Arcadia 2 night to Bruges

[misprint]

Hello to all you well informed cruisers. I am sure this question has probably been asked many times before but can anyone help with dress code on a 2 night P&O cruise. I went on a 2 night cruise on Navigator of the Seas in April and dress was all casual, although a few did dress up. Can you tell me if this is the same on Arcadia?

 

Many thanks, Pauline

[supered]

The first night is casual and the second night is formal.

[misprint]

Thank you so much for your reply. It is always best to be prepared, of dear another shopping trip, what a shame!

[LibraLass41]

We went on a Aurora weekender to Bruges in Dec 2006, it was lovely.

The ship was decorated the day we embarked (16th Dec), so it made a great pre-christmas break, with large garland swags in the atrium threaded with twinkling lights and christmas trees on all decks.

 

The day we were in Bruges -second night - was the formal night, and was the same a longer cruise, with a captains gala party with nibbles and free drinks beforehand, and everyone dressed in their formal wear, inc men in their tux.

 

We chose the pando trip to Bruges in the afternoon 12.30 -5pm, which was great, as it meant we could have a lie-in, a leisurly breakfast, and a explore of the ship befor the trip. It took about 30 - 45 mins in the coach to get into Bruges, we were given a map and a free belgium chocolate each.

There were lots of shops, plenty of chocolate shops !, a european market and an ice rink in the square in Dec. We enjoyed a massive belgium waffle with bel choc sauce and a good coffee at lunchtime, not wanting too much to eat as we had book Cafe Bordeaux that evening for a meal.

Some photos on my site: www.sveale.photosite.com

 

Our coach was late back due to a couple making their own way back to the ship and not informing our coach driver, which was very annoying, and meant we were all sat in the coach for 30mins waiting for a couple who were already onboard. So we arrived back to ship about 5.45pm and I was glad I had booked a alternative restaurant for 8.30pm as we were on 1st sitting at 6.30pm, and there was no way we would be ready for a formal night in 30mins!

 

I am trying another weekender next year, again to Bruges (from Zeebrugge) but this time on the new ship Ventura, it will be good to look around this massive new pando ship, who knows I might not even get off this time in Belgium, as there is a lot to see on this big beauty!

 

Sue:D

[misprint]

Thank you so much for your detailed reply Sue. My husband and I only started cruising last year, did 1 week in April and I was hooked, came back and immediately booked to go again in October. Both were P&O and I came home an addict. I had been telling my sister how great a holiday it was and for a surprise for her 60th and retirement present rolled into one we booked for the 4 of us to go on the 2 night Navigator cruise. Although they really had a fabulous time and now want to do a longer cruise hubby and I were a little disappointed. The menus on the P&O cruises were so much better and as both nights were casual you missed out on that 'special dressing up' feeling that you get on a formal night.

 

This time I am going with a friend who had a car accident and needed cheering up so I think this will be just the tonic she needs. The afternoon tour sounds just right, as you say no need to rush out of bed, you can have a leisurely breakfast and maybe a swim if the weather is kind in the morning.

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

Pauline

[LibraLass41]

Pauline

We also started cruising last year, i was coming onto the cruise boards a year before the cruise when i booked, so have been chatting 'cruise' for 2 years now you learn such a lot from this site, crowsnest and cruise connections.

We are addicted as well, as you can see from my list below, with 2 cruises already booked for 2008 and a 14n med on Arcadia in 9 days time.

Did u see my photos?

 

If you would like to email/chat it would be nice to hear from you;

 

Libralass41@aol.com

 

any more questions, fire away

 

cruising is addictive isn't it!:D

[LibraLass41]

Another cruise to add to the list now, got back from the Med a fortnight ago and have now booked a cruise for 6 weeks time, doing Aurora 3nighter to Amsterdam and Bruges, I'll post a short review on my return

 

With the Ventura 2n Bruges cruise next year, thats a Bruges cruise every year for 3 years !!

[soletread]

God it is addictive isn't it, My parents treated my Wife and I to out first cruise on 2004 since then we have clocked up 7 cruises with a long weekender booked on Aurora in September and a return to the Arcadia next July 2008.

 

I love it and have to say P&O is my favorite company so far

[soletread]

Linda do you sail on Aurora on the 2nd September thats the cruise we are booked on

[LibraLass41]

Sole tread

I'm on that one as well!

 

Only booked it a couple of weeks ago, after getting off Arcadia from our med cruise... had a severe case of pcb's (post cruise blues)

 

 

Sue

[soletread]

Hi Sue

 

We booked a while mainly to try another pando ship as we have only ever sailed the Arcadia with pando but cruised 7 times with other companies before.

 

Have you sialed on Aurora is she very different from the Arcadia

 

My Parents have cruised on Oceana and love her but say she is different to Arcadia

[LibraLass41]

Hi

Yes sailed on her on a 2n cruise in December -06-

photos on: http://picasaweb.google.com/AuroraPartyCruiseSueV/AuroraWeekenderCruiseDec06

 

A FEW OF THE SHIP ON THERE.

 

 

Will be on her again in 30 days... so my countdown clock says! for a 3n cruise to Amsterdam and Bruges, she is lovely. But I do enjoy the child free eliment of Arcadia.

 

Sue

[soletread]

Thanks for the pictures looks great really looking forward to it miss being on board a ship last Time was the Millennuim in Feb seems like a long while ago

 

Agree we like the lack of small people on the Arcadia too makes for much more relaxed feel around the pool area

[susieh]

We're crusing on 2nd Sept too - celebrating my husband's 50th birthday with our sons and their girlfriends.

 

Hubby and I have cruised with P&O twice before and this summer we cruised with NCL America in Hawaii. We will never cruise NCL again but will stick to P&O as much as we can. The boys and g/fs have never cruised before, one pair are really looking forward to it (they are 26 and 20), the other two are a bit unsure (they are 23 and 22).

 

I'm really hoping it works out brilliantly for all - Steve's birthday was January but the cruise had to fit around University term times and P&O cruise availability so we had to wait until now to celebrate together

[Meema1098]

Hi SusieH - I have a question for you. I noted you cruised Hawaii in June I believe, and you mentioned wanting to do a Segway tour there. I would like to know if you indeed did that tour. We will be there in September and want to do Segway also, but I am interested if you have any feedback about the tour. We also did it at Epcot in WDW last year, and it was sooo much fun.

 

Could you respond to me? Thanks

email address is Meema1098@yahoo.com

[susieh]

Hi SusieH - I have a question for you. I noted you cruised Hawaii in June I believe, and you mentioned wanting to do a Segway tour there. I would like to know if you indeed did that tour. We will be there in September and want to do Segway also, but I am interested if you have any feedback about the tour. We also did it at Epcot in WDW last year, and it was sooo much fun.

 

Could you respond to me? Thanks

email address is Meema1098@yahoo.com

 

 

email sent to you directly :)

[SSNORWAY]

I am interested to hear from any P&O regulars who were on this cruise whether you felt that the level of service was representative of your previous P&O experiences, six of us were on it and were quite suprised with what we encountered....

[daiB]

I am interested to hear from any P&O regulars who were on this cruise whether you felt that the level of service was representative of your previous P&O experiences, six of us were on it and were quite suprised with what we encountered....

 

 

 

Which cruise???

 

 

:):)Happy cruising:):)

 

 

:cool:

 

 

Dai

[SSNORWAY]

Hi Dai

 

Sorry I thought the clue was in the thread title, it was a 2 day Brugge party cruise last weekend on the Arcadia.

 

You are obviously a big fan of P&O, I sense your reply questions my use of the word "cruise" for a two day trip.

Unfortunately the entire crew were of the same opinion and missed the opportunity to impress potential "proper" cruisers, mistaking them for time wasters: a real shame as I had looked forward to experiencing P&O having heard much from friends, family and fellow guests aboard other cruise lines who felt that P&O was far superior in many respects to Cunard in particular.

 

I was interested in posing this question to hear from other people who had been on this particular jaunt or perhaps other short excursions with P&O to see whether they felt the service offered on this type of "cruise" was representative of the experience they would normally expect.

 

The main reason for this is because I have for a long time fancied trying the Oriana and several aspects of what happened this week have made me wonder what was institutional and whether it would be the best choice for me in the future.

 

Thank you for your response and hope this clarifies my question :)

 

Mark

[englishlee]

Hello Mark

 

We were on the 2 nighter last weekend, and have previously cruised with P&O, although not for about 5 years. But we do cruise once or twice a year with other companies - the next being next month.

 

I had mixed feelings about this weekend break. I did go expecting it not to be quite as good as my past experiences with P&O due to the short nature of the cruise, but I felt a little disappointed in some areas where the cruise length should have had no real bearing. I thought that other than my cabin attendant there were very few smiles, very few please or thank you's, no good mornings - none of which are or can be shown in cruise brochures but all of which you would expect as a common courtesy. I got the impression that many of the crew were not happy with their lot in life and this is different from my past experiences. Maybe the management have been cutting back on manpower and so they have to work that much harder (and they do work hard). It just didn't seem a happy ship.

 

I thought that the dining room service was rushed and not particularly polished. I chatted about it being rushed to our waiter after dinner the first night and he apologised but said that although he didn't want to rush us if he didn't they just wouldn't have been ready for the second sitting. That said I don't think there is any reason why they should have served some of our table their main course when others hadn't yet finished their previous course. The food IMHO was average in the main restaurant, and in the Belvedere was just so so, although breakfast was good.

 

The entertainment options were good as were the bars, although the first night it took 20 minutes to get a waiter's attention to take our order.

 

The ship itself I thought was excellent, and I thought the cabins were good too (we had a balcony cabin). One thing I did notice were the various additional ways P&O now have to part you from your money whilst on board. I don't have a problem with it as long as it doesn't go as far as the nickel and diming that goes on on some US orientated lines.

 

Maybe I'm being too picky. I booked the trip as a thank you for my three staff and their partners after a busy year. They thought the whole experience was wonderful and couldn't fault anything (apart from the rushed dinners). But they had not cruised before so had nothing to compare it with. So from that perspective I'm happy because they are happy which was the whole point of the exercise.

 

Would I travel on P&O again on a longer cruise? Yes if the itinerary was interesting. Although I think that P&O are now quite expensive for what they are. My next three cruises are with Regent, Celebrity and Oceania so a major P&O cruise would be some considerable time ahead unless I repeat the weekend exercise for my staff next year.

 

Anything specific that you thought post-cruise that might affect your decision for future P&O cruises?

[LibraLass41]

SS NORWAY/ Mark

 

Hi !

 

 

Well, I have done a 13n Canary cruise on Arcadia followed by a 2n Bruges cruise like you have just done... and infact, I will be going again in3 weeks on a 3n Aurora Amsterdam and Bruges cruise - so my 2nd 'small' cruise. I have also just come off Arcadia after a 14n Med one. So I can say I have experienced the long and short cruises and have been on Arcadia twice.

 

Now, what was the question again :D :confused:

 

 

No, I didn't feel we were treated any different on a long or short one. I do agree though that the crew know there will be no tips or small tips...I am sure the 2n weekender cruises have lots of pax who dodge tipping, even by going to the alternative restaurant on the 2nd and last night, which we did, because we wanted too!! So that would mean tipping your main dining room waiter on the 1st night, or making the journey esp back to main restaurant to see them again - probably not. So perhaps they don't give 100% to weekenders. Which, as you say, is silly, as these could be NEW cruisers and they need to be impressed by the experience.

 

We found the formal night very well observed with most people in tux./long dresses just like a normal cruise, and as we sailed pre-christmas , on 16th Dec, the ship was decorated with trimmings, it was fab.

 

Any other comments/questions just ask

 

Sue:)

 

p.s. I am also trying the new Ventura in sept 08 weekender too !! Mainly for a nose around the ship.

[daiB]

The more I think about it the more I am convinced that it is very difficult to get the same experience on a 2 night cruise compared to a longer one.

 

A problem, englishlee, had sums this up. They had to wait for service. Well on a long cruise the bars do not fill up all of the time especially in the early days of the cruise. On a 2 nighter however everyone is 'up for it' and is ready to party. Therefore the bars are considerably busier than they would normally be on any night on a long cruise.

 

Now I do not mean that people are going over the top, or getting drunk, or making fools of themselves. they just want to go and get a drink.

 

People do not go on a 2 night cruise for a quiet time, of to relax. Therefore as I said above they are up for it.

 

I think that the above could lead to a poor standard of service as the staff have far more people to deal with all together.

 

If you are on a long cruise and you have to wait for 15 minutes for a drink it does not seem that important as you feel you have plenty of time.

 

The only time we have done short cruises 2 and 3 nights has been at the end of a long cruise. We never felt the service changed but by that time the staff knew us and our service was as good as it had been on the long cruise.

 

Unless the cruise company, P&O in this case bring in more bar staff for a 2 nighter then these same problems will happen.

 

With regard to the rushed dining, on the first night of a cruise it never runs as smoothly as the rest of the evenings and from memory the allow an extra 15 minutes for this settling in. Does this happen on a short cruise?

 

 

Having said all that we would still go on 2 night cruises if we lived near Southampton. You can still have a great time if you remember that they are different.

 

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

 

:eek:

 

 

Dai

[SSNORWAY]

Thanks to EnglishLee, Sue and Dai

 

EnglishLee completely confirmed my view on the service, the entire crew seemed to have an oppressed miserable attitude, when we joined the ship everyone boarding was hurded into the Belvedere caff, this was a rediculous decision on the part of the reception staff, the restaurant was completely overwhelmed and passengers were getting quite aggressive with people sat down who had finished eating but were still finishing their coffees, six of us in our party were forced on to a table for two people-because two of us where at the counter getting our lunch - by a gaggle of hen party heffers, they physically pushed my friends mother who is in her seventies (the purpose of the trip was to celebrate the recent death of her husband) out of their way onto the little table, when we arrived back with our food she and the other three people in our party had to stand up to allow us to eat.

 

We took our desserts and coffees onto the back deck to escape the misery of the caff, I was absolutely stunned approaching the doors with a tray loaded with cakes and drinks for the six of us that crew members coming through the doors the opposite way did not hang back as I had been doing to allow other passengers through the doors, two separate members of crew actually pushed past me, even on NCL I have never experienced anything like that.

 

I remember the first time I went on a cruise being amazed at how the ice bucket is always full 24 hours a day, even if you never see your cabin steward (I wish the one at home was like that!) this has always been the case on every cruise I have done since and I have accepted that this is the norm.... after the boat drills and sailaway i invited everyone up to the cabin to have a drink, luckily I had sneeked on a bottle of whisky which kept most occupied while I went in search of ice (normally there is a bucket by the stewards trolley in the hall somewhere and i'm happy to help myself rather than disturb someone to get it, after a while I came accross our steward who filled it, but after that it was never filled again and I had to call him every morning and evening to get it filled....

 

....Anyway back to my drinks party, I called room service to order a bottle of whisky and a bottle of wine and four wine glasses (listed in the room service folder in the room) the off-hand person who answered said that I would have to write my order on a docket and post it in a mail box and it would be delivered tomorrow!! I explained I was entertaining and wanted it now, he sent a member of staff up to take my order (I have only ever told room service what I wanted on any other cruise line and then signed for it when it arrived) after 20 minutes someone arrived, I had to fill in two seperate sheets because the wine came from the restaurant and the whisky came from the bar store room, still calm I did as he requested. we carried on chatting and the non whisky drinkers decided to have whisky anyway, then they left to get changed for dinner.

ONE AND A HALF HOURS after taking my order there was a knock at the door, another off-hand attendant came in and said "you can't have your whisky, they aren't doing that on this cruise" on his tray was a bottle of wine lying on it's side with no glasses! I hesitated about what to do seeing as my guests were no longer there, then I agreed to have it and requested that he opened the bottle for me, he told me that he didn't have a cork screw and that I should call my room steward! at this I refused the bottle and headed for the bar instead!

 

When we had first arrived I asked our steward whether it would be possible to make the twin beds into a double, he said that he had only just made it from a double into twins but he would during dinner. when we got back to the room he had indeed made a double bed but put the two single duvets on it!! we had two very cold nights sleep.

 

The next day after returning to the cabin after it had been cleaned I thought I would fill in the questionaire in the folder, only to find that the folder and tray of toiletries in the bathroom had been removed, no doubt assuming that two day passengers are going to steal anything which isn't screwed down! strangely the older members of our party did not have anything removed which would appear to confirm my suspicions.

 

On the final night I decided to go down to reception after drinks to check that the wine had not been charged from the first night, it was 2.00am but I didn't fancy trying to queue with lots of angry prople on the final morning to sort it out. When I got to the desk it was closed!! it closed at 10.00pm, I have never known a ship not have a 24hour reception, I dialled 5000 as requested on the sign, the person who answered was very rude and was too busy doing everyones final bills to be able to look into my enquiry, "you will have to come at 6.00am to check on it" was her best suggestion.

 

The total gloom of all staff on board was highlighted when we went ashore in Bruges and back at Southampton, when we first encountered shore staff who greeted us with "hello's" and sweet smiles.

I have often wondered how absolutely everyone can always be so happy and friendly at all times of day on all previous cruises despite having to do a very hard job and deal with lots of horrible people, now I realise that it takes someone in charge with skills in management and customer service to achieve this.... I think it is time P&O employed some.

 

A note on smoking: Arcadia has written a very snooty letter which is left in every room detailing where it is possible to smoke on board, it reads "you may wonder why we allow passengers to smoke anywhere on the ship". In fact there are three places, unfortunately the person making the allocation of space thinks that smokers consist solely of the lower common denomenator.

The horrible, noisy and beer swilling pub is the only choice if you want to see fellow passengers. (I like pubs and drink beer by the way) however the smoking section of this glory hole was completely crammed to overflowing with whailing heffers shouting above the karaoke and spilling their drinks everywhere and constantly pushing everyone out of the way without apologies, the smoke was billowing out of every apperture down the deck and corridor.

This seems to be a method of causing maximum complaints from non smokers which will justify their ultimate aim to ban smoking altogether on board, the other place you can smoke is in the back room of a bar without any entertainment where no one goes and you sit alone feeling inferior.

All other ships seem to cope very well maintaining non smoking to starboard of all bars and smoking to port, everyone has access to the bars which are available so it is not concentrated into such confined spaces which the ventilation cannot cope with.

 

I thought that passenger flow through the decks was very badly designed, all around the bars and restaurant were very crowded in the passage ways which was quite frightening for the older members of our party having to fight their way through groups of people clogging hallways. I have simply never seen crowds on any other ship before like this, the passageways are too narrow and wind through the ship rather than being open and running through the centre.

 

You may just be able to tell that I was less than impressed with P&O, although much of what I have said is undoubtably due to the special nature of passengers on party cruises, I cannot help thinking that the attitude and lack of service and training of the staff is institutional and cannot imagine a huge transformation occurring overnight ready for the real passengers to arrive the next day.

 

The captain came on the tannoy at the end saying that it had been his and the staffs pleasure welcoming us aboard (ha ha) and maybe next time we would join them for a proper cruise!.... I think that says it all, but I very much doubt it.

 

Looking more than ever to going on the QE2 next month......

 

 

By the way, i'm not a miserable complaining type person and indeed did not complian or lose my temper on any of the above occassions despite my inner thoughts, I enjoy a cigarette but am very respectful of others around me and appreciate classical music and piano music as well as all the latest chart stuff which unfortunately was denied to me on this cruise, as far as the service issues are concerned, I have served the public myself extensively in the past and would expect nothing of someone else that I would not happily do myself.

[daiB]

See my last reply!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Please do not just complain to us. Send your message above to P&O. Then we can get something done.

 

 

 

:):)Happy Cruising:):)

 

 

 

:cool:

 

Dai

 

 

BTW Your experience is not normal for P&O.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Dear SS Norway,

 

Thank you for your very interesting report on your recent party cruise experience.

 

Some of the shortcomings you have experienced match mine including a large minority of the passengers who are the "sort of people who do not cruise"

 

A proper cruise with P&O, especially those of a longer duration away from the peak seasons are very different from these "corporate and executive wives, hen parties, etc jamborees"

 

A thing proper and party cruises do have in common: Cabin service on embarkation days is hopeless - as you indeed experienced.

 

Bring your own victuals on board for cabin consumption for the first afternoon / evening, and if you do need "something" from the ship order it as soon as you board.