A review of the P&O Ventura trans-atlantic Cruise by Richard’s Dad
Well here I am, sat with the Ventura behind me in Madeira. What did I think of my first cruise with P&O?
The flights and transfers to the ship were very well organised and uneventful.
When we arrived and boarded the ship it was great that we had been upgraded to a cabin with a window. This proved to be a real advantage throughout the cruise. The cabin felt large, and there was ample room for all of our clothes (loads, as Sue likes to be prepared!).
The cabin was on the 5th deck, one below reception, and just a few steps away from the main atrium in a very central spot. It was very quiet though, and we were very pleased with the cabin in every respect. Our cabin steward looked after us very well for the whole cruise. From the first moment, he was excellent.
The food and drink
We were on the second sitting for meals and on a table of 8. We were very lucky and shared our table with a lovely selection of folks, and often met them for a drink or two. We valued their company, and I think that this was the best dining option for us.
Others on board were on a freedom dining scheme, which must make it easier to arrange mealtimes around the entertainment, but I feel that we would have lost out if we had not had our new friends.
The food was excellent. Breakfast was everything that you could wish for. Lunch was varied from very casual to silver service, whatever you wished for, and the selection of dishes was very good.
In the evening the dining was a real five star experience. The menus and the service were difficult to fault and the standard of service from ALL of the staff, both in the restaurants and the bars, was much better than I expected. There was always a willing waiter about. It was great.
We tend to like a nice wine, and it was great to find a nice white (Chablis) and a nice red (Chateaunuef Du Pape) both at around £25 a bottle. You could get a bottle of wine from about £14 upwards though. All of the drinks were priced just below what you would expect to pay in an English pub, and everyone that we spoke to was happy with that policy.
We ate at the White Room one night, and had a lovely meal with great service and a nice atmosphere. The restaurant is at the back of the ship and we were able to eat outside in the moonlight. Very nice, glad we did it.
The entertainment
The entertainment was very varied and professional. We were very lucky with the weather on this transatlantic crossing and often completely forgot that we were on a ship, especially when watching a show or act. My favourite act was Jimmy James, a classic and quality soul singer – a privilege to be in the audience. Another singer was a Jonny Cash tribute, and he was excellent too!
I was lucky enough to win £170 at the casino, which helped with the bar bill!
The experience when we left the ship and flew back to the UK was again very well organised. Our cases were collected on the ship and we did not see them again until we arrived at Gatwick – great. At the airport we were already checked in, so went straight through to departure – again great.
All things considered then we had a fantastic cruise. Well done Richard, P&O and the staff of Ventura.
About Me
I started at Cruise.co.uk back in April 2009. I was new to the travel industry as my previous work was within the mortgage industry, due to the credit crunch (and being made redundant) this wasn't a great industry to be in so I looked for something new which is when…
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