After many cruises we were keen to sample the new ship Britannia. What a disappointment. There was no WOW factor at all about this ship. The colour scheme was muted which did not help. The lifts were pretty horrendous - people got stuck in them and thank God it was not me. The toilets were few and very far between and the food in the Oriental Restaurant was absolutely AWFUL and reminded me of school dinners. The waiting on staff were surly and did not appear to enjoy their jobs. On the plus side - we opted to eat out on several occasions at other restaurants throughout the ship i.e. the Limelight Club, Sindhu, The Beach House and the Glass House (at a surcharge of course!) and the food in these places was really top notch and what we have been used to on other cruises - in the normal restaurants!! Cunard for example!! The entertainment in the theatre was extremely professional and we enjoyed all the shows but on sea days (and there were plenty) - there was not a lot going on to entertain us. Treatments at the Spa were over priced and an indoor pool would have been a bonus as the outside temperatures especially at sea were pretty low. We wont sail again on Britannia. It did not live up to its hype. I doubt whether our Monarch would enjoy a holiday aboard !