Food and dining on P&O ships

[jamiebarnzy]

I just curious for those on saver fares, what dining option did you get assigned, do they just put everyone on savers on freedom dining? 

[Fionboard]

Never know until you get on board. Could be fixed or freedom depending on ship.

[jamiebarnzy]

2 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Never know until you get on board. Could be fixed or freedom depending on ship.

Oh ok i just wonder if club dining was just for those on select fares now as I never come across something when onboard who was saver and on club dining. 

[Fionboard]

No. I have occasionally booked saver. If I got early sitting I was always able to change it to the late one. 

[BrianI]

If you are on Iona or Arvia, then they are fully freedom dining.

Brbian

[bobstheboy]

On my cruise in January onboard Iona, I complained to a senior member of the Hotel Managers staff that P&O were advertising on their  web site, that Allways On items were available in the MDR on their ships, when they had been discontinued, and this was false advertising. He expressed surprised when I showed him a copy of a MDR menu I had downloaded onto my phone and stated he would pass the information on to senior management.

 

Looking at the sample menus on the site today, the same items are still shown as always on, Atlantic prawn cocktail, salmon steak, pan fried chicken and sirloin steak. The only one of these available in January was the steak. I am not going to let this go and will contact customer services. If this false advertising continues I will complain to the Adverting Standards Agency.

 

It's no wonder people are dissatisfied with the quality that P&O are delivering.

[True Devonian]

1 hour ago, bobstheboy said:

On my cruise in January onboard Iona, I complained to a senior member of the Hotel Managers staff that P&O were advertising on their  web site, that Allways On items were available in the MDR on their ships, when they had been discontinued, and this was false advertising. He expressed surprised when I showed him a copy of a MDR menu I had downloaded onto my phone and stated he would pass the information on to senior management.

 

Looking at the sample menus on the site today, the same items are still shown as always on, Atlantic prawn cocktail, salmon steak, pan fried chicken and sirloin steak. The only one of these available in January was the steak. I am not going to let this go and will contact customer services. If this false advertising continues I will complain to the Adverting Standards Agency.

 

It's no wonder people are dissatisfied with the quality that P&O are delivering.

There are many pubs and restaurants who advertise "sample menu", you then arrive and find that the menu which is available varies from that which is on their website. It appears that this is all P&O have done. This is not false advertising as they state "example menu".  As for quality of food currently being served, I appreciate we all have different tastes but I have never had any issue with the quality of food.

[bobstheboy]

6 minutes ago, True Devonian said:

There are many pubs and restaurants who advertise "sample menu", you then arrive and find that the menu which is available varies from that which is on their website. It appears that this is all P&O have done. This is not false advertising as they state "example menu".  As for quality of food currently being served, I appreciate we all have different tastes but I have never had any issue with the quality of food.

Always on, means exactly that. The other items will change, but if you believe they are not misleading the customer, I disagree.

[cruising.mark.uk]

The example MDR menus on the website here https://www.pocruises.com/content/dam/po/inventory-assets/activity-types/dining/dining-menus/main-dining/dinner/GE19-006 CMC Dinner Menus 1-22.pdf  are dated 2018.  These items doubtless were always available then. So, P&O need to update their website to reflect today's reality.  But I think it's a major stretch to describe this as false advertising.  They are on there as 'example' dinner menus - I don't see anywhere on the site where they claim that these menus will feature on current cruises.

[carlanthony24]

Has others have said they are examples menu's on the website so no false advertising. They have themselves covered. 

 

Good luck getting anywhere if you decide to take it further since they are not doing anything wrong.

 

The example menu for Azura for the Beach House is an old one and some things have changed not false advertising in the slightest though.

Edited February 12, 2023 by carlanthony24

[bobstheboy]

I totally understand when people say menu items change and are an example. I cannot, however, accept that when a company states  an item is always available and it isn't,  that is acceptable.

 

Please explain.

 

[bobstheboy]

I have decided to complete an online complaint to the ASA. We will see what they have to say. I will report back. No further comment from me until then.

[yorkshirephil]

4 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

I totally understand when people say menu items change and are an example. I cannot, however, accept that when a company states  an item is always available and it isn't,  that is acceptable.

 

Please explain.

 

Fair play to you for following up, maybe if more of us dug in we wouldn't be taken for mugs. P&O would probably get away with false advertising but it is very misleading, why do they need to do that? we know that there are supply chain issues with all sorts of things but some companies seem to be taking advantage. 

[terrierjohn]

52 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Always on, means exactly that. The other items will change, but if you believe they are not misleading the customer, I disagree.

I suspect you may be correct, however P&O would probably claim that the sample menu has not yet been updated by their IT dept, and since everyone who sails with P&O knows their IT  dept is rubbish,  they would have a good case.

[P&O SUE]

Last April was the last time I was on a ship and I was very disappointed that the always available chicken wasn’t on anymore. I’m not mad on fish and don’t eat lamb or pork so it was always good to know I could have the chicken. I did struggle with a mains choice. Seems to me they want people to go to the paid for restaurants more.

[carlanthony24]

You are asking for trouble though it’s an example menu for a reason. So they have themselves covered. Like I said before would you complain going to a pub like Wetherspoons always available but isn’t they would have themselves covered no matter what.

[cruising.mark.uk]

All the pictures of P&O ships at sea on the website and in their brochures show blue skies, sun and flat calm seas.  They are clearly advertising those conditions as 'always available'.  When we went on Iona to the Canaries last spring we had a few days of really rough sea, with grey skies and rain.  If we get the same on our Arvia cruise in April, I'm going to complain to the ASA about P&O's false advertising.

[showingdiva]

"Operational reasons"

[bobstheboy]

I think I need to clarify my complaint because there are clearly misunderstandings. Prior to Covid, the MDR dinner menu would list starters, mains and deserts. On the left hand side of the menu was listed Always On items which I won't repeat. This was changed when cruising restarted and the Always On items were listed with the other options, not separately, but along side the item was written Always available, so you knew there were these options every evening. Now these items are not listed at all, but the online brochure still shows example menus from two+ years ago. 

 

Anyone researching a cruise having not travelled with P&O would expect these items as an alternative to possibly more fancy food and could be swayed to cruise with P&O.

 

They have had months to correct this anomaly and I think this is unacceptable. This is nothing to do with supply issues, I am sure Cunard sailing out of Southampton has fish of all types available. 

[molecrochip]

4 hours ago, bobstheboy said:

On my cruise in January onboard Iona, I complained to a senior member of the Hotel Managers staff that P&O were advertising on their  web site, that Allways On items were available in the MDR on their ships, when they had been discontinued, and this was false advertising. He expressed surprised when I showed him a copy of a MDR menu I had downloaded onto my phone and stated he would pass the information on to senior management.

 

Looking at the sample menus on the site today, the same items are still shown as always on, Atlantic prawn cocktail, salmon steak, pan fried chicken and sirloin steak. The only one of these available in January was the steak. I am not going to let this go and will contact customer services. If this false advertising continues I will complain to the Adverting Standards Agency.

 

It's no wonder people are dissatisfied with the quality that P&O are delivering.

I know they weren't on the menu but did you ask for the Salmon, prawn cocktail or pan fried chicken? You may have been surprised.

 

Did you know that you could ask for any of the following any night in the MDR:

• Beef Burger in Buns
• Pizza Margherita
• Mini Minced Beef And Onion Pasty
• Spaghetti Bolognaise
• Chicken Nuggets
• Grilled Chicken Breast
• Poached Salmon
• Pork Sausages
• Fish Fingers
• Pasta with Tomato Sauce
• Hot Dog
• Fried Egg
• Omelette

The chicken breast and Salmon are covered here.

Edited February 12, 2023 by molecrochip

[Fionboard]

6 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

I know they weren't on the menu but did you ask for the Salmon, prawn cocktail or pan fried chicken? You may have been surprised.

 

Did you know that you could ask for any of the following any night in the MDR:

• Beef Burger in Buns
• Pizza Margherita
• Mini Minced Beef And Onion Pasty
• Spaghetti Bolognaise
• Chicken Nuggets
• Grilled Chicken Breast
• Poached Salmon
• Pork Sausages
• Fish Fingers
• Pasta with Tomato Sauce
• Hot Dog
• Fried Egg
• Omelette

The chicken breast and Salmon are covered here.

Sounds like a kids menu!

[Eglesbrech]

42 minutes ago, cruising.mark.uk said:

All the pictures of P&O ships at sea on the website and in their brochures show blue skies, sun and flat calm seas.  They are clearly advertising those conditions as 'always available'.  When we went on Iona to the Canaries last spring we had a few days of really rough sea, with grey skies and rain.  If we get the same on our Arvia cruise in April, I'm going to complain to the ASA about P&O's false advertising.

Weather and the sea state is not within anyones control. Menus are, so the comparison is surely not relevant?

Any organisation has a duty of care to potential customers to be as accurate as possible about what they provide. A sample menu is just that and that is all well and good but when that sample is no longer a representation of what is provided then I would think it should be changed?

 

Web  pages can be changed at the flick of a button. Organisations do it on a daily basis to change pricing so a replacement sample menu should not be too difficult for a large organisation with a web team.

 

 

[molecrochip]

4 minutes ago, Fionboard said:

Sounds like a kids menu!

It’s is the kids menu. But it’s not only kids that order from it.

 

It’s the same quality of ingredients that would be found on any MDR dish. So if you wanted a chicken great it’s always there.

[carlanthony24]

14 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

I know they weren't on the menu but did you ask for the Salmon, prawn cocktail or pan fried chicken? You may have been surprised.

 

Did you know that you could ask for any of the following any night in the MDR:

• Beef Burger in Buns
• Pizza Margherita
• Mini Minced Beef And Onion Pasty
• Spaghetti Bolognaise
• Chicken Nuggets
• Grilled Chicken Breast
• Poached Salmon
• Pork Sausages
• Fish Fingers
• Pasta with Tomato Sauce
• Hot Dog
• Fried Egg
• Omelette

The chicken breast and Salmon are covered here.

Can totally confirm this. In October one night they said Tomato soup was not available even though we know it is always available can not remember the reason given but every night after it was back. I do love the grilled chicken breast with garlic and hand cut chips. 

[bobstheboy]

6 minutes ago, molecrochip said:

I know they weren't on the menu but did you ask for the Salmon, prawn cocktail or pan fried chicken? You may have been surprised.

 

Did you know that you could ask for any of the following any night in the MDR:

• Beef Burger in Buns
• Pizza Margherita
• Mini Minced Beef And Onion Pasty
• Spaghetti Bolognaise
• Chicken Nuggets
• Grilled Chicken Breasto
• Poached Salmon
• Pork Sausages
• Fish Fingers
• Pasta with Tomato Sauce
• Hot Dog
• Fried Egg
• Omelette

The chicken breast and Salmon are covered here.

Well your comments are interesting. We dined in Pearl restaurant onboard Iona for 11 of the 14 nights. I commented to our waiter very early in the cruise about the lack of items I listed. We had the same waiter every night and he was very experienced. He agreed with us fabout the lack of choice, so I went to the customer relations desk to complain and asked to see the Hotel Manager. We were given an appointment with the Restaurant Manager, Sheldon, I do not know his surname. I showed him a photo I hadon my phone and he was very surprised and stated he would report upwards. He stated things had changed and these options were not available.

 

How can you say some of these were available when we were told differently ?  Left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing me thinks.