First time sailing on a P&O ship that was not a ferry and absolutely loved leaving from Southampton. Embarkation and Disembarkation was incredibly easy and quick (at least it was with a mini suite). Got to the dock from the hotel over the road at 11:15 and was on board sipping champagne and eating nibbles by 11:45 and this included wasting 10 mins because the hotel car dropped us off at the wrong place. rooms supposed to be ready by 2pm, but we were in, unpacked and put away by 2pm.

The mini suites are a little smaller than on more modern ships, but more than adequate for a 10 day cruise with just two of us in the room. The mini suite itself was a little dusty and looking a little tired from a fixtures and fittings perspective, but nothing to spoil the trip. Balcony was an odd shape at about 17ft by 4ft but perfectly usable and the cut out style does offer a lot of protection from the elements enabling us to sleep with the balcony door open just listening to the ocean without being cold or windy. Bathroom was a fair size and the jacuzzi bath proved to be very useful and welcoming after lots of walking during the day. We provided the room steward with a �£50 tip upfront at the start to show our intentions (even though P&O now have the auto tips system in place) and I am convinced this ensured our room was tidy and straight by the time we got back from breakfast every day and whenever we left the room, it got straignted up, coffee and biscuits replaced, cushions,beds and towels refreshed and bins emptied.

Outside the room, the ship looks absolutely fine. I was a little worried with some reviews stating it looked very tired, but on the whole it was absolutely fine and very clean. There is an adequate amount of places to eat and drink around the ship and the food is usually of a high quality given the mass catering environment and the drinks prices and options where reasonable (spending most of my time in London usually means anywhere else is reasonable). An excellent gym meant I got away with only putting on 3.4lbs during the trip which absolutely amazed me as I took full advantage (and I do mean at least 4 big meals a day) of being able to eat and drink 24x7. Breakfast runs from about 6:30 to 10:30 and then brunch starts at 10:30 to 12:00 although the only difference between these to appears to be the special offer on freshly squeezed juice disappears at 10:30 and the cocktail specials start at 10:30. lunch is from 12 until 3 and then afternoon tea starts at 4pm until 5pm before dinner starting at 6:30. In between these, the BBQ on deck is open and then after dinner finishes at 9:30, late night dining or overnight room service begins. Read more