Our first time on Britannia. We fancied a no fly for a change and this 7 day cruise fitted our requirements to hopefully get somewhere warm. We were not disappointed as weather turned out great most of the time, being risky at this time of year. Britannia is a big ship and caters for families. It was half term and lots of children on board, but the were plenty of places to sit in the sun and read.We were in freedom dining and the paging system worked really well with a normal wait of around 25 minutes at what would be a peak time of 20.30. We did not bother with the speciality restaurants as we found food in main dining to be really good. Breakfast in buffet could be a bit busy but we easily found a table and the choice was good. We read complaints about lift queues in previous reviews, but maybe people who are able bodied would do well to get a bit of exercise and leave the lifts for people who need them. We did not use the lifts once (we are both 65), why are people so lazy? Cabin was very good (we always book an inside as we spend so little time in it) and our steward was very attentive. Entertainment was top notch. We book our cruises based on destination, not the cruise line, and enjoy the different ships and experiences. Of course, everyone you speak to says their last ship/different cruise line was better - I am sure people are only happy if they moan. Drinks prices we really good considering the captive market and no more than normal pub prices, plus a great choice of beers in the 'pub'. P&O are also quite good in allowing a small amount of drinks to be brought on-board for cabin use, unlike others who may confiscate. We did not do any trips as each destination was new to us and we like to walk around the town, which was accommodated by free transport for Bilbao and La Rochelle. We had to take tender boats to get into Guernsey which was superbly organised. I was astounded to hear people moaning when queuing to get the tender back - it was only about 15 minutes and peak time, just what to people expect?

Complaints? Really the only think is the coffee which I find in drinkable no matter what the cruise line, but at least there is the option for a costa, however, on this ship they are using a push-button machine rather than a proper barrista process which I find disappointing.

People realty need to understand that cruising has opened up to more people than 20 years ago and has been priced down by competition, so should not expect some of the touches which used to be the norm - they have to make a profit, hence the proliferation of pay-dining options - no one is forcing you so don't moan.