A popular influencer criticized a popular cruise line for its “abysmal” service and “inedible” food on a recent trip.
Emma Metzger, 28, from Brisbane, shared a video detailing her eight-day Pacific Islands trip with her husband aboard the P&O ship Pacific Encounter.
He described his first experience with P&O as “absolutely horrible”.
Terrible food, disinterested staff and canceled onboard activities defined the trip, he told his 200,000 followers in a TikTok video.
Ms Metzger admitted P&O was the cheapest option as she researched different cruise lines, but she didn’t expect it to be “a world apart” from previous experiences with Princess Cruises.
“There was very little staff, so there was a waiter at every bar, so you wait 20 minutes to get a drink, whereas on Princess Cruises you have an app and your drink will just come to you and find you wherever you are.” she said.
‘I understand P&O is supposed to be the cheapest option, but we looked at how much we spent on the last Princess cruise, which was like three days longer, and what we spent on this one, it actually wasn’t that different. Maybe a $500 difference.
“The experience is a world apart.”
Emma Metzger, 28, recently had a terrifying experience on an eight-day voyage on P&O’s Encounter cruise.
Ms Metzger, from Brisbane, said ship staff were unenthusiastic and activities on board were lackluster (pictured, file image).
Mrs. Metzger claimed the food was so bad she had to spit it out.
“This meal really, I’m not even kidding, most of the meals were inedible,” Mrs. Metzger said.
“I’ve never had that cliché experience of spitting food on my napkin, but I did, that’s how bad it was.”
“I could go on forever about how bad the food was, two of the three diners you go to were horrible.”
During the trip, Metzger asked P&O staff if their service had been affected by the upcoming merger.
He claimed they “didn’t really care” about his questions.
“This is possibly because they are losing their jobs with the new acquisition,” he said.
The company will join forces with Carnival Cruises in March, when the P&O brand will be retired and its ships will be integrated into Carnival’s existing fleet.
Despite asking staff why the service seemed so bad, Ms Metzger said she still received indifferent responses (P&O Pacific Encounter file image)
Metzger also claimed that at least half of the onboard events were canceled without informing passengers.
“We went with them and they were simply not there,” he added.
Ordering drinks, the couple was met with similar disappointments when her husband was denied a Long Island Iced Tea.
Ms Metzger claimed she felt slighted as a passenger and criticized the “half-ass” attitude of P&O staff.
“The goal of a cruise is to have that luxury experience,” he said.
However, despite her experience, Ms Metzger insisted her criticisms concerned P&O only and “did not reflect shipping in general”.
“So if you’ve just been on this one and you think people who recommend cruises are crazy, that’s not true,” he added.
A P&O spokesperson said its staff worked hard to make each passenger’s experience unique and special.
“Our kitchens prepare meals for 3,000 guests each day, and we regret if this guest feels their dining experience did not meet their expectations,” the spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
“The vast majority of P&O crew have accepted positions with Carnival Cruise Line in the future and look forward to continuing to see our beloved Australian guests on board our ships.”