P&O Cruises has apologised to a couple who described their experience on a European holiday as 'awful'. Lynda and David Cobby, aged 57 and 59, were left disappointed after a number of alleged issues disrupted their trip through Norwegian Fjords, and then northern Europe and Scandinavia, including dirty cabins, mislabelled food, and smells of sewage.
The pair, from Harworth, had previously holidayed with P&O Cruises in March 2023 on a trip to the Caribbean and had been so impressed, they decided to book two back-to-back cruises which would both take place on the same P&O ship just two months later from May 5 to May 26 - costing a total of £3,400. But they were unimpressed after their recent trip, which had given them 'awful' memories.
Now after the pair shared their story, a P&O Cruises spokesperson has apologised. “We are so sorry to hear of the disappointment expressed by Mr & Mrs Cobby. We have responded to all points raised and hope we have resolved it to their satisfaction,” a spokesperson said.
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The couple previously said their problems started when they boarded the ship and were given a cabin over a smoking area. Lynda said that she had previously called and asked P&O to ensure they were not near any smoke as David had problems with his lungs since having coronavirus.
They claim they were told by P&O that this was marked down and that if they were given one onboard, they could go to reception and switch. The couple, who had paid to upgrade their cabin following an email offer a few weeks before boarding, said on May 5 they were given a cabin above a smoking area and live lounge venue.
When the couple asked to switch after boarding, the couple said they were told the staff could not do anything until head office confirmed how many cabins were still available. The couple were then moved to a second cabin on May 6, but said both were "dirty", adding they had to clean them with their own wipes and spray.
Lynda and David also added that they were unimpressed by the variety of the food on board the ship. The pair also alleged the food on board the ship was poor, and items were continuously mislabelled as vegetarian when they included meat products, they alleged.
When Lynda and David remained on the ship for the second cruise, they were moved to a third cabin, which they claimed was noisy and occasionally smelt like sewage. While P&O maintenance staff attended, the couple said they felt dismissed.
