entertainment options drastically reduced (speakers etc), especially for non sun-worshiping males.

2) Time in port reduced to save fuel as ships can sail at lower speeds and therefore use less fuel. 7pm departures of 15 years ago now more likely to be as early as 5pm.

3) Food quality in main dining rooms more akin to 3 star UK hotel (whereas more like 4 star previously).

4) Passenger mix more diverse, a lot younger and less exclusive than previously. Some aspects of this are welcome (it's no longer predominantly OAP's) but there are a number of the brash, loud and poorly behaved families that seem oblivious to the fact that they are sticking out like sore thumbs and almost relish in the fact that they do.

5) Headline shows. Whilst all shows throughout the cruise used to be very good, you now get a few great ones and a number of very average ones.

 

In the interest of balance, it is fair to say that dining choices have improved drastically, with the select dining restaurants being a welcome addition for foodies and well worth the supplements.

 

Thank you Selbourne, very interesting reply. Can I ask why you still continue to cruise with them as there are some amazing cruise companies out there? What makes you want to go back? Thanks.

[DevonianCruiser]

I only travel on the smaller P&O ships and find the food has improved a lot after a downturn a few years ago - they use the same chefs and suppliers as Cunard but more veg and less meat. I also find the service is better and friendlier than Cunard. But from reports on here it seems the two largest ships are in a different league and not such good service etc.

 

Thank you Sharon concurs with what someone else told me ;)

[richleeds]

Thank you Selbourne, very interesting reply. Can I ask why you still continue to cruise with them as there are some amazing cruise companies out there? What makes you want to go back? Thanks.

 

 

I agree. We switch brands on every cruise we do to keep things fresh and interesting. I think P&O passengers are the worst for getting stuck in a rut and not changing, though I'm sure P&O see this as a good thing!

[Turbofun]

It might depend upon how much you have paid as to whether you consider it value for money.

All major cruise lines are now about filling berths, meaning lots of last minute deals, if my inbox is an example, which has implications about the onboard experience for all, whatever they've paid.

Want old time cruising?, there are the smaller lines that provide that or, perhaps, the QG on Cunard.

We've been happy on Azura and Ventura considering what we paid.

Then, we've never had a cruise that we could complain about.

I always ask myself, could I have independently arranged this for the same price?

Answer is no, so I accept the economies of scale involved and realise how lucky I am to be able to use the cruise lines to easily visit so many places.

[kersh]

We are P & O cruisers apparently stuck in a rut. We only cruise P & O because we enjoy the experience.

 

We sometimes think we should try something different just to compare but then read reports of why some prefer Cunard or Princess or Celebrity and realise what others see as positives we wouldn't enjoy.

 

Whilst I am still working holidays are very precious but maybe when I retire and we can go anytime we like then we may be tempted to try something different.

 

We have never had a bad cruise with P & O, and yes we have noticed some changes over the years but so e for the better. The things that have been cut back on like the band at sail away, less expensive complementary toiletries, daytime speakers just does not affect the enjoyment of our cruise.

 

The food has improved dramatically recently since the plated meals have been introduced.

[Selbourne]

Thank you Selbourne, very interesting reply. Can I ask why you still continue to cruise with them as there are some amazing cruise companies out there? What makes you want to go back? Thanks.

 

That's a fair question and there are a few reasons I would give.

 

1) We would only cruise to and from the UK. One of the biggest attractions is not having to battle with airports and endure hideously cramped flights. We love the fact that your cases are taken from the boot of the car and arrive at your cabin, with no need to handle them. So round trips from the UK are all that we would consider.

 

2) We like the Britishness of P&O and the almost exclusively British clientele. We haven't been on any American or other ships, but they look 'tacky' in comparison and we don't like the loud / brash / Over the top style that Americans seem to enjoy (we are quiet reserved Brits)!

 

3) We find the service levels on P&O to be generally excellent and as we are infrequent cruisers (usually every other year) we stick with what we know to be good. When we are retired, we will probably do at least 2 cruises a year and will then try some other operators.

 

Always interested to hear about experiences of others who have similar likes and dislikes to us and have found better elsewhere.

[dgs1956]

I only travel on the smaller P&O ships and find the food has improved a lot after a downturn a few years ago - they use the same chefs and suppliers as Cunard but more veg and less meat. I also find the service is better and friendlier than Cunard. But from reports on here it seems the two largest ships are in a different league and not such good service etc.

 

I can't believe you have commented on Azura & Ventura without having been on them. Whilst I accept that there are people who don't like the bigger ships there are plenty of people on here who do like them. I personally don't agree that the service is not good. The staff are friendly and attentive etc. I would recommend them to anyone who enjoys a relaxing holiday, with good entertainment, excellent food and great service.

[Sanjam cruisers]

Hi Kersh and dgs1956

Kersh my wife and I must be in the rut with you, we have thoughrly enjoyed all our cruises we have taken with P&O since 2005.

dgs1956 also agree with you , the majority of our cruises have been on Ventura and Azura and we will be back on Ventura on 28/02/15 in the Caribbean, can't come quickly enough.

We have also cruised on Arcadia and Oceana, and have tried Fred but we found the age group on Fred just a bit on the old side for us.

Happy cruising to you all.

[Sealoveragain]

Has P&O changed much? We have only been cruising since 2011 and like Selbourne we picked P&O because they do roundtrips from the UK. On our cruise this year, we noticed a real change. Our waiters were not as pleasant as we've been used to (though I think we were just very unlucky), and the scarcity of cabin stewards was most noticeable. There was no way that our cabin steward could do a good job with the amount of cabins he was expected to clean.

That was on the Oriana and we've since heard from friends that they felt the same as we did about the Oriana. Our next cruise is on the Aurora so I'm hoping it's just the way each ship is run and we will have a better experience. We intend trying another cruise company next just for comparison though with not wanting to fly we are limited for choice.

[daiB]

I can't believe you have commented on Azura & Ventura without having been on them. Whilst I accept that there are people who don't like the bigger ships there are plenty of people on here who do like them. I personally don't agree that the service is not good. The staff are friendly and attentive etc. I would recommend them to anyone who enjoys a relaxing holiday, with good entertainment, excellent food and great service.

 

Agreed, we have been on all P&O ships and find the food to be constant over the fleet.

 

A positive is the change to plated meals as the meals do seem to have improved.

 

The staff on the big ships are the same as on the small ships as they are the same staff.

[heywood]

I agree. We switch brands on every cruise we do to keep things fresh and interesting. I think P&O passengers are the worst for getting stuck in a rut and not changing, though I'm sure P&O see this as a good thing!

 

I think Cunard passengers are also very loyal. It is the same with restaurants, shops etc - people enjoy a trusted product but it doesn't mean that it's not fresh and interesting each time either. Just think of the new people one might meet ;)

We have sailed with five cruise lines- Cunard the most- and are sailing with P and O for a second time in a few weeks. Our choice this year is definitely because of the price and we hope - value.

In our experience, the daily routines are much the same on the various ships.

However, we did enjoy the cultural programmes on Cunard and Fred Olsen but realise that this was not to everyone's taste.

I would wonder what you base your comments on. I doubt that the few people who post their views on these boards are wholly representative of any cruise line.

[majortom10]

Having cruised with P&O over 25 times since 2000 we got disappointed with the product this last 2-3 yrs and have switched to Princess. We also like to sail from Southampton but having returned from a Princess cruise only this week,14nts in the Med, we found the service, food and general cruise experience far superior than our recent cruises with P&O. You will get some say yes but Princess gratuities and drinks are more expensive but my answer would be unless you drink a serious amount the higher price is worth paying for a better cruise experience and like everything in life you get what you paid for.

[kersh]

Having cruised with P&O over 25 times since 2000 we got disappointed with the product this last 2-3 yrs and have switched to Princess. We also like to sail from Southampton but having returned from a Princess cruise only this week,14nts in the Med, we found the service, food and general cruise experience far superior than our recent cruises with P&O. You will get some say yes but Princess gratuities and drinks are more expensive but my answer would be unless you drink a serious amount the higher price is worth paying for a better cruise experience and like everything in life you get what you paid for.

 

We have never felt disappointed with P & O, and if we did like you we would try something different. My problem is that for every post I read like yours regarding Princess being better than P & O there is another pits saying that they tried Princess and found them much more expensive for inferior service and food. We also enjoy ballroom dancing and everyone we know who dances does not rate Princess for dancing. Our friends cruise Cunard because of the huge ballroom which is a big part of their cruise but they don't rate the food or service.

[majortom10]

We have never felt disappointed with P & O, and if we did like you we would try something different. My problem is that for every post I read like yours regarding Princess being better than P & O there is another pits saying that they tried Princess and found them much more expensive for inferior service and food. We also enjoy ballroom dancing and everyone we know who dances does not rate Princess for dancing. Our friends cruise Cunard because of the huge ballroom which is a big part of their cruise but they don't rate the food or service.

 

Well all I can say is that IMO Princess are streets ahead of P&O in not in just quantity but also quality of the food in MDR. Some P&Oers do because I heard them last week that they did not like the food because it was not British. Most these days are very international and the choice is superb and a lot more choice of everyday available items for appetisers, main course and desserts as well as a changing daily choice. We had 3 different lobster main courses and chateuabriand and portions that were far superior. We did meet one couple who said that P&O was far superior and when asked why they said that P&O have tea and coffee making facilities and biscuits in your cabin. They couldnt give any other genuine reason why P&O was better and when asked tea/coffee and a far more choice room service was available free of charge they couldnt answer. The international cafe serves salads, paninis, cakes, desserts and cookies 24hrs a day which are free and you are not forced to buy a coffee like in Java on P&O. Finally one thing that nobody can say is that the service is inferior on Princess than on P&O.

Edited October 16, 2014 by majortom10

[dgs1956]

Its great that we are all entitled to our opinion. I think its a real pain when people keep repeating their view over and over again. Plenty of people love P&O and plenty don't. Just like politics, nobody will change their view.

[bee-ess]

We first cruised on P&O in 2002 and in our opinion it is much degraded since then, both in service and food quality, and the headliners entertainment shows don't change for years. We much prefer Celebrity and find their service and food quality much superior to P&O, albeit at a greater onboard cost.

We still cruise with P&O but only at offer price as that is the price we value them at. Typically we cruise the Caribbean with P&O at offer price as we think it is the best value cruise value anywhere (cruise+flight+balcony for 1299 this year). At select price there is much better value elsewhere.

[the english lady]

I do keep on looking at other lines, but as someone who has already posted stated, we use P and O as we do not want to fly. Down to Southampton and the holiday starts there.

Coffee/biscuits in the cabin-yes that is nice.

I must have been very very lucky on all my cruises I have never had a surly waiter. Food has improved since plated meals came in.

 

I like how the cabins have been set up. we have a balcony, and I like the settee by the window/doors. Other lines I have looked at have it the other way around. I always wake up before my OH and I like sitting out on the balcony until he wakes up. Not so easy if the bed is by the doors.

Rarely go to shows. Agree not such good talks now. However if people want to pay less for their cruise something has to give.

[southwinds]

We have found that Princess are now superior to P&O comparing Azura to Emerald or Crown...I can't speak for the smaller p&o ships as we havnt been on them for a while.

But ....P&O have got cheaper so I feel it's a case of you get what you pay for...

We found princess staff very friendly with a good " can do" attitude...food excellent and far more entertainment around the ship at night than we experienced on Azura.

We've not had a bad p&o cruise....but things have slipped...and we have found Princess to be more like the old P&O we remember.

 

 

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[majortom10]

We have found that Princess are now superior to P&O comparing Azura to Emerald or Crown...I can't speak for the smaller p&o ships as we havnt been on them for a while.

But ....P&O have got cheaper so I feel it's a case of you get what you pay for...

We found princess staff very friendly with a good " can do" attitude...food excellent and far more entertainment around the ship at night than we experienced on Azura.

We've not had a bad p&o cruise....but things have slipped...and we have found Princess to be more like the old P&O we remember.

 

 

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I agree completely and that is the experience we found recently when we returned from our cruise on Emerald Princess on Tuesday the food in the MDR was plentiful and of a high standard.

[Host Sharon]

I can't believe you have commented on Azura & Ventura without having been on them. Whilst I accept that there are people who don't like the bigger ships there are plenty of people on here who do like them. I personally don't agree that the service is not good. The staff are friendly and attentive etc. I would recommend them to anyone who enjoys a relaxing holiday, with good entertainment, excellent food and great service.

 

 

If you read my answer properly - you would see that I didn't comment on the two larger ships personally (and in fact I have sailed on Ventura and visited Azura) two or three times, but said "from reports on here".

Edited October 17, 2014 by Host Sharon

[Host Sharon]

That's a fair question and there are a few reasons I would give.

 

1) We would only cruise to and from the UK. One of the biggest attractions is not having to battle with airports and endure hideously cramped flights. We love the fact that your cases are taken from the boot of the car and arrive at your cabin, with no need to handle them. So round trips from the UK are all that we would consider.

 

2) We like the Britishness of P&O and the almost exclusively British clientele. We haven't been on any American or other ships, but they look 'tacky' in comparison and we don't like the loud / brash / Over the top style that Americans seem to enjoy (we are quiet reserved Brits)!

 

3) We find the service levels on P&O to be generally excellent and as we are infrequent cruisers (usually every other year) we stick with what we know to be good. When we are retired, we will probably do at least 2 cruises a year and will then try some other operators.

 

Always interested to hear about experiences of others who have similar likes and dislikes to us and have found better elsewhere.

 

Take a look at Oceania Cruises. Small elegant ships and widely-travelled, interesting US passengers. My friend and I found them a breath of fresh air and the total opposite of brash and loud. The food is advertised as being the best at sea and I wouldn't disagree. If you search around there are some good prices and we sailed to/from Southampton on our cruise with them.

[richleeds]

Take a look at Oceania Cruises. Small elegant ships and widely-travelled, interesting US passengers. My friend and I found them a breath of fresh air and the total opposite of brash and loud. The food is advertised as being the best at sea and I wouldn't disagree. If you search around there are some good prices and we sailed to/from Southampton on our cruise with them.

 

 

Would echo this view with Silversea