I surrendered to the pleas of my two young grandsons to go on "Britannia", despite my fears of the ship being too big and crowded. My fears were unfounded and I was delighted to say that the ship, because of her size, was one of the least congested that I have cruised aboard.

I made a bad mistake in booking a cabin on "A" deck, directly beneath the Lido Deck. Light sleepers beware, during the night the crew move the hundreds of sunbeds around to hose down and clean the deck. For those trying to sleep in the deck below it sounds like a clog dance festive.

The Atrium I liked, it was the heart of the ship, a place to meet or take a comfy chair and people watch. It did not double up as a tiny dance floor or daytime lecture room, where nothing is heard because of the noise. The ship's plush décor is devoid of any nautical ambiance, gone are the paintings of old company ships and models or maritime memorabilia. It is as if the company is trying to convince you that you are not at sea, but in the "Britannia Hilton". Gone too is the glorious Prom Deck, which seems to be the casualty on most of the new goliaths. Read more