Cruise in September

[tillyh345]

We have booked ourselves on a cruise in September with P & O, a bit of an impulse booking. Has anyone got any comments good or bad, has anyone been on one, as first timers we would just like some pointers. My husband is a little concerned about the smart dress code as he likes to be comfortable. We have booked a Dublin, Spain France 7 dayer, as a taster....................

[jno]

the dress code is here

http://www.pocruises.com/Help/Dining/

I don't know about P&O, but on other ships I've sailed on, they only apply to the main restaurants and if you don't want to get gussied up in a suit and tie you can head for a more casual restaurant. Without knowing which ship you're on, I can't say howmany restaurants there'll be, but maybe half a dozen.

Personally, I travel for the destinations rather than for the actual travel, so I always go on excursions when we get to a port. Ships run their own, which guarantee you will be back in time to sail; but you can often arrange one for half the price, or just stroll around town, and still be back in plenty of time.

What you've paid probably won't include drinks (which can be pricy) and may not include tips either - better check this, as tips are all but compulsory and can be quite a chunk of your budget; but British ships often include them in the price.

You can look up your cruise here and see what otheres have thought of it in the past:

http://www.cruise.co....&reviewdestinationid=

cruisecritic is another website to look at.

Generally.... you're going to have a lovely time. P&O are a good line.

[handygran]

Which Ship are you going on? We have done 10 cruises and P & O and Royal Caribbean are the best. On a 7 night cruise you will only have 1 formal evening to dress up and most people do. The other nights you need to be smart casual. If you want to go on any excursions first check where you are docking and if it is possible to do it under your own steam because some of the trips are expensive and you can do a lot cheaper yourself. Ask at Pursers desk how far destination is from port. 4 of us go but you may get friendly with someone else and be able to share a taxi.

[auntiebertie]

You need to research the ports of call to see how easy it is to visit them by yourselves. The best site is http://boards.cruisecritic.com/index.php - from here there is a link to a specific P&O section and then further down there is a link to Ports of Call where you can look up the European ports.

[Meg]

We've done quite a few cruises, mainly with Princess but with P&O and Royal Caribbean as well. I personally detest the formal dining rooms so we eat in the buffets or have room service. As long as your husband is comfortable wearing long trousers and a shirt you should be fine, even formal nights are not as fussy as they used to be. If he insists on wearing shorts and a t shirt at night you will have to dine in the buffet. Have a great time!!

[tillyh345]

Thank you all for your tips, btw its the new P&O Ship The Azura we are booked on.....

[horseshoes]

He'll be fine. My husband booked us on a P & O 14 day cruise to St Petersburg for my 50th. I too was quite apprehensive at the thought of the formal nights. The men are the lucky ones - they only need to hire a tux! The formal nights are not stuffy - just a bit smarter. On the last night, all the chefs come out into the dining room and everybody claps along - it's great fun. You'll LOVE it I'm sure; we're definitely going again. We made a friend of our steward - he saved us a small fortune, by advising us on when not to bother with the ship's excursion as in Belgium, Copenhagen, Estonia where we did our own thing and probably saw much more. Enjoy it Tilly.

[tillyh345]

Thanks horseshoes for your advice, Yes I am sure we will enjoy it, not going to get humg up on dress issues. I think there are plenty of other dining options should we not want to dress formal. We have opted for freedom dining so should be ok. We are on the Azura, it looks stunning, cant wait now....

[Aldrich]

I think you would be fine, I have been on 4 P&O Cruises and we have had a great time on all cruises. I suggest you read the P&O Cruises review on http://www.Cruise.co.uk so you can get an understanding of all the good and very little bad points. Media URL: http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews/pando-cruises/
Description: P&O Cruise Reviews