P&O back in my Good Books!

I have just returned from a 3 night mini-cruise on P&O Ventura at the weekend with a group of friends. Having been on board the ship many times before I was sceptical about how much I would enjoy it this time after being on Ovation of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas and NCL Epic earlier this year. These ships have so much to offer with full production West End Shows and much more. Check in at Southampton has always been far superior with Royal Caribbean  with the introduction of checking you in on I-Pads on the Quantum Class Ships and on Harmony of the Seas. We had a check-in time of 2.30pm but as we had travelled by minibus we arrived around 12.15. Expecting to have a long wait we collected out coloured embarkation cards (so old school) and made ourselves comfy in the departure lounge. Surprisingly within 10 minutes of being there out letter was called to check in and board which was great (so much for saying people must adhere to the check in time on their e-tickets)

Once on board an announcement was made to say that the cabins were ready which was a bonus as these are not normally ready until about 2pm. Once we had dropped off our hand luggage it was time to grab a bit of lunch in the buffet and this was good as always. Our cases were also delivered to our cabins in time for us to unpack before the muster drill which was very prompt.

The first nights entertainment was “Walk like a Man” a tribute to The Four Seasons and also Beautiful World who were showcasing Take That songs. We decided to go for the Four Season Show and this was very good and not something I had seen on P&O before. Unfortunately as we travelled with them many times before the shows do become repetitive. We found out this on the second evening when the theatre show was “Reel to Reel”. This is a Celebration of British Blockbusters but decided to give this a miss as we had seen it many times before. There was plenty of other entertainment around the ship in Havana which is the nightclub later in the evening after the other shows have finished, Tamarind Club and Metropolis and the Exchange Pub. I even did a bit of Ballroom Dancing in the Atrium as the friends we were with are keen dancers.

The food in the Main Restaurant didn’t disappoint though. The menu’s had changed since we were last on board as this was something else that was very repetitive. The food was very good as was the service and everything was served piping hot. I think this is one thing P&O have definitely got over Royal Caribbean in the Main Dining Room.

Another big improvement on board was the Internet and Wi -Fi Service. Wi-Fi used to cost £35.00 for 100 minutes and then they would give you 20 minutes Free but this was still expensive for 2 Hours. The New Connect package offered is £7.75 for 24 hours for internet messaging and social media so this would be £54.25 for a week cruise which is much better value than £35.00 for 2 hours. The Browse Package costs £12.50 for 24 hours and allows web browsing, email, internet messaging and social media. The Works package allows you to stream You Tube, Spotify, Apple Music, Video Call, Browse, Email and share via social networks for £24.95 for 24 hours.

On Saturday we docked in Zeebrugge and decided just to take the Free Shuttle Bus to Blankenberge rather than go into Brugge. This is a seaside town with a lovely beach and a great place to take a stroll along the promenade which is lined with shops and bars. As always in Blakenberge we ended up on the Pier for a Beer!

All in all It was a great cruise and I think P&O have redeemed themselves with the slicker embarkation and great food and service. Roll on my next trip on board for New Year!