Just back from first P&O Cruise (on Britannia)

[chunkster20uk]

I thought I would share my experiences with you, in case you find it helpful.

 

I have cruised 12 times before, Disney, NCL and Royal Caribbean, and I will make some comparisons along the way, and as always it is just my honest opinion.

 

 

First of all, Britannia itself:-

The decor and overall standard of upkeep was really good, and there is plenty of space. The issue for me is the design/layout of the ship, probably the worst I have ever been on (a sentiment shared by many fellow travellers, many die hard P&O cruisers), you can only walk the length of the ship on three floors (except accommodation floors), Deck 7, but you have to walk through the Crystal Room, Deck 16, but you have to walk through the Horizon Buffet or Deck 17, but you have to walk through the gym.

 

No Promenade Deck, I knew about this in advance but found it amusing when my Father-in-Law mentioned this to a member of staff, who said no sir it is on Deck 18. That is not really a Promenade Deck and getting my Mother-in-Law who is in a wheel chair, is a bit challenging.

 

The Cabin:-

Our Cabin (E701) was pretty good and was fairly quiet apart from the normal doors being left to slam. Clean and spacious, probably lacked a couple more drawers. Our steward was great, cleared the mini bar, kept refilling the ice. No complaints and on a par with other ships/lines.

 

The Food:-

We (family of 13 across two tables) were on 1st Sitting in The Oriental Restaurant and had great servers who were friendly, attentive and helpful. The standard of the main dining room food was good (not as good as Disney, but probably better than RCI and NCL). I thought the portion sizes were on the small size, but I wonder if that is because they expect everyone to have afternoon tea. There were few odd options on the menu and I think that they could really benefit by having a few tweaks.

 

The Buffet Restaurant was huge, however extremely disappointing when it came to variety. They basically have 4 stations all doing the same food, which is not an issue at breakfast but at lunchtime was a bit of an issue for me. Don't get me wrong I like curry, but was served 6 out of 7 times at lunchtime, they did Spanish on the other day, there was always a pie or roast, Mexican a couple of times and the same with stir-fry plus a limited pasta choice. Salads were ok, but the cold meats were repetitive. There was no local specialities on offer and overall seemed to lack imagination and I would say that it was the worst cruise buffet restaurant I have experienced.

Also the service in the restaurant was poor to almost sometimes rude.

 

Bars:-

The bars were nice enough and comfortable, many felt a bit like corridors (same as on other ships/lines). One thing I noticed with the exception of two servers, the service was quite poor, no speed, not attentive and no real interaction. Not willing to mix a drink properly (just using premix out of a carton). Is this because there are no tips? Bar service on the other cruise lines I have used is much better.

 

The Gym:-

Never seemed to be manned and kids were freely using equipment, some equipment broken and as I said earlier it was a corridor and it seemed to be an after thought compared to other cruise lines.

 

The Serenity Pool:-

Is this just a quiet zone or an adult only area, as there were a fair few kids in there, and P&O seem to jam so many beds close together it was not really living up to it's name. Disney of all people have this bit nailed.

 

Lido Deck Pools:-

Strangely deep considering this where the kids are mainly swimming, no life guard (as with the Serenity Pool) means nobody is stopping anyone diving and jumping in (yes this was happening in the Serenity Pool too). As previously mentioned bar service was not great.

 

Hot Tubs:-

I counted 4 hot tubs 2 above the Lido Deck pools and 2 in the Retreat, that is not enough hot tubs for a ship of that size, and they were small.

 

The Retreat:-

We paid for one day and whilst it is nice, it is over priced in my opinion and the service in there was not great.

 

 

You may think that I am going to say I didn't enjoy my cruise, but I did, it was great, the itinerary was great and I had a great time, I just think I expected more from P&O. Many of my fellow passengers kept saying that don't judge P&O by Britannia, I hope they are right as I am going on Azura in November.

 

I am not saying that I will never sail on Britannia again as the positives (the fact you are on a cruise) still out weigh the negatives but I would have to be persuaded.

[Scorpio41]

Good honest review.

 

We are P&O regulars and Britannia isn't for us either. We found it too big. When we had bad weather it swayed as well as rocked with the sea. The experience was made worse because all the outside areas were closed off and everybody was struggling to fine somewhere to sit, it was really crowded inside .People everywhere.

[Host Sharon]

Great. Could you also post this in the reviews section. Thanks

[mandylennon]

I have not been on Britannia but have read several reviews mainly about the layout of the ship and this has put us off. I do like a prom deck and like a walk after each meal.

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise and hope you get to try another P&O ship next time.

[Tom Baker]

Personally I find Britannia to be far superior to Azura in almost every way (with the exception of no main staircase) Once you have been on Azura I'm sure you'll be returning to RCI, or trying Celebrity or another line.

[terrierjohn]

Personally I find Britannia to be far superior to Azura in almost every way (with the exception of no main staircase) Once you have been on Azura I'm sure you'll be returning to RCI, or trying Celebrity or another line.

The buffet on Britannia is better designed that on the other 2 Grand class ships and the hidden collection areas are also better, similarly the serveries are well hidden on the 2 midship MDRs, which might account for them being quieter than those on the other 2 big ships. Also the serenity pool area provides a welcome quiet adults only area, or it did the last time we were on her, but apparently not according to the OP, and the standard bathrooms have glass shower doors.

Other than those 4 items I cannot think of anything else on Britannia that is not bettered on Ventura or Azura, and now even the newness has worn off.

[Slugsta]

Thank you for this balanced, helpful review. I was particularly interested in your comments about getting from one end of the ship to the other as I also use a wheelchair.

[chunkster20uk]

Great. Could you also post this in the reviews section. Thanks

 

I have done this too.

[chunkster20uk]

Thank you for this balanced, helpful review. I was particularly interested in your comments about getting from one end of the ship to the other as I also use a wheelchair.

 

Going down the accommodation decks can be tricky when the Room Stewards have their trolleys out.

[gillybean1974]

Thanks for the review. We're taking our first P&O cruise on Britannia in August. And thanks for the heads up about the serenity pool area, I was anticipating spending lots of time in the pool, maybe not lol. Really hoping that's not the case though as we have to go in school summer holidays so it may be full of kids. Think I'll pay extra for the retreat depending on how much it is.

[Slugsta]

Going down the accommodation decks can be tricky when the Room Stewards have their trolleys out.

 

Indeed, this is always a problem on every ship we have been on!

 

Haven't got anything booked on Britannia and will certainly bear your comments in mind if considering it in future.

[Selbourne]

We have cruised on all P&O ships other than Arcadia, a situation which is being rectified shortly. Britannia is one of our favorites, primarily due to the Select Dining venues. Azura is our least favourite.

 

My wife is a wheelchair user and we find that getting around Britannia is easier than the other ships, other than trying to get a midship lift, which we generally try to avoid doing.

 

I agree that the 'Promenade deck' on deck 18 is nothing of the sort, but you can easily get a wheelchair up there as there is a dedicated wheelchair lift between the aft lifts on deck 17.

 

None of the P&O ships are perfect. Britannia doesn't have a Promenade deck. Azura and Ventura don't have a Crows Nest. The smaller ships don't have the choice of all the Select Dining venues and some have insufficient balcony cabins and a poor choice of accessible cabins. The passenger profile also varies between ships. They all, however, have their fans and haters in equal measure. At least you have tried Britannia. Makes me laugh how many criticise her yet have never cruised on her.

[groovechick]

Thanks for the review. We're taking our first P&O cruise on Britannia in August. And thanks for the heads up about the serenity pool area, I was anticipating spending lots of time in the pool, maybe not lol. Really hoping that's not the case though as we have to go in school summer holidays so it may be full of kids. Think I'll pay extra for the retreat depending on how much it is.

 

We were on Britannia during her maiden Christmas in the Caribbean and there were no children at the Serenity Pool during the various times we were there (although lots on board) and the loungers were not too tightly packed, at least compared to other parts of the ship, so the OP may just have been unlucky. I've never used the Retreat myself, but spoke to a couple of pax who had, who said they felt P&O tried to get away with providing the bare minimum of "perks" advertised and that it was not really exclusive at all. On Aurora last summer (summer holidays) there were two members of the Ents team on duty as lifeguards around the pool at all times and they would calm kids down and ask them to stop running/jumping etc. if they got too boisterous.

[chunkster20uk]

We were on Britannia during her maiden Christmas in the Caribbean and there were no children at the Serenity Pool during the various times we were there (although lots on board) and the loungers were not too tightly packed, at least compared to other parts of the ship, so the OP may just have been unlucky. I've never used the Retreat myself, but spoke to a couple of pax who had, who said they felt P&O tried to get away with providing the bare minimum of "perks" advertised and that it was not really exclusive at all. On Aurora last summer (summer holidays) there were two members of the Ents team on duty as lifeguards around the pool at all times and they would calm kids down and ask them to stop running/jumping etc. if they got too boisterous.

 

I was surprised that there were not lifeguards, and there also seemed to be a lack of 'officers' doing rounds on the decks like I have seen on other cruises, this I think would calm a few things down and also prevent children in the Serenity Pool.

 

In many places the beds were pushed next to each other without any gaps, just needs somebody to manage it in my opinion (feedback was given to P&O).

 

The Retreat was £25 per person, whilst pleasant enough, just didn't think it was value for money.

[gillybean1974]

We were on Britannia during her maiden Christmas in the Caribbean and there were no children at the Serenity Pool during the various times we were there (although lots on board) and the loungers were not too tightly packed, at least compared to other parts of the ship, so the OP may just have been unlucky. I've never used the Retreat myself, but spoke to a couple of pax who had, who said they felt P&O tried to get away with providing the bare minimum of "perks" advertised and that it was not really exclusive at all. On Aurora last summer (summer holidays) there were two members of the Ents team on duty as lifeguards around the pool at all times and they would calm kids down and ask them to stop running/jumping etc. if they got too boisterous.

 

Thanks for the reply. Might not be that bad then, my son just turned 18 and is looking forward to using the adult pool too :)

[chunkster20uk]

None of the P&O ships are perfect. Britannia doesn't have a Promenade deck. Azura and Ventura don't have a Crows Nest. The smaller ships don't have the choice of all the Select Dining venues and some have insufficient balcony cabins and a poor choice of accessible cabins. The passenger profile also varies between ships. They all, however, have their fans and haters in equal measure. At least you have tried Britannia. Makes me laugh how many criticise her yet have never cruised on her.

 

You are right, no ship is perfect for everybody, I am looking forward to trying Azura in November and will feedback on that to.

[mickrory]

Really helpful this thanks- going on Britannia for the first time in 3 weeks

[EJMcruiser]

Yes it would have been interesting to sit in on the meeting where they decided that Britannia should have no promenade deck and no stairs midship. Oh and let’s make the dedicated kids pool 165-225 cm deep lol.

[Presto2]

Yes it would have been interesting to sit in on the meeting where they decided that Britannia should have no promenade deck and no stairs midship. Oh and let’s make the dedicated kids pool 165-225 cm deep lol.

 

I think that decision had been made way before Britannia was planned when Princess introduced her sister ships.

 

Having said that we really like Britannia. Is she perfect? No Would we sail on her again? Most definitely.

 

A nice review by the OP by the way :-)

[Gazroberts80]

I was surprised on this Cruise myself to see that the Serenity pool no longer specified by the Captain in his opening announcement as Adult only. To be honest on this cruise it seemed to me that most passengers still treated its as adult only, although I found no reference in signage or literature onboard that it was. Perhaps they didn't feel the need to specify it was as there were very few teenagers onboard. Last summer Captain Paul Brown was in charge and made it very clear that it was adult only. On this cruise Captain Wesley Dunlop only made reference to parents being responsible for their children at all times.

 

I find Britannia to have a fairly logical layout on the whole. I agree the Promenade deck (or lack of it) is disappointing and the Grand Class ships e.g. Azura have far better Pool and Hot tub arrangements, with the exception of the Serenity poo,l which is far superior on Britannia if a little lacking in shelter.

 

I also prefer the Glass House on Azura, as it feels like a much more defined space with a decor that is far more individually styled, which makes it stand out as a proper wine bar. The Blue bar just doesn't work on Britannia, it is completely soulless, whilst it feels like a premium bar on Azura, with a the pianist centre stage. It seems like they have wisely given up on having a pianist, as you can't actually see them from the bar itself. It was pleasing to see they are now positioning some live music on deck 6 so you can actually hear it from the bars on deck 7.

 

Everything I have said so far suggests I prefer Azura, however despite finding her a fine ship, I find Britannia far more coherent in design than Azura and rightly worthy of being the flagship. The rooms and their balconies may be smaller but they are far more contemporary and feel sophisticated. Azura's rooms are a good size with excellent balconies but they are dated in design. The same can be said for the Grand class ships in the Princess fleet.

 

The buffet restaurant is the best of any ship I've been on for its efficiency, it genuinely feels like a nice place to be (Normally I avoid the buffet at all costs as they so often feel like a Motorway services). It also works far better than the Lido's on any of the Cunard ships, including the new layout on QM2. The general decor of the corridors and public spaces, e.g. the Crows Nest, Crystal Room, Limelight Club (now open for free, for live music after 11pm to adult guests) are a class above the rest of the fleet and better or equal than those on Cunard ships. I'd agree that unlike the restaurants (including the Glass House), where service was excellent bar service was often slow and unimpressive compared two my experiences on Princess.

 

As we arrived home QM2 was in port and it made me think, which ship would I rather be leaving on tonight? I honestly could only choose based on itinerary. Of course transatlantic, give me the proper ship (QM2), the Med give me the Cruise ship (Britannia because if you stepped off the recently refurbished Cunard flagship on to Britannia you would find the Staterooms/Cabins perfectly comparable and the decor of the ship as a whole as equally sophisticated. Of course QM2 feels more traditional with Britannia being more contemporary.

 

I must say like Grand Class ships a lot, I'm booked on one this summer (Caribbean Princess), so I have no issues with them at all. Of all the ones I've been on Azura is by far the best. In my view it is the second best ship in the fleet (Aurora gives it a good run for its money) and I can't wait to sail on her again soon :) If I had to sell P&O to a customer from RCL, Celebrity or NCL I'd pick Britannia to show them the line at its best.

Edited June 5, 2018 by Gazroberts80

[emam]

On our upcoming cruise we looked at two. One on Britannia and the other Ventura. Our TA told us that if you first sailed on Britannia that you loved it, but if you have been on other ships you wouldn't like Britannia. Ventura won out, but this was for the reason of the promenade deck. OH like to go up to the front of the ship and walk round. We might try Azura next if she also has the promenade deck.

[P&O SUE]

On our upcoming cruise we looked at two. One on Britannia and the other Ventura. Our TA told us that if you first sailed on Britannia that you loved it, but if you have been on other ships you wouldn't like Britannia. Ventura won out, but this was for the reason of the promenade deck. OH like to go up to the front of the ship and walk round. We might try Azura next if she also has the promenade deck.

 

 

 

Yes Azura has a prom deck. It is almost the same layout as Ventura except it hasn’t got the covered pool, it has the outdoor screen instead. If you loved Ventura you should enjoy Azura!

 

 

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