Cloudyrain

It’s £60 per day (roughly) and for me that’s worth it, but then I don’t spend much on excursions or drink etc. Plus I love a balcony: reading on there, leaving the curtains open at night to wake up to the view. Plus you have a lot of sea days where outside areas might be a bit busy! If you don’t think you can justify the cost maybe consider an outside cabin, or an inside + a retreat pass (depending on cost).

I like the Ventura: it might be missing some things that other ships do better, but generally I think it’s a nice ship, not a mega sized one, and despite being a bit old in places (and the awful buffet that’s so badly laid out, I suspect a toddler designed it) it’s still a really good option. Plus I always favour destinations and price over ship.

We use Portside Meet & Great via Holiday Extras which is brilliant and generally my first choice option as it’s right at the dock, or a hotel and parking package. Our friends use the airport long stay and get a taxi from there. There was an issue with a company the other month who were not legitimate offering parking, so make sure you check either here or on reviews for a good history behind whoever you book with. I don’t know Aeropark I’m afraid but maybe do a search.

It was possible on the Iona, but granted it was for 6.30 (which was the time requested and given).

Your phone needs to be in airplane mode to use the app so you won’t get disturbed by taking your phone. But as someone else said, go on the first night and ask for a regular table and they will provide one if that’s what you prefer.

We stayed at the airport on a day that 5 big ships were in: there was hardly any traffic it was about 15 minutes (taking my accidental detour because I don’t know my left from my right). We had a relatively early check in though (12.15) and the dock was quiet.

We were unable to pre-book any 710 on arrival to the ship (and we had an early check in) but it’s quite a small venue and worth going to see a few shows, so it’s worth making the effort. There were often slots at 12.15 bookable on the day, and the occasional cancellation slots appeared. We got in quite easily just walking up and asking for a 7.15. it’s the best venue on the fleet in my opinion.

32” at a guess

In the lounge section.

I love the Deluxe room: I love the extra space and the bathroom with a bath. Any of the location of them suits me. I also like a robe because it saves on packing, and the big telly is handy if you want to watch a film (probably more relevant on longer sailings with more sea days) and I like the separate living and sleeping areas, and the curtain so if one wants an earlier night you aren’t disturbing others. Bottle of wine, fruit basket, and massive balcony were also nice perks: I don’t care if it’s overlooked as I can’t imagine why anyone would want to lean down and look at me sat reading a book when they have the ocean/port to look at 😂

We said that. I’m all fairness the MSC Yacht Club ones were not great either. I think I’m probably just not a canapé person 😂

Thanks @P&O SUE we do this trip later in the year and it’s nice to see a review as it's been a few years since we last went on the Ventura 😊

We must also be unique as worked perfectly on the Britannia and two separate trips on the Iona for us. I’m a big app fan.

They provide liquid soap….

You know I think a lot of this upset with arrival times also stems from expectations. We started cruising 10 years ago with NCL and they had enforced arrival times; that’s what we got used to. When we first started to go with P&O and they didn’t have times I thought it was strange, and now they have the arrival times it’s more what we are used too, and we don’t blink at it and manage our pre-cruise time accordingly (juggling disability, long distance travel etc) without complaint. That doesn’t mean it’s always easy (having to deal with medication that needs to be kept refrigerated, and a wheelchair and luggage and not having enough hands can be really difficult) but I don’t get annoyed at P&O, I just accept that’s just how it is.

It’s worse for me - I put the bottle in the mesh bag on the back of the pushchair/wheelchair: I look like an alcoholic and a neglectful mother 😬

Club dining on Britannia last year they didn’t, they said they have stopped doing that since Covid - unless it’s changed again, we have been Freedom since then. Plus I would rather take it and have a drink from it at a show or in a bar afterwards, but I’m a slow drinker so a bottle will last me 4 glasses over 2 nights.

Honestly unless you drink a lot I really wouldn’t consider the package. You can take as many soft drinks on as you want for consumption in your room, and a bottle of wine or litre of spirits each for the room only. Someone has posted the menus above. I think the prices are like City drinks prices. If she does like a bottle she can have a glass or two with her meal and then carry the bottle either to the next venue, or back to the room to use at another meal. Some bottles are screw tops, but others are cork so if she is likely to have a bottle for more than one meal/evening it’s worth taking your own wine bottle stopper just to stop spillages etc 😊

It will be on your cruise personaliser webpage.

We are a family with disabled members. P&O provide an inside seated waiting area with accessible toilets and water for those who have booked accessible boarding. The team are great and will get people checked in and onboard earlier if they have the capacity to do so. My disabled friends who didn’t want to wait at their hotel in the morning, or wait in the accessible waiting area, got their taxi driver to drop the cases at the port and then take them to a restaurant for lunch, and agreed a pick up time for 2pm to take them back to Port.

You can drop your suitcase from 11am regardless of boarding time: drop cases and go back in to town for lunch.

I think this is mostly scaremongering: there are very few things that need pre-booking, and they (Epicurian, Limelight) can be booked 2 weeks before. The only things people really need to book on embarkation day is the Olive Grove and 710, as everything else is available to book throughout the week. Even the 710 which is always booked-up has slots for last minute arrivals 5 minutes before the show starts. The only other booking issue is kids club slots for the first sea day, but it’s only that first day as the rest of the week is booked from 8.30am the day before.

They ask you to turn up at a time to reduce waiting for all people. There are venues nearby that people can wait before arriving at the port: cafes, restaurants etc. They also have an inside area with seating for those who have arranged assistance where they can wait if they arrive in advance of their time.

I want TigerB to play the game we did the other week: how many tags from ducks could they find scattered about the floor. It was ok though, I told my son the game was to find the most tags and he won with 3, I only found 1 😂

I think it’s more the alternative dining options. We found the MDR fab and easy to access. Also we were able to get reservations on board for all of the upgrade dining restaurants, but the times were limited in availability: so we could get a Olive Grove lunch by booking on board, but wouldn’t haven’t been able to go in the evening if we hadn’t of booked pre-boarding unless we were able to get a last minute cancellation. Beach House seemed to have more availability, but usually first of last slots (which might not work for some people if they have been on excursions or have child care issues to juggle).