Having cruised with various US cruise lines over the past 10 years or so we thought we would give P&O a try for a change which also gave us the chance to drive to the embarkation port for the first time instead of flying.

Pre-cruise information - nice personalised brochure delivered to the house. Would have liked information regarding port arrival and departure times but this was not forthcoming despite an email. (Maybe a ploy so that you can't book your own shore excursions as you don't know in advance how long you'll be in port?)

Embarkation - went smoothly (very impressed with the car parking/unloading luggage arrangements at Southampton). Luggage reached our cabin quickly. Buffet available within minutes of boarding. Display by the Red Arrows prior to sailing an unexpected bonus! Unfortunately departure was delayed due to high numbers of passengers being stuck in traffic due to the Boat Show being on, so it was dark before we sailed. Read more