Now i know who the real owner of P&O is!

[davecttr]

Having an interest in world cruises and visas etc etc i was browsing the Cunard roll calls and found this which i found slightly amusing.

 

On prev cruise trips with P&O cunard's budget line all visa's arranged by the ship on arrival had....... :eek:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2097761&page=73

 

post number #1446

 

to be fair to the poster they probably meant Carnival in which case P&O is Carnivals budget line ;)

[Kamloops50]

HAL, Princess , Seabourn, Cunard , Carnival (including Aust) , P&O (including Aust) and a couple I can't remember are all a line on the Carnival PLC (parent corp) finaces.

[bee-ess]

.... and a couple I can't remember are all a line on the Carnival PLC (parent corp) finaces.

 

Costa and Aida

[Mr Piano]

It's owned by Mr Piano, of course

[JuliaNicker]

[........... with P&O cunard's budget line all visa's arranged by the ship on arrival had.......to be fair to the poster they probably meant Carnival in which case P&O is Carnivals budget line ;)

 

To be honest, when You cruise with RCCL and Princess, and you mention in conversation that you have been on P&O, it is regarded as being a budget cruise line.

Mention Cunard and the impression is different.

 

Mention Thomson, and nobody has heard of them, But if you mention some of their ships previous names, they are familiar with them.

[NSWP]

I reckon P&O is the Carnival Corp 'budget line' having been on Aurora/Oriana in the last few months, food quality/portion size cutbacks were evident as was the drop in entertainment standards. I also had to continually ask our cabin steward for the basics, soap, shampoo, toilet paper etc, Even having to ring the pursers office for such supplies due to the non response by our steward, pathetic.

 

Just my opinion anyway.

[Esprit]

At last the penny has dropped for some people.

 

Britannia for us was a poor relation compared with Royal Princess

[Somerset Cruiser]

Standards, quality, however you want to describe may well have dropped. But given that most of us cruise 1-2 times a year it is difficult to gauge as there is variation from ship to ship and cruise to cruise.

 

Isn't there also a degree of price pressure from the consumer, we all want the best and pay as little for it as possible.

[daiB]

I reckon P&O is the Carnival Corp 'budget line' having been on Aurora/Oriana in the last few months, food quality/portion size cutbacks were evident as was the drop in entertainment standards. I also had to continually ask our cabin steward for the basics, soap, shampoo, toilet paper etc, Even having to ring the pursers office for such supplies due to the non response by our steward, pathetic.

 

 

 

Just my opinion anyway.

 

 

Well you have been very unfortunate then I cannot once having to ask for any of those things.

 

I can only say as I find and it has never happened to us.

[Florry]

Well you have been very unfortunate then I cannot once having to ask for any of those things.

 

I can only say as I find and it has never happened to us.

 

 

I do think suites get preferential treatment Dai. I have cruised in cabins where loo rolls are akin to gold dust and you'd think shower gel was made from fairy dust. Having said that I've had similar grades of cabin with no issues at all, luck of the draw I guess.

[Scriv]

I've never had a problem in any category of cabin I have been in :)

[daiB]

I do think suites get preferential treatment Dai. I have cruised in cabins where loo rolls are akin to gold dust and you'd think shower gel was made from fairy dust. Having said that I've had similar grades of cabin with no issues at all, luck of the draw I guess.

 

 

We have not cruised in suites all the time.

[Florry]

We have not cruised in suites all the time.

 

 

It's mostly in the last three years we've noticed these small things, they don't distract from the cruise as such but it's a bit embarrassing keep having to ask. When we have been in a suite there are more loo rolls that you can wave a stick at. Historically what ever cabin there were always plenty so it appears to be a recent phenomenon [emoji16]

[Florry]

It's mostly in the last three years we've noticed these small things, they don't distract from the cruise as such but it's a bit embarrassing keep having to ask. When we have been in a suite there are more loo rolls that you can wave a stick at. Historically what ever cabin there were always plenty so it appears to be a recent phenomenon [emoji16]

 

 

Detract even!

[Sanjam cruisers]

My wife and I have cruised with P&O since 2005 and have never had to ask for toiletries, toilet rolls etc, we have noticed a slight decline in the standard of meals but nothing to get excited about.

On our last cruise in February to the Caribbean On the first Formal night I asked the waiter for an extra portion of the main course which was provided with no problem in fact all the table were offered an extra portion of their selected main course and as we were able to get a table in this teams sector every evening we used the MDR we were all asked if we would like an extra portion each evening.

In respect of P&O being a budget line of Princess remember Princess were owned by P&O until P&O/ Princess merged with Carnival.

To those with a gripe about P&O please feel free to use other cruise lines that is your perogative but there are many like me who are more than happy to cruise with them, our cruise prices over the last ten years have not increased that much, we have many passengers wishing to pay 2/3* prices and receive 6* services I don't think so.I get what I pay for.

[NSWP]

Well you have been very unfortunate then I cannot once having to ask for any of those things.

 

I can only say as I find and it has never happened to us.

I forgot to add Dai, our demotivated steward kept telling us her countdown daily, '37 days to go on P&O, '36 days to go on P&O, she was leaving the Line and going over to Royal Caribbean, good riddance I say. Worst steward in our 26 cruises, albeit only 4 cruises with P&O UK.

 

I agree, it is rare to experience such bad service.

[daiB]

I forgot to add Dai, our demotivated steward kept telling us her countdown daily, '37 days to go on P&O, '36 days to go on P&O, she was leaving the Line and going over to Royal Caribbean, good riddance I say. Worst steward in our 26 cruises, albeit only 4 cruises with P&O UK.

 

 

 

I agree, it is rare to experience such bad service.

 

 

Going to RCI, ah well every cloud,

[Josy1953]

We have never had to ask for any toiletries on P&O but then again we have always had good cabin stewards on P&O unlike on Princess where we have had 2 poor stewards, once whom often did not make up the cabin during the day so that when we came back to the ship after a day ashore we would have to ring reception and ask for clean towels before we could shower. On the Ventura cruise that we were on this month we had the best cabin steward that we have had in over 30 cruises, he was so good that my husband actually doubled the amount of the additional tip that he usually gives to any cabin steward who has been exceptional. We did fill out the form for his exceptional service while we were on board and we have sent a letter to P&O in Southampton reiterating how impressed we were with this person.

 

I do think that P&O (along with many other lines) have reduced their standards in order to keep the prices low enough to fill their ships in a market where there are too many berths due to the every increasing size of the ship's being built. As others have said if we want low prices then we have to accept lower standards.

[jaceyar]

We have never had to ask for any toiletries on P&O but then again we have always had good cabin stewards on P&O unlike on Princess where we have had 2 poor stewards, once whom often did not make up the cabin during the day so that when we came back to the ship after a day ashore we would have to ring reception and ask for clean towels before we could shower.

Are you one of these people who demands clean towels every day with complete disregard of the environmental cost?

Edited December 17, 2015 by jaceyar

[Glyn1947]

I'm sitting here wondering what I'd use the other toilet roll for.

[shallwe]

Having got back today from our Britannia Caribbean cruise, I can confirm that our cabin steward was the best we have ever had. Nothing was too much trouble.

[Florry]

The service was fabulous on Britannia

Edited December 19, 2015 by Florry