I was really apprehensive about this cruise after having many problems and two unpleasant interactions with P&O phone staff trying to book it. Note to P&O: people trying to book a holiday are not paying debts and calling customers "Sir/Ma'am" when the tone of voice is rude and disinterested is not polite. I nearly cancelled all plans more than once but it was the only time my partner could get off work so we bit the bullet! ...... Then, there were all the complaints everywhere about the poo ship to add to the anxiety AND boarding was pushed back more than three hours so the ship could be disinfected after an outbreak of norovirus ....

But, just back, no illness and didn't even notice any smell anywhere on the ship & I'm super sensitive to smells! Quite a few of the public area toilets were closed for maintenance at various times during the cruise but we tried not to use them anyway as asked in the muster - there was much less risk involved with our own ensuite.

Overall impressions of the ship were actually good. Public areas of the ship are modern and comfortable. Balcony cabin 9167 was small but comfortable for a couple and in a good position between fore & aft lifts midship so really stable. The ensuite was small so we usually had to leave the door open to be able to sit on the loo not sideways. Not only did having a quiet place to sit outside make the balcony worth every cent but being able to open the door any time day or night was a huge advantage over past stuffy cabins and meant we could control the temperature in our cabin. The air conditioning seemed erratic to say the least. Read more