Discussion
We've got an Azamara cruise booked in May. I've only done one P&O cruise, but I found it pretty poor in comparison with other cruises I've done.
The problem with sailing from the UK is you don't generally get far enough to get decent weather - especially outside the main summer months (sailing to the Canaries for example seems like a wasted opportunity to me). In saying that, we did a Royal Caribbean cruise from Southampton last October and really enjoyed it for what it was - we knew the weather would be against us but made the most of just relaxing and brilliant Belfast - didn't bother getting off in Liverpool
Also have a look at Holland America - they are really good for the money IME.
The problem with sailing from the UK is you don't generally get far enough to get decent weather - especially outside the main summer months (sailing to the Canaries for example seems like a wasted opportunity to me). In saying that, we did a Royal Caribbean cruise from Southampton last October and really enjoyed it for what it was - we knew the weather would be against us but made the most of just relaxing and brilliant Belfast - didn't bother getting off in Liverpool
Also have a look at Holland America - they are really good for the money IME.
Certainly do.
Off on Ventura for 10 nights in April.
Just the easiest option with a toddler who we’re not prepared to fly with just yet. Looking forward to that one.
Wouldn’t surprise me if we have another one booked soon, somewhere in the med later on in the year ideally.
Some new Oceania deals out now which are of interest to me.
Off on Ventura for 10 nights in April.
Just the easiest option with a toddler who we’re not prepared to fly with just yet. Looking forward to that one.
Wouldn’t surprise me if we have another one booked soon, somewhere in the med later on in the year ideally.
Some new Oceania deals out now which are of interest to me.
MarkJS said:
We've got an Azamara cruise booked in May. I've only done one P&O cruise, but I found it pretty poor in comparison with other cruises I've done.
The problem with sailing from the UK is you don't generally get far enough to get decent weather - especially outside the main summer months (sailing to the Canaries for example seems like a wasted opportunity to me). In saying that, we did a Royal Caribbean cruise from Southampton last October and really enjoyed it for what it was - we knew the weather would be against us but made the most of just relaxing and brilliant Belfast - didn't bother getting off in Liverpool
Also have a look at Holland America - they are really good for the money IME.
True, but if you sale from sale from the UK your not restricted on baggage and your in your hotel room within the hour from dropping the car off.The problem with sailing from the UK is you don't generally get far enough to get decent weather - especially outside the main summer months (sailing to the Canaries for example seems like a wasted opportunity to me). In saying that, we did a Royal Caribbean cruise from Southampton last October and really enjoyed it for what it was - we knew the weather would be against us but made the most of just relaxing and brilliant Belfast - didn't bother getting off in Liverpool
Also have a look at Holland America - they are really good for the money IME.
I'm not keen on returning to airports yet so will stick to cruises from Southampton for now. Booked on Iona 16th April, and Jan 2023.
P&O's operation is pretty smooth, been a few times since Aug 2021 and been tested, and onboard, in about an hour each time.
Last trip I was disappointed to see self service return to the buffet whilst other Covid measures still in place (Gym closed)
But I've grown to like P&O lately after being an NCL fan. They do solo meetings with free coffee on some ships. (Not Iona sadly) and I've met some great people recently.
I see the prices are creeping up though.
P&O's operation is pretty smooth, been a few times since Aug 2021 and been tested, and onboard, in about an hour each time.
Last trip I was disappointed to see self service return to the buffet whilst other Covid measures still in place (Gym closed)
But I've grown to like P&O lately after being an NCL fan. They do solo meetings with free coffee on some ships. (Not Iona sadly) and I've met some great people recently.
I see the prices are creeping up though.
Mrs BC and I are due to join Seabourn Encore on Saturday. We’ve done lots of Seabourn cruises but concerned that they’ve bought in compulsory masks. Don’t think we’ll book again while that policy persists.
The other concern is that our flight to Lisbon is able to leave during tomorrow’s forecasted storms.
The other concern is that our flight to Lisbon is able to leave during tomorrow’s forecasted storms.
Trevor555 said:
I'm not keen on returning to airports yet so will stick to cruises from Southampton for now. Booked on Iona 16th April, and Jan 2023.
P&O's operation is pretty smooth, been a few times since Aug 2021 and been tested, and onboard, in about an hour each time.
Last trip I was disappointed to see self service return to the buffet whilst other Covid measures still in place (Gym closed)
But I've grown to like P&O lately after being an NCL fan. They do solo meetings with free coffee on some ships. (Not Iona sadly) and I've met some great people recently.
I see the prices are creeping up though.
you what? you've got a problem with a self-serve buffet? P&O's operation is pretty smooth, been a few times since Aug 2021 and been tested, and onboard, in about an hour each time.
Last trip I was disappointed to see self service return to the buffet whilst other Covid measures still in place (Gym closed)
But I've grown to like P&O lately after being an NCL fan. They do solo meetings with free coffee on some ships. (Not Iona sadly) and I've met some great people recently.
I see the prices are creeping up though.
TeeRev said:
I read today on Cruise Critic that a lot of cruise lines are rethinking their mask policies from the 1st March.
That'll be a result. We're off the Alaska later in the year, not having to wear a mask would certainly make life more enjoyable (hopefully by then the airlines will also no longer require that - 11ish hours wearing tone won't be pleasant!)DodgyGeezer said:
TeeRev said:
I read today on Cruise Critic that a lot of cruise lines are rethinking their mask policies from the 1st March.
That'll be a result. We're off the Alaska later in the year, not having to wear a mask would certainly make life more enjoyable (hopefully by then the airlines will also no longer require that - 11ish hours wearing tone won't be pleasant!)kiethton said:
Trevor555 said:
I'm not keen on returning to airports yet so will stick to cruises from Southampton for now. Booked on Iona 16th April, and Jan 2023.
P&O's operation is pretty smooth, been a few times since Aug 2021 and been tested, and onboard, in about an hour each time.
Last trip I was disappointed to see self service return to the buffet whilst other Covid measures still in place (Gym closed)
But I've grown to like P&O lately after being an NCL fan. They do solo meetings with free coffee on some ships. (Not Iona sadly) and I've met some great people recently.
I see the prices are creeping up though.
you what? you've got a problem with a self-serve buffet? P&O's operation is pretty smooth, been a few times since Aug 2021 and been tested, and onboard, in about an hour each time.
Last trip I was disappointed to see self service return to the buffet whilst other Covid measures still in place (Gym closed)
But I've grown to like P&O lately after being an NCL fan. They do solo meetings with free coffee on some ships. (Not Iona sadly) and I've met some great people recently.
I see the prices are creeping up though.
When you see guests refuse to sanitise on entry to the buffet, then use the utensils. Or sneeze into their hands and use the utensils, or are eating whilst getting their food, touching the food, their mouth, then the utensils, it's clear that the self serve buffet is where the germs will spread the quickest.
During covid you couldn't help yourself, the staff put the food on to your plate. Guests only touched their own plates. That made me very happy
Sadly, P&O have gone back to self serve.
Trevor555 said:
kiethton said:
Trevor555 said:
I'm not keen on returning to airports yet so will stick to cruises from Southampton for now. Booked on Iona 16th April, and Jan 2023.
P&O's operation is pretty smooth, been a few times since Aug 2021 and been tested, and onboard, in about an hour each time.
Last trip I was disappointed to see self service return to the buffet whilst other Covid measures still in place (Gym closed)
But I've grown to like P&O lately after being an NCL fan. They do solo meetings with free coffee on some ships. (Not Iona sadly) and I've met some great people recently.
I see the prices are creeping up though.
you what? you've got a problem with a self-serve buffet? P&O's operation is pretty smooth, been a few times since Aug 2021 and been tested, and onboard, in about an hour each time.
Last trip I was disappointed to see self service return to the buffet whilst other Covid measures still in place (Gym closed)
But I've grown to like P&O lately after being an NCL fan. They do solo meetings with free coffee on some ships. (Not Iona sadly) and I've met some great people recently.
I see the prices are creeping up though.
When you see guests refuse to sanitise on entry to the buffet, then use the utensils. Or sneeze into their hands and use the utensils, or are eating whilst getting their food, touching the food, their mouth, then the utensils, it's clear that the self serve buffet is where the germs will spread the quickest.
During covid you couldn't help yourself, the staff put the food on to your plate. Guests only touched their own plates. That made me very happy
Sadly, P&O have gone back to self serve.
Not sure if you've been before but we've just returned from the Caribbean on a 15 night cruise with P&O on Azura and can give our experience of people who hadn't and shouldn't cruise doing a cruise!
For full transparency we'd never considered a cruise before as we didn't think it'd merge well with how we travel but another holiday we had booked was cancelled 7 days prior to departure and that holiday was to celebrate my 40th and our engagement so we chose to go outside of our comfort zone. Overall we're both glad we did but our views probably reflect the fact it's not really for us and we'd not have gone on it if it wasn't for the specific events leading up to it.
The holiday was good and the new element of the ship gave added interest. Our ship was 60% full, all passengers had to be double vaxxed British residents with a negative test within 72 hours (for the ship) and one 24 hours (for Barbados) prior to departure. Had that not been the case we'd not have gone as it seems like too many people in one place for us but had it not been for Covid our other holiday wouldn't have been cancelled so it's a moot point.
We really enjoyed the experience of departing port and arriving and got up early for it which isn't hard when it's light at 6am and dark at 6pm so we just left the curtains open and lived like someone not living on the top of the globe for a bit. Having a new adventure on our doorstep each day and the level of staff attention was something we'd never experienced in a hotel. The food was fantastically prepared both in the a la cart, buffet and the specialist restaurants.
I found the dress code odd. I really enjoy dressing up and pride myself on being well turned out but we found the P&O concept of gala events quite outdated. On the black tie nights we felt like women were able to wear anything really and had free reign over their style with dresses, suits and gowns of all styles and colours but men were forced into dinner jackets which, in my opinion is from a time when men were less able to dress themselves stylishly and so migrated to a DJ. In fairness the last thing I want to wear in the Caribbean at 30C is a tuxedo and I accept that I knew this before we went. However, the dress code also extends to everywhere above deck after 6pm and includes trousers and 'a nice top' so it's quite open to interpretation. There was an allowance on Caribbean cruises for men to wear tailored shorts but only in the buffet but trainers and football tops were completely banned. However, the buffet regularly consisted of groups in trainers and football shirts sitting next to people in tuxedos so it did make for an odd mix and some misunderstanding of the dress code. I think the dress code might suit the older generation and might need some update if they're to attract new guests.
The food was great, both of us commented on how well it was cooked and that extends to the buffet too which was server attended so nobody touched the utensils except for one member of staff. We did find that the menu was a bit too British though and by the second day we really just wanted some local food. There was steak and a roast dinner available every night, which was some of the best I've had but I really wanted some rice and pea, breadfruit and plantain. Every day we got back on the ship it felt like we'd returned to Britain. I think this is also suited to the older guests who may appreciate the familiarity. We were also quite surprised that the coffee at breakfast and after a meal was instant. It seems quite strange to go from such fantastically produced food to such poor coffee.
Overall we were quite surprised at how boozy it was. Each time we docked at a cruise port there'd be hundreds of people not even bother to go through the terminal into the country proper and just get wasted at the rum shacks on the international side of the terminal. It made it feel like it was a bit like Benidorm pretending to be posh. We had a great time watching the 5:30pm wobbly line of folk making their way back to the ship each night
being cheered by everyone on the balconies above and trying to guess if they'd be late and left behind!
It was very much a case of two people doing a holiday that wasn't suited to them. It was a great experience and gave us the chance to tick off 10 Caribbean islands that would have taken a lifetime to visit had it not been for the cruise.
For full transparency we'd never considered a cruise before as we didn't think it'd merge well with how we travel but another holiday we had booked was cancelled 7 days prior to departure and that holiday was to celebrate my 40th and our engagement so we chose to go outside of our comfort zone. Overall we're both glad we did but our views probably reflect the fact it's not really for us and we'd not have gone on it if it wasn't for the specific events leading up to it.
The holiday was good and the new element of the ship gave added interest. Our ship was 60% full, all passengers had to be double vaxxed British residents with a negative test within 72 hours (for the ship) and one 24 hours (for Barbados) prior to departure. Had that not been the case we'd not have gone as it seems like too many people in one place for us but had it not been for Covid our other holiday wouldn't have been cancelled so it's a moot point.
We really enjoyed the experience of departing port and arriving and got up early for it which isn't hard when it's light at 6am and dark at 6pm so we just left the curtains open and lived like someone not living on the top of the globe for a bit. Having a new adventure on our doorstep each day and the level of staff attention was something we'd never experienced in a hotel. The food was fantastically prepared both in the a la cart, buffet and the specialist restaurants.
I found the dress code odd. I really enjoy dressing up and pride myself on being well turned out but we found the P&O concept of gala events quite outdated. On the black tie nights we felt like women were able to wear anything really and had free reign over their style with dresses, suits and gowns of all styles and colours but men were forced into dinner jackets which, in my opinion is from a time when men were less able to dress themselves stylishly and so migrated to a DJ. In fairness the last thing I want to wear in the Caribbean at 30C is a tuxedo and I accept that I knew this before we went. However, the dress code also extends to everywhere above deck after 6pm and includes trousers and 'a nice top' so it's quite open to interpretation. There was an allowance on Caribbean cruises for men to wear tailored shorts but only in the buffet but trainers and football tops were completely banned. However, the buffet regularly consisted of groups in trainers and football shirts sitting next to people in tuxedos so it did make for an odd mix and some misunderstanding of the dress code. I think the dress code might suit the older generation and might need some update if they're to attract new guests.
The food was great, both of us commented on how well it was cooked and that extends to the buffet too which was server attended so nobody touched the utensils except for one member of staff. We did find that the menu was a bit too British though and by the second day we really just wanted some local food. There was steak and a roast dinner available every night, which was some of the best I've had but I really wanted some rice and pea, breadfruit and plantain. Every day we got back on the ship it felt like we'd returned to Britain. I think this is also suited to the older guests who may appreciate the familiarity. We were also quite surprised that the coffee at breakfast and after a meal was instant. It seems quite strange to go from such fantastically produced food to such poor coffee.
Overall we were quite surprised at how boozy it was. Each time we docked at a cruise port there'd be hundreds of people not even bother to go through the terminal into the country proper and just get wasted at the rum shacks on the international side of the terminal. It made it feel like it was a bit like Benidorm pretending to be posh. We had a great time watching the 5:30pm wobbly line of folk making their way back to the ship each night
being cheered by everyone on the balconies above and trying to guess if they'd be late and left behind! It was very much a case of two people doing a holiday that wasn't suited to them. It was a great experience and gave us the chance to tick off 10 Caribbean islands that would have taken a lifetime to visit had it not been for the cruise.
Trevor555 said:
When you see guests refuse to sanitise on entry to the buffet, then use the utensils. Or sneeze into their hands and use the utensils, or are eating whilst getting their food, touching the food, their mouth, then the utensils, it's clear that the self serve buffet is where the germs will spread the quickest.
On several occasions, I have seen people actually reach into a food receptacle and take something out with their hands. It's astonishing behaviour for an adult.I've also witnessed people literally refuse to wash their hands before going into the buffet venue.
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