terrierjohn Posted October 4, 2021 #51 Share Posted October 4, 2021 32 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said: A britannia staycation cruise for 4 nights - everybody is on and off the boat before they even have time to test positive for covid Plus you are close to UK hospitals etc for any treatment Big difference the longer the cruises get and the further away you travel and the different level of medical care and expertise in those countries I think I'm just being careful weighing up best thing to do One way or another we need a good holiday ! I know that ! The UK is not the only place cruising at present, our seacations were very specific to the UK. Other lines have been sailing the Med, the Caribbean, and the far east on almost normal itineraries, and there has been very little in the media, other than the odd covid incident. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Interestedcruisefan Posted October 4, 2021 #52 Share Posted October 4, 2021 10 minutes ago, terrierjohn said: The UK is not the only place cruising at present, our seacations were very specific to the UK. Other lines have been sailing the Med, the Caribbean, and the far east on almost normal itineraries, and there has been very little in the media, other than the odd covid incident. Yes I'm going to keep my eye on feedback from other Caribbean cruises starting up the next few weeks and then make a decision Right now Seaboum the only one starting from Barbados but at the moment operating with just 100 ish passengers ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zap99 Posted October 4, 2021 #53 Share Posted October 4, 2021 4 hours ago, Billish said: I can't speak for Wowzz, but we use the balcony a lot, so we can get away from the riff raff ! No riff raff on P&O cruises don't you know. Just think, going all the way to the Caribbean and having an inside cabin. I bet it looks nice outside🤔. You could take a few pictures to look at whilst in your cabin to remind you where you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Interestedcruisefan Posted October 4, 2021 #54 Share Posted October 4, 2021 13 minutes ago, zap99 said: No riff raff on P&O cruises don't you know. Just think, going all the way to the Caribbean and having an inside cabin. I bet it looks nice outside🤔. You could take a few pictures to look at whilst in your cabin to remind you where you are. We've had balconies on Caribbean cruises before We had kids with us back then who didn't get up early so was nice to see the ship arriving into the ports I guess But we never used the balcony And we get up really early now and like to walk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Interestedcruisefan Posted October 4, 2021 #55 Share Posted October 4, 2021 13 minutes ago, zap99 said: No riff raff on P&O cruises don't you know. Just think, going all the way to the Caribbean and having an inside cabin. I bet it looks nice outside🤔. You could take a few pictures to look at whilst in your cabin to remind you where you are. Why stay in a cabin when you can have a beautiful view from so many other places on the ship and sip multiple cocktails and enjoy multiple upgrade meals etc with the money you save? That's the way we look at it We don't use balconies in hotels either when they come free if charge We like to get out and about Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zap99 Posted October 4, 2021 #56 Share Posted October 4, 2021 1 minute ago, Interestedcruisefan said: Why stay in a cabin when you can have a beautiful view from so many other places on the ship and sip multiple cocktails and enjoy multiple upgrade meals etc with the money you save? That's the way we look at it We don't use balconies in hotels either when they come free if charge We like to get out and about We are off to the Balearics on Friday and have paid extra for a sea view. Each to their own.🤔 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billish Posted October 4, 2021 #57 Share Posted October 4, 2021 2 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said: Why stay in a cabin when you can have a beautiful view from so many other places on the ship and sip multiple cocktails and enjoy multiple upgrade meals etc with the money you save? That's the way we look at it We don't use balconies in hotels either when they come free if charge We like to get out and about Everyone has their own preferences. We will never cruise without a balcony, and by booking early we get "cheap" prices, so still can indulge in cocktails and specialty restaurants. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Interestedcruisefan Posted October 4, 2021 #58 Share Posted October 4, 2021 2 minutes ago, zap99 said: We are off to the Balearics on Friday and have paid extra for a sea view. Each to their own.🤔 Of course we all have personal choices to make 2 minutes ago, Billish said: Everyone has their own preferences. We will never cruise without a balcony, and by booking early we get "cheap" prices, so still can indulge in cocktails and specialty restaurants. We are still learning the best way for us but like I say when we've had cabins we've never used them anywhere near enough to justify We are in a good position now as for the first time we will be cruising without the kids For the first time we can do Caribbean cruises without having to pay xmas and New Year prices due to having to go in school holiday time We go for the food, cocktails, entertainment, gym and sun Balcony or even a sea view (weve done that as well) aren't a priority It's dark ish when we get up now and dark when we go to bed And when we get back we sleep early to get up early So we don't get the benefit In the future we might change what we do and have balconies again 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billish Posted October 4, 2021 #59 Share Posted October 4, 2021 2 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said: Of course we all have personal choices to make We are still learning the best way for us but like I say when we've had cabins we've never used them anywhere near enough to justify We are in a good position now as for the first time we will be cruising without the kids For the first time we can do Caribbean cruises without having to pay xmas and New Year prices due to having to go in school holiday time We go for the food, cocktails, entertainment, gym and sun Balcony or even a sea view (weve done that as well) aren't a priority It's dark ish when we get up now and dark when we go to bed And when we get back we sleep early to get up early So we don't get the benefit In the future we might change what we do and have balconies again Regardless of a balcony, the inside cabins are just so small. No sofa, no coffee table etc. No wonder you don't spend any time in them ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Interestedcruisefan Posted October 4, 2021 #60 Share Posted October 4, 2021 24 minutes ago, Billish said: Regardless of a balcony, the inside cabins are just so small. No sofa, no coffee table etc. No wonder you don't spend any time in them ! Agreed but balcony cabins are also very small We didnt want to spend any time in them either Even the suites. Why plan to spend any time in them when you are on a Caribbean Cruise? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britboys Posted October 4, 2021 #61 Share Posted October 4, 2021 36 minutes ago, Billish said: Regardless of a balcony, the inside cabins are just so small. No sofa, no coffee table etc. No wonder you don't spend any time in them ! One of the benefits of Aurora is that even the inside cabins all have a small sofa - although of course, I appreciate she is seldom in the Caribbean these days. When sailing solo I would be happy with an inside cabin anywhere in the world. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billish Posted October 4, 2021 #62 Share Posted October 4, 2021 1 hour ago, Interestedcruisefan said: Agreed but balcony cabins are also very small Which is why we don't book standard balcony cabins ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
picsa Posted October 5, 2021 #63 Share Posted October 5, 2021 15 hours ago, Billish said: Which is why we don't book standard balcony cabins ! So you slum it in a deluxe cabin rather than booking a suite? How terrible for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapau27 Posted October 5, 2021 #64 Share Posted October 5, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 1:35 PM, zap99 said: We are off to the Balearics on Friday and have paid extra for a sea view. Each to their own.🤔 I hope you have a great time in the Balearic Islands Zap. We always have a balcony cabin and always pay extra like yourself for sea view hotel rooms. Graham. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grapau27 Posted October 5, 2021 #65 Share Posted October 5, 2021 On 9/17/2021 at 11:46 PM, mondas42 said: We have cruised with p&o a number of times but we haven’t had a holiday in over 2 years cos of the pandemic. I’m shattered and was thinking of booking a Caribbean cruise in the new year to recharge the batteries. However I’ve just seen a load of very poor reviews for the customer service with p&o recently, not something we have encountered in the past. This has made me wonder if I should book with p&o or wait for things to improve? Any advice? We did a 4 night staycation cruise on Britannia in August and a 7 night staycation cruise on Iona in September and the crew were fantastic. The food was very good everywhere and excellent in Epicurean speciality restaurant. Bar service and restaurant service was excellent. We have cruised for 18 years on P&O, Royal Caribbean and Princess so hopefully my advice is helpful for you. Regards Graham. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruisemeister2002 Posted October 6, 2021 #66 Share Posted October 6, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 1:32 PM, Interestedcruisefan said: Why stay in a cabin when you can have a beautiful view from so many other places on the ship and sip multiple cocktails and enjoy multiple upgrade meals etc with the money you save? That's the way we look at it We don't use balconies in hotels either when they come free if charge We like to get out and about Must admit, only had two balcony cabins in 16 cruise. Azura and Britannia and that was probably due to the price. I do agree that Med or Canary Island cruises peak summer are nice to have a balcony. But we travel either towards the end of the year or in the first few months of the next year and as you say we would rather spend our money on a few luxuries as the only time we are in our cabin is between midnight and 8 o-clock in the morning and a few hours taking in a nap, catching up with the news and reading the ships newspaper and getting ready for a drink and evening meal. We normally buy the expensive package at £399 which gives us two champagne flutes, formal framed portrait, continental breakfast and half bottle of champagne in bed, a facial for the wife and a massage for me, flowers, 2 x speciality restuarant passes, 2 x canape's,slippers and bathrobe and chocolates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Peterson Posted October 6, 2021 #67 Share Posted October 6, 2021 24 minutes ago, LynnForestgate said: Has it really got that bad ? I suppose it depends how you define ‘bad’, really. It’s not bad, in most senses of the word, but I suspect a 1980s customer would be horrified. I think the description I gave of a down to earth cruise line offering pretty good value for money, in hotel terms maybe three star UK, was a fair one, but others may disagree. It certainly isn’t remotely a luxury product any more, but that’s reflected in the prices. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted October 6, 2021 #68 Share Posted October 6, 2021 1 minute ago, Harry Peterson said: I suppose it depends how you define ‘bad’, really. It’s not bad, in most senses of the word, but I suspect a 1980s customer would be horrified. I think the description I gave of a down to earth cruise line offering pretty good value for money, in hotel terms maybe three star UK, was a fair one, but others may disagree. It certainly isn’t remotely a luxury product any more, but that’s reflected in the prices. Harry, I think you are about right, but as long as people keep their expectations in line with their expenditure, there is nothing wrong with 3* cruising. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Peterson Posted October 6, 2021 #69 Share Posted October 6, 2021 6 minutes ago, wowzz said: Harry, I think you are about right, but as long as people keep their expectations in line with their expenditure, there is nothing wrong with 3* cruising. This is very true, wowzz, and I wouldn’t want to put anybody off P&O, but the marketing does need to be taken with a few grains of salt. The pluses are that drinks are affordable, and so, for that matter, are some rather good suites. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobstheboy Posted October 6, 2021 #70 Share Posted October 6, 2021 Cruising today cannot be compared with cruising 40 years ago, when it was the preserve of the upper middle classes. It is affordable and I do not accept that P&O is a 3* product, the surroundings, cabins and food on Iona is far superior to any 3* hotel and cheaper. Why some of you daily frequent the P&O board is beyond my thinking, you just like picking it to pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wowzz Posted October 6, 2021 #71 Share Posted October 6, 2021 1 minute ago, bobstheboy said: Cruising today cannot be compared with cruising 40 years ago, when it was the preserve of the upper middle classes. It is affordable and I do not accept that P&O is a 3* product, the surroundings, cabins and food on Iona is far superior to any 3* hotel and cheaper. Why some of you daily frequent the P&O board is beyond my thinking, you just like picking it to pieces. I guess we are using 3* as a point if comparison. If you take a line such a Viking to be 5*, Celebrity to be 4*, then P&O is 3*. No one is knocking P&O for being 3*, we are just reflecting on the quality vis a vis other lines. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zap99 Posted October 6, 2021 #72 Share Posted October 6, 2021 1 hour ago, LynnForestgate said: Has it really got that bad ? No it's not. We have had 3 P&O cruises so far this year. No problems with standards at all. None, nowt. Graham Pauline has had 2, us 3. Other opioniongivers none. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terrierjohn Posted October 6, 2021 #73 Share Posted October 6, 2021 57 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said: I suppose it depends how you define ‘bad’, really. It’s not bad, in most senses of the word, but I suspect a 1980s customer would be horrified. I think the description I gave of a down to earth cruise line offering pretty good value for money, in hotel terms maybe three star UK, was a fair one, but others may disagree. It certainly isn’t remotely a luxury product any more, but that’s reflected in the prices. Unless its changed drastically since 2019 then I think your 3 star rating a bit unkind, IMO 4 star would be more suitable, with Celebrity on 5 and Princess between the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zap99 Posted October 6, 2021 #74 Share Posted October 6, 2021 21 minutes ago, bobstheboy said: Cruising today cannot be compared with cruising 40 years ago, when it was the preserve of the upper middle classes. It is affordable and I do not accept that P&O is a 3* product, the surroundings, cabins and food on Iona is far superior to any 3* hotel and cheaper. Why some of you daily frequent the P&O board is beyond my thinking, you just like picking it to pieces. Steerage on the Titanic was a bit naff, but We have noticed no dropping of standards on P&O. We stay in many 4 star and a few 5 star hotels in the UK. Calling P&O three star seems an exaggeration, but we never stay 3 Star in hotels, so don't really know. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zap99 Posted October 6, 2021 #75 Share Posted October 6, 2021 29 minutes ago, bobstheboy said: Why some of you daily frequent the P&O board is beyond my thinking, you just like picking it to pieces. Some folk actually have cruised recently, some haven't. It seems that those that have enjoyed them, those that haven't.........🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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