Have you noticed cutbacks on P&O Cruises? 

I think the cutbacks explain the difference in experience for new cruisers and pre-pandemic. New cruisers are still blown away by the incredible value that P&O offer. We don’t miss what we never had and it doesn’t detract from the holiday. Pre Covid cruisers can’t help comparing and feeling a little disappointed with the changes.

I have travelled only with p and o for 35 cruises. each year the standard has got worse. i went on Ventura over Christmas 2022 and was shocked at the poor standard of the food. i have already got another cruise in the pipe line, but if things are not improved ill start to use another cruise line. P and o must realise that people have other choices. A LOT of people were really un happy on that cruise, and many vowed NEVER to go with P and O again! such a shame. Thanks for the video.

My friend who I cruise with, is having a new luxury kitchen fitted, so is not cruising this year. So, with such low prices for double cabins with single occupancy, I have been brave and gone on my own - as so many do on P&O. Yes, they have cut back but I still had a fabulous time! There is so much to do and eat on Iona. No wonder they are charging for room service - passengers have been so wasteful on previous cruises, meaning that you walk down the corridor with trays of food left outside the cabin door - horrible! Until prices soar to keep up with rising costs, there will be small cut backs. A great time is still to be had.

As always, a well balanced and what seems fair set of observations - certainly worth considering when choosing a future cruise - P&O certainly seems to be moving more and more to the CarniCorp model of 'lower cruise fare + nickle & diming once onboard'.

This comes up allllll the time in my cruise groups. Have you noticed any? 🤔

Hi Jamie. Great, balanced and well informed video, as always. We have been cruising exclusively on P&O 2 or 3 times a year for the last 14/15 years. Our first cruise was on Oceana back in 2009. Over the past 6/7 years we have noticed the little changes increasing (not just since Covid). When we first started cruising with them the dinner in the MDR was also silver service (not just the cheese) and the whole trip had more of a 'sense of occasion'. We are fairly self sufficient on the ships and look after ourselves on shore (generally no P&O excursions, no extra cost restaurants/spas/retreats etc.) so the lower main costs added to the 10% peninsular club discounts keep us coming back. Keep up the good work and GOOD LUCK with the new teaching/vlogging balance! Chris ("From twitter") 🙂

Yes, I agree with everything you have said. We were on Arcadia in July and were very disappointed . We were told that the trays were removed from all ships buffet restaurants to cut food waste. We are booked on Arvia in March 2024 to see if the newest ship is an improvement. If not it will be our last P&O cruise.

Thank you so much for these informative and helpful blogs. We really appreciate your well balanced approach. We have booked our first P& O cruise on Arvia this November. We have cruised extensively with Royal Caribbean, celebrity and Cunard. So look forward to what P& O has to offer.

I took my very first cruise on Arvia in March and, apart from catching Covid during the final few days (which was an awful experience) I enjoyed the cruise and was happy with the service I received, especially the waiters and my cabin steward. As someone else pointed out, you cant miss what you've never had. The cutbacks you mention seem reasonable to me, all things considered, and the absence of extra food should be seen as a plus, given that there is almost wall to wall food to be had on board from the time you get up, to the time you climb into your unturned down bed at night😂

Great video Jamie - we cruised with P&O more or less every year from 2009 onwards until the pandemic. In 2023 we returned to Ventura having cruised with MSC last year. Although we noticed a lot of the cutbacks you mentioned, we found it didn't detract from the quality of the cruise. In fact - it was still great value and I thought the service in the bars and restaurants had improved a little! P&O still compare very well to MSC on price, quality and service - in fact, I vowed never to cruise with MSC after our 2022 on Virtuosa!

We have just come back from a P & O cruise on the Ventura. I have only been on one other cruise and that was P & O as well. Our cabin was done everyday and the staff were absolutely great. I am lactose free and gluten free and they were very helpful and I got the menu the night before and I got a jug of lactose free milk delivered to my cabin when needed for my tea and coffee in room. The bug I had was the though there were choices with the food they were a lot smaller, but our waiter would give us extra if asked for when ordering.

Fortunately or unfortunately ? We only started cruising with P&O in 2022 so have never experienced any of these treats ! Service was still excellent in my opinion and we just keep coming back. Thanks for the excellent vlogs Jamie

When considering this you must think about what you are paying compared to other cruise lines. P&O still represents very good value in my book, despite the cutbacks. Cutbacks have happened across all cruise lines but the prices on many are a lot higher.

I am just back from a 12 day cruise on the Aurora and I believe that I got great value for money. I have sailed with a number of cruise companies and P&O are the only ones that do not charge a hotel service fee (compulsory gratuity), this is a major saving. The extra charge restaurants on the P&O ships are also very good value, you can get a 170g fillet steak with king prawns for only GBP 8.50, all of the other cruise lines would charge at least GBP 35 + 18% compulory gratuity In relation to the food in the MDR, the 170g sirloin was avaliable every day if you didn't like the daily menu

A good balanced review Jamie. Personally I'm okay with the cutbacks if it keeps the lead price low. Just one note, cakes and snacks are still free in the Costa on Aurora (possibly Arcadia too). There are still a few extra touches still on the adult ships which have gone on the big ships.

Yes I would prefer to pay that little bit extra to receive those little touches. Our first cruise was pre-COVID, our second was recently and what a difference ! The particular one I really disliked was the cut down dining menu. I was shocked on the choice. I ended up having several steaks and damn chicken due to awful(for me) choices I couldn’t eat...same with the deserts, although the waiter, bless him brought us each a bowl of ice cream with our deserts even when it wasn’t requested. Maybe he was embarrassed on the small portions. I really don’t mind tidying up our cabin in the evening, no problem at all, but the breakfast in the cabin was a disappointment, not a lot of choice and scaled down portions... We have booked another cruise with them though as we do enjoy our cruises with them. It’s just a shame these changes have happened as it doesn’t feel as luxurious as it once was,

Great Vlog, we just got off Iona last week, yes there are cut backs but we still had a wonderful time. I quite like trying different Cruise lines now. So when you do get a little extra added it makes it even more special. Did a MSC cruise and got some peanuts with our drinks and I was so excited. Be good to see what Sky Princess has to offer in October.

Thanks for this review, it is disappointing 😢 to see these cuts, recognising you get what you pay for! I think its eroding the speciality of Cruising, with the mega ship and mass market ships . For us it's been all about the service giving by he crew who now seem overstretch and less experienced and having a special experience. All cruise lines were hit hard and as you said it's about generating a profit margin and the customer experience sad so say😢

I don't have an issue about any of these cutbacks, and honestly think that P&O offer a very good service that is more than comparable with the current prices. As far as the cutbacks are concerned, some of them are a courtesy rather than a cutback. I don't think a piece of card in your cabin telling you that clocks go back/forward is needed, when it's all over the ship on screens plus in the newspaper. What would you do on plane? Listen to the announcement of the time change or expect a stewardess to come round with it on a piece of card for you? People have to think for themselves sometimes.....Anyway, great video Jamie, loving your work 👍

Yes one I noticed passengers have to pay for their bus service at the terminal destinations which used to be free & we had to pay 8 euros return.Quite expensive for a 10 minute compute.

Hi Jamie and may I mirror many of those viewers of your blogs and compliment you on how slick, informative and balanced your reports are. Regarding P&O and the ongoing cutbacks and decline with its standard services. I believe that the decline in the service offered to customers by P&O started many years prior to Covid-19. I used to be a regular passenger with P&O cruises during the days when the P&O’s fleet included Oriana, Oceana & Adonia and with the original Funnel buff livery. Other ships within the fleet at the time was the Arcadia, Ventura, Aurora & Azura. Our earlier P&O cruises included a 5-course silver service as standard for the evening dinner and our 1st Christmas cruise with P&O on the cruise ship Oceana, P&O gifted each passenger a silver-plated present Gentlemen Cufflinks & Ladies a powderpuff type of mirror. Our last Christmas cruise with P&O on the Aurora we were gifted a small net containing 5 dairy milk chocolates and Norovirus. One other change amongst many. When P&O due to one reason or another was unable to enter a port of call, a plan “B” was always available including a possible replacement port of call or an additional onboard entertainment package. According to a recent conversation with a P&O passenger who sailed on the Arcadia, this option is no longer available, and passengers don’t even merit an apology for the in convenience. I except that companies need to evolve and meet the needs of its present and future customers, but the repercussions of Covid 19 is not the only reason behind the decline within P&O’s customer service and historically P&O’s decline and the erosion of the customer service has been going on for decades.

We have only travelled with p&O since the end of covid so these cutbacks were not noticeable to us we like p&o as its a bit more formal than some others as you have said in past vlogs there is a cruise for everybody keep up the good work with your vlogs they are very entertaining thank-youuuu jamie

I took my first P&O cruise on the Ventura this May. The itinerary (Portugal & Spain) was lovely and the price was cheap, but the overall experience was a bit underwhelming. I'd expected P&O to be much better with food and entertainment, but these areas were very limited, with a cramped buffet area, set dining times and outdated dress codes in the restaurant, slow bar service, and lack of choice of singers/entertainers. It offers great value if the itinerary and price are right, but the formality becomes stuffy & irritating, especially when the end product isn't so special. As a solo, I find that Marella charges about £400 more for a week, and it's probably worth it.

Interesting video. We haven’t cruised with P&O since 2017, had one booked but cancelled it as we were sad to see reviews of cutbacks. This video cements some of our concerns. The food has definitely taken a downward turn and to be fair our last cruise was showing signs of it. I don’t think it’s all due to the P word. The cruise log was a nice touch but I do wonder how much paper was wasted. Maybe that could be emailed to passengers or added to cruise personaliser? Cocktails 😮 shocking. Makes me sad 😢

Must have cut back on cleaning cabin windows we couldn't see a bloody thing out ours last week.😜

Freedom dining, there was always a que even though when finally seated there was plenty of availability in the dining room. Shortage of waiting staff and always in a hurry, not the dining experience no more. Last time for P&O. :(

I have never been on a cruise before and spent 10 days on Ventura in June. I loved it. The staff were fantastic. They couldn't do enough for you. Our steward was lovely. I loved the ship and especially the pools. I would quite happily stay on Ventura and never get off for 10 days. Relaxing holiday but the buffet was a bit small with everyone fighting for tables. Didn't enjoy that aspect.

Generally all this is fine, but I'm going on the World Cruise next year and have spent my life savings on it... not cheap at all! So I hope they will have a few special things going on on Arcadia for those who are travelling for 99 nights. Chicken each night might get slightly repetitive.... I believe the port talks are back though.

P&O cruises removes your tray in the horizon restaurant on Aurora The excuse is to cut down on food wastage To me it’s an health and safety issue because people were trying to carry their breakfast/lunch and alto trying to carry a tea plate with bread roll ,sauce,butter etc and some even dropping items But P&Os answer is to Ut down on food waste and reduce queues in the serving area From what I saw Was also creating extra quests as people tried to return for fruit juices toast etc Bad planning

I definitely noticed cutbacks on our last cruise. We joined theP and O ship in Malta for a weeks cruise around the Greek Islands. We decided at the end of that week not to travel with P and O for the next few years, if at all.

We found on our recent cruise on the Ventura that every single fruit juice drink we ordered with our breakfast was watered down. They were so weak that eventually we stopped ordering them!

Hi Jamie, also the little bowl of boiled sweets that used to be in your cabin, missed those, always a bit woozie on my first day at sea, and a sucky sweet helps. The menus! Used to get the menus in lovely folder to show all the great meals you’ve eaten on your cruise. Btw love your channel ❤

Thanks for the information. I was deterred from cruising when Iglu cruises refused to return our cash during the pandemic. When P&O sacked their staff in favour of slave Labour this put P&O in the dustbin. Now I’ve watched your video, my views have been set in stone.

Hi Jamie We have just sailed on Celebrity Silhouette for the third time and the cut backs were very noticeable but they were all the nice little touches that made Celebrity special. I can understand that the cruise lines have had a tough few years but to reduce the service level and the things that encourage people to rebook is short sighted. For the first time we did not book another celebrity cruise whilst onboard choosing to try another line to see if they would restore that value for money feeling. Anyway Jamie stay cool and regards to Matthew hopefully will see you round smelly Southampton one day.

We will be first time cruisers in October.I expect it will all be new and exciting for us.Nothing to compare its incredibly good value.

Got back last week , deff need to sort system for getting a drink , ques we’re ridiculous , especially at back of ship pool bar on Iona , either have more staff behind bar taking orders or more waiters walking around taking orders , the buffet restaurant wasn’t brilliant in choice

We recognied most of the changes you talked about. Just to mention, as you suggested, face cloths are still available.......but on request. We had no problem getting them on Arvia, together with body lotion and conditioner. These were delivered by our cabin steward within 5 minutes of our request. Reminders of the change in the clocks were displayed on the home page of the TV screen, as well as in the horizon. Don't know if this happens across the fleet. Having paid the same for a two week cruise on Arvia as we paid on Ventura 15 years ago the biggest cut we have noticed is in the real terms price of the holiday and the inclusion of all gratuities, as you referred to. We also enjoyed the wider (inclusive) choice of menu across the MDR offering on Arvia , which as well as the options in the Meridian and Zenith also included alternative dining in the Olive Grove and the American Diner. We tended to look at the various menus before choosing where to eat. We found this gave a far wider choice of inclusive dining than previously on P&O. We also enjoyed the addition of the lovely casual dining options in the Quays. The thing I miss most though is the Log of the Voyage!! We have a collection going back to 1995 but sadly no more! Always enjoy your channel and very best wishes for your future expansion!

Evening turn down they did say would be removed to remove tips. They also have removed biscuits in cabins unless requested and also conditioner need to be asked for. Moisturiser has been removed. A big change is afternoon tea has gone which we certainly missed on sea days and the small scones available in the buffet doesn't really make up for it. Some very good points made in the video though.

I’m gonna really defend P&O here based on our Britannia cruise in late April. Didn’t notice understaffing at all tbh, there was the full 1350 crew on ours and they were fantastic. Was only a little slow getting a drink on the first day but that was understandable when everyone was up at the bar. Not gonna pretend there wasn’t cutbacks but that doesn’t bother me as long as we had value for money. We paid £730 each for a week long cruise, including the child’s drink package we bought, free car parking and £150 to spend, and a choice of cabin, and fabulous service. That value in itself is pretty unbeatable tbh, but yes I would have been disappointed if we paid substantially more than that. But at that price you really can’t complain 👍

Every post covid cruise I've been on has had cutbacks. Honestly it makes it harder to justify the daily service charges on some lines which have actually gone up.

Noticed these on recent cruises, also no copy of menus provided at end from waiter. Definitely notice less wine waiters around in the dining hall as now top up our own glasses after receiving the bottle. It is of course little things that will add up to big saving, I do miss the chocolate on pillow though!!

Just returned from a week in Azura. Most noticeable cut backs were fewer waiters and longer queues for drinks. Also some lagers not available despite being advertised. Small changes but enough to make us reconsider another p and o cruise booked for December.

Hi Jamie. We (myself and my husband) have just got back from being on Ventura (24 June - 01 July). We had only done one cruise prior to this on Iona and it was when they had just started cruising again so didn’t port. We noticed some cut backs on our cruise too for example we didn’t get any biscuits in our room throughout the cruise. I know this is a really trivial thing to point out but I gained my love for St Michel Galletes on the Iona in 2021 and we’re looking forward to them. I would note that some of the rooms had the cards to remind them of the clock changes and some did not. We were able to get a cake with coffee though so that’s a bonus! They were a lot more basic than what we could have had on our previous cruise though! We were also told that they had ran out of a lot of beers as well (we weren’t drinking much from a fellow passenger) which we felt was strange! Also agree with the portion sizes too, they seemed to be smaller and less choice both in the Buffett and MDR’s. Thanks for all your vlogs we love them! 😊

Hi Jamie, The main thing we noticed on Brittania in April, was that the cabin needed better cleaning, fridge smelt,and fridge door very stained,. Towels very thin ,and sometimes replaced ones damp,,,,, carpet very stained ,should have been replaced, having to ask constantly for milk /teabags . Agree cruise prices are good ,but want a holiday where we feel comfortable & hygiene is carried out , no complaint about staff ,they have a short ti.e to get cabins done .

We have been with them x 2 this last year and will NOT return to P & O again as the changes are noticeable (including no table cloths in the main downstairs restaurant on Arvia to add to your list). Other cruise lines offer a much much better experience for the price you pay. The CEO's decision to make these cutbacks will do them no favours in the long term when passengers compare them to other cruise lines and decide to abandon them. Plus, there is so much less to do for children on board compared to say Royal Caribbean and NCL. Also to add to your list, having to go to a very well staffed bar where bar waiters were stood chatting, to order your own drinks. The bar staff couldn't have cared less that we had to do this. We will take our custom elsewhere.

Thanks Jamie. Very helpful. I am still looking forward to my cruise in November-my first since the pandemic!

It's an interesting one, this. I sailed on Aurora and Arcadia pre-covid and I've sailed on Iona since and there's definitely a difference. I miss the free cakes with coffee and the slightly wider choice of food options in the MDR, particularly the silver service cheese boards (for those of us who can't eat blue cheese that's a bit troublesome). I'm a big guy but the smaller portions don't really bother me, it's not like you can't ask for more or head to the buffet a little later if needed. There's plenty of food to be had still. The one thing I do really miss is the turndown service. It's very much a nicety rather than being a requirement and it's not a deal breaker but that attention to detail made it feel really special so it's a shame. Personally I wonder if turn down service is something which could be introduced as an added perk for select fare passengers.

We were on the Iona in September and we had a great time and the staff were amayzing but a bit stretched at times as the ship was full. Also a waiter told me if they so much as clear their throat they get put in quarantine and tested for covid and they are very strict with staff. We booked all our restaurant meals on the app and never had to wait, but when leaving the dining room the waiting time for non booked was 45 minutes. We don't mind the changes as it makes the cost better value and I asked about face flannels and the steward said she would leave one every day. Cut backs are everywhere in restaurants and hotels so the cruise industry is no different.

Thanks Jamie. None of the cut backs you mention bother me too much - I think charging for room service per item is a bit much. One thing we noticed on our last cruise which makes zero sense to me is getting rid of trays in the buffet - especially if someone is getting a second plate for someone less abled. I had to stick my cutlery under my armpit as I had a side plate of fruit with my meal on more than one occasion 😂. Also no separate butter patties in pots, it’s now piled in cubes on a plate, not a problem in theory, not a big deal, but if your plate has just come out of the dishwasher hot then it’s a bit of s puddle by the time you sit down! Such small things and really we shouldn’t moan - but are these cutbacks because they are cutting back on staff? The current staff seem so overworked as it is.

You get what you pay for, and that’s why I never go on P & O as over the years the service, staff, menus etc has all deteriorated. Carnival Corp started to make these changes very subtly several years ago, long before covid, they had planned this but covid just enabled them to hasten these changes. Certain other cruise lines in the Carnival Corp have done the same. However that said different people want different things so it could be argued that this is the modern way of cruising.

They will provide a facecloth if you ask. They don't replace them though, unless you drop it it the shower along with towels that need replacing.

I’ve been cruising since I was 8 I’m now 64.I haven’t cruised since 2019 due to this very fact that they have been cutting corners since the larger ships came into being.It’s not just a recent thing this has been an ongoing issue for years.Creature comforts may have improved but the overall experience has not.It’s interesting to note that the new cruisers who have no history to compare are all pretty happy,whereas the established cruisers usually have experience that tells otherwise

One thing I've noticed is you was supposed to get port transfer shuttle with select fare. What they don't tell you is this only happens if its more then a 30 min walk in to town. Or we'll and good if you don't need new knees. Also booked the sky lift at Olden through P&O. At double the price than on the port side. Only to find out we queued up to get the bus to the lift with everyone else. No insensitive to book with P&O at all. Its not a P&O tour in any way. You're just buying a ticket double the price.

Hi Jamie .. I went on Iona in March for 2 weeks and had a brilliant time (despite cuts backs like, no evening turn down/pillow choc, they are not important) we loved it.. however, I then went on Arvia in May for 2 week and it was a polar opposite story! The ship was 'full' and the staff were fewer (suspect illness below deck, we heard snippets from crew to back that up) and were far less experienced/interested than previous cruises. The ship was filthy, or room was not cleaned/prepared for us and only minutes were spent each day cleaning (I'd spent time everyday with toilet paper, trying to improve it). I saw food left on the floor in public areas that was left for up to 2 days, too! We both caught Covid (for the first time). The food was awful too compared to Iona, I suspected 'rationing' to spread the food out across all the passengers + food inflation played equal parts (we'd order a veg curry and literally get 4 small cubes of veg in a plate of source). The speciality restaurants were very good, but got booked solid. The queues everywhere were awful too, we tried different tactics using virtual queuing and real queuing to no avail. If you like lots of fast food and like to eat either first or last at every meal time, then I can see it works - but that's not for me.

We’ve cruised with p&o for over 15 years but I’ve yet to go on one since the pandemic! We’re travelling this October on Arvia and are very interested to see how it will be. We’ve always stayed very loyal to p&o but wondering if this will be the case moving forward. You’re right though, they are very clever in there marketing strategy as the price you pay is far lower than other lines out there! We will wait to see how we get on in October! I know it’s so silly but I loved the turn down service and the choc on your pillow - it felt special x

Been cruising with P&O for nearly 20 years. Without doubt the level of service has reduced over that time, but I would say nothing on this list would impact my enjoyment of a cruise. On our last cruise, I noticed the level (or frequency) of live entertainment in the theatre seemed to have reduced compared to before the pandemic. We are back again with them next month, it will be interesting to see if it has indeed reduced or our last trip was just a one off.

Evening turndown is neither here nor there. The MDR and Buffet food quality and choice is quite a big issue for most people and we think the main venue entertainment to be a bit crap, lots of single male singers etc. Strangely we went on a very budget Carnival cruise from Sydney early this year ( as it was much cheaper than car hire and motels) and found the food to be much much better with far more choice than UK P&O, same entertainment but with a nightly comedy club which was good. Just as well we don't drink much. Cannot complain though as it is still very good value and would now cost more to go to Spain for the same length holiday.

Very informative. Realistically if you want 'standard' or if you want 'special or luxury' you have choices. I think P&O offer 'standard' - and this is becoming more apparent in their marketing and ship sizes; they are definitely catering for the mass market. There is nothing wrong with this and it is possibly where the profits may lay for the Carnival Corporation; however they also do provide for the luxury end of the market too with some of their other brands. There will be some passengers who expect the old level of food, service etc. from the P&O brand (these passengers may well be disappointed).

I don’t mind any of the cutbacks but love the prices. More than happy to provide my own toiletries and even a flannel. Usually either take myself a box of chocolates or buy one in first port stop. When you consider the huge debts that are being serviced I am all for cutting back and removing the non essentials. I sadly don’t think some people realise these extra luxuries were just not sustainable.

Another more potentially dangerous cutback is the removal of trays in the buffet. This has lead to an increase in the number of accidents involving spilled food and drinks. When a senior member if staff was questioned she replied that it was done to save food - how?

Hi Jamie. We have just come back from our cruise to the fjords on Iona (unlike yours, we had less than optimal weather... 😔). Having watched this video, everything now makes sense. We have not sailed with P&O before, so we didn't know what was missing. We did notice there was no evening turn down, the chocolates, the lack of face cloths and table decorations. We just assumed it was the P&O style. We also thought the dining room menus rather disappointing and the food was somewhat lack lustre (as compared to Cunard or Celebrity). Now I can see that they have bunched up the daily and the always available dishes together. The choices in the buffet felt limited and I was disappointed with the cheese offering; small trangular slices of (mainly) mature cheddar is not what I expect from a cruise buffet. I also had the cheese plate one evening and was not very impressed. The lack of trays was an issue in the Horizon buffet. It was a pain to have to keep going back and forth separately at breakfast time for water, coffee, bowls of porridge and yogurt, etc. I also noticed the lack of small serviettes for hot plates, some of the plates were really hot and I mentioned that to one of the staff who just told me to be careful but did not give me a cloth or anything. I had similar experiences to you, and other vloggers, on waiting times at the bars. Sometimes it only took 5 minutes but other times, we sat there for 20 waiting for our orders to be taken. I was surprised to find out that I couldn't order any drinks from any bar, like on other crew ships. I only wanted a Kir Royale, which wasn't anything complicated. Nor could they serve me a pastise, which any bar in rural France can manage. Queueing seems to the main memory of getting food, ice cream and drinks on this cruise. There is no doubt the crew worked very hard to make it an enjoyable cruise for the passengers. It's just that we didn't feel the week spent on this ship, albeit beautiful, was as enjoyable as the other ones. The fjords, however, were FABULOUS! So pleased we got a cabin right at the back. Thanks for another excellent video. 👍

I've been cruising since 1971 - Empress of England, Canadian Pacific. I still cruise now. I'd say that the gap between Princess and P and O has widened. Princess has always been a posher line, but now both the prices and the cutbacks really show this. I'd say P and O was still a great deal, but many experienced cruisers are now going to want the Princess package even more if they can afford it. P and O has effectively gone from being a lower-middle level of cruising to a budget level, whereas Princess has stayed middle. This is ok. I can see why they've done it and the fares are cheap! That is a really good thing as remember there is a cost of living crisis on! The main thing I would personally miss from this list is the Cruise Log at the end. I save them. However, I bet you could negotiate a print out from the Cruise Services desk. Some cuts make sense - flowers are nice, but I'd rather have a cheaper fare. Why not pay extra if you order a lot of room service? Maybe 1 should be free per week? The very worst thing you describe in your video is having constantly full ships - esp if there are either lots of young kids or lots of mobility scooters. Please note, I enjoy a mix of ages. I like to see old and young onboard, but sometimes there can be just too many of one, either making using the sundecks or lifts hard work. I've been on cruises where this happened and the crew acknowledged the issue. Some ships pack a lot of people in, some less so. Arvia and Iona are fantastic ships - but much, much more so when they are not full. I've been on them at 70% capacity or so, and boy was that nice :)

I just came back off Iona on Saturday and overall had a positive experience I obviously didn't notice any of the cutbacks apart from the absence of the facecloth as we didn't pack one assuming we'd get one supplied. We had no problems in our steward finding one we were on Deck 9 and our steward Michael was fantastic and so we tipped him well. However our inside cabin was €1000 each for 7 nights. This has been what we have been paying on RC cruises since 2017 I don't consider P&O to be a cheap brand. In some bars the service was great but the poolside bars service was quite poor. Empty drinks not being collected having to go the waiter at the bar to order drinks even when they weren't busy they just stood chatting at the bar with each other or the barman. They rarely went round to see if anyone wanted drinks. However in Andersons, The Crows Nest and Brodies the service was very good. Just want to comment on the buffet as well, I don't know if it's changed but the buffet on Iona was very poor. On Royal Caribbean they make up many items fresh, you can choose salads, small bites, cheese plates small rolls etc. On Iona everything seemed to be help yourself very little preparation went into anything. I fancied a salad one lunch time from the Quays, the pasta salad and lettuce trays were empty so I asked a crew member to refill them, it never happened in the 30 minutes I was there. Small things but disappointing none the less that they don't assign a crew member to keep these things ticking over during peak periods. On Royal each station in the buffet has two chefs where you could ask for things not the same on Iona. However on the upside Olive Grove was great as were the fast food options on Quays.

As you know we're very new cruisers, both cruises have been with P&O, one pre and one post pandemic. We absolutely loved both but did notice the missing pillow chocs and the turn down service on Iona (we survived without them)! Service, cleanliness and food on both cruises was excellent but Iona wasnt operating at full capacity-we've yet to experience Arvia at full capacity (roll on 2024!). The lovely traditions you talk about are not known to the newbies BUT the 'tiny little things' can be the big things that people notice. P&O are trying to encourage a new genre of passengers but they could easily have modern ships with traditional customs IMO. Lengthy spiel over 😂

Yes P and 0 have cut back lately even before covid. But nowhere near the conditions on Celebrity Edge. Our last cruise on this ship was very bad. The buffet didn't have hardly any food at night time, the room only partly lit. We had to ask for our bedding to be changed. Some of the deck furniture was FILTHY. Compared to this p and o is luxurious.

We have cruised for over 40 years and as Jamie has found out there has been a dramatic change in all cruise lines not just p&o. We have just come back from a cruise on sky princess to Iceland and the fjords and had a cruise from hell, not only the decline as Jamie’s video but the only way of getting warm was go back to the cabin and site around a hair drier as the temperature control on board was not working .

We were going to go on our first cruise then covid hit so never got there. These videos have been extremely informative for any future plans to go cruising - Thankyou

A little cut back that annoyed me was, on arvia no trays for buffet which means plates could be too hot to handle and my wife was having a bowl of soup and nearly dropped it as bowl became too hot. And butter no longer in Ramakins so you have to put butter on a hot plates and of course it starts melting by time u get to your table Minor thing but I see it as a safety thing 🤷‍♂️

Just back from a 30 day cruise on Aurora. While we did notice the difference in things like turn down, we had a thoroughly enjoyable cruise. After an initial bad experience with a waiter, we were treated very well. There was always sufficient food and there were three afternoon teas. The last one being a chocoholic afternoon tea . The entertainment.was excellent and there was always something to do on sea days. The murder mystery afternoons were particularly enjoyable! Despite initial misgivings, about a small and somewhat elderly ship we had a most enjoyable cruise.

Balanced review Jamie. Each time I cruise notice more cut backs. Often little things but it’s good to know in advance of these! Thank you for highlighting these. My last cruise was Nov 22 on Ventura. This was my 4th experience post pandemic. I noticed lots of changes. I will be trying Iona again in October. Interesting to see what has changed. My last experience on Iona was a staycation cruise just as cruising recommenced in 2021 with very reduced capacity.

I thought I was the only one who liked the port-soaked Stilton. I consider it food of the Gods! We only used to find it on the Ventura and we were told that only one chef made it.

We are sailing with P&O now, there are changes but overall the cruise experience is still fabulous. Did I need a chocolate on my pillow at night - not really. Do I miss the long many course meals in the MDR - no, it’s nice to save them for special nights. The food is good, sometimes very good, plenty of staff everywhere and we are more than happy!

Slow bar service my main issue on Britannia recently - oh, and plastic glasses in the atrium for a Cosmo - not sure if that’s a cutback or I was just unlucky!! 😬😂 Remains a good value cruise line, I think people still think of P&O as posh, but that’s not been the case for years now.

We sailed on Iona in May and noticed a poorer quality buffet compared to Britannia last summer. The choice just wasn’t as good, and don’t even touch the puddings after 9pm. If they drop the Hot Chocolate late doors there’ll be a riot 😂

Hi Jamie, I have only done 3 cruises all with P&O, I also noticed no face Clothes I adked for them & got them. We never go for the drinks package as the drinks are pub prices anyway. So I can have any Cocktail I like. We have never been given nibbles with drinks. I did notice thete is no longer free water in cans in the room. I suppose you get what you pay for & as another llady said she had to wait a long time to be served drinks, the same happened with us on Iona, its duch a shame

Entertainment on P&O has suffered cuts. On pre-pandemic cruises lasting more than seven days there were two lecturers, now there is only one. The big name act in the theatre was someone I had heard of. These days it is someone from a TV talent show. The resident band seems to have been slimmed down in numbers too.

I noticed the White Company bathroom goodies have disappeared, when I was on Arvia in March.

We cruised on Arvia in may, first time since the pandemic, and as much as we love P & O, we noticed the cut backs, not as many staff, no turn down at night, no chefs night, when you got to thank all the chefs & kitchen staff, no Caribbean night with all the staff in their shirts. No coaster under your drink, to show you had been served & your glass didn’t drip everywhere!

We noticed on our IONA cruise at the end of April that they had removed the Afternoon tea in the freedom dining restaurants along with the 2 free water in the cabins on arrival and we were also informed that they will be removing trays from the main buffet area. More cut backs!

On Arvia in may, must have spent a 3rd of holiday queuing or waiting to be served a drink. Lack of staff was obvious. We don't mind not having a turndown, or chocolates. Having to book for every meal is just a pain. Going on a smaller ship next year. I think Covid has a lot to do with lack of snacks .

On Britannia at the moment … 3 days in and no sign of a biscuit in the cabin 😮 this may be the straw that breaks the camels back 🤣🤣 I’d forgotten about the little jar of snacks until watching this … now I miss them 😅

I love the White Company 'Flowers' body lotion you used to get in the bathrooms. That smell just reminds me of cruising.

I don’t think any of these bother me besides the breakfast options being delivered to the cabin. Also the clock reminders are still there but just in the Horizon so I don’t see that as an issue 😊

I’m going on my first cruise at Christmas, so hoping not to miss what I never had. The cheeseboard change is a shame as I love good cheese but hate mouldy cheese (aka blue), so will likely stay away from it or share with some fool in my party 😉. I’m a bit wary about the dining queues, and was horrified to hear chicken and steak weren’t going to be the alternative menu choices, so relieved when you said they were joining the main menu - phew! I don’t mind the streamlined menu at all and intending to try speciality a few times anyway. Tray charges and rooms service item costs don’t worry me too much, it may even make me mindful enough to avoid late night feasting. My Aunt and Uncle are going to be devastated though - they are seasoned P&O cruisers and absolutely loved the free cake with their afternoon coffee. I suppose I can make my bed if I really have to 😂.

I think given the prices the little cutbacks are understandable. Main disappointment for us is less crew - most noticeable for us due to slow and sometimes unobservant service at bars and when eating in the Glass House on Britannia. Still had a fab time though 😊

I didn't cruise pre Pandemic so I can't compare. However, I've taken 2 P&O cruises and booked 2 more but if they think they're going to make a profit from me sailing they can think again. The costs of the drinks and WiFi packages are absolutely INSANE. Even the costs of soft drinks is stupidly high and, even though I'm going to be on holiday, that doesn't mean I want to be ripped off. I'll be taking my own drinks (soft and ltr of alcohol) and buying more at port supermarkets. And like all fancy restaurants, they serve small portions of food on massive plates ... So a late night trip to the buffet is a must.

Over the last few years there has been a few cutbacks - no flower or bowl of sweeties in the room. No chocolate on your pillow. This year most nights no chocolates after your meal. No coasters on the tables. On Arvia this year not enough staff, especially up on deck. Most of the time you had to go up to the bar.

I forgot to mention that, apart from water, there is no other free soft drinks in Horizon Buffet. Juices were on offer at breakfast but not at lunch nor dinner. Another cut back? Another point about trays: they are available at the Quays, so I don't understand why they are not in the buffet.

My wife isn't bothered by the cutbacks but for me, all those things that you listed were what made cruising special as compared to land based holidays. Came off Ventura last week and it no longer feels the special experience that it used to be pre Covid.

I tried P&O Britannia (a lovely ship) just prior to the Pandemic, going to the Fjords, and in my head recognising that I was paying 20% less than the same cruise on my favoured Cunard. However, I noticed the difference in so, so many ways, but particularly service, food quality and all round attention to detail. It did make a difference to my enjoyment of my holiday, even though I knew not to expect the same Cunard standards. Going back to the Fjords next week, this time in Princess Grills on Queen Victoria! I do fully appreciate that I’m very lucky that I can make that choice, but in my current circumstances, I’m very glad I choose to pay more and enjoy the little extra touches as well as the service from the higher crew to guest ratio. On the other hand, I was browsing at some out-of-season all-inclusive European land holidays yesterday, and they are literally double the price of a 7-day P&O cruise at the same time, and if I could only choose between the two of those, then I’d pick P&O. I think if you are a family wanting a wonderful holiday, the VFM on a P&O cruise is outstanding.

We are Baltic class with P&O but we won’t be using them again. A general decline in standards is very evident. The entertainment on our world cruise this year was atrocious, with acts like Fogwell Flax being embarrassingly bad. Some of the speakers are unable to communicate effectively and seem self indulgent in their presentations, John Altman let us know how bitter he is about being typecast. The “comedy acts” all told the same jokes, and they were jokes we were telling in the school yard fifty years ago. All a bit toe curling. We are trying Cunard this year and I hope they are better.

Having cruised with P&O for 30+ years which we loved but, after our last two cruises with P&O one on Iona and another on Arcadia we vowed never to cruise with P&O again. Awful service, mediocre food and entertainment. Recently come back from a cruise with Cunard and what a world of difference, hopefully Cunard doesn’t go down the same route as P&O.

Biggest upset for me is losing the ice cream sundaes from the main dining room 😂 Oh, and the mousse from the currently defunct grab n go!

We recently found the same cutbacks on Princess.

I haven’t been on P&O for 20 years but now I’m a Solo traveller have booked Ventura for Christmas. Many of these cutbacks won’t bother me but overall I’m disappointed at what I can now expect. 😟

We have cruised with a number of cruise lines both pre and post pandemic and we definitely noticed the lack of choice in the dining room. Not sure if they have also cut back on the wait staff in the dining room but it always took an age to complete our meal. One day it took over 20 minutes to even be offered water and bread, we had to ask for it (and when your dining with a 2 year old these kind of delays are frustrating). The lack of face cloths was annoying too but i just assumed they had never done them! I also noticed the conspicuous abscence of a feedback survey after our cruise...

Couple of other minor changes I noticed (since 2022), only one pack of biscuits left in a cabin for 2 rather than two packs. No free carton of water .

Hi Jamie We love watching all your videos. We have just returned from Ventura and we were always offered free cake with our coffee, we had a note to remind us to change the clocks, and we had a flower on the shelf near the wardrobe in our cabin. We did also order the breakfast one morning, was disappointed that there was no tea or coffee but we didn’t get charged for the tray service maybe they forgot? Love your content.

I am looking at P7O for what will be only my 2nd ever cruise, with my first being Holland America and it was amazing and soo luxurious. However, the things you've pointed out here are the type of extras that I don't really bother me (I'm quite a simple person). I don't think P&O will be as luxurious as HAL but I since I'm still "new" to cruising, I don't want to be turned off by it

First time cruiser on Arvia in May , tremendous value for money , we paid as much for a week in Torquay pre covid as we did for a fortnight on Arvia . Stuffed ourselves silly in Horizon , fabulous range of food , didn't feel the need to go anywhere else . Waiting for drinks in bars ? , never noticed to be honest . Made our own arrangements when in port , Pisa from La Spezia was €8 on the train for instance . Stocked up on booze when we were in port . You can make it what you want in my opinion .