Britannia – My Honest Review Part 1

I always find it interesting when I am listening to passengers describe their own personal experiences on board their latest cruise , opinions, especially in the cruise industry are high and we all have them, some stronger than others and that is just what it is, an opinion, no right no wrong just comes down to personal preferences. So when you read this please believe that this is my own personal opinion on Britannia. So what did I think?

I have sailed on many different cruise lines over the years and have been on many inaugural visits for 1 or two nights but I have to say the build up to this particular stay on Britannia was rather exciting. I have blogged about Britannia many times over the last 12 months and have been impressed with the development and been excited regarding the Cookery Club and Celebrity Chefs on board. So when I was offered 24 hours on board Britannia I was a very pleased to say the least. A huge thank you to P&O cruises for the invitation. As there is so much to say ,I have split this Blog into two parts, part 2 will be published shortly.

Britannia was docked at Ocean Terminal and I have to say the terminal was beautifully decorated throughout , flowers in full bloom in Britannia colours . Ocean Terminal really was on a mission to give you a feeling of excitement even before you even entered the passenger terminal, well that was until you climbed up the escalators and saw a sea of faces and queues . Then came the feeling of dread, how long would I be waiting? I was given the letter T, I am sure we have all been there where we would stop at nothing to be given a letter A , but after refusing any kind of bribery in the form of a Twix ( was all I had on me )  I took the letter T, found my seat and prepared myself for the wait. (Thank goodness for check in times that passengers are now given, a plus for P&O) They did have a great singer though and dance act to help pass the time and a mere two and a half hours later I was able to finally board Britannia.

On entering Britannia I was greeted by representatives from P&O and staff ready to show me to my  cabin. Polite and friendly although you find yourself only listening to half of what they are saying as you are too busy taking in the atmosphere and decor of P&O’s Flagship Cruise Liner.

So much to see and do I found my cabin on deck 10, cabin number E433 a balcony cabin without sofa . First impressions beautifully furnished with plenty of space . Liked the fact of the two huge full length mirrors and each end of the cabin together with a huge flat screen Tv on the wall opposite the beds. Lovely to see Tea and Coffee making facilities a big plus for me and plenty of wardrobe space as you would imagine. All looked great really pleased until I opened the balcony door. At this point it was a shame I didn’t have a tape measure because my thoughts were could a balcony really be this small? Two small chairs and a small table, Really? After all the cruises I have been on this has to be the smallest I have ever experienced a real disappointment for me. Bathroom was again beautifully decorated and tiled and so lovely to see a glass shower door rather than a curtain, very classy in design. Again though one of the smallest bathrooms I have seen with the toilet somewhat squeezed between the glass shower door and the wash basin. Not the end of the world though , your not in the bathroom for long I guess . So a quick freshen up and I was out of the door to explore.

Cabins on Board Britannia – It was important to me to view the cabins as many of my customers had expressed many requests to view many different cabin grades which I was more than happy to do. As an agent its important to be able to view and therefore advise on what cabins would be ideal for each passenger if asked. So I viewed 2 B4 Suites, an inside cabin a larger inside cabin. All 3 grades of balconies, with sofa, without sofa and superior deluxe balconies together with an accessible balcony cabin. All of the cabins are bright,airy and beautifully appointed with the comfiest of beds and top quality bed linen. See what you think?

E433 Balcony cabin without sofa

B329 Large Inside Cabin. well worth the extra with huge amounts of space to walk around in. I really like these cabins.

B429 Accessible Cabin, absolutely huge with a great bathroom , plenty of space and really well designed.

B725 B4 Suite deck 10 Starboard Aft with corner balcony. WOW what a view and finally a huge balcony , shame we have to pay suite prices to have a decent size. These suites are worth every penny though. Stunning.

Many customers after seeing the pictures preferred the look of the cabins on Ventura and Azura as they seemed brighter and more colourful somehow , but again personal opinion I quite liked the look and feel of the cabins. Very classy and modern that I guess would fit it with the rest of the ship. Lots of storage space both in the bathroom and in the bedroom area. Honest opinion on the cabins really really lovely, but for me genuine disappointment regarding the size of the balconies and could possibly make me think twice regarding saving some money on a balcony and booking the larger inside cabin. Just a thought!

Thirsty work looking at all the cabins so I decided to head to Brody’s Bar

In part 2, I will be covering the restaurants including cookery club, drinks prices ( very important to know) and to answer the questions that you can’t always find in the brochures and e.g what does Eric Lanlard really include in his sought after afternoon tea experience. Plus my personal opinion on the service I received on board and what I really thought of Marco Pierre White’s Menu.

Cheers

Holly