Live from Pacific Explorer - 31st May - Australia is Cruising Again

[NSWP]

Hey Geoffrey, did thee see ye olde Bengal Tiger from ye olde Regal Princess/Pacific Dawn on Pacific Explorer?

[MMDown Under]

Maybe there is a market they are not attracting because of their charge for everything policies.

People like all inclusive prices.  

Our family stopped staying at island and mountain resorts when they changed from being all inclusive.  We found we joined in activities when they were included, but didn't when it cost extra.  human nature?

[Aus Traveller]

8 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Maybe there is a market they are not attracting because of their charge for everything policies.

People like all inclusive prices.  

Our family stopped staying at island and mountain resorts when they changed from being all inclusive.  We found we joined in activities when they were included, but didn't when it cost extra.  human nature?

Until people go on a P&O ship they would not be aware that there is a charge or room service. BTW, we have never ordered room service food when delivery has been free of charge. The reports from this first cruise are the first we have heard of a charge to attend a show. I don't these policies would have had any impact on bookings, but it might end up doing so.

[Porky55]

2 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

The reports from this first cruise are the first we have heard of a charge to attend a show. I don't these policies would have had any impact on bookings, but it might end up doing so.

Some one who cruised P&O prior to Covid might confirm this - I thought there was a charge on P&Os Adult Show - also called / or at Black Circus? But it was a show & meal from memory. Anyone ………… ?

[Aus Traveller]

Just now, Porky55 said:

Some one who cruised P&O prior to Covid might confirm this - I thought there was a charge on P&Os Adult Show - also called / or at Black Circus? But it was a show & meal from memory. Anyone ………… ?

That particular show wasn't available on our P&O cruises so I can't confirm from personal experience, but I recall hearing about it. I believe there were two options - dinner and show, or just the show. I believe there was a charge for the dinner/show but I don't know about a charge just for the show.

[Porky55]

Just trawled the actual P&O Aus forum and found this thread from 2017: (sorry - can’t work out how to link it to here)

 

Can P&O Be Serious With Pacific Explorer Add On Charges?

Where they itemise and complain loudly about the onboard charges 🙄 so it’s nothing new.

 

 And if you go onto p&o home page and trawl ‘entertainment’ you’ll be very surprised - just to say that I’m glad I’m not a young family booked on any future P&O cruises. Very expensive!!!!

 

We are sticking to Princess for now. 
 

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Porky55

[mr walker]

18 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Maybe there is a market they are not attracting because of their charge for everything policies.

People like all inclusive prices.  

Our family stopped staying at island and mountain resorts when they changed from being all inclusive.  We found we joined in activities when they were included, but didn't when it cost extra.  human nature?

Depends on the individual human I expect. I am very much a believer in User Pays.

I'd prefer that the cruisefare/resort cost covered the minimum (room + a certain level of food/drink etc) and then you could choose what you paid for via your personnel preference.

 

I always find it strange when people complain about paying road tolls, when it is a choice to use the road or not. Go the long way, stop at all the lights and use more petrol - it's up to you.

 

[MMDown Under]

6 minutes ago, mr walker said:

Depends on the individual human I expect. I am very much a believer in User Pays.

I'd prefer that the cruisefare/resort cost covered the minimum (room + a certain level of food/drink etc) and then you could choose what you paid for via your personnel preference.

 

I always find it strange when people complain about paying road tolls, when it is a choice to use the road or not. Go the long way, stop at all the lights and use more petrol - it's up to you.

 

In my experience young people are happy to pay tolls or those who can charge tolls to their work.  Other people like me think the provision of infrastructure and toll free roads are a Government responsibility. 

[Porky55]

2 minutes ago, mr walker said:

Depends on the individual human I expect. I am very much a believer in User Pays.

This is all well and good for us mature thinkers, but p&o is targeted at the young with young families, don’t know about you but it’s pretty hard to say no to the current generation of littlees. 🙇🏻‍♀️

[mr walker]

3 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

This is all well and good for us mature thinkers, but p&o is targeted at the young with young families, don’t know about you but it’s pretty hard to say no to the current generation of littlees. 🙇🏻‍♀️

Our parents could say no to us, and in turn we could also say no to our kids … can’t see why that needs to change. That said, we may be softies towards our grandkids if we had any 😄

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, NSWP said:

Hey Geoffrey, did thee see ye olde Bengal Tiger from ye olde Regal Princess/Pacific Dawn on Pacific Explorer?

I did.

[sewgood]

33 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

Some one who cruised P&O prior to Covid might confirm this - I thought there was a charge on P&Os Adult Show - also called / or at Black Circus? But it was a show & meal from memory. Anyone ………… ?

The show on the Explorer was called the Love Riot Show.

You're correct that there was an upcharge, you could chose show only or dinner and show.

Dinner and show was a imited number and we sat in the curtained off area in the Waterfront.

It was the best food and service that we had on the ship, with a specially cooked meal that was meant to impress.

After the meal we were then escorted down to the vista lounge (old Princess term used here) and we got to sit in the two front rows.

[mr walker]

25 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

In my experience young people are happy to pay tolls or those who can charge tolls to their work.  Other people like me think the provision of infrastructure and toll free roads are a Government responsibility. 

I can’t recall meeting anyone happy to pay tolls, young or old. Not sure what age has to do with it.  We all make choices about discretionary expenditure. The idea that governments can provide everything for all at no cost for the user is not realistic.

[arxcards]

58 minutes ago, MMDown Under said:

Maybe there is a market they are not attracting because of their charge for everything policies.

People like all inclusive prices.  

Our family stopped staying at island and mountain resorts when they changed from being all inclusive.  We found we joined in activities when they were included, but didn't when it cost extra.  human nature?

But they don't charge for everything. 4 inclusive options for food, water is available, most of the shows that are included, coffee, tea, ice cream in the dining room. Very possible for a tee-totalling non-gambler to disembark with a zero bill.

 

Steakhouses are optional extras on all of the contemporaries, as is alcohol. 

 

In the end, nothing is free, only inclusive with your fare. Value for your money is always a better way to compare. If a $20 show, or a $50 steak, or a $15 cocktail gives you a better experience, that is all up to the individual. The alternative is to increase the fare and Everybody pays.

 

 

[Porky55]

15 minutes ago, arxcards said:

But they don't charge for everything. 4 inclusive options for food, water is available, most of the shows that are included, coffee, tea, ice cream in the dining room. Very possible for a tee-totalling non-gambler to disembark with a zero bill.

 

Steakhouses are optional extras on all of the contemporaries, as is alcohol. 

 

In the end, nothing is free, only inclusive with your fare. Value for your money is always a better way to compare. If a $20 show, or a $50 steak, or a $15 cocktail gives you a better experience, that is all up to the individual. The alternative is to increase the fare and Everybody pays.

 

 

Agree entirely about the things that are included and not included. My only real gripe is if you look at the things they DO charge for, you can see a particular market in the frame.

I do have grandchildren and rarely do their parents say no.  So, IF you were cruising as a new generation family aboard the “family friendly P&O Aus” best load the wallets and CC’s. Can’t see them changing this any time soon as obviously it’s been like this for some years. 

Just replying to an earlier comment about not being aware of extra charges on the p&o ships.   I’m surprised at just how many things they do charge for compared to say Royal 🤔

Edited June 4, 2022 by Porky55

[windsor26]

1 hour ago, Porky55 said:

Some one who cruised P&O prior to Covid might confirm this - I thought there was a charge on P&Os Adult Show - also called / or at Black Circus? But it was a show & meal from memory. Anyone ………… ?

Yes we did the dinner and show which was 3 thirds the price of just the show  It was fun and the meal was good but only once for me unless it is a different show

[windsor26]

1 hour ago, mr walker said:

Depends on the individual human I expect. I am very much a believer in User Pays.

I'd prefer that the cruisefare/resort cost covered the minimum (room + a certain level of food/drink etc) and then you could choose what you paid for via your personnel preference.

 

I always find it strange when people complain about paying road tolls, when it is a choice to use the road or not. Go the long way, stop at all the lights and use more petrol - it's up to you.

 

Each cruise line does what it does and it pays to read up first   We are happy with P&O because we never use room service even if free and don't snack between meals so burgers and pizza etc are not missed  However we do like a nice New Zealand ice cream occasionally but it is the same price as on land and a good size  Of course if you have children and have not let them learn the word no or budget you need to go Carnival which does not have so many charges and a 24 hour pizza parlour

[sewgood]

24 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

I do have grandchildren and rarely do their parents say no.

My brother in law told his kids ( 10, 12, 15  at the time) whatever you charge to your cruise card comes out of your future pocket money, so they were responsible for what they spent.

Upon returning home he told them that he wouldn't take it out of their pocket money and that he would pay for it all. You should have seen their faces thinking of all those ice-creams they could have purchased.

It did keep their spending in check. 😄

[arxcards]

45 minutes ago, Porky55 said:

Agree entirely about the things that are included and not included. My only real gripe is if you look at the things they DO charge for, you can see a particular market in the frame.

I do have grandchildren and rarely do their parents say no.  So, IF you were cruising as a new generation family aboard the “family friendly P&O Aus” best load the wallets and CC’s. Can’t see them changing this any time soon as obviously it’s been like this for some years. 

Just replying to an earlier comment about not being aware of extra charges on the p&o ships.   I’m surprised at just how many things they do charge for compared to say Royal 🤔

I used to be miffed about paying auto-tips for kids too, but those learned people in the US convinced me that they too were being served by the crew, and it was my responsibility to pay their share. That is another cost that is now absorbed into the fare in one way or another.

 

With most things being equal regarding the itinerary, we will pick Princess. For a shortie in a suite, we will go Royal, otherwise we are looking to try out a new ship or something that fits with our overlapping work rosters..

 

For all the purchases we made aboard this week, I can't think of anything that would have been cheaper or free on Royal. I had three really good steak meals that would have been almost double on Royal, and I doubt our dirty martinis would have been under $15 there either. No kids in our nest so most of our bill goes on food and drinks, and while I can, it pays not to say no to my wife either. We didn't pay for Hans or Purple Rabbit (the replacement for Love Riot), but we didn't attend any of the free shows either.

 

If all of our consumption for this cruise was via a Princess plus fare, our bill would have been much lower and we would have drunk double. We knew that was part of our deal though.

 

I am not really in P&O's corner either, but it is currently the best ship in town, and I didn't feel as if we were being squeezed.

Edited June 4, 2022 by arxcards

[Porky55]

14 minutes ago, arxcards said:

am not really in P&O's corner either, but it is currently the best ship in town, and I didn't feel as if we were being squeezed

Great reply - thank you.

[NSWP]

1 hour ago, arxcards said:

But they don't charge for everything. 4 inclusive options for food, water is available, most of the shows that are included, coffee, tea, ice cream in the dining room. Very possible for a tee-totalling non-gambler to disembark with a zero bill.

 

Steakhouses are optional extras on all of the contemporaries, as is alcohol. 

 

In the end, nothing is free, only inclusive with your fare. Value for your money is always a better way to compare. If a $20 show, or a $50 steak, or a $15 cocktail gives you a better experience, that is all up to the individual. The alternative is to increase the fare and Everybody pays.

 

 

Tea totalling non gambler? Do they  exist, I am choking on my merlot,,lol. Yes makes me laugh when cruisers say this is free, that is free, you have paid for it in your fare. I like to say..no additional charge, lol.

Edited June 4, 2022 by NSWP

[arxcards]

2 hours ago, Porky55 said:

Just trawled the actual P&O Aus forum and found this thread from 2017: (sorry - can’t work out how to link it to here)

 

Can P&O Be Serious With Pacific Explorer Add On Charges?

Where they itemise and complain loudly about the onboard charges 🙄 so it’s nothing new.

 

 And if you go onto p&o home page and trawl ‘entertainment’ you’ll be very surprised - just to say that I’m glad I’m not a young family booked on any future P&O cruises. Very expensive!!!!

 

We are sticking to Princess for now. 
 

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2424723-can-pampo-be-serious-with-pacific-explorer-add-on-charges/

 

[arxcards]

9 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Tea totalling non gambler? Do they  exist, I am choking on my merlot,,lol. Yes makes me laugh when cruisers say this is free, that is free, you have paid for it in your fare. I like to say..no additional charge, lol.

I met one once, proudly showing me their $0.00 statement after they returned from having their auto-tips removed.

 

[arxcards]

@CDaze71

I have got the Oasis Bar menu somewhere here on my phone. There is no Sangria on the drink menu, and they had just packed up on the final night when I went to ask for details. Not on a menu, price is dependent on the price per glass of the wine they are using. I am still looking for the menu.

 

@Aus Traveller

Your MDR wine list

[arxcards]

Waterfront Menus

 

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner