Don't break a tooth on the breakfast sausages.

This was the inaugural cruise of P&O (J627) to Alotau, Kiriwana island and the Conflict Islands.

While visiting these islands was new and a novelty, the Conflict island was a good destination and very enjoyable.

I cannot recommend the P&O dining experience as breakfast was cheap, lunch just passable and dinner not too bad.

Breakfast must be prepared by the company accountants as this is the cheapest and most boring meal of the day. Morning coffee is instant coffee, and if you want a brewed real coffee, you must pay for it. The brewed coffee line is long and the service is slow.

Lunch is repititive and passable.You do not serve yourself ( which is good from a hygene perspective) but staff are limited and long queues form.

Dinner( in the dining room) is the best meal of the day and some of the serving staff are truly delightful. It is a pleasure to tip these staff directly, although I refuse to be taken in with the daily gratuitity charge so many cruise lines love to get away with on unthinking passengers.

After many cruises we have a rough idea which lines provide acceptable standards of service, food etc. The food in P&O is average, cabins are also average. Staff are above average, entertainment is good.

P&O are on the lower rungs of the ladder, but they do provide a service which is cheaper than others.