Embarkation times

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ChrisB
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Embarkation times

#1

Post by ChrisB »

We have only cruised with Princess once, about 15 years ago. All our sailings with P & O gives us Elite status on Princess. My question is. We have a preferred boarding pass and our deck is C and boarding is at 2.00pm Does Princess keep strictly to boarding times or does our preferred boarding pass allow us on earlier? With P & O we always arrive at noon. Thanks in anticipation.
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Chris

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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Embarkation times

#2

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

Like you, our P&O cruises took us straight to Elite on our first Princess cruise and we just turned up and boarded straight away.

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ChrisB
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Re: Embarkation times

#3

Post by ChrisB »

Thank you Mervyn and Trish, We have just come back from the Princess cruise and we were very disappointed. The food in the MDR was not a patch on P & O and the 15% charge on all drinks, they were expensive to start with. We enjoyed the cruise and the crew were great. So sorry we jumped ship from P & O. We are back on Azura in October. Princess never again. Of course this is only our opinion.
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Chris

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GillD46
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Re: Embarkation times

#4

Post by GillD46 »

Gosh I am surprised, all our Princess cruises were of a very high standard, but in fairness we haven't been with them for about 5 years. I suppose, the way to look at it is that had you not tried, you would always be wondering.

Hopefully your next one will be better.
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Re: Embarkation times

#5

Post by Kenmo1 »

ChrisB wrote:
Thank you Mervyn and Trish, We have just come back from the Princess cruise and we were very disappointed. The food in the MDR was not a patch on P & O and the 15% charge on all drinks, they were expensive to start with. We enjoyed the cruise and the crew were great. So sorry we jumped ship from P & O. We are back on Azura in October. Princess never again. Of course this is only our opinion.
We recently sailed on the Caribbean Princess 27/6-11/7/15 and like you we went straight to Elite with our PO points. We took 2 bottles of wine on board and this, plus our free mini bar drinks, plus the free wine tasting, plus the Captains Circle party and Captains welcome aboard party meant that we didn't have to buy any drinks. We just had water at the table as we felt the price of drinks and extra 15% charge seemed a bit steep on top of the 11.50 dollars each per day for gratuities. It always looks worse in dollars anyway plus having to pay for shuttle buses and quite expensive trips. Mind you, by saving on the drink, Ken was able to buy a Citizen Eco Drive watch which he has had his eye on. In this country £399, on board ship it worked out at £250 by the time the 10% was taken off. However, the one thing we couldn't fault was the food in the MDR and the buffet --we felt it was superior to PO but PO was much better on the entertainment side. Like you, we will probably stick mainly with PO but would give Princess another go if a good itinerary and bargain price came up. Maureen

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Re: Embarkation times

#6

Post by ChrisB »

Maureen, I agree with all the extras we had for being Elite members, however, we had $600 obc and managed to spend that plus $350 dollars more. We booked just one trip and the rest was spent on drinks, Sabitini's, Crown Grill and shuttle buses. We thought the entertainment was better than P & O. I agree that the food in the Horizon buffet was very good. We ate there most evenings, which is something we never do on a P & O ship. Our idea of cruising is to sit in a nice restaurant, with good food and be served, not to serve ourselves on plastic plates in the buffet. We did get most of the laundry done on the ship, that was another good point being Elite. Our only problems were the MDR food,15% on drinks, the price of drinks and the gratuities. My moaning is now over. I have to start the ironing.
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Chris

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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Embarkation times

#7

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

We thought the food was good. The song and dance elements of the entertainment we also enjoyed, but not the comedians which were geared to the American audience. That's not unreasonable since it was an Alaska cruise, not out of the UK, but the style of humour doesn't travel well. We thought the goodies we got as Elite were excellent.

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Re: Embarkation times

#8

Post by barney »

I've got a mate who is a 'serious' cruiser and has about four or five a year

He reckons that Princess & Cunard both have the edge on P&O but says that P&O is better value for money overall, mainly because of the onboard spend.

That's his opinion, I'm yet to find out
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Re: Embarkation times

#9

Post by ChrisB »

barney, we are "serious cruisers" we do 3 a year. Never cruised with Cunard so cannot comment. Maybe we have cruised too much with P & O and are stuck in a time warp! Everyone has a different opinion and I appreciate all the views good or bad from the folk on here.
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Chris

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Re: Embarkation times

#10

Post by Kenmo1 »

ChrisB wrote:
barney, we are "serious cruisers" we do 3 a year. Never cruised with Cunard so cannot comment. Maybe we have cruised too much with P & O and are stuck in a time warp! Everyone has a different opinion and I appreciate all the views good or bad from the folk on here.
Chris - like you we do 2 or 3 cruises a year and I don't think you are stuck in a time warp any more than we are.
Like you, we have found something we are comfortable with and enjoy and, also like you, we have tried other cruise lines. I'm sure we will try others as we live near Southampton so we can try Celebrity and Cunard quite easily but I find it very sad that some people find it necessary to knock PO all the time. I think they offer excellent value for money and for that provide an offering that we thoroughly enjoy for our holidays.

Each to there own - perhaps we will come across you on one of our PO cruises. We haven't tried Azura yet or Adonia but have been on the other PO ships.

Maureen :wave:

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Re: Embarkation times

#11

Post by ChrisB »

Hi Maureen, We live along the coast from Southampton and like you find it easier to cruise with Lines that leave from there.

We are on Azura in October, have sailed on her 7 or 8 times. We have not done Adonia yet, maybe next year.

Hopefully we will meet up on a future P & O cruise.

Regards
Chris
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Chris

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Re: Embarkation times

#12

Post by ITWA Travel Writer »

I am somewhat amused with those who, through their personal circumstances, are able to cruise several times a year but find variations in the cost of drink and other elements abhorrent.

If you are in such a position to cruise, or holiday, several times a year then please count yourselves as fortunate and by complaining about this that and the next, inadvertently, make those who are not in that position feel that such holidays are only for the privileged.

Most people who cruise have to save dam hard for their week on-board. :silent: :silent:
John

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barney
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Re: Embarkation times

#13

Post by barney »

Some who cruise have to save dam hard for their week on board John but I suspect that most are affluent baby boomers enjoying life to the full while they still can.

By the amount of folk that you meet on an average cruise who are on their umteenth cruise of the year, there is clearly plenty of money about.

My own dear friend is quite determined to spend his money on leisure while he can.
His saying is 'there are no pockets in a shroud'

For my own part, we are still working full time but lucky enough to have a couple of breaks a year, one of them hopefully a nice cruise. :thumbup:

I agree about the complaining about trivia.

Some will happily spend a couple of grand on the holiday and then moan about the tips, which is a pittance
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Re: Embarkation times

#14

Post by Manoverboard »

Those of us who can afford to cruise / holiday several times a year probably do recognise that we are fortunate but that does not mean that we are all collecting pound coins from a bottomless pit.

Most will be on a fixed incomes and/or be getting low returns on some of their hard gained investments over their working lifetime and as a consequence of this plus higher prices on some holiday types will reach the stage where they can no longer comfortably afford the same number of holidays with all the trimmings etc as they once did.

There is also the vexed question of ' value for money '.

At some point in time, just to illustrate the point, I unwittingly decided that £12-50 for a bottle of Bombay Gin plus £7-50 for a dozen Tonics was a good shout on a Cruise ship but now that the cans are a £1 each and the Gin more like £26 I don't buy it any more ... not because I can't afford it but because it no longer represents the excellent value that it once was.

It isn't complaining imo ... it's belt tightening.

ps ... what's this to do with embarkation times :lol:
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Gill W
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Re: Embarkation times

#15

Post by Gill W »

Being born in 1960 makes me in the tail end of the baby boomer generation.

I worked dam hard from the age of 16 to 54 (I don't have children so I worked all the time) to get to a point to where I could retire early.

Due to that hard work we own our own house and have money in the bank

We were never very high earners, but we have always lived fairly sensibly, so we've been able to save and make provision for our retirement.

Our current monthly income would be considered by many to be very low, but because we don't have the cost of a mortgage to service, a lot of that income can be spent on leisure activities.

We hope to be able to cruise 2 - 3 times a year, but also hope one of the cruises will be a longer cruise - indeed we are away for 35 nights early next year.

Perhaps to the outsider looking in, we appear affluent, but we are careful about what we spend, and are always on the look out for offers and deals to help us, even on the smallest things.

We are lucky to be living this life, but I'd raise my eyes brows if anybody thought I was 'privileged'. Apart from £20,000 I inherited from my mum and dad, everything else has been done due to a lifetime of hard work.

As I said we are lucky - but there's a saying 'the harder I work, the luckier I get'

PS, I rarely complain about anything on a cruise.... apart from being served broccoli every night on Britannia - trust me that's not trivial, you try eating it every night! :lol:
Gill

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Re: Embarkation times

#16

Post by barney »

I agree Gill

When my turn comes to calling it a day workwise, I'm going to live the life for as long as my health & wealth allows me.

I probably won't cruise at all then because I intend to seriously downscale housewise in the UK

We may sell up and buy an apartment on Hythe seafront and a small Villa with pool in southern Spain.
Then just come back to the UK during the very hot summer months.

So everyday will be a holiday :wave:

Agree with MoB about percieved value for money.
I'm very much like that as well.
In my opinion, a quite costly cruise holiday is good value for money.

Nothing at all to do with embarkation times but John started it :wave:
Empty vessels .. and all that

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Gill W
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Re: Embarkation times

#17

Post by Gill W »

We are ok at the moment, but may consider downsizing our house if we need to, mainly to free up some equity.

We're also thinking in terms of a coastal apartment, with a balcony, just so we could have some outside space.

This is all quite a long way ahead - we have lived in our house for 26 years and we're happy here, but it's a long term plan.

As, you say nothing about embarkation, but money doesn't grow on trees, and long term planning is key for a successful retirement.
Gill

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Re: Embarkation times

#18

Post by Kenmo1 »

ITWA Travel Writer wrote:
I am somewhat amused with those who, through their personal circumstances, are able to cruise several times a year but find variations in the cost of drink and other elements abhorrent.

If you are in such a position to cruise, or holiday, several times a year then please count yourselves as fortunate and by complaining about this that and the next, inadvertently, make those who are not in that position feel that such holidays are only for the privileged.

Most people who cruise have to save dam hard for their week on-board. :silent: :silent:
My husband's workmates always used to make remarks about us cruising therefore they assumed we had stacks of money. No, it wasn't like that at all. We worked hard for our money, sometimes both of us running daytime and evening jobs plus me going out to work in the evenings in a bingo hall soon after my son was born, not by choice but because we needed the money. We didn't have holidays unless my Mum and Dad treated us. My husband stopped smoking when he had his heart attack at 49 - so we could save that money. We were lucky he was eventually able to return to work but we did have some very lean years with money being a constant worry. His workmates continued to smoke and drink heavily whereas we had just the occasional weekend bottle of wine. Some of the ones who made the assumption we had money were quite happy to blow stacks of money on lotto tickets and betting shops on top of their beer and cigarettes - their choice how to spend their money but got no sympathy from me when they complained of being broke and not being able to have a holiday.

The habits of a lifetime of watching every penny are difficult to change and like MOB we look for value for every penny of our hard earned money. However, we now choose to spend our savings on holidays that often work out cheaper than land based holidays. We usually have a cruise at the last minute in either an inside cabin or an obstructed view cabin, never a balcony - we are too tight for that.

Everyone's choice on how they spend their money is different - we choose to spend our money on cruises.

Maureen .


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Re: Embarkation times

#19

Post by Quizzical Bob »

Gill W wrote:
We are ok at the moment, but may consider downsizing our house if we need to, mainly to free up some equity.

We're also thinking in terms of a coastal apartment, with a balcony, just so we could have some outside space.

This is all quite a long way ahead - we have lived in our house for 26 years and we're happy here, but it's a long term plan.

As, you say nothing about embarkation, but money doesn't grow on trees, and long term planning is key for a successful retirement.
I'm still looking for a coastal apartment with a wrap-around deck :(

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Re: Embarkation times

#20

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

Quizzical Bob wrote:
Gill W wrote:
We are ok at the moment, but may consider downsizing our house if we need to, mainly to free up some equity.

We're also thinking in terms of a coastal apartment, with a balcony, just so we could have some outside space.

This is all quite a long way ahead - we have lived in our house for 26 years and we're happy here, but it's a long term plan.

As, you say nothing about embarkation, but money doesn't grow on trees, and long term planning is key for a successful retirement.
I'm still looking for a coastal apartment with a wrap-around deck :(
Teak I hope! :thumbup:

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Re: Embarkation times

#21

Post by Dark Knight »

well this took a rather odd detour
as a graduate of the school for the bleedin obvious, I would have thought anyone who books a cruise must, relative to their income, think it good value for money, I doubt someone would pay £10,000 for a cruise, if it were not seen to them , as value for money?
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Re: Embarkation times

#22

Post by ChrisB »

ITWA Travel Writer wrote:
I am somewhat amused with those who, through their personal circumstances, are able to cruise several times a year but find variations in the cost of drink and other elements abhorrent.

If you are in such a position to cruise, or holiday, several times a year then please count yourselves as fortunate and by complaining about this that and the next, inadvertently, make those who are not in that position feel that such holidays are only for the privileged.

Most people who cruise have to save dam hard for their week on-board. :silent: :silent:

Well John, I don't know why you are attacking me in this way. I like most people on here have worked hard. I qualified as an accountant, brought up two children on my own, have bought my own home, have a nice car and for the past 30 years have a partner. I am now retired on three good well earned pensions. I certainly don't consider myself " Privileged " It has been a hard slog.

I am not complaining just stating my opinion.......which everyone has a right to do on here.
Regards
Chris

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Re: Embarkation times

#23

Post by ITWA Travel Writer »

As regards the detour, it was Barney, ChrisB and Kenmo1 who introduced the term “Serious Cruisers”, which got up my nose, by stating that the 3 to 5 cruises a year termed them so.

I do admit that most of you put up a reasonable defence, sighting hard work, scrimping, saving hard and spending what you have accumulated when you can.

However, Gill hit the nail firmly on the head when she said “Perhaps to the outsider looking in, we appear affluent”.

That is what my main concern centres around. To new members who may not be from the baby boom and who like the concept of cruising, but find that cruise forums are the closest they get because of low income, those who claim to be “Serious Cruisers” have a great responsibility in how their posts are perceived.
John

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Re: Embarkation times

#24

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

I have no issue with people being lucky enough to afford 3 or 4 cruises a year. I must admit though I too disliked the term serious cruisers. We can usually only afford one a year, two if they're short ones, so does that make us frivolous cruisers or in some way inferior?

It annoys me too when people moan about itineraries because they do lots of cruises and they've been there and done that. Well we haven't, so we'd like the opportunity to go to all those places please. And the other one is dress codes and people who get fed up with dressing up for formal nights because they cruise so often. Well again we don't, so we still enjoy the occasion. For those cruising 50-60 plus nights a year surely you can still allow us our pleasure on our 14?

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Re: Embarkation times

#25

Post by oldbluefox »

In my opinion the baby boom concept is a load of hogwash. My experience of baby boom is very different to the perception some seem to have and to perpetuate.
Anybody new to cruising will surely rely on the knowledge and experience of the more experienced cruiser and will surely be realistic enough to be aware there are those of greater spending power than themselves. That's life!

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