Ventura 35-night cruises

[daiB]

3 minutes ago, Selbourne said:

Yes, you can ask for more, but the point is you shouldn’t have to. Many would feel awkward asking for more and by the time it comes you might have almost finished the undersized portion that you were first given, which makes for a disjointed meal. Some of the photos of portion sizes I have seen are bordering on the comical!

I never ask for more I ask for a larger portion, to start with. Hence my comment about the 35 night cruise. If you find the portions to be too small the first night then you can do something about it for the resat of your cruise. It also will help with waste of which on some lines must be huge.

I have to say in general i find the smaller portions, and I am not convinced they are that much smaller than over the last 20 years suit me fine I do not remember one person in discussion actually saying anything about portion size

[daiB]

6 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Indeed.Particularly if you are seated at a shared table, it would feel extremely awkward and slow down service. That’s why we prefer our own table as I am also a slow eater.

You need to ask for a larger portion at the start then others are not affecting others.I have never asked for more during the meal.

[Selbourne]

9 minutes ago, daiB said:

I never ask for more I ask for a larger portion, to start with. Hence my comment about the 35 night cruise. If you find the portions to be too small the first night then you can do something about it for the resat of your cruise. It also will help with waste of which on some lines must be huge.

I have to say in general i find the smaller portions, and I am not convinced they are that much smaller than over the last 20 years suit me fine I do not remember one person in discussion actually saying anything about portion size

I’m a bit confused there Dai. You say that the portion sizes suit you fine, yet you ask for a larger portion to start with? 😂 I think this issue is easily resolved in Club / Fixed dining, as the waiters are very good at getting to know if people like more of one thing or another and then tend to do it automatically. One of my daughters asked for some Stilton once and every night thereafter she was presented with an enormous piece of it. She wished that she hadn’t asked 😂 Freedom dining is more of a challenge though as you have different waiters. You may not have heard anyone mention small portion sizes, but I have lost count of how many people have raised it on this forum as a notable issue post Covid. I’ll judge for myself in July.

[daiB]

1 minute ago, Selbourne said:

I’m a bit confused there Dai. You say that the portion sizes suit you fine, yet you ask for a larger portion to start with? 😂 I think this issue is easily resolved in Club / Fixed dining, as the waiters are very good at getting to know if people like more of one thing or another and then tend to do it automatically. One of my daughters asked for some Stilton once and every night thereafter she was presented with an enormous piece of it. She wished that she hadn’t asked 😂 Freedom dining is more of a challenge though as you have different waiters. You may not have heard anyone mention small portion sizes, but I have lost count of how many people have raised it on this forum as a notable issue post Covid. I’ll judge for myself in July.

I have in the past asked for a large portion of something I really liked but normally what I am given is fine and I don’t eat desserts.

 

The fact that they wait until they come back to complain is one of my bugbears. Sort a problem on the ship rather than moaning about it when you get home when it is too late. When I read comments other than Cruise Critic the subject is rarely mentioned.

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, daiB said:

I never ask for more I ask for a larger portion, to start with. Hence my comment about the 35 night cruise. If you find the portions to be too small the first night then you can do something about it for the resat of your cruise. It also will help with waste of which on some lines must be huge.

I have to say in general i find the smaller portions, and I am not convinced they are that much smaller than over the last 20 years suit me fine I do not remember one person in discussion actually saying anything about portion size

I think the portions have got smaller over the years. 20 years ago, 3 courses in the MDR would make me feel completely stuffed, latterly, after 3 courses, I’d leave the MDR feeling comfortable 

[Dermotsgirl]

48 minutes ago, daiB said:

I have in the past asked for a large portion of something I really liked but normally what I am given is fine and I don’t eat desserts.

 

The fact that they wait until they come back to complain is one of my bugbears. Sort a problem on the ship rather than moaning about it when you get home when it is too late. When I read comments other than Cruise Critic the subject is rarely mentioned.

I don’t think of it as moaning - to me it’s reporting their experiences, as part of the review process. I like to read about what they liked and also what may not have gone so well, as part of a balanced review 

[daiB]

Just now, Dermotsgirl said:

I don’t think of it as moaning - to me it’s reporting their experiences, as part of the review process. I like to read about what they liked and also what may not have gone so well, as part of a balanced review 

But if they feel something is not right why on earth wit until you get home to say anything about it??

[terrierjohn]

1 hour ago, daiB said:

I have in the past asked for a large portion of something I really liked but normally what I am given is fine and I don’t eat desserts.

 

The fact that they wait until they come back to complain is one of my bugbears. Sort a problem on the ship rather than moaning about it when you get home when it is too late. When I read comments other than Cruise Critic the subject is rarely mentioned.

But your so well known on P&O Dai that none of the staff would ever want to upset you, so you always get preferential treatment.😉😇

[daiB]

22 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

But your so well known on P&O Dai that none of the staff would ever want to upset you, so you always get preferential treatment.😉😇

Amazing what a smile and please & thamkyou will do.

[Dermotsgirl]

1 hour ago, daiB said:

But if they feel something is not right why on earth wit until you get home to say anything about it??

We often don’t know if they’ve mentioned it on board or not. But even if they have mentioned it whilst on the ship, they can still mention it in their review. 

[daiB]

3 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

We often don’t know if they’ve mentioned it on board or not. But even if they have mentioned it whilst on the ship, they can still mention it in their review. 

If they had mentioned it on the ship the situation would have been resolved. They would have got the extrs food they wanted. Solve issues on the ship not in a review. They had plenty of time on a 35 night cruise.

[Ardennais]

43 minutes ago, daiB said:

If they had mentioned it on the ship the situation would have been resolved. They would have got the extrs food they wanted. Solve issues on the ship not in a review. They had plenty of time on a 35 night cruise.

Easier said than done. We mentioned to the staff in the buffet several times that food was lukewarm. Made no difference! 

[Harry Peterson]

I'm not easily embarrassed - in the right situation, perhaps discussing an issue with a customer service team.

 

But I'd really struggle to ask for a larger portion in the course of a meal, or ask for an extra serving - and I almost certainly wouldn't.  It wouldn't remotely bother me if another diner did, but there are some things that just aren't normally done.  Certainly wouldn't happen in a restaurant - though particularly small portion sizes might mean you wouldn't return. 

[gsmt47471015]

My good lady will nearly always ask for a bowl of extra veg when she gives the waiter her order , and she would still do it if we were on a shared table ( a rarity) ,we also noticed some other diners asking for two sweets or having soup and a starter, perhaps you shouldn't have to ask but nobody has ever questioned asking for extra, also we met a lovely couple whos first sailing was the world cruise which had to be abandoned due to covid ,as they were also on our 65 nighter I would say they enjoyed the experience  

[yorkshirephil]

1 hour ago, gsmt47471015 said:

My good lady will nearly always ask for a bowl of extra veg when she gives the waiter her order , and she would still do it if we were on a shared table ( a rarity) ,we also noticed some other diners asking for two sweets or having soup and a starter, perhaps you shouldn't have to ask but nobody has ever questioned asking for extra, also we met a lovely couple whos first sailing was the world cruise which had to be abandoned due to covid ,as they were also on our 65 nighter I would say they enjoyed the experience  

Over the years we have shared tables with many couples, usually older where they have had a starter or soup then a salad as main course and two sweets. Mrs YP has on occasions asked for the Caesar salad as a main and they have served a larger portion than usual. We have also sat with newer people who were not aware that you could order a starter and soup or salad. I do like a scoop of ice cream with my sweet, unless I have cheese😉. 

[Mollag]

10 hours ago, Ardennais said:

Easier said than done. We mentioned to the staff in the buffet several times that food was lukewarm. Made no difference! 

We told the maitre’d in the restaurant on Azura pretty much every night the food was being served cold but didn’t make one bit of difference for the 6 weeks we were on her and as for portion size they’d be better fed in a primary school. 

[Harry Peterson]

Surely it hasn’t come to this?  😉

 

 

[Mollag]

18 minutes ago, Harry Peterson said:

Surely it hasn’t come to this?  😉

 

 

Nailed it 😂😂😂

[mrsgoggins]

3 minutes ago, Mollag said:

We told the maitre’d in the restaurant on Azura pretty much every night the food was being served cold but didn’t make one bit of difference for the 6 weeks we were on her and as for portion size they’d be better fed in a primary school. 
 

We have seen similar comments to those I have emboldened above so often that it’s difficult to ignore.
 

We are not foodies, have done many cruises with many companies (including P&O) and have been happy with them all food-wise but the size of many of the meals served in the MDR on last month’s Iona cruise elicited raised eyebrows from us. I have posted elsewhere about one of the first meals we had on board when we both chose the roast turkey dinner. It comprised largely of 2 thin slices of turkey, 1 piece of roast potato, 2 sprouts, and a small chip-sized piece of parsnip. The taste was good enough I should add. Some meals were better than others but we did have the distinct impression that the food budget had been cut, particularly with the more expensive protein part of the meals.

 

We did not go hungry of course, but that really isn’t the point, and nor is the ‘you can always request more’ suggestion. As has been pointed out, if it were a land-based restaurant, you just wouldn’t go back. 

 

I am due on Ventura again shortly and am hoping to notice a difference and make more positive comments.

[Mollag]

39 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

We have seen similar comments to those I have emboldened above so often that it’s difficult to ignore.
 

We are not foodies, have done many cruises with many companies (including P&O) and have been happy with them all food-wise but the size of many of the meals served in the MDR on last month’s Iona cruise elicited raised eyebrows from us. I have posted elsewhere about one of the first meals we had on board when we both chose the roast turkey dinner. It comprised largely of 2 thin slices of turkey, 1 piece of roast potato, 2 sprouts, and a small chip-sized piece of parsnip. The taste was good enough I should add. Some meals were better than others but we did have the distinct impression that the food budget had been cut, particularly with the more expensive protein part of the meals.

 

We did not go hungry of course, but that really isn’t the point, and nor is the ‘you can always request more’ suggestion. As has been pointed out, if it were a land-based restaurant, you just wouldn’t go back. 

 

I am due on Ventura again shortly and am hoping to notice a difference and make more positive comments.

That sounds similar to what they were dishing up on Azura, on the menu it came with root vegetables so I asked for extra root vegetables please,  lo and behold they brought out broccoli and green beans that hadn’t even seen hot water never mind been in it. I hope your cruise is an improvement but I’m not holding my breath, we’ve got 3 booked on Aurora and aB2B on Iona but we’ve already decided to take the hit and lose the deposit for Iona and booked another with SAGA as we’ve lost all faith in P&O as one of our friends asked them when will they be painting the orange stripe and be renamed easyCruise 

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Mollag said:

We told the maitre’d in the restaurant on Azura pretty much every night the food was being served cold but didn’t make one bit of difference for the 6 weeks we were on her and as for portion size they’d be better fed in a primary school. 

I'd have written to the Food & Beverage Manager asking for a meeting with them.

[Mollag]

10 minutes ago, Britboys said:

I'd have written to the Food & Beverage Manager asking for a meeting with them.

Had meetings with 4 different managers during the cruise relating to various problems might as well have spoke to the shower curtain at least that wouldn’t have fobbed me off with false promises 

[Britboys]

1 hour ago, Mollag said:

Had meetings with 4 different managers during the cruise relating to various problems might as well have spoke to the shower curtain at least that wouldn’t have fobbed me off with false promises 

That is really poor then!

[Dermotsgirl]

16 hours ago, daiB said:

If they had mentioned it on the ship the situation would have been resolved. They would have got the extrs food they wanted. Solve issues on the ship not in a review. They had plenty of time on a 35 night cruise.

They are not solving issues in a review.  They are reviewing what happened.

 

 

[daiB]

9 hours ago, Harry Peterson said:

I'm not easily embarrassed - in the right situation, perhaps discussing an issue with a customer service team.

 

But I'd really struggle to ask for a larger portion in the course of a meal, or ask for an extra serving - and I almost certainly wouldn't.  It wouldn't remotely bother me if another diner did, but there are some things that just aren't normally done.  Certainly wouldn't happen in a restaurant - though particularly small portion sizes might mean you wouldn't return. 

You ask when you give your order. Not in the middle. No need for embarrassment. Now clearly you can’t do this at you first meal but as I have said this is a 35 night cruise.

As it happens I rarely do this only on the rare occasions i fancy one of the meals on offer.99% of the time I am very happy with what I am given.