Cutbacks on P&O - good or bad?

[oldbluefox]

When browsing the internet I cam across this little link talking about cutbacks on P&O cruises.
Just to summarise:

• No more flowers in cabins or in the main dining rooms
  No more nightly turndown
  Fewer menu choices in the dining room
  Dishes are smaller
  No more nibbles/canapes in some of the bars
  No more facecloths in cabins (available on request?)
  No more complimentary cakes with your coffee
  Room service breakfast menu has fewer choices
  Limited number of cocktails available
  No more port infused stilton
  Cheese board is now ready plated
  Room service is now chargeable
  No more little cards to remind of time changes
  Cruise logs at the end of the cruise are not available

Some of these would not unduly bother me but as one of those who remembers the days of sailaway parties in Southampton with streamers and a band and champagne fountains there was a certain excitement about cruising which was full of memorable surprises. Whilst the headline price of a cruise has come down (presumably to fill the ships) more and more reliance is placed on charging for anything we want to the extent that our holidays are becoming more akin to sailing on a glorified ferry or ultimately Premier Inn at sea. How long before they start charging if you want to see the shows, attend lectures etc?
I can understand it is not a charity Carnival are running but personally I would prefer to pay a little more to put the romance and some of the exclusivity back into the sailing experience which sets it apart from land-based holidays.

What say you?

[paultheagle]

I say you answered your own question, they have to cut back in little extras to keep the prices down so they can fill their ships. There is a cruise line, Silversea I think, that do all those little extras but their fares compared to P&O are about 5 times bigger.

It's always disappointing when a brand you previously enjoyed changes so much that you can hardly recognise them from what they used to be.

[david63]

There is a cruise line, Silversea I think, that do all those little extras but their fares compared to P&O are about 5 times bigger.

But you have to take into account that Silversea is all inclusive including excursions - if you compare what you get on Silversea with P&O base price and then add on everything else you will find that Silversea is not that much more expensive (OK you may no drink or use Wi-Fi or go on excursions)

As for P&O cutbacks there are only a couple on that list that bother me (fewer dishes in the MDR and reduced drinks list) - smaller portions are not an issue as you can ask for more and the plated cheese is far better than Princess plated cheese!

How long before they start charging if you want to see the shows, attend lectures etc?

In a way that is already happening with the likes of the Limelight Club and the other offerings on Iona and Arvia

[Manoverboard]

We cannot cruise at the moment but P&O would, for us, no longer be an option. It has been dumbed down to a point where it is simply a sea based holiday rather than a special experience.

In 1999 it was deffo Waitrose-esque but now it seems to be aka Aldi-esque

[Stephen]

Like you and many on here I remember the early days when you got all of the list above. I agree with what you are saying Foxy but allot on the list have been happening for some time now, and not for the better in my opinion.

On the grand scale of things would it really put that much on the cruise price to bring some of those things and experiences back online, I don't think so. To me it's just greed and penny pinching.

David wrote
But you have to take into account that Silversea is all inclusive including excursions - if you compare what you get on Silversea with P&O base price and then add on everything else you will find that Silversea is not that much more expensive (OK you may no drink or use Wi-Fi or go on excursions)

That's fine if you want all inclusive, personally I'd rather pay as i went along and not feel obliged to drink myself stupid or go on an excursion that has no interest to me just because it's included and I've paid for it.

I think wherever you go on holiday it's the little touches that make the difference.


It upset me when they done away with the French maids......or was that a different holiday, I can't remember

[Mervyn and Trish]

I don't think we even have to look outside Carnival to understand what is afoot. They have three brands operating out of the UK - P&O, Princess and Cunard. There is no sense commercially in competing with themselves so they have consciously differentiated on what is on offer across the lines and at what price.

P&O is, in actual cash terms, even ignoring inflation, cheaper than it was when we first cruised in 1999. It is no longer a premium line but offers good value family holidays with few bells and whistles. If you want those you have to pay more. For what we used to get on P&O you have to now look at Cunard, or even beyond.

I was having this very discussion on a Saga group this morning. They offer small ship cruising, included wi-fi, included tips, included insurance, included transport to the port, included drinks, included room service and some included excursions. Plus turns downs, chocs, flowers, better food etc. If you want all that stuff they are good value for money. If you don't they are very expensive.

It's horses for courses. For the two of us it's probably Cunard or Saga from now on. But if we're taking and paying for the whole family it's P&O all the way. Couldn't afford anything else!

[Onelife]

I agree with everything you have said Foxy and whilst we haven’t cruised for many years the writing was on the wall way back then as to which way Carnival were going.
I particularly agree with you about the romance and the excitement of expectation that was once a given with this brand. Whilst many won’t agree with me but the relaxing of dress codes seems to have been the precursor to diminishing standards both in service and expectation.

For the time being we'll be sticking with Butlins

[Ray B]

There is one thing I remember that was cut, the free ice creams in the morning.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but was there a tea trolly that roamed the promenade deck?

[Stephen]

There is one thing I remember that was cut, the free ice creams in the morning.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but was there a tea trolly that roamed the promenade deck?

Your probably thinking of the Titanic

[Jan Rosser]

There is one thing I remember that was cut, the free ice creams in the morning.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but was there a tea trolly that roamed the promenade deck?

Yes Ray afternoon tea was served on the promenade deck on Aurora - this was before they replaced the lovely chairs with the horrible metal folding ones. Gawd we are all showing our age now

[Onelife]

There is one thing I remember that was cut, the free ice creams in the morning.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but was there a tea trolly that roamed the promenade deck?

Your probably thinking of the Titanic

[Ray B]

Stephen, Could be, but I think the service really went down though.
Thank you Jan, yes, it is now starting to show but cruising then was special. Our first cruise we thought may be our only cruise as we had to save up for our 50th wedding anniversary and yes, it was classed as an anniversary cruise. 25years later we are fortunate to still cruise.
Our Aurora cruise next month will be exactly 25 years when we first boarded Arcadia.

[Ray B]

OL, don't encourage him.

[Onelife]

OL, don't encourage him.

I wouldn’t normally Ray, but there are the few occasions when he throws in a cracker

[Meg 50]

How long before they start charging if you want to see the shows, attend lectures etc?

In a way that is already happening with the likes of the Limelight Club and the other offerings on Iona and Arvia
[/quote]

one of my daughter's colleagues is sailing on Arvia next week and she was listing all the places she's had to book ( at a supplement ) in advance.

[Whynd1]

I have been a little unhappy with the cutbacks on P and O for a while,also the lack of imagination in the ports of call.

So have booked a Saga cruise. Will be first time with them and got a 35% discount. When I added up all which they include especially the door to door transport the extra cost seemed.worth it.

So off to the Scandinavian Islands next August.

Received excellent service when booking ,even queried if you needed bathroom toiletries for sensation skin.!!

Lindsey

[Ranchi]

There is one thing I remember that was cut, the free ice creams in the morning.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but was there a tea trolly that roamed the promenade deck?

I must admit that I didn’t see the prom deck tea trolley until the late ‘90s, perhaps because I went to MDR for tea-if I fancied it.
The ice cream they used to give out on deck was always a pretty low quality product in a tub (not at all like the Horton’s? Ice cream served in the dining room.

Princess have a free ‘whippy’ ice cream and that is surprisingly nice ( their paid for gelato is only ok & the gelato based included-with-plus-package desserts from the gelato bar are dire.)

One thing that has changed is that tipping is now included in the P&O fare (ok, you may give a little extra if you like) Princess has included tips in a package along with drinks, Wi-Fi, gym classes & gelato desserts.

One thing I do miss is the log -although they had become very formulaic and had lost much of their humour. I recall an entry from Agadir ‘06:45 made radio contact with pilot. 07:15 made final approach to harbour entrance. 07:45 first line ashore. 07:55 Canberra tied up. 08:05 Pilot and several family members board and enjoy breakfast.’

Another thing I miss are port lecturers who describe interesting passages (as opposed to market excursions in their lectures.) We were on a round Britain cruise in which we were fortunate to have time to do quite a bit of scenic cruising around the Hebrides. We know the area quite well but it was very difficult to tell where exactly you are. A lecturer could give details of islands and passages as we sail ( the in cabin ship locator is quite useless for this purpose.)

Oh, & what has happened to the ship’s chart display? Couldn’t find one on Britannia.

[bessyboy]

Just to clear up some of the initial comments on this post.
We were on Aurora 2 weeks ago.
There were flowers on the table in MDR
Facecloths were provided in cabin without request
We didn't notice any fewer menu choices in dining room - but no prawn cocktail
We received complimentary chocs with coffee but only on formal nights
Small portion of port infused stilton on request
There were cards to remind us of time changes.

Yes there cutbacks but none of these could spoil a lovely cruise and all the staff
were very helpful and always very friendly. Well done P&O

[Onelife]

Just to clear up some of the initial comments on this post.
We were on Aurora 2 weeks ago.
There were flowers on the table in MDR
Facecloths were provided in cabin without request
We didn't notice any fewer menu choices in dining room - but no prawn cocktail
We received complimentary chocs with coffee but only on formal nights
Small portion of port infused stilton on request
There were cards to remind us of time changes.

Yes there cutbacks but none of these could spoil a lovely cruise and all the staff
were very helpful and always very friendly. Well done P&O

If we do decide to cruise in the future, would you mind letting Carnival know that Onelife is a mate of yours…Thanks in anticipation

[oldbluefox]

Just to clear up some of the initial comments on this post.
We were on Aurora 2 weeks ago.
There were flowers on the table in MDR
Facecloths were provided in cabin without request
We didn't notice any fewer menu choices in dining room - but no prawn cocktail
We received complimentary chocs with coffee but only on formal nights
Small portion of port infused stilton on request
There were cards to remind us of time changes.

Yes there cutbacks but none of these could spoil a lovely cruise and all the staff
were very helpful and always very friendly. Well done P&O

Now that is interesting. We were on Aurora 12 months ago and we remarked on the number of changes there had been and our experience matched much more closely to the link I gave. Most of what you have reported was not available to us so I can only presume some elements have been re-introduced over the past 12 months. I am pleased you had a more positive experience.
The one I really miss is the turndown service. How welcoming it was to return after a night around the ship to find bed sheets turned back, bedside lamps on and a chocolate on the pillow. Somehow a Malteser on the bed doesn't cut it.
We enjoyed the cruise but it did not have the same little luxuries we have encountered with P&O in the past.

[CaroleF]

I was going to post about the list too but Bessyboy got there before me. I agree with what he posted as far as Aurora is concerned. One thing that occurred to me is that maybe, if those things were missing on other ships, could P&O be including them on Aurora because that's where many of the long term P&O cruisers are still booking and they expect things like, flowers on the table, change of time cards in the cabin, face flannels in the cabins, and incidentally are we the only people who speak of cabins and not rooms? It did go from cabins to staterooms but now seems to be rooms. I'm looking to cruise with my sister-in-law probably next year and, at the moment am undecided as to whether it'll be P&O or Saga. It will only be P&O if it's on Aurora or Arcadia, really because of the size. I have walking problems and can cope with ships the size of both of them but not anything larger. I might still have to take a wheelchair or scooter because the distance from the terminal to getting aboard the ship is too far for me to walk. I realise that if I took a scooter the size of the ship wouldn't matter but I don't really want to have all the attractions that go with a family ship. I've been on both Azura and Ventura and would possibly consider them, although at the moment Azura is doing fly cruises and I don't want to fly. So having had over 30 cruises with P&O it seems that I must look elsewhere although I'd like to have a few more cruises on Aurora before, as I think likely, she disappears.

[Stephen]

Same here Foxy. And you may remember we were on the same cruise.

Face cloths were only available if requested. With the amount of cutbacks I was surprised to find a bed in the cabin

I agree 100% about the turn down service. It use to be a nice touch, and as i said earlier, it's the small details that make the difference. And it wasn't just a turn down service, the steward would also tidy the cabin and bathroom and replace towels as needed.

Argh, the good old days.

[oldbluefox]

AND..................you don't get a pin badge any more!!!!

[david63]

AND..................you don't get a pin badge any more!!!!

Well that's at least one positive

[Stephen]

I'm off on Ventura in a eleven days time. I'll pack bed linen, towels and a knife and fork just in case