Reporting from Azura - very poor, and much in need of that refit!

[jeanlyon]

19 hours ago, docco said:

This might help:  https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/life-on-board/enforced_dresscode

 

Met a very nice professional couple last week at dinner - his reaction was that he was the one paying, and he certainly wasn't going to allow an outfit like P&O to tell him what he should or shouldn't wear for dinner!

 

To avoid a lot of tut tutting from the elderly, though, a dark suit is a good compromise.  You can get away with a jacket and trousers (+tie) but it's not worth the aggravation.

 

Laughable, though, because if you turned up at any decent restaurant in a dinner suit the other customers would laugh their socks off at the high pretence!

I love the way people assume it's the elderly.  Last cruise, my husband forgot his dinner jacket.  He had an ordinary jacket with him and wore that with a bow tie!  Nobody even noticed.  My husband is 80 by the way.  My young neice has just been away on her first cruise with her fiancee.  They both loved the dressing up as they seldom do it at home.

[Britboys]

Oh dear!  I'm not 60 yet and when I do read a newspaper it is The Guardian/Observer.  I need to think hard about whether I stop cruising with P&O or burn all my Formal Wear 😉😉😂

[grapau27]

5 minutes ago, Britboys said:

Oh dear!  I'm not 60 yet and when I do read a newspaper it is The Guardian/Observer.  I need to think hard about whether I stop cruising with P&O or burn all my Formal Wear 😉😉😂

I'm 62 and have read the express for 20+ years.

I always wear a suit for formal occasions

 

[Britboys]

Vive la difference Grapau27 😃

[Harry Peterson]

11 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

I'm 62 and have read the express for 20+ years.

I always wear a suit for formal occasions

 

 

She does do a very nice tea, doesn't she?  🙂

[Eglesbrech]

Just now, docco said:

 

She does do a very nice tea, doesn't she?  🙂

 

And very nice chocolate cake with a gold seal on them.

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, docco said:

65+ and Daily Mail/Express readers. Not exclusively, obviously, but it’s a fair summary.

Guilty as charged, but I am more than happy to observe the dress code on formal nights, and certainly prefer the entertainment manager to limit their over exuberance to sailaways and daft game shows,which I can therefore avoid.

[grapau27]

57 minutes ago, docco said:

 

She does do a very nice tea, doesn't she?  🙂

The Royal Garden Party Tea was excellent.

[Bazrat]

1 hour ago, jeanlyon said:

Well said Major Tom.  I don't read newspapers at all, so perhaps I don't fit and shouldn't cruise?!! 😂  What total rubbish.

Looks like we will have to cancel our cruises and see if I can get the money back for my new dinner jacket,I have only read the daily mirror for the last 42years so we will not fit in.

[Harry Peterson]

22 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Looks like we will have to cancel our cruises and see if I can get the money back for my new dinner jacket,I have only read the daily mirror for the last 42years so we will not fit in.

Believe me, you will......

[brian1]

52 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

The Royal Garden Party Tea was excellent.

And there wasn't a punch up over the last cucumber sandwich.

[grapau27]

11 minutes ago, brian1 said:

And there wasn't a punch up over the last cucumber sandwich.

Lol.

Everyone was very smart and we'll behaved.

Lots of fresh delicious sandwiches and cakes for everyone.

No need for the buffet bunfight there.

[grapau27]

36 minutes ago, Bazrat said:

Looks like we will have to cancel our cruises and see if I can get the money back for my new dinner jacket,I have only read the daily mirror for the last 42years so we will not fit in.

Just hide your daily mirror inside the telegraph.

I can't ever recall daily papers being sold on board anyway.

If you see me say hello we are not snobs, always happy to talk football and cruising.

[AnnieC]

2 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Just hide your daily mirror inside the telegraph.

I can't ever recall daily papers being sold on board anyway.

If you see me say hello we are not snobs, always happy to talk football and cruising.

Not if you spot our new arbiter of taste, docco, hoving into view; the Telegraph is about as anti-EU as it gets.

[davecttr]

3 hours ago, docco said:

65+ and Daily Mail/Express readers. Not exclusively, obviously, but it’s a fair summary.

I can confirm that, a few years ago I did some surveys of the numbers of newspapers sold on return to Southampton. Basically noted the size of the piles of papers as they started selling them. the largest pile was Daily Mail followed by  substantially smaller piles of Telegraphs and Times and a surprisingly large pile of the Express, everything else was a long way behind

[Harry Peterson]

9 minutes ago, davecttr said:

I can confirm that, a few years ago I did some surveys of the numbers of newspapers sold on return to Southampton. Basically noted the size of the piles of papers as they started selling them. the largest pile was Daily Mail followed by  substantially smaller piles of Telegraphs and Times and a surprisingly large pile of the Express, everything else was a long way behind

Interesting - and funnily enough I've done much the same thing more recently. 

 

Hardly any Telegraphs, Times or Guardians these days - but considerably more Express/Mail/Sun/Mirror.

 

Changing times on P&O.

[Rupert2251]

4 hours ago, docco said:

65+ and Daily Mail/Express readers. Not exclusively, obviously, but it’s a fair summary.

Well "My Husband and I" (lol) are not 65+ not even 55+, we don't read any newspapers but reply on the good old BBC, so not sure where we would fit in. We do enjoy the formal nights, we have a bit of banter with fellow guests and just enjoy the evening. What we don't like are the people who just can't be bothered to adhere to any of the dress code, even on casual nights, they turn up in tatty ripped jeans or short skirts and t-shirts, they are aware of the dress code before they book so why spoil it for the people who do care. Enough said!

[davecttr]

3 minutes ago, docco said:

Interesting - and funnily enough I've done much the same thing more recently. 

 

Hardly any Telegraphs, Times or Guardians these days - but considerably more Express/Mail/Sun/Mirror.

 

Changing times on P&O.

Mmm, going down market eh!, and the rise of the Mirror suggests a shift in political views? Also on Ventura a few years ago they had a lunchtime debate on a sea day. The subject was 'should the UK leave the ??'. About 40 people turned up. They asked for a show of hands at the start, leave got 39 and remain got 1, me. The debate got heated, but not on my side, I just demolished their arguments one by one. There was a point when I started to fear for my safety. anyway afterward my main protagonist strode over and offered to buy me a drink.

[brian1]

I'm 66 and live 100 yards from a tube station.I walk over there every morning and grab a free Metro,cos I'm too tight to buy the Sun.What category does that put me in,don't answer that one,but I still wear my dinner whistle on formal nights.

[miaandmum]

hi ive been following this thread with interest as we are going on our first p&o cruise next saturday on the azura (usually cruise with royal caribbea). am wondering what weve let ourselves in for - im a 55 year old mail online reader - hoping to leave brexit behind for a week!

[Rupert2251]

12 minutes ago, miaandmum said:

hi ive been following this thread with interest as we are going on our first p&o cruise next saturday on the azura (usually cruise with royal caribbea). am wondering what weve let ourselves in for - im a 55 year old mail online reader - hoping to leave brexit behind for a week!

Don't take any notice of what has been said on this thread just go and have a wonderful time, I'm sure you will😎

[arendale1]

21 minutes ago, miaandmum said:

hi ive been following this thread with interest as we are going on our first p&o cruise next saturday on the azura (usually cruise with royal caribbea). am wondering what weve let ourselves in for - im a 55 year old mail online reader - hoping to leave brexit behind for a week!

We’re just sailing away from Southampton on Ventura- our first ever P&O cruise. So far we’re loving it 👍 We’ve only sailed with Royal Caribbean previously. First impressions, we prefer RC, but nothing wrong with P&O - just smaller, but fine.

Edited April 12, 2019 by arendale1

[eddie11]

Smooth seas and sunshine!

Hope you have a wonderful time

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, Spike11 said:

Perhaps the grass seems greener? I’m not convinced it will be! I’m also astounded that P&O had a lunchtime debate on Brexit - what were they thinking!

I don't think they ever had another one!

[grapau27]

13 minutes ago, arendale1 said:

We’re just sailing away from Southampton on Ventura- our first ever P&O cruise. So far we’re loving it 👍 We’ve only sailed with Royal Caribbean previously. First impressions, we prefer RC, but nothing wrong with P&O - just smaller, but fine.

Hope you have a fantastic cruise.