P&O Britannia B508 Cruise Review

7 nights from Southampton calling at

St Peter Port

La Coruna

Bilbao

La Rochelle 

Please remember that this review is my thoughts on the cruise, they are neither right or wrong, just my views.

Also, any observations made, are not moans, but just observations

The Ship

Britiannia had been a long time in the making, and was much publicised and eagerly awaited by many.

Your first thoughts as you board this grand lady and enter the Atrium is WOW.

All the photos and videos you may have seen, cannot prepare you for the view.

We all know she is the biggest of P&O's fleet, but she is a "step change" from Azura and Ventura.

There is a real contempary feel throughout the ship, with a "square" theme being picked by carpets, light fittings etc. throughout the ship.

Some observations now, I do like the overall colour scheme, I'm just not sure how it will cope with the heavy footfall. 

Now Britianna has only been in service a few months, but the light grey carpet in the corridor to the Epicurean and Crows Nest is showing the sign of dirty footprints. 

Another example is the white armchairs in the bar area of Sindhu that are looking the worst for lots of backsides sitting on them.

At the other end of the colour spectrum the tables in the Glass House which are a dark wood finish ( but they are not made of wood ) have lots of scratches on the tops of the tables.  

As there has been so much written about them already, I will just mention the lifts.

Having spent many many years in IT, I would like to meet the person who wrote the algorithm, as the sequencing is very strange indeed, but not the end of the world.

The lack of lifts in the centre of the ship, never did seem to be a problem to us, and never really thought about them.

The glass house is situated in the atrium on deck 7, I'm not convinced on the location, it's  good for people watching during the day but not so for eating, although the space at the rear of the bar is better. 

As I said in my blog, we once ate in a side room, which I did not like at all. I can't talk about Ventura, as we have not been onboard since the glass house took over, but on Azura, it has a real "buzz" about it, and sadly I did not find the same here. 

Sindhu however is enormous, but works very well and the side booths give it a great feel.

One of the major improvements IMHO is the horizon restaurant, the buffet on deck 16. Another enormous space that works really well  and serves good food. Never was there the normal " bun fight" to get either food or a seat, even at breakfast on disembarkation day. 

We did not use the limelight club, so cannot make any comment.

Our cabin was an inside on deck 15 forward, which was a good size, and as I'm sure you are aware, the dreaded shower curtain has been replaced by a proper cubicle with a door. Well done P&O

I don't think we had any seas to "try"  Britiannia, but we had no movement. Above us was the crows nest and for an insomniac like me, at 0400 the dragging of chairs across the floor ( well that's what it sounded like) was not welcome.

On deck, there were always plenty of sun beds, and no need for the sun bed police. We had booked this cruise last year whilst on Oriana for the Northern Lights cruise. At the time, we did not know that it was half term week. So you can imagine we had teenagers down to little tots on board.

A warning here, if you do not like loud up today's music ( unusually up to date for P&O) and very noisy children, especially when playing table tennis, then the upper decks may not be for you. They were not being unruly, just doing what children do.

The Weather

Was OK'ish but was warmer last month when we were in that region

Entertainment

We did not see a lot as I currently have a few medical issues, which cause early nights. But Jeff Stevenson and Rob Lewis that we did see were excellent.

Sue was disappointed that we never made it to any quizzes, but there is always next time.

Food

We had freedom dining, but only made it to the restaurant  for the priority lunch on embarkation day. We ate twice in Sindhu, and twice in the glass house, plus we tried the Epicurean, all of which were excellent. We also used the buffet a couple of times for the theme nights. so no complaints in any department there.

The Crew

I know I have read some reports recently of surly crew, and if they were on Britannia, then we never found them.

Conclusion

Did we enjoy our cruise ? Yes.

Would we sail on her again ? Yes, but not in school holidays again, but for us that is no different to Azura.

I will post links to my photos later, but on our return, we have a bit of a family issue so have to go away again for a few days.

This will also be my last cruise blog ( bar the photos) for about a year. I said above about the medical issues I have. Well my consultant has said I need some treatment now, hence the lack of cruises.

I will still be blogging, but this time it will be about my medical journey ( it will not be gory ).

So if you want to join me, please just "bookmark" my blog and drop in from time to time.

Thank you all for you comments, on the blogs, and as Arnie said 

I'll be back

Ray 

P&O Azura A508N Cruise Review

Firstly an apology that I did not blog from the cruise, but my Ipad decided to disappear up its own USB port, and needed a restore once I got home. So this review might be a bit wordier than usual.

The Cruise

12 nights from Southampton to the Canaries April 2015

The Ship

Azura was launched in 2010, and we were lucky enough to sail on her maiden cruise, plus we have sailed on her in 2012. But being 5 years old she needed some TLC, so prior to the cruise, she had been in Hamburg for a £6m refit.

She had a new paint job, plus new livery

She had also had new carpets in all the public areas, it seems the neutral colours that had been used when she was built had not fared as well as the darker carpets on Ventura, her sister ship.
Its a pity they did not also replace the carpets in the cabins, as ours had seen better days.

Two new additions were the self service "wine by the glass" dispenser in the buffet (you still have to pay by swiping your cruise card). Plus the "Grab and Go" next to the grill on deck 15. We did think this was very useful and used it a lot for a lunch time bite when sitting out on deck.

When we first sailed on Azura in 2010 there seemed to be an issue with passengers queuing for the first show in the theatre, and you needed to get there at least 1 hour before curtain up to get a seat, and it seems the problem has reemerged, as whilst eating in the Glass House the queues snaked along the corridor. Also one evening we went into the Manhattan bar to watch a tribute act 45 minutes before the start, and not a spare seat was to be seen.

It was also the same at a lot of the ports, the Captain made his announcement that we had arrived and asked passengers not to congregate etc. etc. but still long and lengthy queues formed.

Disembarkation was also chaos, no information to passengers, tempers getting frayed. Our priority disembarkation was non existent, and even once we reached the luggage hall, our case with their priory labels were in with the other cases in deck order. So what the point of the labels are I do not know. I have emailed P&O and await with interest on their reply

And just in passing, on the last night we ate in Sindhu, where there was an infrastructure malfunction (I will give no more details), no one was hurt, and the reason for the mention was that the staff acted so professional and calmly, they were a credit to P&O.

The Ports

La Coruna

We have been here quite a few times before, the last time was in January on Oceana, but this time it was a bit warmer :-), and it was where the above photo of Azura was taken. There was no tour for us, so it was a walk into town, and then along the prom to the old fort, and what a very pleasant walk it was, and highly recommended if you don't fancy a tour. They are still improving the road etc. just outside the port, but its much improved even since January.

Madeira

This is another port we have been to quite a few times, but instead of taking the shuttle bus we decided to go for a walk along the new prom.

Before long, our short stroll had taken us into town, and it was a pleasure to be there with the new prom which must have cost a pretty penny. So if you do not have any problems walking, then don't take the shuttle bus, walk instead, there are lots of places to rest along the way if needed, and plenty of refreshment stops.

La Palma

It was staring to get pleasantly warm by this port. We had booked a P&O walking tour, but then realised it was the same one we had done in 2010, but was still a nice tour.

The port gate is only a 5-10 minute walk from the ship, then you are in the town. A shuttle bus is also provided if you don't fancy the walk.

Tenerife 

Another island we had been to before, but this time decided to book a Jeep Adventure, it said not suitable for those with vertigo or a bad back, and it did go up to mount Teide. The views were stunning, and it was one of the best trips we have done. so even if you don't like heights (like me) give it a try. The only downside of the tour, we had three Jeeps carrying 8 passengers, and of course 3 drivers, but only one them (our driver) spoke any English, so whilst we had a very entertaining tour the others had a somewhat less fulfilling tour.

Grand Canaria 

The arrival was a Sunday and we were informed that most of the shops etc would be closed. But in fact it turned out to be an excellent port. It was 27C so that helped. Across the road just before you reach the main town centre, there was a very large market come car boot sale, with more stalls than you could shake a stick at. Plus there was some sort of motor bike show, where it looked to me that you could hire a bike to test it round some roads that had been taped off. There was also an area where youngsters (9/10 years) could test their bike skills on an  obstacle course. so there was plenty to see and do, and of course the beach is only a short walk. In the evening, we ate in Sindhu for the first time on the cruise as it was Sue's birthday (yes 21 again ).  

Lisbon

We had company when we docked in the form of Ventura and Adonia 

I have to say, that when P&O announced their new livery, I was not overwhelmed by their choice. But seeing Azura docked in front of Ventura, it was like a before and after shot, and I must admit, the new livery did look better IMHO.

Again no tour booked, so a nice walk into to town was called for, but with 3 P&O ships and a Celebrity ship, you can imagine it was a tad busy.

The Cabin

We had an inside cabin on C deck on a Saver fare. I have always found them  large enough, but as I said above, the carpet had seen better days. But for the price we paid, it was very sufficient.

Food

Being on a saver fare, we had no choice of dining, and were given Freedom Dining, but we never made it to the restaurant.

We used the glass house a few times, and Sindhu twice, plus the new Epicurean, and the themed buffets which we enjoy any way.

The food and service in the Epicurean was very good, and carried a £28pp cover charge. Sindhu was £15pp cover charge, with excellent food and service, so the question is, "is the Epicurean worth more then Sindhu ? " 

Well I think the jury is still out, so you will just have to try it yourself and decide.

We did try to get into the "Beach Hut" but it was full by 7 pm ( no booking )

Entertainment

Unusually for us we did not go to see any Headliner Shows ( it could be because we have seen them all) .

We did however see both shows of Manuel Martinez, a Cuban comedy magician in Manhattan. If you get a chance to see him don't be put off by his title. We have never laughed so much, his shows are excellent.

We also managed to get to see the second show from Tom O'Conner, who we had seen in 2010 on the Artemis farewell cruise. Tom is no spring chicken nowadays, but still manages to hold his audience, even though some of his jokes were as old as I am, but still good entertainment .

A couple of bands to note, I thought Catch 22 were excellent, and Pulse2 were at the other end of the spectrum IMHO.

The Crew

I have always thought that P&O' s crew members to have been excellent on the cruises we have done. This cruise however, things have changed and they have seemed to upped their game even more, and were even more attentive. Well done !!

The Weather

Could not really fault the weather, from leaving Southampton until our last sea day when we had some rain, it was excellent, could not ask for better.

Conclusion

Other then the disembarkation debacle, an excellent cruise  ( sorry I seem to be using that word a lot ) and for the Saver price we paid, we could not ask for more.

I will post links to my photos in a later blog

So it's not long now ( end of May) before we are off again to try out Britannia for a week.  It's likely to be our last cruise this year, as my regular readers will know that I will need some medical treatment this year.

So hopefully my Ipad will behave itself, and I will blog from Britannia, so until then 

Bye bye

P&O Adonia Cruise Review and Photos

The Cruise

7 nights from Southampton 5th - 12th September 2014, calling at

St Mary's, Scilly Isles

Cobh ( for Cork )

St Peter Port, Guernsey

Honfleur, France

We booked this cruise sometime age, for two reasons. Firstly Adonia was the only ship in the P&O fleet we had not sailed on. Secondly, we had only been to one of the ports on the itinerary.

The Ship

Adonia is the smallest of the P&O fleet with circa 700 passengers, and fills the gap left when Artemis left the fleet. Adonia is marketed as having a "Country House" feel about it, and I would tend to agree with that description.

I think the cruise was sold out, but never did it seem overcrowded, and you could always find a seat, either on deck or inside.

Now there are lots of myths and stories about Adonia, mainly that everything stops at 20:30 of a night and all passengers take to their cabins.

Yes it is true that Adonia attracts an elderly spectrum of passengers, but if you had ventured into the Crows Nest in the 60's / 70's night, you could not move for the passengers "boogieing" the night away thanks to the excellent efforts of the entertainment team.

Ports of call

As I said above, 3 out of the 4 ports were new to us

St Mary's was a tender port, and if you read my blog, you will remember that we had to use "local tenders" and not the ships.

Now I don't think  I met anyone who thought that was a good idea. But once landed, we did enjoy our time ashore with a walking tour, and then some free time. Being a Sunday, not all the shops were open, but sufficient for what we needed.

Cobh ( pronounced Cove) 

Again, another port we thoroughly enjoyed, and such a very pretty town, and plenty to do within an easy walk from the ship, even if you do not want a tour. Also the railways station is opposite where the ship docks. Plus if you like a tipple, I can recommend the tour to the Jameson distillery. 

St Peters Port, another tender port, but this time using the ships tenders, so much more civilised. St Peters Port ( as it is a tender port) is one of those that you never know before you start your cruise if you will make it. I would think it's about 50/50 from the number of times we have been there.

But again another port that there is plenty to do if you just want a wander.

Honfleur, another we have tried a few times to visit, and failed, but this time we made it. It really is as pretty as the pictures make out, with a very busy harbour for sailing vessels, and lots of artisan shops for you to wander around. In all a delightful port of call.

Entertainment 

Being a smaller ship, and not having a theatre, all the shows are performed in the Curzon Lounge, and subsequently the Headliners are reduced to just 5 vocalists, and no dedicated dance troupe.   

We saw all but one of their shows ( we ate in the Ocean Grill that night) and they were very good.

Of note though, must be their afternoon performance of the play Opposite Sex, and well worth seeing if you get a chance.

Now if you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know in March, we were onboard Oriana to see the Northern Lights, and in my blog I mentioned an entertainment office called Chris Reynolds who performed an "Elvis" show. We did not attend the show as impersonators don't a lot for me. However it seems the show is a lot more than just Elvis. Well Chris has jumped ship, as is now on Adonia, and once again performed his "Elvis"

If you get a chance, please go and see the show, you will not be disappointed :-)

We only went to see one of the speciality acts, who was the comedian, funny in parts, but sailed very close ( too close IMHO) to racial jokes.   

There were the normal quizzes hat we normally take part in, plus we won a couple as well, which always helps.

The Weather

The weather was STUNNING, wall to wall sunshine for the whole week, could not have asked for more.

Conclusion

It really was an excellent cruise, good ports, good weather, excellent company at dinner, the perfect recipe for a cruise.

If I have not bored too much you can view my photos.

On Board

St Mary's

Cobh

Guernsey

Honfleur

Oriana Cruise Review In Search of the Northern Lights

Oriana in Search of the Northern Lights March 2014

The cruise 

12 nights from Southampton aboard P&O Cruises Oriana , calling at Bergen, Tromso , Alta (2 night stay) and Stavanger

The ship

Oriana is now a grand old lady having being launched in 1995, but is still a favourite amongst passengers. She has had several refits since being launched, the last of which turned her into "Adult Only ". This, and the time of year, has increased the average age of those on this particular cruise. So the night club was not kept that busy.

One item of note is the toilet in our cabin ( and most of the corridor ) we are now on first name terms with the plumbers the toilets got blocked that many times. Not good :-((

The crew

Due to a deep clean for Noro virus before we boarded, plus the ensuing precautions at the buffet etc, meant that the crew had even more to do. But do it they did with a smile on their face.

Don't normally do this, but Captain Robert Camby does have to get a special mention. The most visible P&O Captain I have seen on a ship since Hamish Read retired.

Very visible around the ship, he was very personable and would stop and talk to all passengers, and gave regular updates via the PA system. If he is the new way forward for P&O Captains, then well done P&O.

Entertainment 

The Headliners, were good, but not the strongest troupe I have seen on board. The vocals when harmonising were excellent, but some of the solo spots let them down IMHO. The various bands and singers in the various bars were all new to us, and slightly better than we have been used to of late.

The speciality acts we did not go and see, but from talking to people, some got a better review than others. 

Although not my cup of tea at all, the Elvis Impressionist ( one of the Entertainment Officers) seemed to have gone down well judging from the reaction of the passengers coming out of the Pacific  Lounge after his show. 

Saturday 22nd saw the crew take to the stage in the Theatre Royal for the "crew show". As always highlighting that not all the talent  on the ship is on stage every night. The finally being a rendition of "if I were not upon the sea" which we have seen many times before on different ships and cruise lines. This was one of the better ones, and they milked every ounce of humour from it.  

Food

We were booked on 1st sitting, but as we sailed late on the first night, we ate in the buffet. The second night in Sorrento, so in the end decided not to use the MDR. Most nights in the buffet ( The Conservatory )were fine, but on both nights in Alta a lots of passengers were off to see the lights, so there were queues to get in the Conservatory :-(

But we do like the Indian, Asian and Thai buffets, and they lived up to expectations.

I have always been a firm believer of Club Dining, and thought that Freedom dining was not for us. But eating in the buffet has given us so much more flexibility I think I may have changed my view.

The Ocean Grill , we have eaten in many times onboard Arcadia, the food was on par with previous visits, but I just felt the service was nearing the "rushed" stage.

Shore Excursions

None of the shore excursions were cheap, as nothing is in this part of the world, but the Dog sledge in Tromso, the Ice Hotel in Alta were worth every penny.

The trip that most passengers went on of course was "in search of the Northern Lights" which as they say in the advert was priceless. Although those who chose the second night for their adventure were disappointed as there was a cloudy sky, therefore the lights were not visible. 

At the end of the cruise we also received a set of Northern Lights Beer Mats, curtsey of the shore excursion team ( nice touch P&O)  

Conclusion 

Well, the Northern Lights have been on my bucket list for quite a while. Also if you are a regular cruiser, finding different itineraries, especially for those who choose not to fly can be difficult. 

So this cruise met those requirements, even though we had been to some of the ports before, they are totally different in the winter.

Please don't be put off by the very cold temperatures, just buy the correct clothing and you will be fine, and you will experience a cruise of a lifetime, with sights to match.

Would we do this cruise again ? Oh Yes !!

Well actually, we have already booked with Fred for this time next year, to come back to this part of the world to view a Solar Eclipse, so we may even get to see the lights then.

I hope you have enjoyed reading the blog ? If so you may want to join Sue and myself in a couple of months as we sail with Fred, from Harwich (nice and close to home) for some warmer weather than this cruise.

And as the Captain Camby would say, I will leave you with this final thought

If you want a cruise go to the Med, if you want an adventure, book the Northern Lights.