Ventura 35-night cruises

[AnnieC]

1 hour ago, daiB said:

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.

If Harry says he would feel embarrassed, then he would feel embarrassed. So would I. 

 

I often find that, on most topics, more than one opinion is available...

Edited May 1, 2023 by AnnieC

[AnnieC]

1 hour ago, Dermotsgirl said:

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

 

 

Indeed. And recently, despite reported attempts, many problems haven't been resolved on board. 

[daiB]

2 minutes ago, AnnieC said:

If Harry says he would feel embarrassed, then he would feel embarrassed. So would I. 

 

I often find that more than one opinion is available on most topics...

Please read what has been writen. Not what you thinl is written Embarrassment would not happen as any request would be given at the time of ordrring the meal.

[AnnieC]

1 minute ago, daiB said:

Please read what has been writen. Not what you thinl is written Embarrassment would not happen as any request would be given at the time of ordrring the meal.

I did. You said "no need for embarrassment". He would feel embarrassed, as would I.

Please read what has been written.

[Harry Peterson]

15 hours ago, daiB said:

Please read what has been writen. Not what you thinl is written Embarrassment would not happen as any request would be given at the time of ordrring the meal.

Dai, I appreciate your observations, but when I said I'd really struggle to ask for a larger portion in the course of a meal I took the meal as starting when I sat down at the table. You’re absolutely right of course to request an appropriate portion size - larger or smaller, and the server won’t bat an eyelid - but obviously some of us have sensitivities about doing an Oliver. 😉

[daiB]

1 hour ago, Harry Peterson said:

Dai, I appreciate your observations, but when I said I'd really struggle to ask for a larger portion in the course of a meal I took the meal as starting when I sat down at the table. You’re absolutely right of course to request an appropriate portion size - larger or smaller, and the server won’t bat an eyelid - but obviously some of us have sensitivities about doing an Oliver. 😉

I am with you 100%. Sometimes even the standard portions are too much. As I said, I have asked before but not recently. I made the comment to help others who read the thread in case they thought that they had to take what was put in front of them. 

[terrierjohn]

55 minutes ago, daiB said:

I am with you 100%. Sometimes even the standard portions are too much. As I said, I have asked before but not recently. I made the comment to help others who read the thread in case they thought that they had to take what was put in front of them. 

BUT, if they have to wait to see what is put in front of them, then requesting more is going to cause some problems. I know you said to ask before your meal arrives, but you never know just how big the portions of varying meals are going to be, so that is not always possible.

Maybe there should be a display table at the restaurant entrance, or a photo display as you queue?

[daiB]

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

BUT, if they have to wait to see what is put in front of them, then requesting more is going to cause some problems. I know you said to ask before your meal arrives, but you never know just how big the portions of varying meals are going to be, so that is not always possible.

Maybe there should be a display table at the restaurant entrance, or a photo display as you queue?

John the comment started with a review of a 35 night cruise and as I said before on the first night you do not know but after the 3/4th night you can do something about it. Being on a 35 night cruise and complaining when you get home just sounds daft to me. A constant theme with me is if you have a problem on a ship get it sorted on t he ship.

[Eglesbrech]

7 minutes ago, daiB said:

John the comment started with a review of a 35 night cruise and as I said before on the first night you do not know but after the 3/4th night you can do something about it. Being on a 35 night cruise and complaining when you get home just sounds daft to me. A constant theme with me is if you have a problem on a ship get it sorted on t he ship.

Dai I absolutely agree that you always need to give them a chance to sort out any sort of issue whilst onboard. The problem is that they don’t always resolve it, even when it is highlighted. See the comments above about cold food.

 

As an example I had an issue on Sky last year. I highlighted it, nothing happened. I spoke to reception, nothing happened. I spoke with a senior manager and he agreed that there was an issue but no way to resolve it at that time. So yes I did make a formal complaint once home (which they resolved to my satisfaction).

 

But yes the first course of action should always be to politely try to sort out any issue on the spot as 9 times out 10 it will get resolved, in my experience at least.

[Son of Anarchy]

If a dish has anchovies in it (usually certain salads), I always ask for extra anchovies to be added.

[yorkshirephil]

1 hour ago, Son of Anarchy said:

If a dish has anchovies in it (usually certain salads), I always ask for extra anchovies to be added.

So does Mrs YP, she loves a Caesar salad with extra anchovies, and is why she sometimes has that as her main course. However we always ask if anchovies are available as often they are as rare as hens teeth on P&O.

[Eglesbrech]

5 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

So does Mrs YP, she loves a Caesar salad with extra anchovies, and is why she sometimes has that as her main course. However we always ask if anchovies are available as often they are as rare as hens teeth on P&O.

Try Fred Olsen. My husband asked for extra anchovy when he ordered his first Caesar and thereafter it always came out with a small mound on the top. The benefits of fixed dining with the same waiters.

 

P&O seem to be going all out for the vegetarian / vegan market which probably explains why the basic salad in anchovy free but for me a Caesar is not a Caesar if there are no small fish.

[yorkshirephil]

3 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

Try Fred Olsen. My husband asked for extra anchovy when he ordered his first Caesar and thereafter it always came out with a small mound on the top. The benefits of fixed dining with the same waiters.

 

P&O seem to be going all out for the vegetarian / vegan market which probably explains why the basic salad in anchovy free but for me a Caesar is not a Caesar if there are no small fish.

You are probably right about P&O, I thought the same thing with their sweets.

We used to cruise quite a lot with FO as we liked their itineraries but the last few years their prices are ridiculous for what you actually get, even some of the late deals are poorly priced. They must be doing something right though if they can get their regulars to pay a premium.

[Eglesbrech]

10 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

You are probably right about P&O, I thought the same thing with their sweets.

We used to cruise quite a lot with FO as we liked their itineraries but the last few years their prices are ridiculous for what you actually get, even some of the late deals are poorly priced. They must be doing something right though if they can get their regulars to pay a premium.

Fred have changed quite a bit since before covid and while the prices are higher so is what is provided. Don’t want to go into it too much on a P&O thread but what they lack in more tired and older ships they try to make up for with better service, food quality and fewer queues etc.

Yes a lot of the P&O menu is now dedicated to veg/ vegan and it cuts down the choice. While I am more than happy to eat a vegetarian pasta dish I don’t want chickpea meringue for pudding (and yes because of limited choice I tried it, never again!)

 

Edited May 2, 2023 by Eglesbrech

[happy v]

3 hours ago, Eglesbrech said:

Fred have changed quite a bit since before covid and while the prices are higher so is what is provided. Don’t want to go into it too much on a P&O thread but what they lack in more tired and older ships they try to make up for with better service, food quality and fewer queues etc.

Yes a lot of the P&O menu is now dedicated to veg/ vegan and it cuts down the choice. While I am more than happy to eat a vegetarian pasta dish I don’t want chickpea meringue for pudding (and yes because of limited choice I tried it, never again!)

 

Oh I agree about the chickpea meringue. You could do someone an injury with it.

Revolting stuff!

[Happy afloat]

We returned from our Aurora cruise last Friday, where the food was probably the best we've had with P&O. Consistently good portions, hot food was hot and so were the plates. Shared different tables every night and heard nothing but praise.

[Ardennais]

17 hours ago, Happy afloat said:

We returned from our Aurora cruise last Friday, where the food was probably the best we've had with P&O. Consistently good portions, hot food was hot and so were the plates. Shared different tables every night and heard nothing but praise.

That’s good to hear. 
 

I’d like to know how they get it so right at times and get it so wrong at other times! 

[zap99]

43 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

That’s good to hear. 
 

I’d like to know how they get it so right at times and get it so wrong at other times! 

We were on Azura in February and April. Food was fine

[carlanthony24]

Fine in March also.

[Ardennais]

As I said, it can be done, but doesn’t always happen. 

[Mollag]

8 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

As I said, it can be done, but doesn’t always happen. 

They must’ve been on a different Azura than we were. Every night we went to MDR freedom dining if we didn’t send a meal back one of our table companions did even in the Beach House they we’re getting returned 

[Ardennais]

42 minutes ago, Mollag said:

They must’ve been on a different Azura than we were. Every night we went to MDR freedom dining if we didn’t send a meal back one of our table companions did even in the Beach House they we’re getting returned 

I just can’t understand why it’s so hit and miss across the whole fleet. 

[zap99]

3 hours ago, Mollag said:

They must’ve been on a different Azura than we were. Every night we went to MDR freedom dining if we didn’t send a meal back one of our table companions did even in the Beach House they we’re getting returned 

Yes, must have been a different ship. We ate in the Beach House 3 times in the 2 weeks. Brilliant, everyone we spoke to thought so too.

[zap99]

2 hours ago, Ardennais said:

I just can’t understand why it’s so hit and miss across the whole fleet. 

Perhaps it's the customers.

[Eglesbrech]

7 hours ago, zap99 said:

Perhaps it's the customers.

Yes people will have different tastes to an extent but there is too much of difference being reported for it all to be down to customers.