Are P&O now the Easy jet of the sea

[P&O SUE]

9 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

yes I do get that. I get told that I am strict with my kids unfortunately but mine know how to behave (and do the majority of the time) 

My kids made friends with some girl at the kids club and I was annoyed really as she kept going on the stage and trying to encourage my youngest to do the same, she did the first time until she saw our faces and knew not to do it again. The same girl was with her mum when we all went to the kids buffet one night. Mine waited at the seats I put them in while I got dinner and unfortunately this girl was just running around everywhere getting a drink or some more food, not eating her dinner, food all over the floor. Her mother just pandered to her. 
When we are out I don’t even have to tell mine as they know if they acted like that they wouldn’t have been going to the kids club but straight back to the cabin to bed. 
 

I’ve said this before though I just don’t understand how people are bringing their kids up now, I’m 34 so I wouldn’t say I’m older than the other mums we are all about on par but my 6 year old tied her friends shoe laces cos he couldn’t. Or they say they don’t do their teeth or get dressed. Maybe I am strict but I’ve always had mine be as independent as possible and making sure they are well behaved. 
my 6 year old even made lunch today, she loved it. Me not so much crumbs from the bread everywhere. 
 

I don’t think it’s just holidays tbh, I think my generation and below dont teach the kids as much as we were taught when we were little with everything- like my niece didn’t get herself dressed till she was much older whereas mine did it from young age as we made it into a game etc. As much as I don’t like to call my generation I do think it’s the parents a lot of the time. 

 Well said Vamps, it sounds like you were brought up well and are continuing that with your girls.

I always say my mum was strict with us but I love and respect her for it. My son and his partner are bringing my grandson up well which makes me think I must have done something right!

[gsmt47471015]

9 hours ago, emam said:

 

It sounded like you were talking about a whole queue of people in shorts and T. shirt and that the crew just let them all in. One person out of over 3000 is pretty good going I would say. I have said it before I have seen disgraceful conduct to waiters by a man wearing a tux. Posh clothes don't always make you a better person.

You can change the clothing but you cant change what's in it, and yes its horrible to watch the way some people treat staff, and embarrassing 

[Josy1953]

10 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

yes I do get that. I get told that I am strict with my kids unfortunately but mine know how to behave (and do the majority of the time) 

My kids made friends with some girl at the kids club and I was annoyed really as she kept going on the stage and trying to encourage my youngest to do the same, she did the first time until she saw our faces and knew not to do it again. The same girl was with her mum when we all went to the kids buffet one night. Mine waited at the seats I put them in while I got dinner and unfortunately this girl was just running around everywhere getting a drink or some more food, not eating her dinner, food all over the floor. Her mother just pandered to her. 
When we are out I don’t even have to tell mine as they know if they acted like that they wouldn’t have been going to the kids club but straight back to the cabin to bed. 
 

I’ve said this before though I just don’t understand how people are bringing their kids up now, I’m 34 so I wouldn’t say I’m older than the other mums we are all about on par but my 6 year old tied her friends shoe laces cos he couldn’t. Or they say they don’t do their teeth or get dressed. Maybe I am strict but I’ve always had mine be as independent as possible and making sure they are well behaved. 
my 6 year old even made lunch today, she loved it. Me not so much crumbs from the bread everywhere. 
 

I don’t think it’s just holidays tbh, I think my generation and below dont teach the kids as much as we were taught when we were little with everything- like my niece didn’t get herself dressed till she was much older whereas mine did it from young age as we made it into a game etc. As much as I don’t like to call my generation I do think it’s the parents a lot of the time. 

It sounds like you are doing the right things with your girls.  I have over the last 2 years watched my niece's children and have been truly amazed by them.  I would have said previously that they were 2 of the most spoilt children on the planet but then my niece was diagnosed with cancer. They have done housework and cooked lovely meals from scratch when their dad was at work and mum has been too sick from the chemo etc to even get out of bed. They were 12 and 10 when mum first started her treatment so a bit older than yours but it was still a lot for them to deal with

We took the children on cruises when they were 4 years old and people actually commented on how well behaved they were.  It all comes down to being taught how to behave in different situations at a young age. 

[Josy1953]

21 minutes ago, gsmt47471015 said:

You can change the clothing but you cant change what's in it, and yes its horrible to watch the way some people treat staff, and embarrassing 

My parents used to say "No-one is better than you and you are not better than anyone else so treat everyone as you would want them to treat you".

We have met some wonderful members of staff, often I feel embarrassed that they do so much for us and always with a smile.

Edited July 30, 2022 by Josy1953

[mickey89]

We have cruised numerous lines over the last 30 years and the only ship we would never sail again would be P&O Britannia. The behaviour of some of their passengers was disgraceful with no intervention by P&O staff.  A lot of the trouble is down to last minute discounted fares attracting some very dubious characters who disgrace themselves and our country. 

[Vampiress88]

4 hours ago, P&O SUE said:

 Well said Vamps, it sounds like you were brought up well and are continuing that with your girls.

I always say my mum was strict with us but I love and respect her for it. My son and his partner are bringing my grandson up well which makes me think I must have done something right!

I don’t know about that. I wouldn’t have said any of our siblings are bringing their kids up correctly and I know I should keep my thoughts to myself but I can’t help it. 
 

to be honest it’s more to do with how me and my husband are and that we have done everything for ourselves so I want my two to be independent and just understand correct behaviour. Saying that at home my eldest acts entitled sometimes and she gets told for it. Ie only putting her own shoes away when her sister got hers out for her. So they can’t be good all the time lol

 

i agree about the clothes don’t make the person. There was an older gentleman that was dressed to the nine who I thought was really rude to the waiters. I’ve not come across bad staff yet. 

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, mickey89 said:

We have cruised numerous lines over the last 30 years and the only ship we would never sail again would be P&O Britannia. The behaviour of some of their passengers was disgraceful with no intervention by P&O staff.  A lot of the trouble is down to last minute discounted fares attracting some very dubious characters who disgrace themselves and our country. 

Guess you never tried Ventura in the early days ... now that was interesting!

[pennib]

Yes, Megabear, it seems that you like us were on the Ventura’s maiden Christmas and New Year cruise when all sorts of “scallies “ were on board  for very little money as a result of cancellations after the financial crash. There was excitement every day!!

[Fionboard]

Worst cruise I have been on for antisocial was Arcadia to Caribbean in 2015. Drug taking, theft, fights, woman spitting into the buffet, threatening behaviour, people chucked off, etc. Never a dull moment! 

[Megabear2]

The point being no ship is immune from these problems.  Once had a man throw up all over me in G32 nightclub on Queen Mary 2 - elderly English gent decked out in full evening dress who informed my friend and I that it was a dodgy crab causing his problem.  The overpowering whisky fumes and his inability to stand up rather pointed to a different source for his problems!  On the bright side Cunard cleaned my clothes for free and gave me a nice OBC as well.

Edited July 31, 2022 by Megabear2

[paulatsea]

14 hours ago, Fionboard said:

Worst cruise I have been on for antisocial was Arcadia to Caribbean in 2015. Drug taking, theft, fights, woman spitting into the buffet, threatening behaviour, people chucked off, etc. Never a dull moment! 

Was that the one where they reduced the prices massively at the last minute and loads of nasties booked ? 

[Josy1953]

The worst cruise for trouble that we went on was in the early days of Ventura.  The ship was met by police and/or ambulances at every port.  There was a large group of "travellers" on board and people were blaming them but they were not the ones removed.  The cabin next to us had some of the travellers in there but we never heard any noise from them and their children were exceptionally polite whenever they saw us.  I remember how smartly they all dressed on formal nights.

It was definitely a case of don't judge by first appearances.

[Fionboard]

2 hours ago, paulatsea said:

Was that the one where they reduced the prices massively at the last minute and loads of nasties booked ? 

Possibly. Lots of cruisers on benefits! Still enjoyed it though. 

[Satellite city]

One person wears shorts in the evening and it’s butlins at sea, blimey.

 

When I look at p and o, I don’t see a company struggling financially, yet.  What I do see is a company that is trying to stay the same in a changing market.

 

They want to be traditional, but other lines do it better, so they try to attract a younger crowd, but in a half hearted way.  It reminds me of when radio 2 bring in a younger dj because they have been told the young people aren’t tuning in.

 

Being totally honest, with the cost of living being as it is, the ones affected most that used to cruise fairly regularly will likely cut back on it.  This will leave empty cabins.  The choice is one of 3 things:

1. Stick to current rules and pricing, if they stay empty then so be it

2. Sell cheap last minute (history shows us this has been done before)

3. Relax rules going forward.  
 

My personal opinion? The snobbery of cruising (whether actual, perceived or realistically a bit of both) needs to change for p and o to thrive long term.  

[Britboys]

14 minutes ago, Satellite city said:

One person wears shorts in the evening and it’s butlins at sea, blimey.

 

When I look at p and o, I don’t see a company struggling financially, yet.  What I do see is a company that is trying to stay the same in a changing market.

 

They want to be traditional, but other lines do it better, so they try to attract a younger crowd, but in a half hearted way.  It reminds me of when radio 2 bring in a younger dj because they have been told the young people aren’t tuning in.

 

Being totally honest, with the cost of living being as it is, the ones affected most that used to cruise fairly regularly will likely cut back on it.  This will leave empty cabins.  The choice is one of 3 things:

1. Stick to current rules and pricing, if they stay empty then so be it

2. Sell cheap last minute (history shows us this has been done before)

3. Relax rules going forward.  
 

My personal opinion? The snobbery of cruising (whether actual, perceived or realistically a bit of both) needs to change for p and o to thrive long term.  

We've had similar discussion before on this. P&O are very much in a process of change but it is a slow one and whilst they are in it, they don't really have a cohesive identity. The gulf in style between Aurora and Iona is massive. Few other cruise lines operate such a diverse fleet and style within it.

Several of us felt it would have been better to split the fleet into 'Classic' and 'Contemporary' but that won't happen now.

 

[gsmt47471015]

2 minutes ago, Britboys said:

We've had similar discussion before on this. P&O are very much in a process of change but it is a slow one and whilst they are in it, they don't really have a cohesive identity. The gulf in style between Aurora and Iona is massive. Few other cruise lines operate such a diverse fleet and style within it.

Several of us felt it would have been better to split the fleet into 'Classic' and 'Contemporary' but that won't happen now.

 

Agree totally , feel the chance was there but the moment appears to have gone to do it , unless something unexpected happens, never say never!!

[Josy1953]

We all see things differently.  I don't look at what people are wearing,  I am too concerned with my own clothes to worry about others.  Does someone wearing shorts and tee-shirt in the MDR affect the taste and quality of my food ?  I would say not so why should I be bothered.

[P&O SUE]

2 hours ago, Josy1953 said:

We all see things differently.  I don't look at what people are wearing,  I am too concerned with my own clothes to worry about others.  Does someone wearing shorts and tee-shirt in the MDR affect the taste and quality of my food ?  I would say not so why should I be bothered.

One of the things I enjoy most is people watching on Formal night. Looking at all the outfits 😊

[P&O SUE]

I am amused/ horrified at the Ventura horror stories. I’ve been on Ventura twice and Azura about 5 times and never seen such behaviour. We don’t cruise in the school summer holidays though. The most drunken behaviour I’ve seen on a cruise was on Sapphire Princess in June 2019! People tell me Princess is a notch above apparently!

[Satellite city]

10 hours ago, Britboys said:

We've had similar discussion before on this. P&O are very much in a process of change but it is a slow one and whilst they are in it, they don't really have a cohesive identity. The gulf in style between Aurora and Iona is massive. Few other cruise lines operate such a diverse fleet and style within it.

Several of us felt it would have been better to split the fleet into 'Classic' and 'Contemporary' but that won't happen now.

 

It’s definitely needed and by taking things too slowly, they risk someone else doing it first.

 

 

[Dermotsgirl]

I think they must be doing it very slowly indeed. 
 

there’s been discussions about P&O changing and wanting to attract younger people for the 20 years that I’ve been going on cruises. 
 

They must have been doing something right, as I was younger when I first started with them, and was with them for 20 years. Latterly, we were trying other cruise lines, but it was the thing we can’t mention that stopped my P&O cruises. If it wasn’t for that, I’d still be sailing with them, and no doubt enjoying what they had to offer. 

 

 

[ChristopherTracy]

I am slightly surprised by some of these posts. We have just been on Iona to Norway (first time cruisers, couple with teenager) and one of the things we remarked on was how much smarter everyone is compared to any holidays in the US. Even on non formal nights most women were dressed up in the evening and lot of the children had wedding sorts of outfits on. 

 

I concede this may be to a different level to a few years ago but it was noticeable. I also liked that there were different areas of the ship for different demographics and interests so if you wanted to watch the footie in Brodies you could but if you wanted to get dressed up and go to the Limelight you could as well.

 

We really enjoyed the whole week tbh and thought it amazing value. 

[emam]

8 hours ago, ChristopherTracy said:

I am slightly surprised by some of these posts. We have just been on Iona to Norway (first time cruisers, couple with teenager) and one of the things we remarked on was how much smarter everyone is compared to any holidays in the US. Even on non formal nights most women were dressed up in the evening and lot of the children had wedding sorts of outfits on. 

 

I concede this may be to a different level to a few years ago but it was noticeable. I also liked that there were different areas of the ship for different demographics and interests so if you wanted to watch the footie in Brodies you could but if you wanted to get dressed up and go to the Limelight you could as well.

 

We really enjoyed the whole week tbh and thought it amazing value. 

 

Well said, you have to listen to the good advice and tips on here and ignore some of the moaning. Most people are still cruising with P&O and frequently, so they can't be that bad.☺

[Bazrat]

10 hours ago, emam said:

 

Well said, you have to listen to the good advice and tips on here and ignore some of the moaning. Most people are still cruising with P&O and frequently, so they can't be that bad.☺

Your a bit of a rebel going against the general consensus of a few on here, who will gladly tell you that every other cruise line is better than P&O.

[gsmt47471015]

1 hour ago, Bazrat said:

Your a bit of a rebel going against the general consensus of a few on here, who will gladly tell you that every other cruise line is better than P&O.

Which as most people who cruise will know, is not strictly true.