Reviews
![Not the holiday of a lifetime]()
This holiday was my bucket list holiday. Due to health reasons we booked to go last December. The absolute worst part of the cruise was service. It became very clear very quickly that there was not enough staff on board.New years eve was a disaster. Getting a drink from a bar anywhere on board was horrendous. Not once in the two weeks were we approached and asked if we would like a drink. What staff there was were run of their feet. I thought that maybe my perception of P&O was wrong. Was I expecting to much ? But we spoke to many people on board. Some had cruised a couple of times before, some nearly forty times. We only met one couple who said they would cruise again with P&O. It was extremely poor. We will never cruise with them again. I even wrote a letter of complaint when we arrived home. I havent heard anything at all back by way of apology or explanation. A complete waste of our savings. Due to the lack of staff, all services were impacted. Queuing for towels for half an hour in a morning, slow service in restaurants, speciality restaurants booked up. Only to find a quarter of the tables were taken. Just no staff. Reception was always busy with long queues. You just didnt bother and lived with whatever issue you had. We witnessed disagreements and arguments between customers and staff, all complaining of similar issues. Never again
Reviews
![2024-01-07 13:59:29]()
We were very disappointed with this cruise. It felt a bit like being in a Butlins holiday camp! Buffet was chaotic - too many people in one area (why didnt they open the second buffet area) tables not cleared and staff were not particularly helpful and we frequently had to dive out of the way of trolleys. Food was average and quite repetitive. Excursions were not terribly well planned - 2 hours drive to a waterfall, 15 minutes there and 15 minutes to get back the short route - would have preferred the short route and more time at the waterfall instead of an uncomfortable bus with no working seatbelts. We were ok with no turndown service (one clean per day ) but after 7 days had to ask the cabin steward to vacuum as it had not been done at all. We enjoyed the Caribbean however, and it was lovely to have a balcony, so it wasnt a disaster, just didnt live up to Princess or Fred Olsen who we travelled with recently.
Reviews
![2024-01-07 10:49:58]()
Very enjoyable cruise. Follow passengers and crew amazing.
I was unhappy with P and 0 before the cruise as although I had paid for the opportunity to select a cabin they would not allow me change a selection I had made.
The ship in places needs some upgrades especially some of the cabins and some of the communal areas.
However I felt on the whole it was good value for the price.
Reviews
![2023-06-18 21:15:03]()
Went to the Norwegian fjords a group of four friends . Had an absolutely brilliant time, was very impressed with the ship and would definitely travel again! Activities and entertainment was plentiful and very good! Always plenty of choices on the menu in meridian and peninsula never got to try the premium restaurant but was definitely not disappointed
Reviews
![2023-06-04 12:19:17]()
Reviews
![2023-06-03 17:07:21]()
Overall we had a fantastic cruise on Brittania and a very good deal with cruise.co.uk. The food, service and staff were excellent, the entertainment was pretty good. The balcony cabin was roomy enough but I wouldn't say it was ample. We had chosen our room but on arrival it seemed to have been double booked which was disappointing and meant quite a lot of hanging around. Also because of the way we had booked we were deemed independent travellers and that definitely seemed to go against us. I certainly wished we'd carried our own luggage off as there was a long wait for it when disembarking. But I would still travel with P&O again, this was a first.
Reviews
![2023-06-02 20:28:55]()
Ports were great as were shore excursions. Have been on this ship before and dining standards had dropped,repetitive menus and Luke warm food even in main dining rooms. Embarkation and disembarkation fairly good as were the cabin. However I found lots of people who had paid less than half that I paid. I paid £2005 and others paid less than £900 for same class of cabin and in some cases a better cabin . This was definitely not value for money. I will not be booking at launch campaigns again. I have only been on Pand O cruises so will now look elsewhere.
Reviews
![2023-06-02 15:39:20]()
I had a two week’s North Europe
Scandinavian cruise on P&O Britannia ( my third cruise on Britannia) but the standard has been gone down & lots of cut down in the ship which were there last two trips.
We were a group of 80 people but we were disappointed this time with lots of cuts & changed. Hopefully we won’t be disappointed next time from
P&O
Reviews
![2023-06-02 12:25:36]()
Good service
Embarkation smooth and things moved quickly.
Disembarkation took longer.
Long queues for taxis and c
oaches
Reviews
![2023-04-04 15:39:19]()
Our first Caribbean cruise since the pandemic. On this occasion we took a scheduled flight and had a couple of days on Barbados before joining our ship and this proved to be very enjoyable.
We have undertaken over 12 cruises with P&O, along with many others with other lines and it is noticeable how in recent years the overall cruise experience has declined. Whether this being savings on the variety and quality of food, the reduction in the servicing of your cabin, the need to ask for what at one time was considered the norm, the lack of a chocolate on the pillow at night and the increase in costs for speciality dining etc., this is the same with all companies and has greatly accelerated in recent years .
The Caribbean in our winter cannot be beaten and we enjoyed revisiting many islands all of which are very different. All of the locals seemed delighted to have the tourists back after the difficulties of the past few years.
Of the P&O ships Azura is our one of choice but as she is no longer in the Caribbean during the winter we had no choice but to use Brattania. This was our second cruise on Brittania, the previous one to the Caribbean four years ago, when in all honesty we found the ship a little bland and lacking in atmosphere. After our latest cruise we revised our opinion and would happily choose this ship dependant on itinary.
There are always moaners on a cruise and as I have already stated standards have slipped as the companies try to claw back some of the lost revenue from the pandemic days, however, our overall experience was very positive and we personally had little to complain about on this cruise. We found the food to be acceptable in all venues and the service mainly pretty good. Our outside superior balcony cabin was fine although the balcony itself a little on the cosy side. The ship was in excellent condition throughout with a high level of cleanliness and maintenance.
We enjoyed our evenings sitting having a drink and listening to the pianist and we also saw a couple of the theatre productions, which in the main were very good although a little too loud at times. Why the sound staff think that loud volume levels equate to levels of enjoyment I will never know.
P&O have the winter Caribbean cruise package down to a fine art and hopefully we will be able to have another winter cruise in the next couple of years.
Reviews
![2023-03-30 07:18:07]()
Had to pay more than usual for drinks package also could not just pay for one you had to buy two if there were two of you travelling.
Food in the restaurants very limited same menu every night just a couple new items added.
Food in the buffet not good breakfast always cold tried restaurant one day had to wait ages ordered american pancakes ended up with cold warburtons bought pancakes
Not good value for the money we paid
Not a patch on ncl
Reviews
![2023-03-29 21:19:31]()
Bought the wine package when we boarded, only to find that our first 3 choices were unavailable with no suitable alternatives. This was the first night!
No ice cream parlour on board. Was only available with dinner.
Ran out of muesli at the start of the second week
service in Freedom Dining resturants was slow and poor.
This was our first major cruise and we had been led to believe the food was 5 star - so disappointing!
e.g. cheese plate was 4 biscuits, 2 thin triangles of bland, processed cheese and a piece of celery - i had a better choice in the buffet
Shore excursions generally poor value for money (perhaps we chose the wrong one's), not helped by being crammed into a minivan with very little leg room (and intrusive wheel arches)
I could go on, but it serves no purpose.
P&O had been recommended to us but it appears they have some serious quality issues.
never again
Reviews
![2023-03-28 18:40:13]()
Reviews
![2023-03-28 17:55:48]()
We had a lovely time and met some great people. I have been on Britannia now four time and I now know where to go. The lifts were still a problem but everything else was great.
Reviews
![2023-03-28 16:05:14]()
Following the death of my wife I opted for a solo cruise on P&O Britannia to the Caribbean from Barbados in mid-March 2023. It was important not to have to pay a supplement, which is a rip-off for those traveller's who do not have a choice, so P&O's Britannia offering, with all solo cabins on Deck 16 was well worth considering.
For those unsure Deck 16 is a prime location, with the Crows Nest, a beautifully quiet place to relax at one end of the corridor, and access to the lifts and/or Lido pool deck (and onwards to the Horizon Restaurant) within easy access on the other.
Post-Covid the organisation was perfectly done, both for boarding and leaving (simple terms), and it worked well, which included not having to worry about suitcases since leaving the UK, or for the return from leaving the ship.
There still needs to be some greater control over passengers wanting to be fed, arriving in swimwear, especially men with sweaty, uncovered bodies. Covering up is not etiquette, it is common decency to others. I do not really want to see muffin tops or beer bellies when trying to enjoy a meal.
The entertainment was quite outstanding, although the performers were sometimes stopped from performing planned second shows due to illness. When they are so good, not being able to see them again was disappointing, but understandable. Stephanie Webber's voice was incredible, Emmanuel Sonubi's comedic shows were hilarious, whilst Vocal Xtr3me's shows were quite outstanding. Well done to P&O for these acts.
I am thankful for the efforts to find me such a cruise, at a price that was solo acceptable, and on a trip where the weather turned out to be perfect for the whole 14 days.
Reviews
![2023-03-28 15:48:16]()
All really good except shore excursion - was disorganised, didn’t take us to the promised destinations & was shortened because the catamaran was not available at the appointed time . The leader of the trip ( a sub contracted tour company ) was very rude . A shambles actually.
