P&O Cruises anyone?

[Pigeonqueen]

Debating booking one. Thinking of the 4 night Amsterdam one and find myself feeling overwhelmed by the various vlogs on you tube and the actual P and O website is so glitchy.

My main issues are - there will be 3 of us - dh, me and Ds aged 11 so I’m guessing we have to have some sort of bunk bed thing? Is that the only option for 3 or is there a sofa bed option? Wondered what experiences others had had.

And also food - what is it like? Do we need to spend a lot extra or are most things included? (We don’t drink alcohol so don’t need a drinks package).

Never done any cruises before but very keen to give it a go and Ds and dh would love to go to Amsterdam so seems like a good way to try it!

I went on two last year. P&O Azura. We had a great time. Late teenage daughter and I. I had a nosey in another cabin. The extra beds seemed to hang down out of the ceiling.

Terrific bargains to be had in November and December. Fly cruise to the Canaries. Less than 500£ each.

I like to go somewhere hot so not sure about the Amsterdam cruise. No opposition to sunbathe on deck.

You can have either a pull out sofa bed or a bed that comes down from the ceiling. We preferred the sofa bed as have done both types of cabin as a three.

What boat is it? We've done quite a few P&O cruises.

Have a look at cruise critics website, there is a section on there for first time cruisers.

Thank you all. I would rather go somewhere hot but dh and Ds fancy doing something different - we might have a cheap week in Spain in the summer maybe. We will see.

The boat is Ventura - which is gather is one of the older ones but still looks okay…?!

Interesting about there being both sofa and bunk beds. I would really prefer a sofa bed rather than a pull down bunk but can’t see anywhere to request this online when booking. Maybe it’s something I’d have to ring and request. (Ds and I both have disabilities so although he could manage a bunk bed I think the anxiety of him rolling out would keep us all awake..! He has autism and learning disabilities).

A 4 day cruise can always be a bit of a booze cruise in my experience. You would be better off booking 7 nights for a better experience especially with you taking a child.

I have done 4 P&O cruises 3 as a couple and 1 with kids and loved them.

Cruise with Ben and David on YouTube are great to give to give you feel for it. I think they've been on every Cruise on every ship...and they're lovely.

This does worry me from what I’ve read re the shorter cruises. Especially Amsterdam. 😳 But then I’m not sure we’re going to like it so to be stuck on a boat for 7 nights if we hate it is a bit of a gamble. Difficult!!

Thank you for the recommendations. I will give them a go. I’ve tried some of the Ben and David ones and loved them.

Pp is correct, the 4 day Amsterdam cruise is a very different vibe to other cruises. You will have a good time though, I’m sure other people boozing won’t impact your holiday.

different grades of cabins have either bunk beds or sofa beds, you can choose how much you want to pay.
I have been on 20+ P&O cruises, I love Ventura, she’s lovely.
I do always recommend the 7 day Norway cruise for first timers though. Or perhaps Spain and Portugal if you want a bit warmer? They are very good value for money.

Ventura is older but still amazing! We've been on lots of P&O cruises as well as other lines and absolutely love them.

Download a deck plan and you'll be able to see bed options. In the key you need to look for 3 berth and sofa bed. I think for a sofa bed you might need a deluxe balcony which are a bit bigger. If budget is an issue it is much cheaper usually to get bunks as you can also have an inside (no balcony or window).

There is no need to spend anything extra on food. The main restaurant and buffet are fantastic and included. Some of the speciality restaurants which charge extra aren't v expensive though, I seem to remember the Beach House was only £5 each and brilliant.

We always book through Bolsover Cruises, they are so knowledgeable and it's often slightly cheaper. They'd be able to talk you through all the options and different fares, it's a minefield!

We went on the Iona last year. You can definitely get a cabin with a kingsize bed and a sofa bed..might be called a suite. And though its very possible to eat in the restaurants that are included in the price, we did find the buffet a bit of a bun fight! The included sit down restaurants were good though and will be fine for 4 nights.

Not after what they did to their staff and even before that not a great company

@Pigeonqueen the type of cruise you are looking at is definitely a booze cruise type. However as a taster it can give you an idea what cruising is like. Just accept that there may be large groups.

At this time of year I would recommend a 7 day canaries cruise on Azura the sister ship. If you are looking at May half term the Fjords are a good taster cruise.

Cabins - this link takes you to the Ventura deck plan https://www.pocruises.com/content/dam/po/pdfs/ships/Ventura-deck-plan-2023.pdf The cabin notes at the top right hand corner shows the symbols for cabins with a single or double sofa bed.

Food
The main dining room food is perfectly fine, some weird combinations sometimes. They usually do good curry’s and soups. The good thing is if you don’t like something you can always ask for something different. Breakfasts are good.

There is the buffet which has a wide selection. Plus for lunch there is a pizzeria and grill doing burgers & hot dogs.

There are then pay restaurants where the food is better. My favourites are the Beach House and Glass House. This link has sample menu’s (scroll down and select restaurant) https://www.pocruises.com/onboard-activities/dining/main-restaurant

HTH

We did the 4 day Amsterdam one earlier in the year.
While there are people on it for a boozy weekend, we were surprised at the different groups of people - all ages, young couples, young children, teenagers, a total mix.

We ate at the buffet and from the burger bar so didn't spend any money on food at all on the boat.

You also dock within a 10 minute walk of the city so it's perfect to be able to pop back to the ship for a bit and then head out again.

We loved it.

Weren't the cruise ships and ferry company different companies?

I meant to say the main dining room is excellent if you have food allergies etc. Each night they give you the next days menu and you pick your meal so they can prepare it taking into account your allergies.

I agree the drinks packages are expensive. You can always get free tea, coffee and water in the buffet. Take one of the mini concentrate squash to put in water - the bars all give you glasses of water.

We did our first P&O cruise this year, it was amazing and we now have 3 booked for next year.

I would book 7 nights over 4, a fly cruise is summer from Southampton.

You will have more interesting ports and if it’s warm you can enjoy the pools and outside spaces.

I was really worried I would hate cruising but it was the best holiday I’ve ever been on, it was fab. Definitely recommend it and loads for children to do, even on the smaller ships.

Yes, completely different companies.

With an 11 year old you may also want to consider Royal Carribean.

We did that cruise earlier this year, after another couple with P and O.

We had teenage ds with us, and while it was a different vibe to the others - a few hen parties, more groups - there were still lots of families and children, and it was a great atmosphere. The ship docks close to the city centre and its walkable, or a very short cab ride.

Our room had the pull down bunks and they were fine, but if you are not sure they are suitable then their customer services are very helpful on the phone.

For the price we paid it was great value, although the buffet food was nicer on the previous cruises.

If you want to give cruising a go, its a good starter one and I would highly recommend it.

We’ve looked at RC and actually trying to avoid things geared specifically towards kids / families as our son is really sensory sensitive to young children and loud noises. His idea of heaven would be a cruise full of quiet, old people 😆🤦🏼‍♀️😆 Thank you for the suggestion though. The ships look amazing.

I am loving all these suggestions and the menus etc. So helpful! 🤩

Thank you so much to those who’ve actually been on that specific cruise as well. It’s really helpful to hear experiences.

That was p&o ferries who have nothing to do with p&o cruises.

They split from each other decades ago.

Oh right 👍🏼

I went on Ventura in 2019. Said I’d never go on that ship again BUT a few weeks ago we did. It has been refurbished, so now I would go on it again. 🫣 Ive been on 8 cruises, love it. Enjoy yourself. Our first cruise was for 4 nights… it’s a good way to see if you like it…. I’d be surprised if you didn’t. Book & Enjoy 🛳️