B A C K G R O U N D

I began searching for a Summer 2012 cruise back in October 2011. I was due to travel with my best friend- we are both 18 years of age and have known each other for more than 15 years, and now, as senior school came to a close, we were both set to live in opposite parts of the world. As such, we decided to celebrate by booking a cruise- originally, I had planned a transatlantic crossing aboard Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2, but upon calling their London office they informed me that they had very recently changed their minimum age policies to align it with US cruise lines, and as such one passenger had to be aged 21 or above... ultimately, I settled on P&O Cruises. Not only due to the fact that my friend and I would be allowed onboard, but also for the itinerary, price, and date- everything just came together. I booked the 9 night 'Atlantic Coast' voyage aboard the MV Oceana, the former MV Ocean Princess of P&O's sister line, Princess Cruises. I then settled back in fine anticipation. One note I must address, however, is how my reviews tend to work- I think one of the most important things in travel is value for money. The Oceana will not be compared to the Crystal Serenity or Seabourn Odyssey because these vessels tend to charge considerably more, the fact is in my humble opinion, I believe if one feels that they have received a wonderful holiday for the money paid, people tend to be back, but if short-changed, the feeling would be otherwise. I booked an 'OG' inside cabin, which put me on Deck 11 forward, cabin number A331. The voyage cost £1,030 per passenger.

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