dapper1946 6 Posted June 2, 2018 Report Share Posted June 2, 2018 Arcadia J806. 10 days to go!!!! And P and O have done it again!!! Been looking forward to our well deserved holiday on Arcadia, including all of the wonderful facilities on board that we have paid for and expect..........except......no shops!!! Received a letter today telling us that the shops on Arcadia will be closied for the last few days of our cruise for refit preparation. Now the on board shopping experience is an important part of life on board and it is disgusting that this is to be curtailed anyway, but even more so just a few days before our cruise departure. Surely this has not been decided in the last couple of days.....this must of been planned for some time!,, presume they think that by leaving it to the last minute to let us passengers know will mean we can do little about it!,, Any one got any thoughts on this? Pesky Pirate 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oldworldtraveller 2225 Posted June 2, 2018 Report Share Posted June 2, 2018 Never use the on board shops. My personal experience is they sell very little that cannot be purchased elsewhere often at a lower price. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mitch 325 Posted June 3, 2018 Report Share Posted June 3, 2018 likewise, the shops have little of interest,unless relatives ask for duty free fragrances or tobbacco the only time ive used them is if i run out of some consumable such as sunscreen but last time on ventura its new shops had no generic sunscreen only the high end stuff at crazy prices in the fragrance shop. i did get a deal in the new dixons shop but that was only due to necessaty as my laptop died totally the day before the cruise and even then i needed to do a lot of homework as many of their prices were higher than at home or on shore. duty free tobbacco was considerably cheaper on shore the only thing i found cheaper on board was a couple of high end ladies perfumes. other than that as my cabin was on the same deck as the middle row of shops etc the table sales etc they held were a pain as i struggled to get through the crowds of gawkers not buying stuff. so for me i would be celebrating also its only the last few days so why cant you get your shopping fix before, i bet they have a bunch of clearance "sales" in the lead up. i do think at times it perpetuates the p&o moaners tag its clients get as the slightest alteration to a cruise gets loads of wailing and gnashing of teeth. it aint the end of the world. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Kidd II 798 Posted June 3, 2018 Report Share Posted June 3, 2018 Would not be a problem for me as I prefer to either shop locally or order online. Cruise ship shops are overpriced even with any loyaty discounts. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davybe 529 Posted June 4, 2018 Report Share Posted June 4, 2018 We do wander round them ,but not often purchase anything, as others have said better value to be had on shore. What sort of holiday revolves round shopping....Davybe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tally 392 Posted June 4, 2018 Report Share Posted June 4, 2018 1 hour ago, Davybe said: What sort of holiday revolves round shopping....Davybe Spoken like a man.😉 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
towny44 229 Posted June 4, 2018 Report Share Posted June 4, 2018 We were Ventura just before her refit and the shops closed 3 to 5 days before Southampton. I have to admit, even as a man who dissuades his wife from buying anything onboard, it did make the atrium area feel very dead for those last few days. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jenjen 232 Posted June 5, 2018 Report Share Posted June 5, 2018 Booking well ahead as we do it’s the risk you take that things, ports, etc will change, we booked the Ventura over a year befor the cruise, not knowing it would be a strictly come dancing themed cruise, when we found out didn’t think that much about it, but it did make a difference, the whole theam changed the cruise not for the better for our taste and did spoil it for us, having to get tickets for the theartre and in lots of other ways, I won’t go into, my personal opinion. I wish the cruise company’s would be more transparent about plans I know they sometime come up last minute but all things take planning and can’t be done at the last minute Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mayway 98 Posted June 7, 2018 Report Share Posted June 7, 2018 My OH (male) would be lost without his daily wander around the on-board shops - I hate shopping, he loves it! He would be horrified with this, especially if some of the days affected were sea days where he would be bored out of his mind. Part of cruising for a lot of people - whether expensive or not, browsing costs nothing - and it is unacceptable that cruise lines can do this with minimal notice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loz6 136 Posted June 13, 2018 Report Share Posted June 13, 2018 I have to say I do have a wonder around the shops on board but very rarely buy anything as others have said the prices are not that attractive but I must say I do like to have a little look at what's on offer and can imagine the atmosphere in the atrium being pretty non existant if the shops are closed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
2torts 345 Posted June 13, 2018 Report Share Posted June 13, 2018 I agree with you loz6. I like to have a wander round the shops with out buying but when in port & the shops are shut it can seem dull & deserted like a ghost town. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BanburyBlue 2 Posted June 26, 2018 Report Share Posted June 26, 2018 I'm with you all the way. We had the same on our recent cruise on Aurora - 'by the way' email, I think it was 2 weeks before sailing informing us that the shops would be closed from the mid-point of our cruise. I made a formal complaint but all to no avail. They'd told us, and that was that! We did get a bottle of champagne, but that was because they'd promised to get someone to call us back and they didn't. As you say, a decision of this nature would have been made ages before they notified the customers. It really annoyed me. And it's not like we buy a lot from the shops - it was the timing, and the fact that they tried to put a positive spin on the email... "We hope you are looking forward to your cruise. Ahead of your arrival, we wanted to share some exciting news with you regarding the shops on board". No it's not exciting news - it may be exciting news for those people going on a future cruise, it's not for me as a service you advertised as part of the cruise has been removed!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sinbad10 757 Posted June 26, 2018 Report Share Posted June 26, 2018 But it amazes me P&O consistently do these tricks on their customers but they still book with them. Davybe and HLM 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Davybe 529 Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 15 hours ago, sinbad10 said: But it amazes me P&O consistently do these tricks on their customers but they still book with them. The number of times I have sat with people who moan and groan about P&O including the cruise ship they are on, only to tell me they have booked another one on the same ship? "Just to give them one more chance" . P&O will not alter until they loose enough trade or fans protest in their thousands.....Davybe Quote Link to post Share on other sites
afcandrew 369 Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 I really can't see the issue here. I know we all like different things about cruising but the op says that the shops will be closed for the last few days of the cruise. Surely that's no real hardship? I know that P&O are not perfect and have criticised them myself in the past but this doesn't seem to be a big deal. HALaP&O and Countrygirl 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sammy sun 1084 Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 1 hour ago, afcandrew said: I really can't see the issue here. I know we all like different things about cruising but the op says that the shops will be closed for the last few days of the cruise. Surely that's no real hardship? I know that P&O are not perfect and have criticised them myself in the past but this doesn't seem to be a big deal. Couldn't agree with you more on this afcandrew. I too have criticised P&O for quite a few things over the years but shutting the shops for the last few days of a cruise is something that wouldn't bother me in the slightest. They'll still offer the same "sales" throughout the cruise, right up until the last day so why all the fuss? Of course it's just my opinion but I'm with you completely on this. I think they deserve to be criticised for certain things but this isn't one of them. TrentAnn and Countrygirl 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pesky Pirate 172 Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 I wonder whether it might be a bit tactical as well. Most cruisers spend any remaining obc on the last day of the cruise, now they can’t so any left goes back into PandO’s coffers... Oldworldtraveller and HLM 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
afcandrew 369 Posted June 27, 2018 Report Share Posted June 27, 2018 Such a cynical Pirate, Pesky . I suspect it is more practical than that. The staff doing the refit will be able to get off in Southampton at the end of the cruise, so that will save money. Or, in the event the refit runs over, it would only be a few days out of each of two cruises rather than a big chunk of one. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HLM 519 Posted June 28, 2018 Report Share Posted June 28, 2018 20 hours ago, afcandrew said: I really can't see the issue here. I know we all like different things about cruising but the op says that the shops will be closed for the last few days of the cruise. Surely that's no real hardship? I know that P&O are not perfect and have criticised them myself in the past but this doesn't seem to be a big deal. I agree it's no real hardship, but the real issue for me would be that P&O would've known about these works months in advance yet they decide to tell those booked 10 days before the cruise. That to me is the unacceptable part. HLM. Oldworldtraveller 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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