Britannia Now … our personal opinion and observations on board

[wowzz]

3 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

Well …. I used to work as a navigation officer for P&O but after reading this thread I wouldn’t touch them.😏

We were in Vigo when the ship docked …. I couldn’t believe how many people suddenly left the ship … the line seemed to stretch forever 😁

Sorry, I really don't understand your post.

First of all,  why wouldn't you touch P&O?

And secondly, why are you surprised that so many people left  the ship in Vigo ? People want to leave the ship to explore.  Surely as a P&O officer you must be aware of that !

[MBP&O2/O]

I wouldn’t sail with them because of the mainly negative review. Too many things that go against what I am looking for. Customers being made to wait for meals etc. The P&O marketing fits the same criteria.

Personal opinions.

It wasn’t so much the number of people as the intensity of the crowd .. Hence the smiley … I don’t like crowds.

When I worked for P&O it was P&O …. Now it seems ‘remote’.

[Interestedcruisefan]

2 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

I wouldn’t sail with them because of the mainly negative review. Too many things that go against what I am looking for. Customers being made to wait for meals etc. The P&O marketing fits the same criteria.

Personal opinions.

It wasn’t so much the number of people as the intensity of the crowd .. Hence the smiley … I don’t like crowds.

When I worked for P&O it was P&O …. Now it seems ‘remote’.

I personally think the cruise experience is improving rather than getting worse with time

 

Cabins and bathrooms are better designed

 

Food and Drink options are better

 

Facilities on the ships are better

 

And you now have an app which removes the need to queue for anything if you don't want to

 

And better value for money than ever before compared to holidays in hotels,  paying for meals on restaurants and paying to go to the theatre 

 

So a P and O cruise today would IMO be better than when you worked for P and O

 

What ships did you work on and when?

 

Edited October 11, 2021 by Interestedcruisefan

[terrierjohn]

2 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

I wouldn’t sail with them because of the mainly negative review. Too many things that go against what I am looking for. Customers being made to wait for meals etc. The P&O marketing fits the same criteria.

Personal opinions.

It wasn’t so much the number of people as the intensity of the crowd .. Hence the smiley … I don’t like crowds.

When I worked for P&O it was P&O …. Now it seems ‘remote’.

Presumably you worked on smaller ships with far fewer passengers, all the large cruise lines now operate larger ships with higher passenger numbers. As for the reviews, I assume P&O will revert to previous systems as they gain more experience with covid safe cruising, they probably cant afford to continue with protocols that operate with reduced numbers forever, without major price increases.

[Megabear2]

Everyone just received a "personal" video message from P&O with Olly Smith telling them how the new protocols work and step by step instructions?

 

One piece of good news in there: from mid-October you will be able to book speciality restaurants on your My P&O before you sail, apparently.

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, MBP&O2/O said:

I wouldn’t sail with them because of the mainly negative review. Too many things that go against what I am looking for. Customers being made to wait for meals etc. The P&O marketing fits the same criteria.

Personal opinions.

It wasn’t so much the number of people as the intensity of the crowd .. Hence the smiley … I don’t like crowds.

When I worked for P&O it was P&O …. Now it seems ‘remote’.

The positive reviews out-number the negatives, imo. Since the restart of cruising the P&O reviews have been very good, considering the major changes they've had to implement re covid. There are those who can see the positives and other who prefer to find all the negatives.

Avril

[Son of Anarchy]

23 hours ago, Red Ray said:

The MDR menus for lunch and dinner were displayed on digital screens in the corridors leading to the restaurants.

When we were on board the screens weren't displaying the menus at lunchtime at all, and only intermittently for the dinner service.  Lunchtimes we used to ask to look at a menu and make a quick decision whether to go in or elsewhere.  The staff were aware of the tv screen issue. 

 

If they had put a menu in a display case on a stand, as on other ships, we could have made our minds up about where to eat and not bothered the front of house staff on the days we didn't have lunch in the MDR.

[Red Ray]

Sorry SoA, I was referring to Iona which we got off on Saturday. Wrong thread! 😒

[Son of Anarchy]

5 minutes ago, Red Ray said:

Sorry SoA, I was referring to Iona which we got off on Saturday. Wrong thread! 😒

It was Iona we were on in any case.  Makes two of us!

[Baggy178]

My word I hope the missus and I don't become jaundiced fussy cruise regulars ...🤣

Fortunately we still have the innocence of being cruise virgins so really the fact that we may or may not being able to book something on the app or face some confusion over dining times etc is totally out of our area of concern.

So long as there's a bar nearby serving decent alcohol we'll toddle off and wait out turn because luckily we're in the enviable position of being just retired and without a care in the world.No 'phone to answer, people to meet, journeys to make, idiots to put up with etc.

We also have huge sympathy for cruise lines trying to get their businesses back up and running while the pandemic still rages in much of the world.

Chill out folks ...

[Bobblehat71]

43 minutes ago, Baggy178 said:

My word I hope the missus and I don't become jaundiced fussy cruise regulars ...🤣

Fortunately we still have the innocence of being cruise virgins so really the fact that we may or may not being able to book something on the app or face some confusion over dining times etc is totally out of our area of concern.

So long as there's a bar nearby serving decent alcohol we'll toddle off and wait out turn because luckily we're in the enviable position of being just retired and without a care in the world.No 'phone to answer, people to meet, journeys to make, idiots to put up with etc.

We also have huge sympathy for cruise lines trying to get their businesses back up and running while the pandemic still rages in much of the world.

Chill out folks ...

Well said 

Baggy, I'm sure you'll love it.

I would take the comments and criticism's on these boards with a very large pinch of salt. If P&O can take me around the med for 2 weeks for less than £70/night I'm not going to complain about the lack of a wine waiter or having to book a dining slot.😉

[Eglesbrech]

1 hour ago, Baggy178 said:

My word I hope the missus and I don't become jaundiced fussy cruise regulars ...🤣

Fussy is your word, discerning might be how others would describe it 😀

[zap99]

On 10/11/2021 at 7:28 AM, MBP&O2/O said:

I wouldn’t sail with them because of the mainly negative review. Too many things that go against what I am looking for. Customers being made to wait for meals etc. The P&O marketing fits the same criteria.

Personal opinions.

It wasn’t so much the number of people as the intensity of the crowd .. Hence the smiley … I don’t like crowds.

When I worked for P&O it was P&O …. Now it seems ‘remote’.

3 positive reviews from me and some smileys. If you don't like crowds, is that P&O's fault. 

[zap99]

On 10/11/2021 at 10:10 AM, terrierjohn said:

Presumably you worked on smaller ships with far fewer passengers, all the large cruise lines now operate larger ships with higher passenger numbers. As for the reviews, I assume P&O will revert to previous systems as they gain more experience with covid safe cruising, they probably cant afford to continue with protocols that operate with reduced numbers forever, without major price increases.

I was thinking pride of Burgundy. No point joining a queue for meals. Before you know it you have arrived in Calais.🤣

[caber]

On 10/6/2021 at 2:21 PM, Cruise Puss said:

 

Hi again,

 

Excellent and helpful advice.

 

All of this (apart from the traffic light system) is what we had on Iona's Maiden Voyage at the beginning of August, and it drove us mad as well.

 

Why, after restrictions on social distancing being lifted, and mask wearing no longer being requested in England, P&O have not changed their attitude even a little bit, I really don't know. They have been at pains to say they are following Government guidelines the whole time. Well they aren't anymore.

 

We, like you, have been on other cruise lines this Summer and have felt other lines were taking a more relaxed view. Cunard were the exception here, but probably because they had an 'outbreak' just before starting back.

 

We were looking forward to our first 'international' cruise after waiting over two years!  However, this has changed.

 

We will enjoy the sun (hopefully!) and the drinks, and the food, and our Suite. We will not, however, feel like we are on a cruise.

 

We will not be booking with P&O again until they are completely back to normal.

 

We have, however, already booked with other cruise lines next year.😊

 

Thank you for all your very helpful comments and advice. 😊

 

Enjoy the end of your holiday, and pray we get the same great weather you've had!😁

 

Cheers

CP

 

Remember England is not the only UK country. Mask wearing is still the normal in Scotland. I am not sure about Wales and Northern Ireland. Maybe P&O recognise this. 

[Ardennais]

8 hours ago, caber said:

Remember England is not the only UK country. Mask wearing is still the normal in Scotland. I am not sure about Wales and Northern Ireland. Maybe P&O recognise this. 

Good to remind folks! Mask wearing still required in shops in Wales too.

[Electra 7]

On 10/9/2021 at 1:15 PM, Adawn47 said:

Please don't give them any more ideas Andrew. Not only am I one of Angel's dinosaurs, I'm also an ostrich😁

Avril

Do not know how Aurora can be unprofitable have you seen some of the prices on her !!!

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, Electra 7 said:

Do not know how Aurora can be unprofitable have you seen some of the prices on her !!!

 She's a beautiful ship, that we've sailed on often. We've an 18 night cruise booked for October 2022, all being well🤞  Expensive? yes, but worth every penny for the low pax numbers and the ambience we prefer. 

Avril

[Electra 7]

2 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

 She's a beautiful ship, that we've sailed on often. We've an 18 night cruise booked for October 2022, all being well🤞  Expensive? yes, but worth every penny for the low pax numbers and the ambience we prefer. 

Avril

I'm on that cruise also booked the day it came out (8.30am) for a deluxe balcony usually go inside but because of covid I thought why not and it has doubled in price

Aurora is my favourite now Oriana has gone

It is funny because earlier on I was thinking I agree with a lot of things you say and you look such a nice cheery person maybe we will bump into each other I will look out for you

[terrierjohn]

21 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

 She's a beautiful ship, that we've sailed on often. We've an 18 night cruise booked for October 2022, all being well🤞  Expensive? yes, but worth every penny for the low pax numbers and the ambience we prefer. 

Avril

But the most uncomfortable theatre seats in the fleet.

[Adawn47]

17 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

But the most uncomfortable theatre seats in the fleet.

That honour went to Oceana imo, I always felt I was sliding out of them. Having only sailed on the smaller ships John, I can't disagree with you, but I can say that Arcadia has the most comfortable theatre seats of the smaller ships.

Avril

[Adawn47]

38 minutes ago, Electra 7 said:

I'm on that cruise also booked the day it came out (8.30am) for a deluxe balcony usually go inside but because of covid I thought why not and it has doubled in price

Aurora is my favourite now Oriana has gone

It is funny because earlier on I was thinking I agree with a lot of things you say and you look such a nice cheery person maybe we will bump into each other I will look out for you

Well thank you Electra, that's very kind, you must have caught me on a good day😉

We only booked it in June this year to replace the continuing cancellations of the last two years. We usually book early as we like a balcony with shower only, but unfortunately the only one we could get was an outside, so we're giving it a try. To be honest though, I'm so ready to cruise again, I'll sleep in a lifeboat. Jeanlyon is also on this cruise, so maybe we can all meet up for a drink together.

Avril

[the wandering two]

2 hours ago, Ardennais said:

Good to remind folks! Mask wearing still required in shops in Wales too.

And here in N Ireland also. 

[Adawn47]

On 10/12/2021 at 8:11 AM, zap99 said:

3 positive reviews from me and some smileys. If you don't like crowds, is that P&O's fault. 

Yes. They shouldn't have such enormeous ships.🤣🤣🤣🤣😉

Avril

[Bazrat]

I believe that if p&o wish to reduce the negativity they draw they should get rid of the two smallest ships, than you will find all the negativity would disappear