I recently returned from Britannia’s maiden voyage, and what a voyage it was! I was smitten with her from our very first meeting, and when March 28th came around, I simply did not want to leave.
She is a ship that is certainly built for the summer weather – lots of open deck space, 3 rather large swimming pools, an outdoor area of the kids club and, of course, The Retreat. In short she had all the outer deck space that I love, we sadly just didn’t have the weather to really enjoy it all. I suppose I have a great excuse to book another cruise on her!
Food aboard is plenty and there are options to suit everyone – quite literally! For quick bites, or snacks for the kids, you have the Lido Pizzeria and Lido Grill serving up fresh burgers, fries, hot dogs, pizza and salads. Just across the Deck you will find the Grab & Go station, which offers a variation of treats in the morning and from noon until 4pm. The Horizon Café is the ships buffet and it is HUGE! More than enough space to never have to queue for a station or wander aimlessly looking for a seat. Other options onboard include The Glass House, Epicurean Restaurant, Market Café, The Beach House, several main dining rooms, Limelight Club, Sindhu and good old fashioned room service.
There are bars and public lounges to suit every mood, from a chilled pint in Brodie’s to a Cocktail at Sunset Bar, or something a little more sophisticated in The Crystal Room – whatever atmosphere you want to enjoy, you can certainly find it aboard Britannia.
She is aimed towards the family market and having had a quick look through the Kids Clubs, I would certainly say she will keep the youngsters of all ages happy! There are pool tables, computer consoles, air hockey tables, little work stations and so much more! There was even a small splash pool area with toys on the outer deck for the little ones to enjoy.
The Reef age groups are as noted below:
Splashers 2-4 year olds – Qualified youth staff provide a full programme of age-specific activities.
Surfers 5-8 year olds – Qualified Reef Rangers provide activities, adventure, games and sport coaching sessions.
Scubas 9-12 year olds – Children this age can either join in the organised games with the specialist Reef Rangers or simply hang out with friends in the chill out areas.
H20 13-17 year olds – Children have their own room to chill out, watch movies, play games or participate in coaching sessions, talent shows and parties.
I found the cabins aboard Britannia to be of a good size, although they did feel slightly smaller than those on Ventura and Azura. All cabins are beautifully decorated and every shower features a glass door – no more shower curtains! There were large flat-screen TV’s in every cabin – 2 or 3 in some suites – tea and coffee making facilities, fridge, safe, hairdryer, bath products and a satellite telephone.
Would I recommend a cruise on Britannia? I certainly would! She is clean, modern and certainly built for a new kind of cruiser – she had many traditional features, which I love, but she also offered a lot of new aspects that blend into her design perfectly. There were only 2 things that I couldn’t quite get used to, the first being that there is no mid-ship passenger stairwell above Deck 7, and the second being her lack of Promenade Deck. Everything else suited me quite nicely and I will certainly be back aboard her again very soon, I hope!
Images via Danielle Fear and P&O Cruises
