Flight with Thomson much improved on past experience with the Deamliner and a great flight crew. We flew premium economy which is worth every penny especially with the extra luggage allowance. We were a little concerned about the cruise given some pretty adverse reviews we had read with references to things not being as good as they used to be. We cruised on the Ventura 3 years ago and had a great time. We were not disappointed this time either! We had a fabulous break. We did have a fabulous suite that gave us access to the White Room for a very civilised breakfast with staff tuning into our preference for decaf coffee and hot milk by day two. Every staff member we met, even those cleaning the glass panels on the stairs were friendly and always smiling. I do think that those who report staff as being unhelpful or unfriendly should do a bit of self reflection to see if it is their demeanour that prompts that behaviour. Food on the first evening in the Bay Tree restaurant was poor but thankfully from night two menus provided lots of choice, portion sizes were fine and quality on the whole pretty good. Our waiters Christopher and Amit were keen to serve us well and Christopher provided each lady with a rose made from a napkin as a gift. Of the few downsides the sun lounger problem has yet to be cracked by P&O. People reserved sun beds from 6am and then did not appear to use them for hours. On sea days this meant all beds gone by 9.30.am. Not good. P&0 do need to police this as I fear they may loose custom as a result. It was the one constant negative we heard when chatting with others who generally had no other adverse comments about the cruise. The Metroplis is a lovely venue for a quiet drink and the duo who were the regular guests artists added an extra dimension to this venue since our last cruise on the Ventura. The Ventura provides the opportunity for a variety of holidays within one ship. You can have a sun based holiday , eat masses all day via the Buffets, hit the pub and karaoke or have a balcony cabin to help avoid the sun bed issue, a more formal dining experience in the Bay Tree and select dining restaurants , entertainment in the Arena and quiet drinks in the Metroplis or Red Bar. Something for everyone. We were impressed with the facilities for the children who seemed to have a great time away from the adults as much as possible! The night nursery was a godsend for some young parents we chatted too. We are booked on a world cruise with P & 0 so that should provide some reassurance to those reading negative reviews which we feel are a little unfair.