First Review Of Britannia

#41

Manoverboard wrote:
towny44 wrote:
.......... In fact is it not possible to make a dining request on the cruise personaliser?
I think not, I recall that it states that one's dining room table plus sitting will be allocated once on board ... bed configuration is, thankfully, selectable.

And who shares it.......

#42

Mervyn and Trish wrote:
Manoverboard wrote:
towny44 wrote:
.......... In fact is it not possible to make a dining request on the cruise personaliser?
I think not, I recall that it states that one's dining room table plus sitting will be allocated once on board ... bed configuration is, thankfully, selectable.
And who shares it.......

Good point ... I just checked and the 2nd passenger is ' Mobietta '

.

As for dining choices, the Official line is ...

Early Saver Bookers
Early Savers receive 2nd priority for dining. We will attempt to accommodate your request but this is not guaranteed. Dining will be allocated on board and cannot be changed. To register a dining preference please click on the below link.

http://www.pocruises.com/early-saver-dining/

Saver Fares

Dining Information
You have purchased your cruise using a Saver Fare. As such your dining time will be allocated on board and we are
unable to take note of your preference prior to departure or make any changes once on board.

So ... there you are then ...

#43

I thought this post was a review of Britannia not freedom dining?

#44

I thought we were discussing Freedom Dining because of the related queuing problems on Britannia ... ?

#45

towny44 wrote:
I can see no harm in allowing saver/super saver passengers to express their dining preference when booking, just as long as their request is only honoured after all select fare passngers have been satisfied.
In fact is it not possible to make a dining request on the cruise personaliser?

My point exactly; I'd feel better for letting P&O know, even if it made no difference.

I'd hate to be on the early sitting, wishing I could be eating later whilst a fellow cruiser, starving, and at deaths door, is counting the seconds till 20:30.........

#46

oldtimer wrote:
I thought this post was a review of Britannia not freedom dining?

My bad.....I'll await the ban

#47

Not sure whether anyone has posted this link:

http://cruisemiss.com/2015/03/26/britan ... og-part-3/

but it makes an interesting read

#48

towny44 wrote:
I can see no harm in allowing saver/super saver passengers to express their dining preference when booking, just as long as their request is only honoured after all select fare passngers have been satisfied.
In fact is it not possible to make a dining request on the cruise personaliser?

Oh yes it is. We always put in a request for freedom dining on cruise personaliser. And if it is not what we get allocated once on board we just go down to the restaurant and get it changed. Never a problem.

#49

Cruise personaliser/dining options/click on link under Early Saver Bookers.

Untitled.jpg

#50

Early Savers ' Yes ' but Savers ' No ', as per my posting above on the 25th ...

https://www.cruise-community.me.uk/view ... 40#p133335

#51

Manoverboard wrote:
Early Savers ' Yes ' but Savers ' No ', as per my posting above on the 25th ...

https://www.cruise-community.me.uk/view ... 40#p133335

We have changed our dining on a saver fare with no problems.

#52

Quizzical Bob wrote:
Manoverboard wrote:
Early Savers ' Yes ' but Savers ' No ', as per my posting above on the 25th ...

https://www.cruise-community.me.uk/view ... 40#p133335

We have changed our dining on a saver fare with no problems.

Us too but the P&O ruling ' right now ' is as per above ... what was the date of your cruise ?

#53

Manoverboard wrote:
Quizzical Bob wrote:
Manoverboard wrote:
Early Savers ' Yes ' but Savers ' No ', as per my posting above on the 25th ...

https://www.cruise-community.me.uk/view ... 40#p133335

We have changed our dining on a saver fare with no problems.
Us too but the P&O ruling ' right now ' is as per above ... what was the date of your cruise ?

November last year on Adonia. I'm fairly certain that this was also the official ruling at that time too, but they may have tightened up since. On Ventura last month we were given Freedom, which suited us fine, but I think others managed to change theirs. Either way it wouldn't put us off booking another shaver fare.

#54

I guess they do it if they can but use the ruling if they cannot ... it wouldn't put us off either

#55

Hello !

I'm home from Britannia !

We were off shortly after 7am, as we did the self help disembarkation. We got home at just after 9.30am, which is the earliest ever.

I've typed my diary while I was on board, so I'll start posting it later, when I've sorted myself out.

I haven't yet read the first review at the start of this post, but I noticed a lot of chat about freedom dining on this thread.

As Mervyn said, on the first night there were some queues, but it seemed to sort itself out. As we like to dine early, we'd turn up around 6pm, join a short queue and always got our preferred table for two, with not delay. When we exited the restaurant, there generally didn't seem to be queues, apart from the first night. I think it varies from cruise to cruise - on Azura in Sept, 2013, the freedom queues were round the block at 5.30, but it's not like this on every cruise.

I can understand why it was busy on the stairs for the club dining restaurant at the back of the ship - but if you have 500 odd people doing something all at once, then queues will be inevitable - it's just an unfortunate location for the restaurant.

My reports are quite lengthy.......some negatives, some positives.......but generally I've enjoyed it.

I'll get back to you later!

#56

Welcome back, Gill.

I'll look out for your review as we have bitten the bullet and booked a week in May, our first P&O cruise in 4 years. I like the look of many of the venues, and the facilities offered, even if I REALLY dislike the outside of the ship.

#57

Hi, Gill

You may be pleasantly surprised when you see Britannia in the flesh, as, externally, she is much more beautiful than I thought from the pictures.

Internally, there's lots to like, as she is very well appointed.

Don't be alarmed when you read my reports, as I was writing them 'in the moment', and I may have had a bee in my bonnet at some points!

But, I enjoyed the cruise, honestly!

#58

I shan't be upset if you found fault with some things - nothing is perfect, or at least very little is. We deliberately only booked a week "just in case" she turns out not to be the ship for us

#59

I'm expecting a great report, ditto from Merv ... said all along it'll be a grand ship, albeit only on the inside

#60

Welcome home to sunny Kent, Gill

I look forward to the review.

#61

Like Gill I've been writing as I went and will post the review when I've smell-checked it and corrected the grandma! But the headline is we loved her but happily acknowledge she won't suit everyone and has enough little niggles to keep the moaners happy. But can you believe that some people start queuing for the club dining room, where they have a reserved table, half an hour before the doors open, and then complain there's a queue!

#62

Hi Mervyn

Will look forward to reading your report, I should start posting mine tomorrow.

Was that you on the front page of Horizon one day?

I think I saw you once, in Barcelona. It was first thing in the morning, and we were waiting to go in our tour bus and you and Trish walked past.

#63

Hi From me too Mervyn

We're very much looking forward to the reviews from you and Gill.

I understand we might need to take an adapter for the shaver socket; us and the other three and a half passengers that is

#64

Welcome home Gill and Mervyn. Looking forward to your reviews.

#65

barr0ld wrote:
Hi From me too Mervyn

We're very much looking forward to the reviews from you and Gill.

I understand we might need to take an adapter for the shaver socket; us and the other three and a half passengers that is

I think you may be right. I can't be sure because I don't use an electric shaver but it looked as though the round two pin socket in the bathroom was continental size pins rather than UK. I guess that will get replaced sometime but in the meantime take your adaptor to be sure.

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