P&O's new flagship Britannia was built by Fincantieri in Monfalcone, Italy at a cost of £473m and is the third ship in the "Royal-class" ordered by P&O's owners,
Carnival Corporation, the earlier ships being delivered to Princess Cruises as Royal Princess in June 2013 and Regal Princess in May 2014.
Britannia does differ from her sisters, however, and is not only the largest ship for P&O but the largest ship designed exclusively for the British cruise market.
Registered in the UK, she will be permanently based in Southampton, where I saw her arrive on 6th March 2015, to be named a few days later by Her Majesty The Queen.
Most new ships have a "gimmick" these days but while Britannia doesn't boast anything of that sort, she did arrive sporting a 94m Union Flag (the largest of its kind) as part
of her new P&O livery.
Designed specifically for the British cruise market, her interiors are the work of hotel designers Richmond International and they include 13 bars and 13 restaurants or eateries, including
the Epicurean Restaurant, a new "Fine Dining & Molecular Gastronomy" option, as well as P&O's popular Asian-style restaurant Sindhu by Atul Kocchar, already featured on Ventura and Azura.
A new innovation is the Cookery Club, brainchild of TV Chef James Martin, where passengers will be encouraged to pay £100 for 2-hour cookery classes hosted by celebrity chefs such as Mary Berry, while
patissier Eric Lanlard is behind the new Market Café and wine guru Olly Smith provides the wine choices for the Glass House, his wine bar/eatery on board.
But this time however, I wasn't just looking at the outside......
More photos of Britannia's Southampton arrival and our Preview Cruise can be found on my account at Captain Martini >>
Gerry joined me for this exclusive "Friends & Family" opportunity to sample this brand-new P&O ship on a "shakedown" preview-cruise, prior to the ship's official Maiden Voyage on the 14th March.
We had been on "new" ships in the past (Splendour of the Seas in 1996 for instance) but this was the first time we had been able to sample a brand-new ship even before her official Maiden Voyage!
Wednesday 10th March 2015 Embarkation in Southampton
Just 24hrs earlier, Her Majesty the Queen had been at the Ocean Terminal naming the ship, so the flowers were not for us! We were among the first to arrive at 11.45am for our allotted 12noon boarding,
but we were then told that boarding would not start until 1pm! There was a delay, they said, with no further explanation. So we waited patiently, as the crowds began arriving.
As it turned out, check-in commenced at about 12.30pm and by 1pm, we were on board and in the Starburst Atrium, so called for its impressive 1-tonne sculpture by Hoad Design,
comprising 280 reflective acrylic shards.
A Tour of the Ship
As we were among the first to board while it was still relatively quiet, we took the opportunity to tour the ship, taking as many photographs as possible!
(right) The Starburst Atrium and its sculpture by Hoad Design, consisting of 280 reflective acrylic shards
The Starburst Atrium & its spiral staircase
Brodies Bar & Lounge - the ship's Pub
The Casino
Forward of the Starburst Atrium on Deck 6 is Brodies' Bar & Lounge, the ship's pub, named after Brodie Willcox, one of the founding fathers of P&O. The bar is also perhaps a nod
to the famous "Long Bar" of Raffles Hotel, Singapore. The adjacent casino is modest by American-style cruise ship standards but then, Britannia has been
designed specifically for British tastes, or so we are told.
Britannia's interiors were designed by Richmond International, well known hotel interior designers, so it's no surprise that the lift lobbies look a bit like those of a hotel or office building!
However, Gerry & I agreed that Headliners Theatre is dreadful. Sandwiched between two decks instead of the more usual three these days,
the stage seems remarkably small and while seating is raked with good visibility, the overall atmosphere is dark and claustrophobic. Also, the Deck-6 entrances
slice, canyon-like, through the main seating to the very front, wasting a lot of space. Perhaps it's a deterrent to that scourge of the cruise-ship, the after dinner late-comer?
Meanwhile, the Deck-7 Theatre entrances are high-up at the back, leading to The Crystal Room, the ship's Ballroom or dance-lounge, which is quite pleasant but unremarkable.
The Glass House Wine Bar, Deck-7 Atrium
The Java Café Coffee Lounge, Deck-7 Atrium
Boat Deck View from the Java Café
The upper level of the Starburst Atrium (Deck-7) features The Glass House, a wine bar by wine guru Olly Smith and the Java Café, a coffee lounge run by Costa Coffee.
Both lounges offer views of the Atrium or out onto the Boat Deck, where there are more chairs and tables.
Sindhu Restaurant (Deck-7) Traditional Dishes with an Indian Flair
Sindhu Dinner Menu by Atul Kochhar
Bar Lounge outside Sindhu
Sindhu is one of various alternative dining venues and is the brainchild of TV Chef Atul Kotchhar. It's attractive and inviting and the menu equally interesting,
giving an Indian style and flair to traditional dishes. The cover charge is £15-£25 for dinner, depending on the length of the cruise.
Aft on Deck-7 is The Live Lounge, the ship's Nightclub/Disco. Like the Theatre, black is the primary theme, in this case more appropriately, except that the black marble bar has a hidden feature which may
result in a number of drinks being spilled down unsuspecting revellers' clothes!
The Live Lounge Night Club/Disco (Deck-7 aft)
The Oriental Restaurant for Traditional 2-sitting dining (Deck-6 aft)
Below the Live Lounge aft on Deck-6 is The Oriental Restaurant, for those wishing to enjoy dinner in the traditional 2-sittings. It's pleasant enough but, rather than taking advantage
of its potential views of the sea on three sides, it has small windows and is broken-up by columns or partitions, making the overall ambience rather inward-looking. See Menu >>
The Peninsular Restaurant Deck-6 Midships
The Meridian Restaurant Deck-5 Midships
The other two restaurants are located midships, with the Peninsular Restaurant on Deck-6 and the Meridian Restaurant immediately below it on Deck-5. Both serve passengers in open-seating or
"Freedom Dining" as P&O call it. All three main restaurants serve identical menus each evening.
Another dining option, however, is The Limelight Club, a cabaret/night club where you can eat and be entertained at the same time. Here the black décor is offset by grey and gold,
creating a sophisticated atmosphere. The menu is more limited than in the main restaurants but with
a cover charge of £22 for dinner and a show, it's another move towards persuading passengers to pay for something that used to be "free"!
The Limelight Club Cabaret/Night Club (Deck-5)
The Blue Bar (Atrium - Deck-5)
Main Reception
Beside the Limelight Club, off the Atrium lower-level (Deck-5) is the Blue Bar, slightly hidden away for those who prefer not to be in the "thick of things" in the main Atrium.
Meanwhile, further forward on Deck-5 is the Main Reception, while even further forward is the Oasis Spa & Hydrotherapy Suite where, if you want to use its modest therapy pool
(the only indoor pool on the ship) it will cost you £24 a day, although you do get the hot beds and sauna included!
The Crow's Nest Observation Lounge (Deck-16 forward)
The Crow's Nest Starb'd side (Gerry's photo)
The Library a bit small!
On Deck-16 fwd is P&O's trademark observation lounge, The Crow's Nest, spacious and elegant, with a great view and the sophistication of
a pianist in the evenings. Just off it is The Library, with only 4 comfy chairs and which also seems to be the ship's internet centre. Clearly, P&O don't want you spending your
sea-days reading a book in the Library!
(left) Typical abstract art: Saronic Dawn by Michele Griffiths
Also on Deck-16 is The Ivory Suite, intended as a Wedding Chapel or for the renewing of vows but in fact, it is little more than a set of multi-purpose meeting/conference rooms.
However, next to it is The Epicurean Restaurant. Of the various alternative dining options, the is the "Fine Dining Experience" and the cover charge is accordingly £30 per person. We dined here on our second evening
and the experience was certainly unusual - see later.
Our first meal aboard, however, was in the Horizon Restaurant on Deck-16 aft, where the spacious central serveries are well laid-out and matched by ample seating down both sides of the ship.
The Horizon Restaurant The self-service restaurant (Deck-16 aft)
The Servery one of two actually!
My Lunch Note the tray!
While it largely follows the old-style tray concept, it makes full use of the width of the ship and with double serveries and multiple identical serving lines, it did seem to reduce the usual queues.
The Horizon Servery
The Sunset Bar (Deck-16 aft)
The Terrace Pool Hardly worth mentioning!
We concluded our tour of the ship at the Sunset Bar, outside and aft of the Horizon Restaurant. Its sheltered position and spacious seating will be popular in good
weather. It is overlooked by the Terrace Pool, which is so small as to hardly warrant mentioning on the ship's guide!
Our Accomodation
Our B5-grade Suite #A727 was impressive. Occupying 445 sq ft (41sq m) on deck-15 aft, it comprised a living room (equal in size to a standard cabin),
a seperate bedroom with flatscreen TV, a dressing area and a sumptuous bathroom, including a seperate toilet/guest cloakroom and whirlpool bath.
The Living Room & Dressing Area with convertible sofa, flatscreen TV, cd-player, fridge & tea/coffee alcove
The Luxurious Bathroom & seperate toilet/guest cloakroom!
The Balcony (enormous!)
While the living-space was not large for entertaining, the balcony was enormous, wrapping around the corner of the ship. But it was overlooked by the Sunset Bar above (so perhaps that's why
ours was the lowest grade of the suites!) Hanging-space was good but there were few deep shelves and the tiny drawers were everywhere except the dressing area. However, the huge shower and heavenly
whirlpool bath made up for any inconvenience!
There was also the usual fridge and tea-making facilities, plus a coffee-maker, although it took a few goes to get a decent cup of coffee out of it! The main bonus in a suite though,
was the Butler service, provided very well by Sumatra, plus a welcome bottle of bubbly and P&O chocolates!
Boat Drill with a Difference
At the usual Lifeboat Drill (or "Safety Drill" as they prefer to call it these days!) we were introduced to a new-style life-jacket with an extra crotch-strap and we all had to put ours
on at the end of the presentation, so that proved interesting! There was no outdoor line-up for the boats but given the design of the ship, I have my doubts that 3,500 passengers could be accommodated on
the limited Boat Deck at the same time and I imagine that the boats would be embarked direct from the muster-stations on Main Deck. But the added complication of the new crotch-strap just served
to increase the level of confusion and chaos in the room, not to mention the increased hazard afterwards, with all the extra straps trailing everywhere!
Departure from Southampton followed shortly afterwards, about 6pm, and as Butler Sumatra delivered canapés to our suite, we finished off that bottle of bubbly and changed for our first Dinner, in the Oriental Restaurant
at which we also enjoyed some lively conversation with our 4 table-companions.
(left) Dinner in the Oriental Restaurant See Tonight's Menu >>
I had the Sautéed Kidneys, Broccoli Soup & Three Bird Roast and it was all very nice but the Mille Feuille for dessert proved disappointing. Service was efficient but reserved (although first nights are sometimes like that).
However, the chair-gap between tables in our section was too narrow and the waiters kept brushing against Gerry to get by. Not good.
By morning, we were off the coast of Normandy, where we eventually dropped anchor just out-of-sight of land, so I suppose this still qualified as
"a day at sea"! Evidently, on this "Cruise to Nowhere", "nowhere" proved to be 13 miles outside of the port of Le Havre, France, where
we spent most of the rest of the day at anchor, while the crew carried out training exercises with the boats.
Preparing the Boats & one of the large Tenders Stbd side, view forward, outside Java Café
Boat Embarkation Companionway
The limited Boat Deck Stbd side, view aft outside the Java Café
Meanwhile, from the unusually limited open deck available, it became clear that any mass-embarkation
of the boats could only take place via narrow companionways, which would, in the event of an emergency, be accessible from all the muster-stations located along this deck (Deck-7).
View Aft from Deck-19
Sundeck Aft Deck-19
The Promenade Running Track, Deck-18
Riviera Pool & Lido Pool Deck-16 from Deck-19
Midships Sundeck Deck-19
The first thing that struck me about this ship was her height, 232 ft from her keel to the top of her funnels; that's only 4ft less than Queen Mary 2 and yet she's
49ft shorter and 10ft narrower. Her outer decks go up to Deck-19, which is 3 decks higher than Celebrity Eclipse. She's extremely tall!
And reflecting the absence of a proper Promenade Deck where it should be, the Running Track on Deck-18 is called "The Promenade"; and even then, it only wraps around the
aft section of the ship!
French Coffee Real cream! (Gerry's photo)
The Serenity Pool & Bar (Deck-16 fwd)
The Retreat An exclusive facility for users of the Oasis Spa
However, Gerry & I had no problem finding our morning liqueur coffees; my French Coffee from the Java Café was probably the best I've had and it used real cream
instead of "squirty cream"!
Back outside and the Serenity Pool forward was clearly designed with the idea that it could be covered. Unfortunately, it isn't and the lack of a covered swimming pool is a major
draw-back in my book, especially for such a large ship. Further forward on this deck is The Retreat; it's very nice but it's reserved for users of the Oasis Spa & Hydrotherapy Suite,
so you have to pay extra to use it.
The Market Café Pastries by Eric Lanlard & Cheeses by Charlie Turnbull
The Menu - Market Café An extensive selection
Our Mixed Platters More than a mouthful!
For lunch, Gerry & I decided to try the Market Café in the Starburst Atrium, a Patisserie and Deli where, for modest extra cost, you can order various platters of fish,
meat & cheeses selected by expert Charlie Turnbull and pastries by celebrity pätissier Eric Lanlard. Because of the interest in this novel concept, there were some
service issues but when we eventually got our platters, they were delicious and well worth waiting for!
Afternoon Tea in the Horizon Restaurant
A Pleasant Surprise! Another Bottle of Bubbly!
By 4pm, we were still too full for Afternoon Tea but I was nevertheless pleased to see a good selection of cakes and sandwiches available in the
Horizon Restaurant. Traditional Afternoon Tea was also served in the Peninsular Restaurant but for extra charge, a more indulgent version could be enjoyed in the Epicurean Restaurant,
courtesy of Patissier Eric Lanlard
A Pleasant Surprise!
The arrival of Sumatra the Butler late that afternoon heralded the delivery of another bottle of Bubbly, which came as a complete surprise. It was a gesture of thanks in advance and
a polite reminder that we had agreed to vacate our suite earlier than normal tomorrow morning. P&O were on a tight schedule and our suite had been designated for publicity purposes prior to getting it
ready again for its next occupant later the same day. To us, vacating early was a minor imposition but I thought it uncharacteristically thoughtful of P&O, not only to thank us but to do so in advance!
It never would have happened in Kylie's day! (see "Service Not Included" - Arcadia 2007 >>)
Dinner in the Epicurean Restaurant
Our 2nd and final Dinner aboard was P&O's "Fine Dining Experience" and an experience it was; the "Amuse-Bouche" of a Bloody Mary Lollipop may not have been to everyone's tastes (definitely not Gerry's)
but it was certainly imaginative, as was the lop-sided glass my seafood starter was served in!
My White Crab, Langoustine & Caviar Cocktail was very tasty but could have done with a bit more seafood and rather less of the "pea & chervil custard". As for the
Cucumber Mojito on the side, it didn't seem to add anything to the dish and seemed to me to be superfluous.
Not surprisingly, (this being only the second night in full operational mode), there were
some long delays and we had to wait ages for our main courses but service was otherwise good,
very polite and correct. I chose the Poached Lobster Tail & Glazed Pavé of Boneless Beef Short Rib, which was covered in what looked like chocolate sauce but tasted delicious!
A variation on "Surf 'n Turf", the lobster tail was a bit on the small side but the overall dish was extremely good and very filling.
Some of Gerry's photos.....
The Epicurean Restaurant Fine Dining P&O Style (Gerry's photo)
Goat's Cheese & Hazlenut Crotin
Lamb Rack, Lamb Breast & Crafted Shepherd's Pie
Britannia was a surprise in a number of ways, most of them pleasant ones and while the ship lacks the WOW!-factor and wins no prizes for her exterior, she is on the inside quietly elegant
and a very comfortable hotel-at-sea. In that respect, she is very "P&O".
But Britannia IS quite large (as big as Oriana and Aurora put together!) and she is VERY tall for her beam, so I'm not sure how she's going to behave in a really rough sea! We'll just have to wait and see....
(right) The Riviera & Lido Pools by night
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