Our review of the P&O Britannia Cruise - part 1

This part of the review focuses on the embarkation process and our cabins. Part 2 will focus on the food, the facilities and a certain Jonny Wilkes…..sorry I was lost in my thoughts there 😉

 

On arrival

 

 

When you arrive at Southampton port you can not miss Britannia as she towers above you. Mr C and I were slightly nervous about how efficient the boarding process would be. This was due to our previous Caribbean trip on the Britannia where there had been a delay on boarding the ship. This was due to a faulty air bridge and it meant that we were waiting for about three hours to board. However, this time we were delighted to have a very efficient check-in. It was so easy. My mum and dad’s car had been safely taken away and parked and we had all been relieved of our luggage. We were checked in really quickly and we were soon on board. Brilliant.

 

First impressions.

 

When you arrive on board you find yourself in the impressive atrium under the starburst. The starburst is really effective with its twinkly lights and changing colours. My mum was suitably impressed and muttered

 

“oooh, it’s just like a really posh hotel isn’t it?”

 

I think at this point she may have been trying to convince herself that she was in fact in a very fancy hotel and not floating on water. She was a little worried about the fact she was going on a boat. You can read about why she was nervous HERE. Around the starburst there are plenty of seats where you can either recline and wait for your cabin to be ready or alternatively you can do what we did and head to the Horizon restaurant for FOOD!

 

 

Horizon restaurant

 

The Horizon restaurant is an informal restaurant where you help yourself to food. Don’t let the fact that it is buffet style deter you. It is perfect for lunch with a huge array of hot and cold food. There is something for everyone. It is very well organised and your tables and drinks are cleared quickly. The whole restaurant offers a really good dining experience. Also being near the top of the ship with floor to ceiling windows it offers impressive views over the horizon. We had a lovely lunch and then the announcement was made that our cabins were ready!

 

Tips for Horizon restaurant -

 

• try to go out of the peak times to guarantee getting the table you want.

 

• You can help yourself to coffee free of charge at the Horizon restaurant. However, if you fancy a barista style coffee then the Market Cafe is very reasonable or you could buy a Costa Coffee card before you get on board as there is also a Costa Coffee. When you get a Costa Coffee you also get free cake too. WIN!

 

 

Our cabins

 

When we arrived at our cabins we found our luggage waiting outside for us. Perfect. We were now very impressed with how everything was going.

 

Inside larger cabin.

 

This time we were delighted to be informed that we had been upgraded from the standard inside cabin to a larger inside cabin. It was very lovely and spacious and didn’t feel at all cramped, even when all four of us were all getting ready for dinner on an evening. There is plenty of hanging space and storage space. An inside cabin means that you don’t have any windows. I was worried that I would find this claustrophobic but I don’t! I actually really enjoy it and I can guarantee that I will always have a good nights sleep as do the children. Brilliant news for everyone.

 

Balcony cabin

 

My parents had a balcony cabin which was very lovely. The room also has a small seating area. I will say that the balcony is very small and you can only just get two of you on there. I am told that my dad found it quite a challenge to do his yoga on the balcony!

 

All the cabins come with White Company products, towels for the bathroom and pool. Coffee and tea, kettle, safe and hairdryer. You also get a flat screen TV with a great choice of films for everyone.

 

Tips for the cabin - don’t let an inside cabin deter you. They are really nice and you don’t actually spend that much time in your cabin The money you save on booking an inside cabin could then be used elsewhere, like on lots of yummy cake and fizz!

 

After a very smooth check-in we were all very impressed with everything. Read part 2 to find out if we end up sinking at sea or enjoying the cruise life. Alright, some of you already know the answer to this but humour me, I just wanted to get some poor puns in 😉

 

Have you been on a cruise?