P&O standards

[Josy1953]

Reviews are just a snap shot in time, so we may travel on a particular ship on one occasion and be perfectly happy with the food, and on a subsequent visit not be so impressed. (This happened to us when standards nose-dived and we haven't been back on that ship since.) Also people have different tastes and what suits one may not suit others and perhaps ships catering mainly to a UK clientele doesn't appeal so much to passengers from the US although cold food isn't good news for anyone!

 

I am a little concerned though by tatanexile's comments on her recent experience on Oceana which indicates a drop in quality. Having travelled with P&O extensively, she is in a position to make valid comparisons on standards between cruises. Hopefully this is a blip and not indicative of cost cutting which will bite across the fleet. We too don't have unrealistic expectations but do want to enjoy our food. It would prompt us to look elsewhere if we have the same experiece.

 

I know cruise lines have to be competitive and are always looking for economies but how much more would we each have to pay per week to ensure quality meat each night? Not that much more in the context of the cruise price I suspect. It's a risky route to take if tartanexile's experience is representative of a trend with P&O as it is perhaps the quickest way to turn customers away from their product.

 

I would be very disappointed if that's the case. I'm hoping our forthcoming trip will be up to our expectations and previous experiences and will be able to post a review to that effect.

 

I also hope that it is a blip because if it is a fleet wide cost cutting exercise then we will look for as alternative, unfortunately my husband has health issues that mean we can't fly and P&O have the most ship's leaving from the UK. We will continue to go with P&O and make up our own minds until P&O reach what is a unacceptable level for us. Hopefully people are making appropriate comments on their questionnaires and hopefully P&O will take notice. I am sure that most of us would be prepared to pay more for an improved offering, when I think back to what we paid in the 80s to cruise and compare to now the 80s cruises cost a higher percentage of our disposable income than the ones we do today. We went with Celebrity last year and they were more than 20% higher than we have been paying for P&O select fares in recent years so I think that we would probably be prepared to up to 25% more to get better food, service and entertainment.

[peteukmcr]

The problem here is the OP being used to American lines. The food is different. Not necessarily better. These comments have come from people on here who do go on other lines.

 

 

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Please see the quote above. This poster is implying that the problem is that the OP is used to American lines.

 

Nobody I think has said that it is a problem that people sail on American lines.

You normally sail on American lines and have now found that booking on a UK line may not be the best thing for you.....however that is just you.

The product suits us perfectly.

I have no problem with P&O (other than the check in process and dress code) but if there are problems with the food quality (which includes the presentation) then whether that is P&O or any other line, that is a problem and not acceptable.

[daiB]

Your last 4 cruises had better food. How do you know there hasn't been a change across the fleet since you last cruised? You don't as you weren't on this particular cruise were you?

 

Why is it a problem because the op has sailed on US lines? Cold food is cold food. The food is not that different. Now, if you were referring to an Italian line, that caters for the more Mediterranean palate, then maybe. So it's a problem because people sail on other lines than your precious P&O is it?

 

 

My last 4 cruises have been in the last 8 month including 28 nights on Ventura. Only last month so I think I know what the the food is like currently.

 

 

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Edited March 22, 2016 by daiB

[terrierjohn]

My last 4 cruises have been in the last 8 month including 28 nights on Ventura. Only last month so I think I know what the the food is like currently.

Food enjoyment is notoriously personal and not everyone will enjoy the same meals.

We were also on Dai's last cruise and in my review, on another forum, I did comment that the MDR food quality was variable but generally adequate. However we were disappointed with the quality of the fish dishes on this cruise, as well as finding the choice of vegetables to accompany some dishes rather strange.

All these point could be down to the executive chef, so I hope Trevor Glass does not move to Britannia for our August cruise.

I also agree with the OP that the staff on P&O are less friendly and far less willing to interact with passengers than on, for instance, Celebrity. I put this down to the way they are managed which is where I believe P&O could learn a lot from the US managed cruise lines.

Unfortunately the P&O management do seem to have their heads stuck up their ***** on a lot of things.

[aquilegia]

I don't think it comes down to the grats, as to whether they have the time to smile at everyone , and engage with them. If I am walking along the corridors and a room steward is also out there, they are usually the ones to smile and say hello to me, before I get in first.

Waiters in the buffet, well I tend not to chat to them ,unless I want a drink.

Politeness- uhm...I would find things very in your face if whenever I came across a crew member they were happy and tried to engage in some sort of conversation with me...maybe that is why I am still wary of trying any American lines.

I don't mind Americans ,I have been on a few holidays out there..but the in your face I think I would find on a ship...doesn't sit well with me.

Its good we don't all like the same thing isn't it. Those that like the American ships can go on them....I will stick with Pando at the moment.

 

The fact that they didn't smile and say hello on Ventura is exactly what I am complaining about. Smiling and saying hello when you have to stand aside takes no more time than standing there in silence!

 

As to the rest of your post, you are reading things into mine which are not there. I did not say that I want to engage in conversation with waiters etc, far less that whenever I come across a crew member on Princess they try and engage in some sort of conversation with me or are 'in your face'. There's nothing wrong with staying with one cruise line if you like it, that's your choice, but it's a bit much to say 'Those that like the American ships can go on them...' when you apparently ever haven't been on one. Apart from the fact that there are big differences between various American lines, you can't really know what particular cruise line is like until you try it. There were things about P&O which turned out to be different from my expectations, some I liked, others I didn't.

Edited March 22, 2016 by aquilegia

[janny444]

When an OP makes negative comments about P&O you just know that the ones who only cruise with P&O... and have never tried other cruise lines to compare... will defend P&O all the way. But if the standard offered by P&O "ticks all the boxes" for them that's ok.

For myself I have cruised with many different cruise lines but I certainly won't be saying on this forum...or any other forum... anything negative about P&O...I just ain't "brave" enough :D

Edited March 22, 2016 by janny444

[Mysticalmother]

When an OP makes negative comments about P&O you just know that the ones who only cruise with P&O... and have never tried other cruise lines to compare... will defend P&O all the way. But if the standard offered by P&O "ticks all the boxes" for them that's ok.

For myself I have cruised with many different cruise lines but I certainly won't be saying on this forum...or any other forum... anything negative about P&O...I just ain't "brave" enough :D

 

Sometimes it isn't what people say.... it is the way they say it....:rolleyes:

[tartanexile81]

Well most people like the food. Or did on our last 4 cruises and on here and in other forums this has been commented on.

 

The problem here is the OP being used to American lines. The food is different. Not necessarily better. These comments have come from people on here who do go on other lines.

 

 

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Well I've just come back off Oceana and the food, as I said, was the worst I have ever had on any P&O ships. Yes I do cruise on other lines most recently on Fred Olsen so not a US line and I have to say that though we didn't like the line as much as P&O, the food was miles better than what we had on Oceana.

 

Examples on Oceana.

The meat was usually tough and gristly, particularly Sirloin steak and lamb.

Every time I ordered rare meat which is what I prefer it arrived over-cooked, even when I sent it back

Green beans were on the menu every night.

It is disappointing that they have now merged the starters and soup / salads to discourage you from asking for both.

 

In the Plaza

The coleslaw had virtually no dressing on day after day.

The other 'interesting' salads were not recognisable (e.g. no waldorf, pasta or couscous as in previous years) but simply small bowls made up of any left-overs

The red cabbage (no dressing) grated carrots and another indeterminate grated vegetable were dry and tasteless day after day.

There was no cheeseboard as in previous years e.g. no Brie, Camembert or Port Salut at breakfast or lunch, replaced by tasteless plastic cheese slices.

Until the last few days most of the meat on offer was cheaper processed cuts such as luncheon type meat.

There was very rarely fish on offer in the salad bar e.g. mussels only once and no gravelax at all.

 

I am not having a go at P&O for the sake of it. I am not one of the hobby moaners. I am simply sharing my disappointment with the food on Oceana on E602, compared to all my other cruises on P&O. I spoke to the maitre d' in the Plaza and the Ligurian, and made my feelings clear on my online feedback from. I have cruised with P&O for years now and I feel well placed to compare what we received this time with previous cruises, and it was not just a matter of personal taste of what was on the menu. Sad but true

Edited March 22, 2016 by tartanexile81

[gadabout60]

Well I've just come back off Oceana and the food, as I said, was the worst I have ever had on any P&O ships. Yes I do cruise on other lines most recently on Fred Olsen so not a US line and I have to say that though we didn't like the line as much as P&O, the food was miles better than what we had on Oceana.

 

Examples on Oceana.

The meat was usually tough and gristly, particularly Sirloin steak and lamb.

Every time I ordered rare meat which is what I prefer it arrived over-cooked, even when I sent it back

Green beans were on the menu every night.

It is disappointing that they have now merged the starters and soup / salads to discourage you from asking for both.

 

In the Plaza

The coleslaw had virtually no dressing on day after day.

The other 'interesting' salads were not recognisable (e.g. no waldorf, pasta or couscous as in previous years) but simply small bowls made up of any left-overs

The red cabbage (no dressing) grated carrots and another indeterminate grated vegetable were dry and tasteless day after day.

There was no cheeseboard as in previous years e.g. no Brie, Camembert or Port Salut at breakfast or lunch, replaced by tasteless plastic cheese slices.

Until the last few days most of the meat on offer was cheaper processed cuts such as luncheon type meat.

There was very rarely fish on offer in the salad bar e.g. mussels only once and no gravelax at all.

 

I am not having a go at P&O for the sake of it. I am not one of the hobby moaners. I am simply sharing my disappointment with the food on Oceana on E602, compared to all my other cruises on P&O. I spoke to the maitre d' in the Plaza and the Ligurian, and made my feelings clear on my online feedback from. I have cruised with P&O for years now and I feel well placed to compare what we received this time with previous cruises, and it was not just a matter of personal taste of what was on the menu. Sad but true

 

This ties in completely with what we experienced re food on Oceana at Xmastime.

 

As the buffet was so poor we breakfasted and lunched most days in the MPW cafe, so didn't' want to eat there in the evening.

We were unlucky and had a poor experience in the beach house. It was busy and they opened it earlier and we had to take a 6.30 booking. They just didn't seem prepared. I had the steak on the lava stone, but the stone wasn't hot enough to cook the steak. I think that was just a bad night.

 

The saving grace in the Mdr were our dinner companions - we had a table for 8. We all made a joke about the bad food and had a good laugh. Our waiters were marvellous and were apologetic about the food and did their best to guide us to what was best on the menu

 

It was the worst food I have had on 10 cruises 7 of which were with P&O .

We are probably going to try Britannia next. We don't consider ourselves foodies but it does seem to offer more food of quality

 

We did laugh on our beach hut evening - we went to the show in the theatre afterwards (which is rare for us as we don't often go) and I sat next to a woman. She asked if we had a nice dinner, and I said yes (bit of a lie) and that we had been in the beach house. She replied "we're from Yorkshire - we won't pay extra for meals". To me that sums up many P&O pax - will just accept anything

Edited March 22, 2016 by gadabout60

[balf]

My last 4 cruises have been in the last 8 month including 28 nights on Ventura. Only last month so I think I know what the the food is like currently.

 

 

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Well you know what the food is like for you, but more I think than any other aspect of cruising, food is a very personal thing.

 

Basically I'm not keen on any food, served on any cruise line in the "steerage" dining room, and this includes the snooty Cunard. The problem is I think that the amount of funds available is too low to provide adequate quality, though many passengers seem to wallop it down happily, breakfast noon and evening. Quantity rather than quality is the name of the game. Go to any decent restaurant in England and you won't be offered food anything like cruise food, which is stuck somewhere in the 1950s. Certainly no obviously bland frozen veg. And sub standard meats. And pan fried fish, fish yes but never been anyway near a fry pan.

 

But we come back to price and then we probably get just about what we pay for.

 

David

[daiB]

Perhaps it is just me but I am having conversations with the crew and staff all the time. Perhaps it is the way I approach them. I consider the staff to be a strength of the line. One or two have been hard work but I have got through to them and got a smile.

 

 

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[AchileLauro]

Standards and the menus have definitely changed on P&O over the years.

 

I have enjoyed some wonderful meals on P&O in the past but not so on more recent cruises. Generally speaking the meals on Oceana were the worst we had ever experienced on a cruise yet we often hear it claimed that ship has a reputation for producing the finest meals, go figure that one out.

 

The poorest meal that I was ever served on a P&O ship was wild boar sausage, absolutely inedible. Yet I am fond of wild boar and have eaten it many times both in the U.K. and in several European countries.

 

One of the very finest meals that I have ever eaten was spatchcock partridge on Oriana some years ago. Unfortunately I have never seen it offered since then.

[jeanlyon]

We love Oriana, but our last two cruises I did not enjoy some of the food in the MDR, although my husband and our friend did, apart from beef wellington that they had with soggy pastry and tough meat. It's difficult to get tough Fillet of Beef!!

 

I found it very samey, roast meat in different forms. I would have so loved a chicken dish with a sauce, just to be different. And those flaming green beans every day,.

 

I still like P&O, but looking forward to fred in May.

[Midsomer Madness]

We have just returnee from Azura...totally agree with the original poster about the food in the MDR.. We were disappointed...menus were repetitive, portion sizes were tiny ne if I see another green bean! However our food was always hot and we had excellent service, but that could be because I emailed to ask for the same waiter we had last year!

 

However the buffet was dreadful and as for the awful poolside grill...inedible and vile....food left under heat lamps for at least an hour whilst we were sat there...ours went straight in the bin...it was disgusting...

 

I know food is a personal thing and what one likes another doesn't...but we did hear a lot of complaints...

[artemis10]

I too agree with the original poster. We are on Aurora worldly at the moment and it is our 7th world cruise. In my opinion the food in the mdr and buffet is the worst we have ever seen or eaten. We have had meetings with the F&B manager, executive purser and the executive chef. The executive chef agreed, and that the menus had just changed at the end of last year and included a lot of cheaper ingredients, but that he was trying to do the best with what he had. F&B and the Purser just said they would pass on our comments to Southampton. I have subsequently been told that the budget per passenger per day for food was cut with the introduction of the new menu and that it is going to be increased in the near future due to so many complaints. Too late to save this cruise though.

[the english lady]

I too agree with the original poster. We are on Aurora worldly at the moment and it is our 7th world cruise. In my opinion the food in the mdr and buffet is the worst we have ever seen or eaten. We have had meetings with the F&B manager, executive purser and the executive chef. The executive chef agreed, and that the menus had just changed at the end of last year and included a lot of cheaper ingredients, but that he was trying to do the best with what he had. F&B and the Purser just said they would pass on our comments to Southampton. I have subsequently been told that the budget per passenger per day for food was cut with the introduction of the new menu and that it is going to be increased in the near future due to so many complaints. Too late to save this cruise though.

Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that.

Its good to know though that you mentioned it to the relevant people on board, so in the future something will be done about it (as you say too late for your cruise, which is a great shame)

Another thought I had about wait staff, most of the ones on Pando are Goan aren't they, with a few Philippines as well.

Isn't their natural demeanour to be quiet .

What are the crew on American cruise lines?

Having watched a few of that cruise programme I still kind of feel that the whole thing is shiny, bright and glitzy. Maybe its our early holidays being spent on canal boats ,but shiny, bright and glitzy, with lights everywhere just for the sake of...is not what I look for in a ship.

[gadabout60]

I too agree with the original poster. We are on Aurora worldly at the moment and it is our 7th world cruise. In my opinion the food in the mdr and buffet is the worst we have ever seen or eaten. We have had meetings with the F&B manager, executive purser and the executive chef. The executive chef agreed, and that the menus had just changed at the end of last year and included a lot of cheaper ingredients, but that he was trying to do the best with what he had. F&B and the Purser just said they would pass on our comments to Southampton. I have subsequently been told that the budget per passenger per day for food was cut with the introduction of the new menu and that it is going to be increased in the near future due to so many complaints. Too late to save this cruise though.

 

That seems to explain the deterioration in the food and it's good to know they are addressing it.

We don't buy cheap food at home, so it's not good on holiday that the standard fare comprises items we would never buy.

Part of my cruise experience is always to have a few special nights in the speciality restaurants but I do still expect food of a certain standard in the MDR

[davecttr]

I find the food in the mdr to be uninspiring at best and usually end up using the buffet at quiet times. As a solo cruiser who likes to graze rather than fine dine I find the buffet food OK with a greater variety of international styles than the mdr. i have just returned from an aurora world segment and only ate in the mdr once. I tried the Glass House twice but the venue is awful and no atmosphere because there were hardly any customers. It appears that P&O are trying to turn the Glass house from the original excellent bar that serves food concept into just another cover charge restaurant :(

 

As for MPW inspired menus, they can keep them. On Oceana last xmas the dinner was MPW inspired rubbish. I had MUCH higher quality xmas lunches in 2 local pubs with all the correct ingredients, succulent turkey and real roast potatoes etc etc not some 'twee' offering pretending to be something it was not.

 

As for green beans, aargh! they must own a green bean farm :rolleyes:

[peteukmcr]

Goan aren't they, with a few Philippines as well.

 

Isn't their natural demeanour to be quiet .

 

What are the crew on American cruise lines?

 

Having watched a few of that cruise programme I still kind of feel that the whole thing is shiny, bright and glitzy. Maybe its our early holidays being spent on canal boats ,but shiny, bright and glitzy, with lights everywhere just for the sake of...is not what I look for in a ship.

 

 

What is a 'Goan'??? Sounds very derogatory terminology to me.

 

For your information the nationality of crew on US lines are from all corners of the world including the Philippines. However, I have yet to meet one member of staff from anywhere in the world who is not friendly, welcoming and happy to engage in conversation. Seems your beloved P&O knocks it out of them. I wonder why that is?

 

It's so good we don't look for the same in a ship isn't it? It means we're very unlikely to sail on the same cruise.

Edited March 24, 2016 by peteukmcr

[kruzseeka]

I too agree with the original poster. We are on Aurora worldly at the moment and it is our 7th world cruise. In my opinion the food in the mdr and buffet is the worst we have ever seen or eaten. We have had meetings with the F&B manager, executive purser and the executive chef. The executive chef agreed, and that the menus had just changed at the end of last year and included a lot of cheaper ingredients, but that he was trying to do the best with what he had. F&B and the Purser just said they would pass on our comments to Southampton. I have subsequently been told that the budget per passenger per day for food was cut with the introduction of the new menu and that it is going to be increased in the near future due to so many complaints. Too late to save this cruise though.

 

 

This really is a confirmation of tartanexile, AchileLaura, jeanlyon, gadabout and others' observations of a deterioration in food quality on their recent cruises - and on different ships. It does appear to be a company policy.

 

As I posted earlier I think for me it is the quickest way to drive even the most loyal customers away into the arms of competitors. I believe most cruisers have an expectation of decent food - perhaps not fine dining in the mdr but certainly not cheap cuts of meat and other obvious cost cutting measures which clearly impact on standards. I go on a cruise and expect to be able to look forward to an enjoyable evening meal!

 

Realistically how much more would we each have to pay per week to ensure good quality meat/cheese and other items which have been highlighted as being poor in comparison to the past? I am trying to come to a realistic figure of what it would cost extra to ensure the head chef has sufficient funds to return standards to that of a few years ago. I would think £10 p. p/day on top of the current budget would definitely bring about a significant improvement. In the context of the cost of our cruises, I believe most of us would consider that a price worth paying. Do others think that realistic or am I missing something?

 

I understand economies are all part of the company trying to be competitive but surely food is an area where customers are likely to rebel just as artemis and other passengers have done on Aurora. It's a false economy imo and a policy which is likely to come back to bite P&O. I do so hope the negative feedback will indeed result in a reversal of policy on this.

[kruzseeka]

What is a 'Goan'??? Sounds very derogatory terminology to me.

.

 

 

I believe it's the correct term to describe someone from Goa.

[peteukmcr]

I believe it's the correct term to describe someone from Goa.

 

 

Thanks for the clarification and therefore it doesn't sound derogatory.

[Thorpeys]

I believe it's the correct term to describe someone from Goa.

 

Yes I agree, Goan is correct. Although I wouldn't agree that they are all Goan. In fact on my recent cruise not one said they were Goan. They were from India, Mauritius and London (waiters in MDR).

 

We have just returned from Ventura where we ate in the MDR mostly partly due to the norovirus outbreak. The food was the best we have ever had on P&O. We felt there was a much greater variety and the quality was excellent. When we took our first cruise in 2007 we felt the food was excellent but then it took a massive nose dive around 2010-2015 but nice to see it has picked up again. The lamb was some of the best I had ever tasted as was the beef wellington.

 

I do agree about the green beans though... good job I like them!

[terrierjohn]

Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that.

Its good to know though that you mentioned it to the relevant people on board, so in the future something will be done about it (as you say too late for your cruise, which is a great shame)

Another thought I had about wait staff, most of the ones on Pando are Goan aren't they, with a few Philippines as well.

Isn't their natural demeanour to be quiet .

What are the crew on American cruise lines?

Having watched a few of that cruise programme I still kind of feel that the whole thing is shiny, bright and glitzy. Maybe its our early holidays being spent on canal boats ,but shiny, bright and glitzy, with lights everywhere just for the sake of...is not what I look for in a ship.

Thank you TEL for being the first P&O cheerleader to show a little bit of contrition, I await with interest to see how many others join you.

As regarding Goanese being a bit quiet, that is not my experience, there are many Goanese waiters on US lines and on these lines they interact well with the passengers. It is the company ethos which dictates how friendly staff behave and on Celebrity the waiters always welcome the diners with a few comments about the days menu, and their favourite items. Yes I am sure it is a bit staged but it does help to create a dialogue and a feedback which I know from discussions with the freedom dining assistant maitre D', himself Goanese, that they very much welcome and will act on any reasonable critical comment.

I just wish P&O displayed the same enlightened attitude rather than seeking to prevent their staff from discussing any touchy subject like the reduction in food cost, again a comment made to me by one of the waiters on our recent Ventura cruise.

[GLYNAGP]

As I have said in previous posts our first P &O cruise is on Ventura in August so I can't make any comments yet, however we did 4 weeks on Celebrity Eclipse in November and 2weeks on Infinity in Feb the food was very good but Green Beans featured most nights. There must be a world glut. Ok if you like them unfortunately I don't.

Edited March 24, 2016 by glynandkath