P&O Britannia

Named by The Queen, Britannia is the biggest ship in the P&O Cruises' fleet with 3,647 passengers and weighing 141,000 tons. Britannia is the biggest ship built specifically for the UK market and it shows. Understated luxury is a description frequently used to describe Britannia - it is not showy - with the exception perhaps of the 'Star Burst' centre piece in the Atrium (which was stunning). I think P&O have taken aspects of each of their ships in the rest of the fleet and added them into Britannia. The Glass House, Sindhu, Crows Nest Bar etc. but they have added new features such as the new Cookery Club - two-hour classes will cost £100 per person and take place in The Cookery Club, a dedicated cookery school with 12 stations for up to 24 people to create culinary masterpieces. Celebrity guest cooks will also feature on many of the sailings, i.e. Mary Berry (6 July 15) or TV chef James Martin or Theo Randall among others. We tried the speciality restaurant - Sindhu - which I can highly recommend. The Hub of the ship is the Atrium with the 'Star Burst' centre piece. I can imagine spending many an hour here watching the world go by! Shops, the Glass House and coffee bar are all around this area and the reception is tucked away around the corner. Cabins - I was allocated a balcony - not difficult as all the outsides have a balcony but some do have obstructed views. Space was perfectly adequate and an open wardrobe gave lots of hanging space. However, it is worth paying that bit extra for a larger cabin with sofa and that extra space especially if you are on a longer cruise. Ask for a price comparison. In summary I think that this ship will be popular with traditional, loyal P&O cruisers. The new enhancements such as the Cookery school will be a sell out and the Strictly Come Dancing cruises are going down a storm. Combined with the newest ship in the fleet, call me to book and you won't be disappointed!