Britannia

[smokey01]

Hi, 

 

Has anyone been on Britannia recently and used the free steam room in the gym changing rooms? I last went on Britannia in 2015 and as someone who loves a jacuzzi (I know other people think they are a breeding ground for germs/kids peeing but all I can say in 30 years of cruising I have never had any ill effects) as Britannia only has 2 jacuzzi’s that are located in the full glare of the sun I decided to book the thermal suite. However I remember looking at the free steam room sometime during that cruise and when opening the door I saw no steam. There appeared to be a panel outside but I could not fathom whether that started it or not and I didn’t find anyone to ask. So this time on Britannia I do not want to use the thermal suite but would like a steam, so does it actually work?

[david63]

Cannot help about the steam room but Britannia has been in for refit/maintenance since 2015 so I would expect that any problems would have been fixed - that is not to say that it might have broken down since then.

[smokey01]

20 minutes ago, david63 said:

Cannot help about the steam room but Britannia has been in for refit/maintenance since 2015 so I would expect that any problems would have been fixed - that is not to say that it might have broken down since then.

Ummmm. I have been on so many P&O cruises, mainly Ventura, where the steam/sauna has not worked properly and I have escalated it to absolutely no effect that I have almost no hope of it actually working on our cruise. I have just been on MSC Virtuosa, where they have the absolutely best jacuzzi/steam/sauna to satisfy that need in me but the evening meal was atrocious. That said it was the first cruise that sailed from Southampton where for the previous 3 weeks they had to sail empty from Dubai (cuz they couldn’t transit the Suez cancel) so maybe due to supply issues? So let’s hope the P&O food compensates me (I luv simple British food) for the lack of water based activities. Since Covid I have loved my Iona/Ariva evening meals. But our Arvia cruise April 2022 caused me to cancel many cruises due to not being able to actually get a booking in the dining room, they have a lot to live up to in order for me to really look forward to a P&O cruise again! Please let me love (or even just like the food) and have a steam before preparing for the evening meal!!

 

[smokey01]

A secondary question, is the Peninsular/suite boarding lunch still a sit down meal on Britannia?
 

As we have only done Iona/Arvia since covid we have only had the buffet lunch where we adore the buffet chicken tikka masala but we quite fancy the change of a sit down boarding lunch.

[posford]

In my opinion the buffet lunch is much superior to the sit down version.  I know Selbourne does not agree to this but we do

Buffet selections, tikka masala curry and roast beef and Yorkshires,and the best tempora prawns you will get on the whole cruise.

Knocks the sit down into the long grass, imho.

 

Anyway it’s a nice introduction to the cruise. A big addition to our cruise experience.

we love it.

[FangedRose]

59 minutes ago, smokey01 said:

A secondary question, is the Peninsular/suite boarding lunch still a sit down meal on Britannia?
 

As we have only done Iona/Arvia since covid we have only had the buffet lunch where we adore the buffet chicken tikka masala but we quite fancy the change of a sit down boarding lunch.

It depends on how many high tier passengers rhere are. It varies from cruise to cruise.

[smokey01]

35 minutes ago, posford said:

In my opinion the buffet lunch is much superior to the sit down version.  I know Selbourne does not agree to this but we do

Buffet selections, tikka masala curry and roast beef and Yorkshires,and the best tempora prawns you will get on the whole cruise.

Knocks the sit down into the long grass, imho.

 

Anyway it’s a nice introduction to the cruise. A big addition to our cruise experience.

we love it.

Posford,in the past I have bigged up the chicken tikka masala on iona boarding and am pretty sure Selbourne agreed when I suggested to him how good it was. But since covid we have done 4 Iona’s and 1 extremely traumatic Arvia cruise (due to not being able to get into evening meal in a timely manner). I would personally like a sit down Britannia onboard lunch as a change from the excellent tikka masala (note I don’t do fish/prawns etc) very mid English meat/veg loving! To be honest I have a 3 hour drive (I know pretty good actually) but when I get on a cruise I like to celebrate with a drink and food is secondary. 

[posford]

I totally agree Smokey.

Sparkling wine, then lots of white wine, then on to the gin and tonics.

Takes the edge off the rigours of the 3 hour A12, M25 and M3.

 

It really does make a nice start to the cruise. Something we would really miss.

by the way, I do love the little pasties as well.