Freedom dining on Aurora 2015

[Dancing Queen]

Bon Voyage Gill ... have a lovely cruise.

[Wina G]

Bon voyage Gill looks like you're on the same cruise as Wendy F

We met Wendy & her husband as well as Michele W & her husband on Arcadia in 2010, we did a private tour in St Petersburg together

[Manoverboard]

In 2014 Aurora will be having a total revamp, Cafe Bordeaux and chums will be no more ... in will come Sindhu, XVII and the Glass House ... as well as Freedom Dining in one of the present MDRs.

ps ... this Info was advised to us on board Aurora last week.

[Suekersh]

Excellent news. We may be tempted back on Aurora in 2015. Lets hope they revamp the cabins and the pool areas as well.

Sue

[wolfie]

Great news about our favourite ship. Hopefully they will be keeping her in the fleet.

[Quizzical Bob]

In 2014 Aurora will be having a total revamp, Cafe Bordeaux and chums will be no more ... in will come Sindhu, XVII and the Glass House ... as well as Freedom Dining in one of the present MDRs.

ps ... this Info was advised to us on board Aurora last week.

Freedom will be the Medina, Alexandria for club..

[Dark Knight]

might have a look at some cruises on it now

[Quizzical Bob]

might have a look at some cruises on it now

Great ship but watch out for the clientele. Some of them dress for dinner!

[Dark Knight]

not to worry, the rules say I don't have to

[Admiral of the Humber]

In 2014 Aurora will be having a total revamp, Cafe Bordeaux and chums will be no more ... in will come Sindhu, XVII and the Glass House ... as well as Freedom Dining in one of the present MDRs.

ps ... this Info was advised to us on board Aurora last week.

Freedom will be the Medina, Alexandria for club..

Surely the Crows Nest won't be going QB?

[Admiral of the Humber]

I'll be moving to Freedom then...love Medina.

[Quizzical Bob]

In 2014 Aurora will be having a total revamp, Cafe Bordeaux and chums will be no more ... in will come Sindhu, XVII and the Glass House ... as well as Freedom Dining in one of the present MDRs.

ps ... this Info was advised to us on board Aurora last week.

Freedom will be the Medina, Alexandria for club..

Surely the Crows Nest won't be going QB?

Not that I know about. I don't know where the three new restaurants will be squeezed in though, they can't all fit into Café Bordeaux.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Well XVII will be easy to fit in, as they don't at present have a deck 17! Presumably therefore the new restaurant will be built on a scaffolding somewhere above the present top deck round the funnel!

But on a more serious note, I know it is regarded as the way forward, but I don't like "Freedom" dining, as in our limited experience we found it anything but "Freedom" when we tried it on one cruise. The experience we had was that if you hadn't sat down by 7 (too early for us on a cruise - we're second sitting types) the demand was such that it was then very difficult to then get a table before 9, which then meant you missed the show. They were making announcements during the day encouraging "Freedom" diners to come at 6.

It's fine on the bigger ships built with three dining rooms, but with only two I think they will struggle. The capacity is such they'll still have to use every table twice. Shame if it's the Medina too - that's our favourite.

[Manoverboard]

We have just returned from Aurora where we dined, second sitting, in the Alexandra but only on the Formal night.

The first and final evenings were booked for 19:15 in the Pennant Grill and then Cafe Bordeaux, this was a perfect arrangement for us.

Should have added earlier ...

In 2014 the library is going but will encompass the expanded cyber room and Cafe Bordeaux will become The Glass House.

[towny44]

There is no choice if Club Dining is over-subscribed and I have to take Freedom.

Derek, More likely to be the other way round since Freedom dining seems to be more popular.

[Dark Knight]

perhaps they can round up all the dinosaurs and stick em in one room, whilst the rest of us get on and enjoy our holiday away from the "traditionalists" who wish to hang on to the faded glory of the 1920's and 30's

sounds good to me

[Quizzical Bob]

Should have added earlier ...

In 2014 the library is going but will encompass the expanded cyber room and Cafe Bordeaux will become The Glass House.

Nooooo! The library is one of the few civilised spaces on any P&O ship. Are you saying that the library will be up at the top and that the cyber room will take up part of the Crows Nest?

[Manoverboard]

Should have added earlier ...

In 2014 the library is going but will encompass the expanded cyber room and Cafe Bordeaux will become The Glass House.

Nooooo! The library is one of the few civilised spaces on any P&O ship. Are you saying that the library will be up at the top and that the cyber room will take up part of the Crows Nest?

Ah, I need to rephrase that ...

My understanding was that the library will be going altogether because of low usage and that the Cyber area would be expanded because this is the modern way of doing things.

No mention was made of the Crows Nest but that is not to suggest that it will / will not remain in its present form.

[Quizzical Bob]

Should have added earlier ...

In 2014 the library is going but will encompass the expanded cyber room and Cafe Bordeaux will become The Glass House.

Nooooo! The library is one of the few civilised spaces on any P&O ship. Are you saying that the library will be up at the top and that the cyber room will take up part of the Crows Nest?

Ah, I need to rephrase that ...

My understanding was that the library will be going altogether because of low usage and that the Cyber area would be expanded because this is the modern way of doing things.

No mention was made of the Crows Nest but that is not to suggest that it will / will not remain in its present form.

Thanks, I ask about the cyber study because it is just behind the Crows Nest on the port side. If anything I would say that the library gets more use than the cyber study. Where are they going o keep the books, and more importantly, where will we do the jigsaws? It appears to me that they are trying to turn Aurora into something that she was never designed to be.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I would assume (dangerous I know) that the Crow's Nest is safe since it is a signature feature on most P&O ships and indeed is to be included on Canberra.

[CaroleF]

I've just returned from our first cruise on Aurora and two of the things I liked most about it were the library and Café Bordeaux. I hope they are not going to try to turn it into a clone of Azura and Ventura. We like it just as it is. Oh well, what a shame. As long as they don't do away with Club Dining - now that would make us look elsewhere.

Carole

[emjay45]

QB said
Thanks, I ask about the cyber study because it is just behind the Crows Nest on the port side. If anything I would say that the library gets more use than the cyber study. Where are they going o keep the books, and more importantly, where will we do the jigsaws? It appears to me that they are trying to turn Aurora into something that she was never designed to be.

I've just returned from our first cruise on Aurora and two of the things I liked most about it were the library and Café Bordeaux. I hope they are not going to try to turn it into a clone of Azura and Ventura. We like it just as it is. Oh well, what a shame. As long as they don't do away with Club Dining - now that would make us look elsewhere.

Carole

That's my worry QB and Carole, that they are trying to turn her into a mini Azura and will completely spoil her in the process.

[Mervyn and Trish]

perhaps they can round up all the dinosaurs and stick em in one room, whilst the rest of us get on and enjoy our holiday away from the "traditionalists" who wish to hang on to the faded glory of the 1920's and 30's

sounds good to me

Just show me where to go! Prefer the faded glory of 20's and 30's to the phoney glitz of 2010's!

[melsea]

Two things I am not liking in the changes they are making one is that freedom dining will be in the Medina and that club dining will be in the Alexander which is the worse restaurant if you want to hold a conversation. As someone who is partially deaf the Medina is much better. Also it's this reason why I do not like freedom dining as I really can't cope with having to try and decipher peoples voices over dinner which is why I like to stick with the same people throughout a cruise, it's too much for me. This is one reason why we like to dined in Cafe Bordeaux and not the MDR at lunch time. It's very frustrating to hear what people are saying. I am all for updating a ship but this seems a step too far, glass house has no place on Aurora. We are booked to do the 2015 world cruise and I do hope it is not a clone of as some of you say of Azura etc. we will see what happens won't we, when she actually due her refit?
I do not like the labelling of traditionalist as I think it is way of the mark. Cruising has moved on but Aurora was never designed to be changed in the way it seems to be going. As to the cyber room being expanded, why no one uses it and unless they go for free wifi I can't see why they need to spend money on something that no seems to be using.
My cruising holiday consist of relaxing and not be bombarded with people trying to sell me something on a ship which it seems is the way they are trying to move to.

[lioness]

Have to agree. Freedom dining would not be for us at all. We really enjoy meeting our dining companions on a Table for 8 and slowly getting to know them. On Oriana in September we had such a fantastic table. I would miss all that if they go for Freedom dining and do away with Club. Not that I have read that they will.