The Joys Of 'Sampler' Cruises

Our Managing Director has just returned from his very first cruise (he IS new to the business, after all) and is raving about the experience - as we expected!

His voyage was a 4-day short-break cruise with P&O Cruises to Gent (and Bruges), and helped to showcase the many attractions of cruising as well as the great value of this 'sampler' type cruise, when people can invest in just a few days to see if it really is for them.

Sailing from Southampton, P&O are a perfect option for this type of voyaging as they can pack a lot into the relatively short time involved and really showcase their highlights, notably with the many entertainment options.

And, with that in mind, here are a couple of similar short-break cruises you can still try with P&O in the coming months...

Singer Katherine Jenkins is performing on the Oriana's four-night November 27 sailing, departing from Southampton and calling at Bruges (from Zeebrugge) and overnight in Amsterdam. Prices start from just £349 per person for a Getaway Fare, to include a free upgrade to an outside cabin, full-board meals, daily afternoon tea and entertainment.

Exclusively for adults, Oriana’s facilities include three pools, the Oasis Spa, gym, theatre, cinema, sports court and traditional deck games, plus numerous restaurants and bars, including the Ocean Grill by celebrity chef Marco Pierre White.

To see more about this cruise, follow this link: http://www.pocruises.com/X326

Alternatively, there is a two-night short cruise break to Bruges (from Zeebrugge) on Oriana departing April 18, starting from just £229 per person. The price includes an inside cabin, full-board meals, daily afternoon tea and entertainment.

Link: http://www.pocruises.com/X408.

Have you subscribed to World of Cruising magazine yet? We have a fabulous offer for all new subscribers this year - 50 per cent OFF the regular rate AND the chance to win a cruise in our free prize draw offer. See this link!
 

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Britannia's The Name For P&O

P&O Cruises has announced that its new 141,000-ton ship, scheduled to enter service in spring 2015, will be named Britannia.

Speaking today in London, P&O Cruises & Carnival UK chief executive officer David Dingle said: “Britannia is a most fitting name for the newest addition to P&O Cruises, which, with its long and famous heritage, remains Britain’s favourite cruise line. Britannia will capture both the contemporary spirit of P&O Cruises and the spirit of Britain today.

“Today’s Britain is a place of increasing style and sophistication, optimism and excitement. Britannia will reflect that feeling and will mark a new era of growth and success for the cruise industry. It will also underpin P&O's unique commitment to building ships specifically designed to anticipate the tastes of today’s Britain. It will be a modern classic, a ship for this and future generations offering authentic travel by sea in an enduringly contemporary setting.”

Britannia will boost P&O Cruises capacity by 24%. With a length of 1,082ft, it will carry more than 3,600 passengers and, at 141,000 tons, will be 25,000 tons larger than P&O's previous biggest, the 2008-built Ventura.

The new vessel will offer "the best of British contemporary design, with an unprecedented number of passenger facilities. It is being designed throughout by London-based Richmond International, creating “flowing” interiors which have a coherent feel while each area will have an individual identity, look and feel through shape, space and soft furnishings."

The ship will also be designed to both attract both newcomers to resonate and resonate with existing passengers. It will offer the “best of the best”, combining favourite classic features of ships such as Oriana and Aurora, the wide choice and contemporary variety of Ventura and Azura as well as many yet-to-be-announced new concepts in technology and entertainment. Dining options will reflect the continuing rise of British cooking on the world stage.

Following travelling trends and customer research it will also have more single cabins than any other cruise ship, many of them with balconies.
Dingle (pictured right with Captain Paul Brown, Carnival chairman Micky Arison and CEO Arnold Donald) continued: “At the same time, the ship will be our greenest yet and will be designed to deliver much greater levels of operational and environmental efficiency. 

"A new hull form will reduce unit fuel consumption by up to 20%. And, whilst the name Britannia has great historical resonance with P&O Cruises, most importantly, the ship will celebrate the forward-looking Britain of today and the future.”

There have been two previous ships named Britannia connected to the company. The first entered service in 1835 for the General Steam Navigation Company, which went on to become The Peninsular Steam Navigation Company. The second, which entered service in 1887, was one of four ships ordered by the company to mark the Golden Jubilee of both Queen Victoria and P&O itself. 

This Golden Jubilee class ship carried 250 first-class passengers and 160 second-class passengers and had a cargo capacity of approximately 4,000 tons. The young Winston Churchill sailed on this Britannia with his hussar regiment to Bombay in 1888 and then went on to fight on the North West Frontier. 

Britannia was also, of course, the name of the Royal Yacht for 44 years from her launch on Clydesdale in 1953. She is now docked in the Port of Leith (Edinburgh) as a major tourist attraction.

Now see our new Poll question on our home page and let us know what you think about the name for P&O's new ship!

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Cruising The P&O Way

Guest blogger Danielle Fear, aka Cruise Miss, posts her latest report from her Mediterranean cruise aboard P&O's Ventura...

After three sea-days, we reached our first port. I love sea days; the weather wasn’t too great on the first two but it has become steadily warmer and brighter by the day. Our first port was Valencia and today we have enjoyed Barcelona.

During our time in Valencia we literally just went ashore to stretch our legs. I have been there several times and, to be honest, once you’ve seen it, you’ve seen it. But it was nice to be on land for a little while and a great chance to grab some sweets for my Godson.

Barcelona was an eye opener for me, though. I have visited several times but have usually just stuck to Las Ramblas. This time, I decided I wanted to do something else. I contemplated a visit to Montserrat but then decided I would do the typical tourist thing and try the hop-on, hop-off city sightseeing bus and I am so glad I did. Those few hours have ignited a new appreciation inside of me for this city and I can’t wait to come back and explore more. 

I opted for the tour that went around the west of the city, taking in sights like the Olympic Stadium, Camp Nou, Jardins De Miramar (which had the most incredible views) and the Gothic Cathedral, just to name a small few. It was definitely worth it and, although I didn’t have time to switch to the east tour, it gives me something to look forward to (like more Gaudi architecture, below).

So what else has been happening? Well, I am once again in love with the Beach House buffet restaurant, especially in the evening. The chicken sizzler is so good I’ve already had it

twice in four days (please, lord, let me stop!) and I was pleased to see they again add courgette (zucchini) to this yummy dish. They took it out for a while and, for me, it just wasn’t the same but it's back and better than ever. 

To start with, I tried the coconut-encrusted tiger prawns, which were incredible (and much better than the previous garlic version). If you like prawns and don’t mind the £4.95 extra charge, you should definitely try them. There have been a few other changes to the Beach House menu. Things like the fish & chips and bacon cheeseburger are gone and, in their place, you can now find a lamb wrap and plaice burger, along with several other new additions. The same goes for the starters, with the addition of nachos.

We had a funny smell in our bathroom for a day or two; it didn’t clear so we informed reception and, within hours, it was resolved and we had a sparkly new shower curtain, too. I was impressed with the speed with which it was addressed and the fact they went a step further with the curtain. So far, I can’t complain about any of the service on board. Everyone has been very and attentive, and there is one young man in particular working on the Terrace Bar who is an absolute ray of sunshine.

I will check in with you all again soon with another update and more info on the ship’s refurbishment. Until then, we wave goodbye to Barcelona and Holland America Line’s Nieuw Amsterdam, which joined us in port today

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Beginning The Ventura Adventure

Guest blogger Danielle Fear, aka Cruise Miss, sets sail on her latest voyage, a two-week round-trip from Southampton aboard P&O's Ventura...

 

We are currently en-route to our first port of call, Valencia. We are due to arrive on Wednesday after three days at sea. I figured because of all the “pre-port” time I have on my hands, it would be a great opportunity to describe what’s happened since leaving Southampton on Saturday.

A lot of people asked me to report back on the changes that were made during her recent refurbishment, and that's exactly what I am going to do.

The Exchange Bar, located on Deck 6, has had a huge transformation (see top pic). The addition of several solo occupancy cabins has meant a drastic reduction the Exchange Bar, with a huge section now gone. They have tried to create more seating by removing some of the slot machines in the casino, moving the blackjack and roulette tables down and adding several tables and chairs. It will take some getting used to. The bar is still as busy as ever, though, and, while it is not quite the same, it has improved the overall feel and look of the casino.

Self-service wine dispensers have been added to the Waterside buffet area - a fabulous idea (see below). I have come across a fair few people who have already used the machines and think they are wonderful, so I would say there is a huge thumbs up for that introduction.

The Beachcomber Pool and Laguna Pool areas have also had a deck transformation in the shape of new flooring. For anyone who has cruised on Ventura in the past, you will remember the blue cladding that was introduced on top of the existing flooring to try to stop people slipping when the floor was wet. The deck is now the same wood cladding as you will find on the promenade deck and looks (and smells!) so much better.

The Atrium has had the introduction of a dance floor like that of sister ship Azura. This looks great, much better than the carpet that was there previously and it actually makes the space feel slightly bigger. The Library and Cyber-study have been combined into one space, where the Cyber-study was originally, while the space that was the library is now the Perfume Shop.

Frankie’s bar, grill and pizzeria located around the Laguna pool is now split into the

Poolside Grill and Poolside Pizza & Ice Cream. I am sure this won't make a difference to anyone but it’s a change nonetheless so I thought I should mention it. I have yet to explore the Glass House and Retreat properly, so these will come in another blog.

Ventura was my favourite ship coming on board and I can honestly say she still is, and it feels good to be back. Our weather today is sunny with scattered clouds and it’s getting warmer by the hour.

I shall check-in with you again soon!

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.