Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
P&O
I have to come clean and admit I absolutely love sailing with P&O so I cannot claim this will be an entirely objective review.
I went through most of my lie vowing I would never, ever set foot on a cruise ship. They were for posh, doddery old people living out their dotage. Then a friend of mine, a hairy biker and the last person you would expect to like cruising, went on a mini-cruise and he loved it.
I thought if he, of all people, likes cruising there must be something in it, so I booked a mini-cruise with P&O on Azura and I was hooked. The rest, as they say is history.
As I write this we're two years to the month after that first mini-cruise and this coming weekend we'll be embarking on our eighth cruise.
For me P&O offers just the right blend of formality, classy ships and value for money. Yes, they can be more expensive than other cruise lines (but they are by no means the most expensive) BUT you do, very much get what you pay for.
It's also safe to say P&O are very much geared towards the UK audience, although their cruises reach almost every corner of the world.
The cruises have a good mix of formality and informality with a number of formal nights on all cruises - even better is, unlike many cruise lines, the dress code is enforced, so if you cannot make the effort to dress up on the formal nights you will not be allowed in the main restaurants - simple as, end of and I admire P&O for their stance.
If you really don't want to dress up it doesn't mean you'll starve but it will mean your dining options are confined to the buffet restaurant only but that's no bad thing as P&O buffets offer a massive range of well presented, well prepared food.
One negative point with P&O is they seem to be veering towards larger ships. Britannia, currently the largest ship in the fleet, carries just over 3,600 passengers, whilst Iona which goes into service in 2020 will carry 5,200 passengers along with a similar sized sister ship launching in 2022.
At the same time they seem to be scrapping their smaller ships with the delightful 1,900 passenger Oriana which left P&O in August 2019, which I think is criminal as she is a lovely ship and perfect for those of us who prefer smaller ships. I had planned to write a review of Oriana but as she has been sold there is little point.
On the plus side, however, in May 2019 P&O became the first main cruise line to scrap the "mandatory" service charge on all cruises. They say fares will not increase as a result of the decision - let's watch on that one.
Another big plus on P&O ships are their speciality restaurants ..... yes you do have to pay a modest supplement to avail yourself of the experience but in my experience they are worth every penny.
Eric Lanlard's afternoon tea is a sublime experience which will surprise and tantalise your taste buds and at £15 a head it is worth every penny.
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If you're a fan of Indian food then visit to Atul Kochhar's Sindhu is an absolute must at £20 a head - the trouble is after experiencing his food you'll never want to eat in your local Indian takeaway again.
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So is a P&O cruise for you ..... if you're the sort of person who prefers informality and doesn't like dressing up for dinner then P&O is probably not for you.
If, however, you like good service, dressing up for dinner and generally being pampered what are you waiting for get booking.
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If you're unsure about cruising P&O offer two night mini cruises from Southampton throughout the year - for a couple of hundred quid a head you get the chance to sample life at sea and, who knows, like me you may just get the cruising bug.
Update August 2019
I've just returned from another cruise on Ventura and have to confess I was horrified, standards have dropped dramatically with a large number of onboard staff being indifferent and the ship seemed to be unhappy.
Without wishing to sound snobbish the standard of passenger on board P&O ships has also deteriorated. There was the instance of a mass brawl on Britannia on a recent Norwegian cruise and on this latest cruise there were some passengers who looked as though they were just looking to throw as much booze down their necks as possible, not to mention the "gentleman" - and I use that word ironically - who thought it perfectly acceptable to barge a five year old child out of the way in the buffet, so he could get a glass of water before her.
On this latest cruise I had planned to take advantage of the benefits and discounts to be gained by booking your next cruise onboard, in the end I didn't and, frankly, I'm not sure if I will cruise with P&O again.
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