What a brilliant video! It was interesting to see your experience compared to ours. Your cabin was really good, we didn’t think they had insides that big. Our cameo didn’t turn out to be a disaster 😂 was so lovely to meet you. See you again later in the month 😀
I'm just starting to watch, but have to pause to say, there is nothing immoral about going on a cruise you've already paid for. You have a (valid) dispute with P&O, that's all. Take a chill pill, people. Right, back to the video. I hope to find you enjoyed it, Jamie.
Aurora we have been on her 5 times we love her and she got the best Anderson bar on any p/o ships. Thanks again Jamie and good luck with your travels 👍
Great video Jamie, I was on aurora for 16 days to northern Europe just after your trip, staff worked so hard and so helpful but not fan of smaller ship loved Iona last year, now looking forward to my princess cruise
Another brilliant video Jamie, i personally loved your all black for formal night, very dapper and handsome 😊, you're right about lines for food, that's not what one would want on holiday nor should you have to get up super early just for breakfast. See you soon ❤
Enjoyed your Vlog Jamie very professional. I love Aurora we had a sixteen night Christmas cruise to the Canary Islands. We had a wonderful sea view cabin. I always enjoy Anderson's bar with their own fire place. Great work Jamie. Thank you.
Great vid as always. Can't say I'm surprised that there was such a wait for MDR brekkie. We had similar queues on Ventura. Less so on Iona but I tended to use The Quays for breakfast on there. I hope that P&O step up and take some responsibility for THEM deciding to use a sub-par airline partner.
Yeh we had the same on Ventura as you might have seen but no issues on massive ships like Iona / Arvia where you might expect it to be more problematic (it wasn’t!)
I love your all-black formal wear...will deffo suggest this to hubby. Funny how excursions (which they'd have to refund) were safe enough to tender...🤔
I don’t think you’re fussy at all. I wouldn’t drink white wine that wasn’t chilled either! I really fancied doing this mini cruise, but I would be so disappointed if I got to the one and only destination and could not get off the ship, so that is now off my list. I am booked up now for the whole of next year, but for 2026 I think I will be definitely looking at princess cruises. Thanks for your videos Jamie, you keep on inspiring and informing so that we can make good decisions about our future cruises/holidays. Keep up the good work. 😘Xx
Hi Jamie off topic, but we've just come back from The Fjords on Iona (inspired by your video) and Olden indeed was amazing. We took the morning skylift and views were breathtaking. Thank you for your advice and recommendation 👍😀
Been to Guernsey three times, landed twice. We have been on 18 cruises so nowhere near the number Jamie has. In that time we have only been unable to use tenders twice, once was to Guernsey, the other to St Jean de Luz in southern France (close to the Spanish border). The one thing they have in common is they are exposed to the winds and seas off the Atlantic. The occasion off St Jean de Luz was on a smaller cruise ship, the benefit was that the promenade deck was just above the tender station. Up high the sea looked fine, from just above the tender station the crew were having a difficult time boarding and disembarking the tenders. It isnt until you get close you can see the risks.
Fab blog as usual! Sindhu looked amazing, we never got to eat there on Iona, but we did do Beach House which was not good, so Im glad yours was better! :-) I neary got the pringles song but not quite....!
Great Vlog Jamie. Enjoyed watching this. It’s little things that matter too. Not being able to dine at appropriate times. Being told to go to the buffet!!!!!! Poor selection of food /drink and inflated prices. Curse of the solo traveller? Oh no!!!! We won’t be ignored. Have to say Sindhu food did look good but non chilled white wine???…….. Absolutely needed sending back! Having recently cruised with another provider -absolutely all inclusive and fabulous I am dreading my next P&O experience in three weeks. Who knows it might be absolutely fine!
@@TravelBlogJamie. Going on Ventura again Jamie. Have been on her many times. I find Iona too large. Prefer the smaller ships. Do like Ventura- she might be older but bags of character. Recently very spoiled by a fabulous all inclusive experience with another provider small ship with 970 pax. I last cruised on Aurora in 2010.
Hi Jamie, Good review of Aurora, shame you couldn't get off, .We found dress code not observed by everyone on Queen Anne on black tie night,, , which as you say either insist on dress code or make it optional?
Ah Aurora, my first cruise ship. She may be a little smaller and a little older than some but she's a beautiful girl and I absolutely adore her atrium. Small but perfectly formed. Think I must have missed your dispute with P&O but I hope you get it sorted. P&O have definitely changed in the last few years, definitely not the level of luxury we experienced on our first cruise with them in 2018 but we still enjoy them and can cope without some of the little things that have been cut back. Definitely a few areas where it's gone a bit too far though.
It is the same thing on Holland America with their Canaletto speciality dining venue. It is also a part of the buffet just like the Beach House is on Aurora. I found it odd as well. The water off Guernsey didn't look bad at all to me either!
I suppose it’s a way of getting another dining experience on board - I’ve seen it on multiple lines (some do better at making it look less like a buffet though lol 😂 On Fred Olsen they’ve done a great job, for example)
Great vlog ❤ I was on this cruise and got to say hello, even spotted my hubby on this video 😅 such a shame you couldn’t get off, we managed to get off and was one of the first non excursion group called to tender, I didn’t even realise that they stopped them! Such a shame xx
Another great video, love Aurora. Quick question though if I can, for the dining could you still do the dynamic dining with the pagers or have they scrapped that?
I can’t believe how personal and rude some people can be to you with their comments. You look great in your evening suit. Also good point about breakfast timings. I became oddly obsessed and competitive and went for breakfast at 06:30 each day. Not really what you do on a holiday. X
For years I avoided cruises because the very issue you mentioned of regimented dining rules, then we found Marella 😁... now that's what I call a holiday
Yes, out of the many lines I’ve sailed with, it’s easy to see which are more interested in you holidaying with flexibility and those that aren’t (although within the same company there can be massive differences depending on the ship too!)
Only just watched this thought food in buffet looked poor compared with other cruise lines, cabin looked good but a little tired. Think PO have lost there way and need to alter there ways. Great review as always. X
Good vlog. I’m sorry you missed Guernsey. I’m inclined to agree about Formal Night and have noticed this on more than one cruise line. If you have a rule, enforce it!
Yes agreed 👍 On Cunard recently I had to wear a tie for formal night in main dining room but others now for some reason - I’d like a rule to be enforced or just not there
Hi Jamie shame that you couldnt have a mooch aroung Guernsey the sea looked fine to me that member of staff in the crows nest what a lovely person he is makes a difference to the cruise love the Sinduh the food is always great I think a mix of good and bad for you this cruise thank you for a fantastic video ❤
Hi Jamie, hope you’re well. (We met on a speedboat shore excursion at St Lucia last Christmas.) Excellent review. I’m still waiting to have a resolution about my delayed Maleth flight too! PS It’s St Peter Port - not St Peter’s Port! This drives Guernsey folk mad! 😂😂😂
Jamie, white wine definitely should be ice cold, am I the only one who put’s white wine in the freezer until the bottle as frost on it, by the way Pinot Grigio is the best ❤
We were on Aurora at Xmas and May when she was full. Never had a problem getting a seat at breakfast, and we share your policy about getting up early (or not) of a morning. Wife says the all black look is good. My fashion knowledge is poor enough that a former colleague took it upon himself to give me a personalised Queer Eye For The Straight Guy back when I was dating, but I too give the all black a thumbs up. To answer your query - pianos are tinkled 🙂
@@TravelBlogJamie your issues with booking speciality restaurants, the long waiting times to use the MDR ( I have freedom dining this time, I presume you still have the long waiting time?) Pools not being heated properly and not enough staff on board as you said at the end of your video. I've also heard that the toilets can be troublesome, with some public toilets being out of order. I cruised with Ventura a few years ago and absolutely loved it and I was hoping Aurora would be the same. Fingers crossed that after her refit some of the issues maybe resolved.
Hi Jamie! 😀 Love your videos! Shame you didn’t get to Guernsey! Come to Jersey, the best Channel Island 😉 🇯🇪 Where I live!! Would love to see you review lots of Celebrity cruises! 🚢!! Best wishes!!
Love Aurora but never been on , we did go on our first cruise on Oceana years ago and love the old ships , I wish P & O would make some smaller ships like this but looks like they're going the Arvia / Iona route , shame really.
Hi Jamie, I was on that cruise as well. Sorry not to have met up with you. I must say, your experience on board was completely different to mine! My friend and I had booked fixed dining, so we had a regular table every evening at 8.15pm. We ate in the Medina Restaurant for breakfast. Never had any queues. As regards to the sea 'conditions', I thought it was quite 'rocky' I could not keep my balance any day. On Sunday morning, when Aurora was anchored off of Guernsey, I didn't like my breakfast in the MDR, so ended up in the Horizon Buffet. We hadn't booked a tour and were in two minds whether to get the tender ashore. There had already been an announcement that they couldn't get the tender boats near on the port side, so had to change to the starboard (which we thought was a bit concerning). We were sitting by a window in the buffet, watching a tender boat trying to come alongside. It had to give up in the end. This was about 10.30am. It then started to pour with rain, so we decided we definitely would not go ashore. We weren't filled with confidence after watching the boat trying to get near. Anyway, as you mentioned, about 11am they cancelled all further excursions, due to the sea swells, which confirmed our decision. On that last night (Sunday) we went to Masquerade's for a 60s/70s disco, great! It was hilarious trying to dance with the ship rocking about, no one could keep their balance! The DJ even played 'Rock the Boat' by the Hues Corporation during a particularly rocky time 😂 I loved Anderson's Bar, the staff were great, as were all the staff on the ship.
Oh wow - I literally couldn’t feel a thing - no problems with balance here on this cruise! No doubt you saw the queues I experienced in the vlog? After the fabulous cruises I had before this one it really did pale into comparison, unfortunately
@TravelBlogJamie You must have 'sea legs'. This was only my 5th cruise. I still felt like I was on the ship when I got home! Took two days to regain my balance 😂 Moral of this story - I must go on more cruises 😊
@@TravelBlogJamie ah yes but have you ever been to Jersey though? Granted St Peter Port is prettier than St Helier but we have nicer countryside and beaches 😊
Watching this tonight on the tv. An interesting look at P&O's how smallest ship! Dean is a friend of mine!! I choreographed him on his first job in center parcs - Penrith! Top guy, ridiculously good looking and great voice! You're also going to be cruising with another of my pupils on Caribbean Princess! Showteam Vocalist Bethan! Love the aft of this ship. Love how many people you met on this ship! We do like the look of this ship. Afew technical hitches with the in board booking. Don't worry about hyacinth bucket - we had a Jimmy saville reference in our video today! 🤣. Great video - 🍻🍻🍻 and an iced coffee ❤️
Having my own issues with P&O customer services team. Caught between a rock and a hard place because I love P&O ships staff so want to continue with them (among others) but based on customer services I wouldn’t touch P&O again.
@@TravelBlogJamie I have found that a large part of the problem seems to be different people saying different things about the same subject and making extremely diverse decisions which conflict not only with each other but their actual advertising. But I agree with you it does say a lot about how they care for existing/ repeat customers. Keep up the good work Jamie, love the honest reviews and your approach to negative comments!
I dont know what your issue is with P&O but i feel the same about Marella and will not sail with them again because of the way they handled (well didnt) my complaint. We didnt make it to Guernsey with P&O Britannia when the sea looked like glass but who knows?!!
Oh it’s all documented on my channel from dropping us at airport in Antigua all night and following morning with almost no facilities until 5am, knowing no flight due / leaving, 16 hour delay that they refuse to do anything about with their chosen sub par carrier none of us wanted to fly with but they refused refunds / cancellations without losing all your money and ongoing refusal to communicate with all those of us affected
That doesn’t work with meds for diabetes though - I can’t take them that late in the day and I can’t swim first thing without having eaten / taken meds or my bloods would drop dramatically
@@DoninSpain49 it meant taking evening meds later which meant trying to eat later - fortunately not an issue I had to think about on the other cruise lines I sailed this year where you can eat whenever you want
We were on there 2 weeks ago Iceland Norway lovely room with balcony lovely staff , but buffet food was not good same old food not happy for the price we paid . Prefer a ship that’s bigger and more family friendly lesson learnt
I was on Aurora for a 3 day trip to Guernsey at the beginning of August. On that trip too we couldn't disembark at Guernsey because of supposedly bad weather. Again didn't look to bad to me. Maybe they don't have enough tenders to get the amount of people off and back on in time.
Hi Jamie I’m new to the channel. I’ve been stuck at home on my cancer journey watching travel videos. Now I’m ready to get back my groove🤣 but how does anyone book a cruise as a single person on a budget. If you or anyone here can give me any advice, tips, travel sites I’d be so so grateful to you all as I have never been on any sort of boat let alone these big ships 😬🙏
The queueing for food resonates. I did back to back cruises last November on P&O Arcadia (met you onboard) and Cunard Queen Victoria and dinner on Arcadia was pandemonium, particularly on formal night (one woman literally screaming at the top of her lungs that she’d been waiting an hour and a half). Queen Victoria was next and the difference was astounding, dinner every night was a seamless experience with immediate table for two available at whatever time we turned up. Interestingly Arcadia and QV are almost identical in size and passenger complement but the dining experience could not have been more different.
You looked so upset in this video, sorry P&O has gone so downhill. I’m booked on a Fred Olsen cruise to Norway, you’ve definitely made me want to give cruising a go. Hope your next cruise is more up to scratch. You also looked very dapper in your black tie, I love the all black look!
As a U.S. cruiser, some of us shy away from anything Carnival Corp. The buffet looks dreadful. I haven’t cruised on ANY Carnival product in over twenty years and this video back up our decisions. Mind
I totally understand your annoyance about the “curse of the solo passenger”. The difficult of eating alone can be horrendous even when you are prepared to share a table which I am; the number of times I have been glared at by the female side member of a couple I can can count on my digits and those of others - and if the husband dares talk to me? Oh geeeeez. All I want to do is eat for Odin’s sake. Luckily my advanced years means I can sail on smaller ships known for their inclusiveness of solos. You aren’t old enough for one of the companies yet to appreciate that.🍸🍸🍹🍹🍷🍷🍾🍾🍹🍹🍹🍹
@@TravelBlogJamie 50 for saga. With your penchant for activities I rather think you would find line dancing and art classes a bit too much for you. The closest thing to a zip line for you would be sliding down a mooring room. The silent discos don’t need headphones just hearing aids removed. The enrichment talks are often very good though.
Cmon P&O... Where is your restaurant manager? Making sure everything is running ship shape? They're letting themselves down... Food is a massive part of all our holidays 😁 thanks for this Jamie, I'm going on Aurora (first cruise) in March so will be wary xx
@@TravelBlogJamie I know right! I had same problem you had with asking for drinks if it's not on the menu then NO. I just asked for a straight dry martini. Couldn't do it. I Even asked if I could just buy the elements separately and they shake it 🤣. It's princess for us always happy to accommodate when they can.
Fab as always very honest, hope things have improved by next March when we go on her! And the biggest thing let’s hope P&0 do the right thing for those that got caught up in the Maleth drama x
To Echo other comments - what a brilliant video and very balanced. I have been an a number of cruises and love them, your absolutely right it’s a holiday and it should cater for that. We went in p&o and found the same. Food in the buffet wasn’t that good either. There is nothing wrong with expecting high standards and good service I don’t think. I found the staff great in P&O just found they had to much to do maybe slightly under staffed. Great review as always Jamie and keep the honest reviews coming 👍👍
I wonder if anyone who works for P&O watches your vlogs Jamie? 🤔 If they do, they could learn a lot from this one!!! Such a shame that this cruise was a bit of a letdown and that you won't be cruising wìth them for the foreseeable. We've always had lovely cruises on Aurora, but that just goes to show the inconsistencies. When you've done so much to promote P&O over the years, it's a shame they haven't returned the loyalty and resolved your Maleth issue. 😢
They just don’t care about my loyalty or custom I’ve brought them - they don’t have to of course. I just feel for all those who continue to be ignored 😫
Agree with food restrictions on P&O. Just came back from a week on ventura (coincidently we left a day after yours). We had a few issues with food/drink. No where did sex on the beach cocktail. I wanted a pastry from tazzine , I got told I could only get one if I ordered a coffee. Had a few issues in the main dining room ordering drinks from the wine menu. We found it very limited, not a lot of options for people who don't drink wine or who are sober. The staff overall were brilliant and worked very hard, but food wise and drink wise needs to be improved
Interesting vlog about Aurora Jamie! I must admit, if I was on there & saw the presentation of the food in the buffet, rusting containers that the food was put in, I’d pay every night for speciality dining. Compared to other cruise lines you have reviewed, this looks shocking. (No disrespect to the staff) I’ve had friends & family on Iona & they loved it & to be fair it’s better than what you’ve shown on Aurora!! Sad really as new cruisers may want to try a smaller ship first before going with a bigger one & P& O are shooting themselves in the foot by slacking on their smaller ship. Great video by the way as usual, keep on cruising my darling! 😘😁👍
Crikey. Not sure what to make of all that! A good cabin was the redeeming feature. I'm sailing Plymouth to Santander tomorrow on a 20hr ferry and think I have a good chance of having a better time!
Pretty clear they were struggling with tenders (understaffed?) with tensions, complaints and flash points rising so easier to simply cancel and tell everyone it is for safety reasons. There was nothing wrong with those sea conditions.
Rough sea?? El Capitano needs to check out your Marella tender journey!😮 Was like a flippin white knuckle ride! Mixed bag of a cruise really. Dare I say it, luckily you were only captive for 3 nights. Warm wine aside, Sindhu looked as good as I remember. Fair and balanced vlog Jamie which is what you are known for. Nobody can say you allowed "the issue" to influence your views. One question...were the members of your group camera shy or too bladdered to make the final cut? 😂 Finally...strained pineapple (thank you Jesus or in this case Google). 🙏
I gave P&O two chances to see if they was any good and they failed big time twice ! Butlins at sea in my opinion, Another passenger said to me P&O stands for Piss Off we don't care about your concerns
Nice one 👍🏻 Shame we won't see you cover P&O for the forseeable if their slippery management still refuse to recompense yourselves and scores of other dissatisfied customers. Ludlow and his apparatchiks need to realise customers make paydays possible.
I definitely wasn’t bored (I can’t even remember the last time I was bored just generally) - I just didn’t like some of the operations which made things difficult at times - not one for me either
What a brilliant video! It was interesting to see your experience compared to ours. Your cabin was really good, we didn’t think they had insides that big. Our cameo didn’t turn out to be a disaster 😂 was so lovely to meet you. See you again later in the month 😀
Thank you and see you sooooon!
Thank you Jamie for now always mentioning if there’s a pool hoist. Much appreciated when planning a holiday.
No problem 😌
I'm just starting to watch, but have to pause to say, there is nothing immoral about going on a cruise you've already paid for. You have a (valid) dispute with P&O, that's all. Take a chill pill, people. Right, back to the video. I hope to find you enjoyed it, Jamie.
I totally agree and thank you 🙏
Aurora we have been on her 5 times we love her and she got the best Anderson bar on any p/o ships. Thanks again Jamie and good luck with your travels 👍
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Great video Jamie, I was on aurora for 16 days to northern Europe just after your trip, staff worked so hard and so helpful but not fan of smaller ship loved Iona last year, now looking forward to my princess cruise
Enjoy ☺️
How many of the staff spoke perfect english
@@mynameisleeyesitis I don’t know anyone on the planet whose English is perfect!
Another brilliant video Jamie, i personally loved your all black for formal night, very dapper and handsome 😊, you're right about lines for food, that's not what one would want on holiday nor should you have to get up super early just for breakfast. See you soon ❤
Thank you so much ☺️
Great video! Your vlogs are really helping us as we are newbies to the vlogging world!
You’re very welcome ☺️
Loved the video! When I was in the US I was shocked by how many people knew Keeping Up Appearances - people made references to it to me unprompted!
Oh I must check in with my US friends to see if they know
Loved that show Keeping Up Appearances. My local PBS station played Brittish comedies and dramas.
It was greeeeat
Enjoyed your Vlog Jamie very professional. I love Aurora we had a sixteen night Christmas cruise to the Canary Islands. We had a wonderful sea view cabin. I always enjoy Anderson's bar with their own fire place. Great work Jamie. Thank you.
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Great vid as always. Can't say I'm surprised that there was such a wait for MDR brekkie. We had similar queues on Ventura. Less so on Iona but I tended to use The Quays for breakfast on there. I hope that P&O step up and take some responsibility for THEM deciding to use a sub-par airline partner.
Yeh we had the same on Ventura as you might have seen but no issues on massive ships like Iona / Arvia where you might expect it to be more problematic (it wasn’t!)
I love your all-black formal wear...will deffo suggest this to hubby. Funny how excursions (which they'd have to refund) were safe enough to tender...🤔
Yeh funny that wasn’t it 😉
I don’t think you’re fussy at all. I wouldn’t drink white wine that wasn’t chilled either!
I really fancied doing this mini cruise, but I would be so disappointed if I got to the one and only destination and could not get off the ship, so that is now off my list. I am booked up now for the whole of next year, but for 2026 I think I will be definitely looking at princess cruises. Thanks for your videos Jamie, you keep on inspiring and informing so that we can make good decisions about our future cruises/holidays. Keep up the good work. 😘Xx
Thank you so much ☺️
What did you think about the wine on princess. We couldn’t find any on the package we liked.
Conundrum was awesome and cost just $1 extra
Not sure if you meant to post about Princess in the P&O vlog?
Hi Jamie off topic, but we've just come back from The Fjords on Iona (inspired by your video) and Olden indeed was amazing. We took the morning skylift and views were breathtaking. Thank you for your advice and recommendation 👍😀
Awesome news ❤️❤️❤️
Jamie my nephew works as a singer/dancer in theatre on Aurora. Was looking out for him but didn’t see him. Xxx
Awww 🥰
Been to Guernsey three times, landed twice. We have been on 18 cruises so nowhere near the number Jamie has. In that time we have only been unable to use tenders twice, once was to Guernsey, the other to St Jean de Luz in southern France (close to the Spanish border). The one thing they have in common is they are exposed to the winds and seas off the Atlantic. The occasion off St Jean de Luz was on a smaller cruise ship, the benefit was that the promenade deck was just above the tender station. Up high the sea looked fine, from just above the tender station the crew were having a difficult time boarding and disembarking the tenders. It isnt until you get close you can see the risks.
Thanks for the info 👍👍👍
Fab blog as usual! Sindhu looked amazing, we never got to eat there on Iona, but we did do Beach House which was not good, so Im glad yours was better! :-) I neary got the pringles song but not quite....!
I’ve heard mixed things about Beach House depending on the ship - my least good experience was in Iona and this one was ‘good’ at best
We did this on Itinerary on Arcadia, tendering off was interesting to say the least, Arcadia disappointingly doesn’t have a beach house 😢
No, Arcadia has no beach house but has the Ocean Grill unlike the other ships
Great Vlog Jamie.
Enjoyed watching this.
It’s little things that matter too. Not being able to dine at appropriate times. Being told to go to the buffet!!!!!! Poor selection of food /drink and inflated prices.
Curse of the solo traveller? Oh no!!!! We won’t be ignored.
Have to say Sindhu food did look good but non chilled white wine???…….. Absolutely needed sending back!
Having recently cruised with another provider -absolutely all inclusive and fabulous I am dreading my next P&O experience in three weeks. Who knows it might be absolutely fine!
Which ship will you be on? I find Iona and Arvia have more flexibility and attention
@@TravelBlogJamie. Going on Ventura again Jamie. Have been on her many times. I find Iona too large. Prefer the smaller ships. Do like Ventura- she might be older but bags of character.
Recently very spoiled by a fabulous all inclusive experience with another provider small ship with 970 pax.
I last cruised on Aurora in 2010.
@@janerees8990 oh I wish my last Ventura experience had been better 😫
Hi Jamie,
Good review of Aurora, shame you couldn't get off, .We found dress code not observed by everyone on Queen Anne on black tie night,, , which as you say either insist on dress code or make it optional?
Oh you noticed too??
Here’s the big one - and the last?
Ah Aurora, my first cruise ship. She may be a little smaller and a little older than some but she's a beautiful girl and I absolutely adore her atrium. Small but perfectly formed.
Think I must have missed your dispute with P&O but I hope you get it sorted.
P&O have definitely changed in the last few years, definitely not the level of luxury we experienced on our first cruise with them in 2018 but we still enjoy them and can cope without some of the little things that have been cut back. Definitely a few areas where it's gone a bit too far though.
Oh definitely!
It is the same thing on Holland America with their Canaletto speciality dining venue. It is also a part of the buffet just like the Beach House is on Aurora. I found it odd as well. The water off Guernsey didn't look bad at all to me either!
I suppose it’s a way of getting another dining experience on board - I’ve seen it on multiple lines (some do better at making it look less like a buffet though lol 😂 On Fred Olsen they’ve done a great job, for example)
@@TravelBlogJamie Fred Olsen's Bolette and Borealis are former Holland America ships. Maybe that is why they got it right?
@@tonylarussa4046 ah so Holland America did get it right? Sorry, you made it sound like they didn’t lol 😂
We are just back from Aurora …we loved it …never lets us down..food and staff better then last year.
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Great vlog ❤ I was on this cruise and got to say hello, even spotted my hubby on this video 😅 such a shame you couldn’t get off, we managed to get off and was one of the first non excursion group called to tender, I didn’t even realise that they stopped them! Such a shame xx
Hope you had a nice time!
Great vlog Jamie. Canadian here.lol ..... What is a Holick drink ?
It’s a hot milky malty drink
Great blog Jamie alway watch your videos 👍
Thanks so much Richard
Another great video, love Aurora. Quick question though if I can, for the dining could you still do the dynamic dining with the pagers or have they scrapped that?
Pagers given out essentially when they can’t seat everyone
We loved this - we have no gripes with P&O so we'll go for it. Cheers 🍻
Oh it’s a bit more than a gripe 😂
I can’t believe how personal and rude some people can be to you with their comments. You look great in your evening suit. Also good point about breakfast timings. I became oddly obsessed and competitive and went for breakfast at 06:30 each day. Not really what you do on a holiday. X
Exactly - it’s not a holiday when you have to plan to that extent. Honestly, I don’t take much notice of anyone rude 😉
For years I avoided cruises because the very issue you mentioned of regimented dining rules, then we found Marella 😁... now that's what I call a holiday
Yes, out of the many lines I’ve sailed with, it’s easy to see which are more interested in you holidaying with flexibility and those that aren’t (although within the same company there can be massive differences depending on the ship too!)
Great video Jamie. You could really see the difference on this cruise compared to your last two! P &O looks like it's going down hill! 🫤
I think there’s a marked difference isn’t there
Only just watched this thought food in buffet looked poor compared with other cruise lines, cabin looked good but a little tired. Think PO have lost there way and need to alter there ways. Great review as always. X
Oh the buffet is nowhere near as good as most other cruise lines, for sure, but what I ate for dinner was v nice
Fun fact, cabin A297 was also the one that Emma Cruises stayed in on her recent cruise on P&O Aurora.
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Good vlog. I’m sorry you missed Guernsey. I’m inclined to agree about Formal Night and have noticed this on more than one cruise line. If you have a rule, enforce it!
Yes agreed 👍 On Cunard recently I had to wear a tie for formal night in main dining room but others now for some reason - I’d like a rule to be enforced or just not there
Hi Jamie shame that you couldnt have a mooch aroung Guernsey the sea looked fine to me that member of staff in the crows nest what a lovely person he is makes a difference to the cruise love the Sinduh the food is always great I think a mix of good and bad for you this cruise thank you for a fantastic video ❤
Yes, a real mix - a shame!
Hi Jamie, hope you’re well. (We met on a speedboat shore excursion at St Lucia last Christmas.) Excellent review. I’m still waiting to have a resolution about my delayed Maleth flight too! PS It’s St Peter Port - not St Peter’s Port! This drives Guernsey folk mad! 😂😂😂
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Can’t wait to see this
Hope you enjoy
I have often wondered what you used to teach!
Ya lo he mencionado muchas veces 😉
Loved your black tie outfit. Very elegant and different to other people. ❤
I like being a bit different
Try Aurora after the April refit ….
Nope, afraid not 👎 It’s not the ship I don’t like, it’s the management of the ship and their restrictive rules
@@TravelBlogJamie fair enough
Hows this compare to ventura ive been on ventura before thanks
I’m not sure if you saw my last Ventura vlog? Totally different ships but I had long lines on both unfortunately - haven’t been back since 😫
Your welcome continue with what you are doing.
🙏
We were on the dream !!
I love my Disney cruises
Jamie, white wine definitely should be ice cold, am I the only one who put’s white wine in the freezer until the bottle as frost on it, by the way Pinot Grigio is the best ❤
It haaaaas to be cold for sure!!
Just like a slush 🤣🤣🤣
Great vlog Jamie. Amanda said you look very handsome in black. She luvs black
Oh bless her - she still has good taste lol 😂
We were on Aurora at Xmas and May when she was full. Never had a problem getting a seat at breakfast, and we share your policy about getting up early (or not) of a morning.
Wife says the all black look is good. My fashion knowledge is poor enough that a former colleague took it upon himself to give me a personalised Queer Eye For The Straight Guy back when I was dating, but I too give the all black a thumbs up.
To answer your query - pianos are tinkled 🙂
Lucky you - I hope you saw the issues in the vlog for yourself
Great video and review, however I think I'm going to be disappointed when I travel on her next year 😢😢
Anything in particular?
@@TravelBlogJamie your issues with booking speciality restaurants, the long waiting times to use the MDR ( I have freedom dining this time, I presume you still have the long waiting time?) Pools not being heated properly and not enough staff on board as you said at the end of your video. I've also heard that the toilets can be troublesome, with some public toilets being out of order. I cruised with Ventura a few years ago and absolutely loved it and I was hoping Aurora would be the same. Fingers crossed that after her refit some of the issues maybe resolved.
@@taddyboysg oh I hope those areas are better for you by then 🙏
Hi Jamie! 😀 Love your videos! Shame you didn’t get to Guernsey! Come to Jersey, the best Channel Island 😉 🇯🇪 Where I live!! Would love to see you review lots of Celebrity cruises! 🚢!! Best wishes!!
You’ll be pleased to know I’ve been to both over the years ❤️
@@TravelBlogJamie I live in Jersey too and naturally I think it’s the best one! What did you make of it?
Love Aurora but never been on , we did go on our first cruise on Oceana years ago and love the old ships , I wish P & O would make some smaller ships like this but looks like they're going the Arvia / Iona route , shame really.
They’ll never go down that road again in my opinion
Hi Jamie, I was on that cruise as well. Sorry not to have met up with you. I must say, your experience on board was completely different to mine!
My friend and I had booked fixed dining, so we had a regular table every evening at 8.15pm. We ate in the Medina Restaurant for breakfast. Never had any queues.
As regards to the sea 'conditions', I thought it was quite 'rocky' I could not keep my balance any day.
On Sunday morning, when Aurora was anchored off of Guernsey, I didn't like my breakfast in the MDR, so ended up in the Horizon Buffet. We hadn't booked a tour and were in two minds whether to get the tender ashore. There had already been an announcement that they couldn't get the tender boats near on the port side, so had to change to the starboard (which we thought was a bit concerning). We were sitting by a window in the buffet, watching a tender boat trying to come alongside. It had to give up in the end. This was about 10.30am. It then started to pour with rain, so we decided we definitely would not go ashore. We weren't filled with confidence after watching the boat trying to get near. Anyway, as you mentioned, about 11am they cancelled all further excursions, due to the sea swells, which confirmed our decision.
On that last night (Sunday) we went to Masquerade's for a 60s/70s disco, great! It was hilarious trying to dance with the ship rocking about, no one could keep their balance! The DJ even played 'Rock the Boat' by the Hues Corporation during a particularly rocky time 😂
I loved Anderson's Bar, the staff were great, as were all the staff on the ship.
Oh wow - I literally couldn’t feel a thing - no problems with balance here on this cruise! No doubt you saw the queues I experienced in the vlog? After the fabulous cruises I had before this one it really did pale into comparison, unfortunately
@TravelBlogJamie You must have 'sea legs'. This was only my 5th cruise. I still felt like I was on the ship when I got home! Took two days to regain my balance 😂 Moral of this story - I must go on more cruises 😊
As a Jersey person I’m going’ to say you didn’t miss very much by not making it ashore in Guernsey #interislandrivalry 🤣🇯🇪
Oh I’ve always enjoyed my visits to guernsey! 🇬🇬
@@TravelBlogJamie ah yes but have you ever been to Jersey though? Granted St Peter Port is prettier than St Helier but we have nicer countryside and beaches 😊
@@MarieClaireGoss yes, also been to Jersey many times 😉
Watched it ( it is shame you couldn’t get on the guernsey island that sea looks ok as well by have to follow the captain)
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Watching this tonight on the tv. An interesting look at P&O's how smallest ship! Dean is a friend of mine!! I choreographed him on his first job in center parcs - Penrith! Top guy, ridiculously good looking and great voice! You're also going to be cruising with another of my pupils on Caribbean Princess! Showteam Vocalist Bethan! Love the aft of this ship. Love how many people you met on this ship! We do like the look of this ship. Afew technical hitches with the in board booking. Don't worry about hyacinth bucket - we had a Jimmy saville reference in our video today! 🤣. Great video - 🍻🍻🍻 and an iced coffee ❤️
🙏🙏🙏🙏
We had no line for dinner ..queues at six….they start queueing at 5.30 ,
none at seven or after …
I mean, as you know, they put me on the 6.15 dinner and wouldn’t change me to the later one
@@TravelBlogJamie they just can’t get the hang of this new system…they need to learn from princess
Having my own issues with P&O customer services team. Caught between a rock and a hard place because I love P&O ships staff so want to continue with them (among others) but based on customer services I wouldn’t touch P&O again.
So sad 😞 how a company deals with genuine issues says a lot about how they care for customers / repeat customers
@@TravelBlogJamie I have found that a large part of the problem seems to be different people saying different things about the same subject and making extremely diverse decisions which conflict not only with each other but their actual advertising. But I agree with you it does say a lot about how they care for existing/ repeat customers. Keep up the good work Jamie, love the honest reviews and your approach to negative comments!
at least they had a reasonable 2 hour karaoke lol
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Agreed about drinks they can’t custom a drink …are they premixed now ?
Many are, yes
Safety first and all that! Love that it's 'safe' enough to get passengers back! Anyone would think they're keeping you on there to spend money!
Funny that…
I dont know what your issue is with P&O but i feel the same about Marella and will not sail with them again because of the way they handled (well didnt) my complaint. We didnt make it to Guernsey with P&O Britannia when the sea looked like glass but who knows?!!
Oh it’s all documented on my channel from dropping us at airport in Antigua all night and following morning with almost no facilities until 5am, knowing no flight due / leaving, 16 hour delay that they refuse to do anything about with their chosen sub par carrier none of us wanted to fly with but they refused refunds / cancellations without losing all your money and ongoing refusal to communicate with all those of us affected
That aside, far too many restrictions on this actual cruise for it to be truly holiday like
Always best MDR 10 mins before end of service for breakfast. May give you time for an morning swim.
That doesn’t work with meds for diabetes though - I can’t take them that late in the day and I can’t swim first thing without having eaten / taken meds or my bloods would drop dramatically
@@TravelBlogJamie Were you OK after the late breakfast.
@@DoninSpain49 it meant taking evening meds later which meant trying to eat later - fortunately not an issue I had to think about on the other cruise lines I sailed this year where you can eat whenever you want
We were on there 2 weeks ago Iceland Norway lovely room with balcony lovely staff , but buffet food was not good same old food not happy for the price we paid . Prefer a ship that’s bigger and more family friendly lesson learnt
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I was on Aurora for a 3 day trip to Guernsey at the beginning of August. On that trip too we couldn't disembark at Guernsey because of supposedly bad weather. Again didn't look to bad to me. Maybe they don't have enough tenders to get the amount of people off and back on in time.
Or enough crew 🤔
I did my first and last P and O cruise on Arvia in May, there's too many better options out there imo.
I do agree with you currently
Love Aurora and Arcadia hate the huge ships and adult only
If only we’d had better experiences on both Aurora and Arcadia this year …
Hi Jamie I’m new to the channel. I’ve been stuck at home on my cancer journey watching travel videos. Now I’m ready to get back my groove🤣 but how does anyone book a cruise as a single person on a budget. If you or anyone here can give me any advice, tips, travel sites I’d be so so grateful to you all as I have never been on any sort of boat let alone these big ships 😬🙏
Go in ugly and filter for ‘solo/single’ - it’ll a give you all prices for all the cruise lines / itineraries they offer
On a separate note, I’m so pleased you are ready for the next journey - sounds like you kicked arse
@@TravelBlogJamieI’m doing well now! Thank you so much ❤️
The queueing for food resonates. I did back to back cruises last November on P&O Arcadia (met you onboard) and Cunard Queen Victoria and dinner on Arcadia was pandemonium, particularly on formal night (one woman literally screaming at the top of her lungs that she’d been waiting an hour and a half). Queen Victoria was next and the difference was astounding, dinner every night was a seamless experience with immediate table for two available at whatever time we turned up. Interestingly Arcadia and QV are almost identical in size and passenger complement but the dining experience could not have been more different.
It’s so sad isn’t it 😫
You looked so upset in this video, sorry P&O has gone so downhill. I’m booked on a Fred Olsen cruise to Norway, you’ve definitely made me want to give cruising a go. Hope your next cruise is more up to scratch. You also looked very dapper in your black tie, I love the all black look!
Thank you 🙏
Ps I love Fred Olsen - enjoy ☺️
@@TravelBlogJamie thanks 😊 going on the northern lights cruise but fancy the summer fjords too as your cruise there looked fantastic!
Sounds like P&O have been cutting corners, I would have expected slightly higher standards for P&O! Great and informative content 👍
Yes, I expected more too 😫 thanks for you’re kind words
As a U.S. cruiser, some of us shy away from anything Carnival Corp. The buffet looks dreadful. I haven’t cruised on ANY Carnival product in over twenty years and this video back up our decisions. Mind
Awesome
I totally understand your annoyance about the “curse of the solo passenger”. The difficult of eating alone can be horrendous even when you are prepared to share a table which I am; the number of times I have been glared at by the female side member of a couple I can can count on my digits and those of others - and if the husband dares talk to me? Oh geeeeez. All I want to do is eat for Odin’s sake. Luckily my advanced years means I can sail on smaller ships known for their inclusiveness of solos. You aren’t old enough for one of the companies yet to appreciate that.🍸🍸🍹🍹🍷🍷🍾🍾🍹🍹🍹🍹
Agreed 👍 (how old do I need to be for ‘other’ cruise lines as I approach 50, by the way?)
@@TravelBlogJamie 50 for saga. With your penchant for activities I rather think you would find line dancing and art classes a bit too much for you. The closest thing to a zip line for you would be sliding down a mooring room. The silent discos don’t need headphones just hearing aids removed. The enrichment talks are often very good though.
Mooring rope……flippin predictive text.
@@teresajarkowska5792 yeh so I’m just 9 months away from 50 (and I’m half deaf so I wear hearing aids) lol
Cmon P&O... Where is your restaurant manager? Making sure everything is running ship shape? They're letting themselves down... Food is a massive part of all our holidays 😁 thanks for this Jamie, I'm going on Aurora (first cruise) in March so will be wary xx
Hopefully an improvement by then - plenty of time to get things ship shape
I share your frustration with P&O. The cruise line who loves to say NO! 🤣
It’s unusual to be told ‘no’ on holiday exotically when being so very very reasonable with minimal expectations lol
@@TravelBlogJamie I know right! I had same problem you had with asking for drinks if it's not on the menu then NO. I just asked for a straight dry martini. Couldn't do it. I Even asked if I could just buy the elements separately and they shake it 🤣. It's princess for us always happy to accommodate when they can.
@@joffee516 I found the same
@@TravelBlogJamie I don’t think your expectations were unreasonable and you did come across as measured.
Fab as always very honest, hope things have improved by next March when we go on her! And the biggest thing let’s hope P&0 do the right thing for those that got caught up in the Maleth drama x
Gosh, they’ve had over 8 months, let’s hope so … they’ve never once contacted us about it or responded to messages
You look good in all black
Thank youuuuuuuu
To Echo other comments - what a brilliant video and very balanced. I have been an a number of cruises and love them, your absolutely right it’s a holiday and it should cater for that. We went in p&o and found the same. Food in the buffet wasn’t that good either. There is nothing wrong with expecting high standards and good service I don’t think. I found the staff great in P&O just found they had to much to do maybe slightly under staffed.
Great review as always Jamie and keep the honest reviews coming 👍👍
Thank you so much 🙏🙏🙏
I wonder if anyone who works for P&O watches your vlogs Jamie? 🤔 If they do, they could learn a lot from this one!!!
Such a shame that this cruise was a bit of a letdown and that you won't be cruising wìth them for the foreseeable. We've always had lovely cruises on Aurora, but that just goes to show the inconsistencies.
When you've done so much to promote P&O over the years, it's a shame they haven't returned the loyalty and resolved your Maleth issue. 😢
They just don’t care about my loyalty or custom I’ve brought them - they don’t have to of course. I just feel for all those who continue to be ignored 😫
Guernsey seems to have a high miss rate
For me, definitely
Come onnnnnnn😅
🐦🐦🐦
Agree with food restrictions on P&O. Just came back from a week on ventura (coincidently we left a day after yours). We had a few issues with food/drink. No where did sex on the beach cocktail. I wanted a pastry from tazzine , I got told I could only get one if I ordered a coffee.
Had a few issues in the main dining room ordering drinks from the wine menu. We found it very limited, not a lot of options for people who don't drink wine or who are sober.
The staff overall were brilliant and worked very hard, but food wise and drink wise needs to be improved
The options have certainly reduced over the last few years
Interesting vlog about Aurora Jamie! I must admit, if I was on there & saw the presentation of the food in the buffet, rusting containers that the food was put in, I’d pay every night for speciality dining. Compared to other cruise lines you have reviewed, this looks shocking. (No disrespect to the staff)
I’ve had friends & family on Iona & they loved it & to be fair it’s better than what you’ve shown on Aurora!! Sad really as new cruisers may want to try a smaller ship first before going with a bigger one & P& O are shooting themselves in the foot by slacking on their smaller ship. Great video by the way as usual, keep on cruising my darling! 😘😁👍
It was indeed disappointing in places
The sea conditions looked calm in comparison to our bozcadda conditions.
I know right!!!
@@TravelBlogJamie 100% 👍
NOOOOO please.not the last 😅
Well there’s nothing to go back for when the company ignores their responsibilities
Crikey. Not sure what to make of all that! A good cabin was the redeeming feature. I'm sailing Plymouth to Santander tomorrow on a 20hr ferry and think I have a good chance of having a better time!
I think there’s a very good chance you will!
Pretty clear they were struggling with tenders (understaffed?) with tensions, complaints and flash points rising so easier to simply cancel and tell everyone it is for safety reasons. There was nothing wrong with those sea conditions.
You know what, I’m no expert but I’m inclined to agree!
Im 76 and Horlicks was a punishment
Missing out
Rough sea?? El Capitano needs to check out your Marella tender journey!😮 Was like a flippin white knuckle ride!
Mixed bag of a cruise really. Dare I say it, luckily you were only captive for 3 nights. Warm wine aside, Sindhu looked as good as I remember. Fair and balanced vlog Jamie which is what you are known for. Nobody can say you allowed "the issue" to influence your views. One question...were the members of your group camera shy or too bladdered to make the final cut? 😂
Finally...strained pineapple (thank you Jesus or in this case Google). 🙏
Ha! Correct translation ✅ Muy bien
Thanks, great vlog. I’ll stick to Marella though 😂
Me too (and other lines)
it,s what annoys me about P&O there is a huge amount of gin based cocktails but very little if you prefer other spirit based cocktails
Quite limited in places
Oh and two tribes
Nope 🙂↔️
I gave P&O two chances to see if they was any good and they failed big time twice ! Butlins at sea in my opinion,
Another passenger said to me P&O stands for Piss Off we don't care about your concerns
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Nice one 👍🏻 Shame we won't see you cover P&O for the forseeable if their slippery management still refuse to recompense yourselves and scores of other dissatisfied customers. Ludlow and his apparatchiks need to realise customers make paydays possible.
I honestly don’t think they care at all any more 😫
Stopped travelling on Aurora when they made it adult only
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you looked very bored on this one not a ship for us xx
I definitely wasn’t bored (I can’t even remember the last time I was bored just generally) - I just didn’t like some of the operations which made things difficult at times - not one for me either
Stick to Princess
Not JUST Princess - no no no
@@TravelBlogJamie or Ambassador
clearly P&O are going further downhill than I feared. Dreading my trip with them in december...
Hopefully you saw the positives as well
@@TravelBlogJamie Oh of course, I didnt just look for the negatives dont worry. It was still a lovely video.
@@natayacourteny3525 thank goodness! I do try and show all the positives too 🙏🙏🙏
Not looking forward to are Caribbean cruise on P&O now
You’re doing the Caribbean on Aurora?
@@TravelBlogJamie no brittania
@@markkirkpatrick6997 oh, better imo
Love your video Jamie I was over thinking that the problem you have with P&O we are going to have comes with my military background we stand together
So much black pepper on your soup it looks like the ash tray has been emptied in it
That’s your entire take away from a whole vlog? 🙄