Reise til Norge - Day 7 - At Sea

A Review of P&O and Oceana.

Champagne and chocolate greeted us in a good sized and well appointed cabin but these things were needed to soothe after a protracted and poor check-in experience. With experience of only one P & O ship it is going to be difficult in this review to differentiate between what might be specific to Oceana and what might be generic to the company. I felt a lack of warmth from the crew from the moment we boarded and service continued to lack an edge throughout the voyage. I should say though that where I did complain on three occasions (and about three different subjects) my name and face were remembered and I subsequently received a more personal approach. The weak point of the cruise was definitely the food which was relentlessly mundane although often more flavoursome than its appearance suggested. Menus remained incoherent and it was very difficult to imagine how one thing would go with another. Drinks waiters in the self-service restaurant were inattentive especially in the first half of the cruise. Restaurant service (in the Ligurian) was mechanical more than enthusiastic but mostly efficient. The general standard of maintenance was poor with several things visibly broken and remaining so for 24hrs or more. The casino, an undeniable money-spinner on any cruise, was dull and poorly equipped with several non-functioning machines. They do not meet industry standard insofar as they continue to use tokens instead of paper. In most respects, P & O do not compete with Princess, NCL, Celebrity or even Holland America.
The shows, however, were a different matter. The Headliners Theatre Company is really pretty good and most of the performances offered pure escapism. The singing and dancing was energetic and accomplished. The artists, whom one could meet after every show, were extremely engaging. The ships photographers were also quite personable. Internet service on any cruise is always rather hit and miss and this was no exception. There was a server upgrade on the last day of the cruise but as soon as people tried to access the rehosted service it collapsed under high demand. A cap of 60 is perhaps within the technological capacity of the environment but potentially inappropriate for passenger numbers of 2000+. The itinerary was excellent and the structure of it optimised opportunities for both activity and leisure. I enjoyed all our ports.
I am in no hurry to use P & O again; it seems to attract a clientele who might be more comfortable in southern Spain or one of the cheaper Turkish resorts. I shall listen to reports from other P & O users but my bookings are likely to be more up-market in the future.