Cruises and food/ dress codes etc

[Pinkfrocks]

We are looking at cruises - P&O for example- but have been put off by the dress code and formality that seems part and parcel- that's just not us at all. But the bonuses of a cruise appeal- no air travel, hopping off at a new place straight from the ship etc, no driving.

What's the deal with meals? P&O does say they also offer casual dining options so is it possible to choose that 7 nights out of 7, or 6 out of 7?

There is no way I'd want to wear a ball gown because I'd never wear it again and TBH the whole regimented approach just sticks in my throat- seems a bit like up market Butlins.

Can anyone reassure me?

Not booked.
Is Oceana a P&O ship?

My Mum was telling me a friend of hers would not cruise again as it was full of old people ( joke as friend is 82) and they took so long to get on the ship then off at ports that they had little time left to see the sights before embarking again.

Is this remotely so?

Also when the ships dock, is it possible to walk into the towns because I don't want a coach or a long taxi drive.

Oceana is a P&O ship but I'm talking about the cruise line Oceania which has 5 ships. V different things, v similar names!

There are plenty of older people as the ease of cruising makes it ideal if you're having mobility problems but, on Oceania at least, we had no difficulties at all getting off, but that's an advantage of a smaller ship perhaps.

Thanks! Did a google and spent the night looking at P&O Oceana- thanks for the tips.

Pinkfrocks - we sailed on Royal Caribbean independence of the Seas is summer, which I believe is the biggest ship operating in Europe and getting on and off was very easy, there was one day when the check-in scanner broke and we had to wait 15 mins to get back on and another day we had to queue for about 10 mins but normally it is very quick indeed, just a few minutes. We tend to get back on board fairly early though, it might be worse if you leave it to the last minute. You have to go through airport style security scans every time you get back on board but it is very efficient.

As for the distance from the ports, it varies enormously from port to port, some you can get off and you are right in the town, others you are miles from anywhere, you need to do your research. The most common scenario in my experience of two Med cruises seems to be that you are in a port area a mile or two from the city centre. Rome is the furthest from port of any I've been to, a 90min coach trip from the port. The Cruise Critic forum has pages for all the popular cruise destinations.

We love to cruise for all the practical reasons and because I hate flying, so we cruise ex UK. We have been on several different cruise lines but by far our favourite is Celebrity - although we are 2 adults as our 'children' are not children any more!
Even on formal evenings, I have never felt uncomfortable in evening (ie dressy/Palazzo type black trousers) and a lovely top/kimono which I much prefer to evening dresses, although DH wears black tie, we don't look oddly matched as there are some very dressy but easy to wear tops available (I buy when Christmas party clothing is in stock!) - or, as others have suggested, you can dine informally or even in your cabin/balcony depending on the weather.
We also prefer to eat as a twosome - happy to talk and socialise at other times, just prefer to eat together - and generally either book 'select' dining (also called anytime) rather than set-time, or on Celebrity book Aqua class so we can eat in Blu which is a smaller restaurant and has mainly tables for 2.
Perhaps you could try a mini-cruise. or a week at most, to see how you like it before committing to a fortnight.