Food and dining on P&O ships

[Ardennais]

33 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

My wife made the point that Limelight should be entertainment not just a singer 

There’s a difference between a P&O singer and a West End star. Lee Mead was entertaining because he gave some background to the songs and referred to some auditions and jobs in the early days. 

[alessia2050]

Hello 🙂 

There will be at least one (hopefully more) vegan option per course in the Freedom and Club restaurants (the included MDR).

Don't worry, you will not just be stuck with lettuce, them is also some vegan options in the buffet and P&O are now labeling which wines are vegan in the wine list.

Some examples of vegan items I saw in the MDR (Freedom and Club restaurants) : 

Starters: Radicchio, Orange and Fennel Salad, Salad of Caramelised Apple 
Main: Pumpkin and Courgette Noodles
Dessert: Dark Chocolate and Olive Oil Marquise
Furthermore, in the MDR I recommend that you ask the Head Waiter to see the menu for the next day and if you do not like any of vegan options, they can prepare a modified version of the other dishes or something to your liking. They are very accommodating 🙂 

Unlike Arvia and Iona, some speciality restaurants (Extra costs restaurants such as Sindhu and The Epicurean) on Azura do not have a vegan option in the menu but if you ask the Head Waiter at the speciality restaurants a day in advance, I am sure that they will try to accommodate you and try to find something suitable.
 

[majortom10]

End of the day you have got to like or want to watch the performer in Limelight Club as prices can be as much as £35pp which is not cheap.

 

[Interestedcruisefan]

9 hours ago, Ardennais said:

There’s a difference between a P&O singer and a West End star. Lee Mead was entertaining because he gave some background to the songs and referred to some auditions and jobs in the early days. 

Stories with songs is great

 

I remember Bernie Flint was supposed to be a singer. But was a brilliantly funny comedian as well

 

Saw him on P and O. But that was before limelight existed

 

Roy Walker was on the same cruise and was also brilliant

[majortom10]

There were at least 2 options of vegetarian main courses in MDR on Iona last week and should imagine the same would be available across the fleet.There were also vegetarian options in buffet.

Edited March 19, 2023 by majortom10

[AndyMichelle]

11 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

My wife made the point that Limelight should be entertainment not just a singer 

Fair point. 

One of our most memorable nights on a cruise was seeing 'Sinbad from Brookside' (Michael Starke? ) in the Limelight. 

Wasn't expecting too much, but he turned out to be very entertaining. 

A singer, musician, comedian and actor, but the best part was his story telling of growing up with the Beatles and life in showbiz.

He was happy to sit and chat with those interested at the end of the show as well. 

I think we paid about £25 each, but the overall experience was well worth it. 

We loved the setting, food, service and show and wouldn't hesitate to book again. 

Andy 

[Jennizor]

We were recently on Iona and pre-booked the Limelight Club twice (both nights were great, food and entertainment, especially Ray Quinn). We also booked Sindhu and the Chefs Table. It was on one of the formal nights (no extra charge). I was concerned it might be noisy as it is part of the Horizon but it was an enclosed area so wasn’t at all. The meal and service were excellent. Will definitely do it again in July.

[brian1]

3 hours ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

Stories with songs is great

 

I remember Bernie Flint was supposed to be a singer. But was a brilliantly funny comedian as well

 

Saw him on P and O. But that was before limelight existed

 

Roy Walker was on the same cruise and was also brilliant

LOL,I saw Bernie Flint on a Princess ship,all the Yanks around me were dumfounded cos I was in hysterics and they didn't have a clue.Mind you I laugh at anything after a few voddies.

[Ardennais]

We’ve also enjoyed watching Bernie Flint several times over the years. Very entertaining.

[UKsatcom]

For anyone joining Arvia on April 2nd , booking for dining is now open.

If you want to spend 2-3 hours of your life , which you'll never get back ,"Freedom"  dining in  the MDRs has now been split into multiple time slots and you need to book each evening meal , day by day.

That's fourteen individual attempts to use the booking page , each one taking 4-5 minutes to complete as the page can be quite slow to update your input.

 

At least they appear to have taken onboard the suggestions made during the Xmas debacle to get folk into the MDR as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 

Good luck !

[Denarius]

28 minutes ago, UKsatcom said:

For anyone joining Arvia on April 2nd , booking for dining is now open.

If you want to spend 2-3 hours of your life , which you'll never get back ,"Freedom"  dining in  the MDRs has now been split into multiple time slots and you need to book each evening meal , day by day.

That's fourteen individual attempts to use the booking page , each one taking 4-5 minutes to complete as the page can be quite slow to update your input.

 

At least they appear to have taken onboard the suggestions made during the Xmas debacle to get folk into the MDR as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 

Good luck !

It looks like spontaneity on P&O ships is an endangered species, with more and more things having to be booked in advance. In my innocence I thought that the idea of freedom dining was that you could just go down to dine whenever you were ready rather than have to do so at a set time.

[terrierjohn]

Just now, Denarius said:

It looks like spontaneity on P&O ships is an endangered species, with more and more things having to be booked in advance. In my innocence I thought that the idea of freedom dining was that you could just go down to dine whenever you were ready rather than have to do so at a set time.

You and me both.

[Son of Anarchy]

4 minutes ago, Denarius said:

It looks like spontaneity on P&O ships is an endangered species, with more and more things having to be booked in advance. In my innocence I thought that the idea of freedom dining was that you could just go down to dine whenever you were ready rather than have to do so at a set time.

Totally agree.  Although it can be good to plan in advance, all this pre-booking does take away some of the spur of the moment side of things.  Certainly found that on Iona last year.

[UKsatcom]

You also have to go through a similar process to book your place in Headliners each evening....although so far only nine "turns" are listed , two of which appear unbookable because the "app" is broken.

 

 

Progress ! ??????

 

BTW if you havn't given up the will to live after all this , your booking plan should look something like this.

 

 

[Selbourne]

1 hour ago, Denarius said:

It looks like spontaneity on P&O ships is an endangered species, with more and more things having to be booked in advance. In my innocence I thought that the idea of freedom dining was that you could just go down to dine whenever you were ready rather than have to do so at a set time.

I also agree. It makes a mockery of what Freedom Dining is all about. It appears that this hybrid system on Arvia is in response to a lack of capacity in the MDR. I can’t see how it helps though, other than to push people to the less popular times in order to spread demand more. There are bound to be tables sitting empty, reserved for people who have booked, that could have been used for those just turning up as intended.
 

For a ship that’s advertised as 100% Freedom Dining, it’s a shame that those who wish to use Freedom Dining as intended effectively end up getting ‘what’s left’. 

[mrsgoggins]

1 hour ago, Son of Anarchy said:

Totally agree.  Although it can be good to plan in advance, all this pre-booking does take away some of the spur of the moment side of things.  Certainly found that on Iona last year.

 

I agree up to a point. I'm on Iona now and can see it's not a good fit for us. I'm a planner, dine early and am reasonably 'tech savvy' but I dislike not being just able to turn up at whichever time theatre performance I fancy after dinner.

 

Even pre-booking 5.30 dining puts you in a queue, often with those who haven't understood the system. I feel really sorry for some older folk who appear bewildered when they reach the front only to be declined immediate entry due to not booking. Then there are those (passengers) aggressively asking if you've booked 'because there are plenty who haven't?'. Only day 3 for me and so it will probably settle down as those not 'in the know' become informed.

 

It's the size of the ship and passenger numbers ultimately. Lots to like on this mega ship but it's a once and done for me!

 

And I will barely mention the 2 thin slices of turkey, one roast potato and 2 sprouts on last night's dinner 😂. Taste was good though! 

[Harry Peterson]

5 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

I agree up to a point. I'm on Iona now and can see it's not a good fit for us. I'm a planner, dine early and am reasonably 'tech savvy' but I dislike not being just able to turn up at whichever time theatre performance I fancy after dinner.

 

Even pre-booking 5.30 dining puts you in a queue, often with those who haven't understood the system. I feel really sorry for some older folk who appear bewildered when they reach the front only to be declined immediate entry due to not booking. Then there are those (passengers) aggressively asking if you've booked 'because there are plenty who haven't?'. Only day 3 for me and so it will probably settle down as those not 'in the know' become informed.

 

It's the size of the ship and passenger numbers ultimately. Lots to like on this mega ship but it's a once and done for me!

 

And I will barely mention the 2 thin slices of turkey, one roast potato and 2 sprouts on last night's dinner 😂. Taste was good though! 

You and I agree, I think, on quite a few things, and what you say here appalls me. I loved Freedom Dining with P&O, I enjoyed the food in the MDR (even the lunches), and my wife and I felt it was a good fit. Not grossly expensive, but a good standard throughout - the sort of thing we used reliably to get many years back from Trusthouse Forte before the Granada acquisition.

 

All that, as with Trusthouse Forte, seems to have gone now. As you say, not a good fit.

[Dermotsgirl]

3 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

I agree up to a point. I'm on Iona now and can see it's not a good fit for us. I'm a planner, dine early and am reasonably 'tech savvy' but I dislike not being just able to turn up at whichever time theatre performance I fancy after dinner.

 

Even pre-booking 5.30 dining puts you in a queue, often with those who haven't understood the system. I feel really sorry for some older folk who appear bewildered when they reach the front only to be declined immediate entry due to not booking. Then there are those (passengers) aggressively asking if you've booked 'because there are plenty who haven't?'. Only day 3 for me and so it will probably settle down as those not 'in the know' become informed.

 

It's the size of the ship and passenger numbers ultimately. Lots to like on this mega ship but it's a once and done for me!

 

And I will barely mention the 2 thin slices of turkey, one roast potato and 2 sprouts on last night's dinner 😂. Taste was good though! 

You sound very similar to me - a planner, dine early, and relatively 'tech savvy'.

 

At one point, I was actually booked on the cruise that you're on now, but we decided to cancel as we weren't sure that Iona was a good choice for us.  Prior to 2020, I would book restaurants like Sindhu before we travelled, but would book the Beach House when on board. The rest of the time, we'd probably decide on the day where to dine, planned around the entertainment we wanted to see. 

 

I felt as if the the requirement to book nearly everything in advance seemed to be a bit of a faff, and my perception of the 'app' was that it was often flaky and not always reliable.  Also, it's a bit of a concern that frustrated passengers are taking it out on fellow travellers!

 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise and will be interested in any other observations that you feel like sharing. 

[Jennizor]

We were on Iona 18 Feb for two weeks. I booked Sindhu, Limelight club twice and the Chefs table, all before we got aboard. Apart from one night at the Glasshouse we used the Coral restaurant every night, usually 7.30 to 8.30. Other than a couple of times when we waited a few minutes, we were always taken straight to a table, usually sharing as that is what we prefer. There were no queues. We also enjoyed the food, although some nights the choice was not as good as others.

[mrsgoggins]

46 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

You and I agree, I think, on quite a few things, .....

 

😁 Very true, the only thing you've ever written that I disagreed with was your not liking Lindt Lindor!

 

 

 

44 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

 

 

I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise and will be interested in any other observations that you feel like sharing. 

 

Thank you. I have already made a few notes with the intention of writing them up when I am home and have access to a 'proper' keyboard. I can't do thumbs alas, but if there's anything specific you'd like to ask, I'll oblige if I can.

[brian1]

2 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

You and I agree, I think, on quite a few things, and what you say here appalls me. I loved Freedom Dining with P&O, I enjoyed the food in the MDR (even the lunches), and my wife and I felt it was a good fit. Not grossly expensive, but a good standard throughout - the sort of thing we used reliably to get many years back from Trusthouse Forte before the Granada acquisition.

 

All that, as with Trusthouse Forte, seems to have gone now. As you say, not a good fit.

More like Basil now Harry.

[majortom10]

5 hours ago, mrsgoggins said:

 

I agree up to a point. I'm on Iona now and can see it's not a good fit for us. I'm a planner, dine early and am reasonably 'tech savvy' but I dislike not being just able to turn up at whichever time theatre performance I fancy after dinner.

 

Even pre-booking 5.30 dining puts you in a queue, often with those who haven't understood the system. I feel really sorry for some older folk who appear bewildered when they reach the front only to be declined immediate entry due to not booking. Then there are those (passengers) aggressively asking if you've booked 'because there are plenty who haven't?'. Only day 3 for me and so it will probably settle down as those not 'in the know' become informed.

 

It's the size of the ship and passenger numbers ultimately. Lots to like on this mega ship but it's a once and done for me!

 

And I will barely mention the 2 thin slices of turkey, one roast potato and 2 sprouts on last night's dinner 😂. Taste was good though! 

We were on Iona last week and had no problem with MDR booking. We just joined virtual queue before leaving cabin and by the time we got too MDR we had been informed that our table was ready. The times varied during the cruise and there was many who turned up without booking in virtual queue and all they were asked was if they wanted a table for 2 or happy to share and nobody was turned away. It worked very well with no queues at MDR like on Princess.

Edited March 20, 2023 by majortom10

[mrsgoggins]

41 minutes ago, majortom10 said:

We were on Iona last week and had no problem with MDR booking. We just joined virtual queue before leaving cabin and by the time we got too MDR we had been informed that our table was ready. The times varied during the cruise and there was many who turned up without booking in virtual queue and all they were asked was if they wanted a table for 2 or happy to share and nobody was turned away. It worked very well with no queues at MDR like on Princess.

 

What you describe may be happening on the current cruise also. We have opted for the smaller Opal dining room which appears to book up and disappear from the system, leaving the 2 larger venues to queue virtually. Therefore people are more likely to be turned away from the smaller dining rooms if they are fully booked. Not surprising.

 

This evening people were prevented from entering the theatre (told they could wait if they wished) because they had a booking for the earlier show which they had missed.

 

I can see how this is necessary on a ship the size of Iona when full, but it just isn't for us, despite having no problems ourselves. I've joined the 'prefer a smaller ship' group, but not a 'small' ship - I want big stabilisers for the Bay of Biscay challenge 😉

[wowzz]

19 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

This evening people were prevented from entering the theatre (told they could wait if they wished) because they had a booking for the earlier show which they had missed.

I can see that causing some heated discussions. I wouldn't fancy being the crew member stopping people entering. 

Have people been advised in advance that if they do not turn up for their reservation, they will be banned from the second show ?

In fairness,  it is not an unreasonable policy, as long as it has been well publicised.

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, wowzz said:

I can see that causing some heated discussions. I wouldn't fancy being the crew member stopping people entering. 

Have people been advised in advance that if they do not turn up for their reservation, they will be banned from the second show ?

In fairness,  it is not an unreasonable policy, as long as it has been well publicised.

We missed a show on Iona as dinner service was very very slow, so that could be a reason for missing a show too.