My partner and I recently returned from a two week cruise on the MV Britannia, the largest and most recent addition to the P&O fleet. Our trip took us to the Mediterranean and we enjoyed good weather and calm seas throughout. But having cruised a number of times before with P&O, there were elements of the cruising experience that frankly, started to wear a little thin.
In part this is due to the ship’s size. Britannia is massive compared to vessels like Aurora and Oceana; and in my view, it was much less enjoyable as a result. Getting around was, well….frustrating. Despite its size, there didn’t seem enough lifts to move some 3500+ passengers between decks 5 and 17, so delays were commonplace. Going to and from the ships many bars and restaurants was like walking on a busy high street; and once you arrived, finding spare seats together was often difficult
Not surprisingly, the warm Mediterranean weather brought plenty of passengers onto the sun decks. But they too felt crowded, with rows of sun beds squashed together, especially around the pools. The quieter Serenity pool area was the most inviting, but was always full when we arrived, regardless of time of day. The Lido deck was even worse. With its two main pools as the focal point, it more often than not had a holiday camp atmosphere. This was not helped by silly quizzes, middle of the road music and occasional sail-away parties. For the uninitiated, sail-away parties occur when the ship sails from a port, and consist of the entertainment staff leading a dance-and-clap-along to the same tunes that are played, as far as I can tell, throughout the fleet. If you are really unlucky, you get to wave a little flag at your fellow passengers. Certainly I got the sense of ‘been to one, been to them all’. Personally I don’t like my entertainment to be choreographed, which was how it felt on my first cruise, never mind now.
In the evenings, the large number of passengers continued to be a problem. The Live Lounge, a cabaret style venue, was generally full by the time second dinner sitting was over, so we rarely got to see a full set by the resident band. It was a similar case in Brodie’s bar where if something was taking place (live music, quiz or televised football), seats, especially four empty ones together, we’re at a premium.
The only sanctuary from the hordes (by the way, mostly retired, almost exclusively white, and quite often fat) was our cabin. It was spacious, comfortable and had a balcony on which we ended many a warm night. Indeed, compared to the other ships on which we have sailed, this was by far and a way the best cabin.
And now to the really big downside. On this cruise, my patience with the P&O dress codes finally ran out. Every single night they tell you how to dress, even on a casual night. I’ve commented on this before, as it is a problem on every one of their cruises, but four nights of suit and tie (I refuse to wear a dickie bow) on a 14 night cruise is frankly unreasonable. I am, after all, on holiday. That’s right P&O, a holiday; where I am supposed to be relaxed, comfortable and happy. Yes there are some places on board where dress codes don’t apply, but that would limit my choice of where to eat or drink.
Please don’t assume it was all bad though. I wouldn’t have gone on so many if there wasn’t something good about cruising.
Firstly there is the excellent service. For me, the staff are P&O’s greatest asset. Their warm, courteous but friendly nature, their knowledge of their own particular role, and their efficiency, was outstanding.
Then there is the food. There is plenty of opportunity to eat, and it is generally of a high quality. The only downside was the crowded nature of the Horizon self-service restaurant in the mornings, and the tendency for the Horizon’s food to be lukewarm in the evenings (when it was much less busy). As vegetarians we enjoyed some great meals, although we did have to order these a day in advance in the main restaurant. We also ate in two of the select dining venues. These are where you pay a small cover charge for a special menu. What we had was very good, but sadly the concept of real choice for vegetarians didn’t extend to every select menu, so we didn’t even bother with the the other three venues. (Note to P&O: please give vegetarians a genuine choice in every restaurant).
Entertainment was a mixed bag. We saw two enjoyable and original shows in the theatre (although the sound quality was poor for one of them). We also enjoyed the house band (called Pulse) when they were playing either modern stuff or rock (yes, some Led Zeppelin, and on a P&O ship!). Mostly though it seemed the usual middle of the road stuff.
A new concept is the Limelight Club, where you pay for a set meal and entertainment by more well known performers. However, a single rubbish vegetarian option and uninspiring headline act was not enough to make us part with £20 a head.
It was good to see a purpose built cinema on board, but there were not enough films. We only saw the one; and sadly the place was too cold for proper comfort. Indeed, powerful air conditioning meant many venues were colder than they needed to be. At this point I should say something about the decoration and comfort of the public areas. Air conditioning aside, the bars and restaurants are beautifully decorated, indeed, luxurious, with top quality furniture and fittings. The Atrium, a central hub of the ship from the passengers’ perspective, was pretty spectacular, as the photograph shows.
For myself and family though, it is the places we see that really make a cruise; and the fact that we don’t have to fly! We really enjoyed Cadiz, Cartagena, Barcelona, Vigo and Monte Carlo (look out for future posts on these places). Rome was very crowded and extremely hot, and with hindsight, we would have been better off staying in Cittavechia rather than catching the train to Italy’s capital city (which incidentally was a cheap way to get there – about a quarter of the price P&O charged for a city transfer). As for Naples, apart from the quaint old town, it was not at all how we imagined it. I doubt we will be going back.
Overall, I think the sameness with previous cruises has taken the shine off of the experience. Also, I think that P&O need to re-think what they are trying to achieve. I say this because they seem to face in two directions, neither of which appeals. By day they seem to encourage a holiday camp atmosphere; yet by night they use their dress codes to present a more sophisticated and subdued atmosphere. It might work for their main demographic, but I’ve taken a long time to realise it doesn’t work for me.