We really enjoyed our 14 night cruise to the Baltic. We have cruised with Cunard, Celebrity and P&O in the past and Arcadia exceeded our expectations. Admittedly, the atrium doesn’t have the wow factor of other ships but it more than compensated in terms of friendliness and entertainment. We found the food in the dining room consistently good both at lunch and dinner. The buffet could be very busy especially on sea days but we enjoyed the freshly cooked burgers at the grill near the pool. Afternoon tea in the dining room was a real treat and eating at the Sindhu (especially when there was an offer on) was a delight. There was plenty of choice of entertainment and everyone should find something to suit their taste. I really enjoyed the orchestra and the Headliners put on some excellent shows. The cinema ( free but you must book seats at the library desk) gave me an opportunity to catch up on some recent blockbusters. This was a good way to spend an afternoon either on sea days or if you had some spare time after a visit to a port. Generally the staff were very good - we came across a few morose waiters but a smile and thank-you from you, as the customer, goes a long way. Our cabin steward was very efficient. We were a little apprehensive before we joined the cruise with some very poor reviews and lots of talk about the ship being ‘tired’. Yes, some areas which saw heavy traffic were a little worn but generally we were happy with the look of the ship.Overall, we had a great cruise so if you’ve booked with Arcadia, please don’t be put off by the critics. Read Less

This was a special holiday for us – my mum was 80 last year and always wanted to visit St Petersburg, but she won’t fly – so a Baltic cruise we thought would be ideal. This was our second cruise we had wanted to book the cruise to the Baltics last year but had left it late to book, as there was 3 of us and we couldn’t get a deal for a cabin for 3. Last year we went on a short cruise (6 days) with Royal Caribbean – before booking a more expensive 16 day cruise with P&O this year. I must say the best part of the P&O cruise was the staff and service – we had a really great cabin steward who just made our cruise better with the warm service and the waiters and waitresses as the bars and restaurants worked hard and were great. On the whole though we rate the cruise a 3 out of 5. Three days in to the journey and some of the lifts weren’t working, some of the public toilets weren’t working (which was blamed on travellers putting things down the toilet systems) and 3 days before the end of the cruise we had a Norovirus breakout. You may think these things happen, but then I’ve since read that during Arcadia’s previous cruise in July 2019 (and June) – all these three things occurred during those journey's – broken lifts, blocked toilets and the norovirus breakouts? The ship needs serious overhauling – these things are basic. I think P&0 have their loyal core travellers - but to us as new to cruising I’m afraid we wouldn’t pick P&O again – the main thing for us was the food – it just wasn’t as good quality as food with Royal Caribbean last year. We had two meals at the Meridian restaurant which were inedible – pork fillet (so tough you couldn’t get your fork into it) and Hake was a lump of small grey fish, full of bones – looked and tasted disgusting. We ate at the Ocean Grill, twice – first time was exceptional and second time was just ok (again the fish was awful with the fish not being white, having the skin still on and bones) we also ate at Sindhu which we enjoyed. We felt the entertainment fell way short of what the Royal Caribbean had offered last year – just couldn’t get the hype with the singing/dancing group – who seemed to be involved every other night – just stage school singing and dancing. We booked 3 excursion trips with P&O – the first was exceptional – vintage tram tour of Helskini, we had a great tour guide who just made the day - everything was spot on. We also booked a 2 day tour of St Petersburg – very expensive – but there was a lot to see and do and we didn’t want to miss anything. I would question the need to visit the food market on the first day – I saw this as a waste of our time. The food we had to eat on both days wasn’t good – we understood that we were visiting a local restaurant on the first day – but then to get Greek salad (what’s Russian about that) beef stroganoff (with some sort of meat that had been cooking it seemed for days and no sauce) and then a piece of cake with ice cream that was frozen and couldn’t eat – the only part we enjoyed was the bread, water and wine. Plus the service – there was no welcome, hello or smile to be had by anyone serving us. Again the tour guide was exceptional. The third trip was the Leisurely Oslo tour – which was £40 for a 2 hour trip – 1.5 hours in the coach seeing the sights of Oslo – which was ok – we had picked this at mum being 81 had two full days in St Petersburg so though a coach tour would have been ideal and more leisurely – but the destination to the ski jump just didn’t work when out of season and you didn’t get to see the ski jump in use so to speak – they would have been better stopping at the park. Really overpriced and a bit of a rip-off. Another thing was the location of the cabin, as not being regular cruisers we were given a cabin in the front of the ship and we felt the ship moving quite a bit and indeed got motion sickness when the weather was rough travelling to and from Oslo. I had phoned as we had booked so far in advance and prices had fallen by £600 when I made a call to see if we could upgrade to another part of the ship – but was told there wasn’t any point there was not difference in the cabins – but why then do you have the different price ranges for the same cabin class. Felt we had been fobbed off with this – not good customer service. Embarkation and Disembarkation – went smoothly – from arriving at the terminal to checking in – we were in our rooms in half-an hour. Our cabin steward (Michael) was superb – friendly, efficient and good humoured. . Perhaps because we had meals that we didn’t enjoy and a couple that were inedible we felt that paying the extra £700 between the three of us for the Select Price/Option for freedom dining we just didn’t see the value on this occasion as we only “walked in” on 2 of our nights on all the other nights when we ate at the Meridian restaurants we had to wait between 20-40 minutes – no big deal as you could go to the piano bar for a pre dinner drink – but maybe this should be limited to numbers for it to work.Seemed to us that most people had opted for the freedom dining – the 8.30 sitting in the bottom restaurant was more than half empty With regard to the destination the highlights for us apart from seeing St Petersburg, was Helsinki (would definitely go back) and indeed enjoyed all the destinations apart from Gdynia (there was nothing there you would need to fork out for an excursion to Gdansk) would have preferred perhaps an extra day in Helsinki or could stopping in Estonia be an option. P&O beats Royal Caribbean in terms of drinks prices – much cheaper paying for your drinks in pounds – RC much more expensive with cocktails being around $11-$14 dollars – where here we paid just under £7 for a cocktail and wine here much more value for money. It’s not a cheap trip with on board spend, and excursions we spent over £9K for the three of us – so we wanted it to be better. We enjoyed ourselves and I don’t normally complain but we so wanted to love this cruise so we could pick P&O again – but it fell short for us. Read Less

Booked Select with Britannia, including coach transfers from Glasgow with Inter Cruises as a family of 4, kids are 13 & 10. Journey down was excellent, coach was comfortable but could have done with wifi. Had email to say we would be delayed getting on the ship so expected to be delayed but fortunately our coach driver just carried on and arrived at port on time and we got on ship just about 2 hours later than we should have, so were very happy. Britannia is beautiful, she is huge, you really feel small when you pull alongside. Staff were fabulous, right from very first meet & greet getting on the ship to final leaving, really made you feel good and welcome. Captain speeches were brilliant, and he really made a great impression with the kids when they interviewed him for journalism activity. Ship was fantastic, all the public areas were beautiful, particularly liked the Glass House for drinks and food. Meeting Olly Smith there was a brilliant extra. Sindhu food was exceptional although ate far too much as they give you 2 extra courses, and poppodums/dips that you were not expecting in addition to all the food we ordered, all of which was brilliant, well worth the cover charge and highly recommended. My 10 year old spent the vast majority of the cruise in the scubas kids club, and he loved it, could barely get him out and it was so well organised and structured by the reef team, it was amazing. Great staff, great activities, and he made some great friends. Ports were very good, and lived up to all expectations, Skagen, very easy to get around, bus just next to ship to take you up to Grennan, to see the 2 seas meet, tractor ride out there was really fun. Helsinki was a bit more spread out than we had expected but still easy to get around and see all the sights. Did a boat trip from the harbour too and it was great value. Saint Petersburg was absolutely brilliant, tours were very well organised and let us see all the main areas, the freedom day was brilliant giving free time at 3 sites. Tallin was lovely, old town was very nice but the land train ride was a nightmare, so bumpy, killed our backs. The KGB museum at the Viru hotel was a real trip highlight. Stockholm was the only slight disappointment and not only due to the rain. The town centre is very modern in comparison to the other cities, the viking museum was very good though. Copenhagen was a massive hit with the kids. We spent most of the time in Tivoli Gardens, the rides were great, but if you are planning on going on more than 2 or 3 ridss, it's worth getting the unlimited ride pass. Centre was really nice and easy to get around. Entertainment was great on Britannia, hosts were good, quizzes were fun and loved Pulse in the live lounge. Headliners shows were hit and miss but mostly well done. Afternoon port talks and presentations were really informative. Overall, for our first cruise experience it was absolutely fantastic and we will definitely do it again, can't wait Read Less

Just back from the Christmas Market cruise to the Baltics, let's start with the positives. The crew were absolutely fantastic, polite, efficient and humble in every area of the ship. Our cabin steward was exceptional and the waiting staff, especially in the bars were great. The food was very good in the Alexandria restaurant and there was plenty of choice in the buffet, if not always to the highest standard. There was also a good mix of passengers on board, from young families to the elderly. Most people seemed to be having a good time and overall, we had a great holiday. Now for the negatives, unfortunately there are quite a few... The ship is old, so has its issues relating to this and certainly lacks a lot of things that are standard on the newer ships. Stability is poor, with excessive movement even in calm seas. Ironically, it seemed to cope better in the force 9 winds we had on the way home than the calm waters on the way out. Our cabin creaked like an old pirate ship during the night. They seem to have some sort of sewer problems as the bathrooms stink like a public convenience, not just ours, others also complained to be told there was nothing that could be done. The sound insulation between cabins is non existent. You can hear every word of your neighbours talking in normal voices and listen to their TVs. The TVs are pointless and the entertainment was adequate at best but nowhere near the standard of what we saw on Britannia in May. In summary, we liked some aspects of Aurora but prefer the modern comforts of the newer ships. Read Less

We chose this cruise as a nice break before catering for a busy family Christmas. It is a while since we have been with P&O our last cruise on Aurora was to the fjords and lofoton island about 3 years ago which we loved. We have recently travelled several times with Princess HAL and celebrity. I know Aurora is due for another refit next year but we found our cabin A205 a mid ships balcony to be clean and comfortable. The only sign of wear was the bathroom sink. The public areas and carpets were kept clean and appeared to be in reasonable condition, and the ship was nicely decorated for Christmas. We have been on Aurora several times but always in the summer and the ship did seem smaller when we were we were unable to use the outside spaces. A bonus for the few people with young children on board was the covers pool which enabled them to swim. The food was reasonably good. The meat dishes were not up to the quality on Princess or Celebrity and were generally cheaper cuts. The portions were also smaller which suited us. We booked a select fare and so were on freedom dining as we requested, however we had to wait around 45 mins a night for a table for 2 which was a bit frustrating, but we had a pager and went for a drink whilst waiting. We ate twice in Sindu where we had excellent food and service and once in the Glass house where we had a good meal with a beautifully presented steak with prawns. Wine and drinks are reasonable price and much cheaper then other cruise line, and there is no 15 or 20 percent service charge on drinks with P&O, I fact we get an 8 percent discount on our whole bill due to our past cruises with them. We have seen all the shows before with different groups of headliners some good some really not good so we didn’t bother with them. After other passengers comments on the comedian we gave that a miss too. We visited Hamburg where we took the shuttle bus to the markets in the city then we booked an evening excursion to the markets at nightwhich included a tour of the city with an entertaining Commentary from our guide especially when driving through the red light district. We finished with a visit to a beer Keller. Next was Copenhagen where we have been before, having visited Tivoli Garrdens in the day and evening we decided to take the shuttle bus and walk to the waterfront. We found Christmas market stalls all along the front, from there we walked back into town and went into a store for coffee and a warm up. Oslo was next and although freezing cold, but we were well prepared, it had a beautiful Christmas market with fantastic lighting and an ice rink in the centre. The city was very clean and very expensive with lots of designer shops. Again we went in a store for coffee and a warm up. The final port was Amsterdam, which was much warmer but for us a real dissapointment. We went on a ships tour which included a city walk followed by free time and a canal trip. The walk guide was not very good and the city was very dirty with blue rubbish bags piled up around all the bins. We thought there must be a strike on but apparently when I asked the guide it is due to people having no space to store their rubbish so they just put it out in the street every day. We went into a cafe for coffee and cake as we couldn’t find a store, and when we asked to use the facilities we were told it was for staff only. On meeting up With the others before the canal trip we found others had the same experience in other cafes. We were supposed to be in Amsterdam for nearly 2 days but the Captain decided to leave early morning on the second day due to weather warning as he has to get from the canals back to the North Sea. Read Less

I needed a break so short notice I booked the week prior to leaving. The whole process effortless and on arrival at Southampton this was further established as a very well run operation. I was a little concerned over travelling solo but apart from paying the extra to travel alone there honestly was nothing to worry about. My balcony cabin was perfect 9 steps from the terrace pool bar and restaurant from Riviera deck with easy access to Lido and above. Why kickstart well this cruise is the first real break in 2 years, have thrown myself in to work and given little back. So I purchased the drinks package in my case great value, great brands Tarquins Gin and Doom Bar Ale are a pre requisite for fun. The food excellent, Peninsula Restaurant and the waiting team Emmanuel Table 44 too good to be forgotten. Entertainment well hence the four from five rating it was enhanced by the presence of the Osmond's but the headliners although talented seemed to lack the soul they were trying to portray. Back to travelling solo I made some great friends and we all certainly were men not without hats! Itenary six days of great weather, only one wet day it would have been great if more entertainment were available on wet days. The Gym pool sauna and steams in the Oasis were fantastic and being surrounded by genuinely lovey people made the recipe for a great week. Book again? Yes Recommend? Yes Sparrowhawk on my Balcony? Yes Thank you Azura Read Less

We have just got back from the Baltic on Aurora and had a fantastic cruise. This was my fifth time on Aurora, and she still is my favourite ship, just the right size with prefect deck space/ public rooms/ passenger numbers/ ratios. She is beautiful to look at from outside as well with her sharp bow and tiered stern, and is certainly one of the best sea going vessels I have sailed on. All was as expected with a great start at Southampton, being on the Lido deck we were boarded early and by 13:15 we were seated on the rear deck in the sun eating our first excellent meal (Of many) and sipping the first cocktail (Of many) bags unpacked and settled into L108 a port side balcony cabin perfectly situated for the adults only Riviera pool, the Library, as my wife reads a book a day, and the crows nest, which is our favourite pre dinner/ post show venue. We booked second sitting set dining, as this fits in perfectly with our battle plans for the days, breakfast, all day in port, back on leisurely shower and pre Carmens show drinks in Charlie's or the crows nest, then catch the 19:30 show. Dinner at 20:30 with a large table of 8/10 which we have found gives the best chance of having at least 2 couples that you really get on with, plus the real benefit that you have the same waiter/asst waiter /wine steward for the whole cruise, and you really get to know them and they you, resulting in what I have found to be the best service ever. We have tried freedom dining on many ships including Brittania, and have always found the service to lack that certain something that you get once this relationship has formed. Then post dinner up to the Curzon for the late sitting show, and then back to the crows nest for a nightcap. The cruise itself took in Copenhagen, Helsinki, St Petersburg with an overnight and second day, Tallinn, Riga, Kiel and lastly Skagen, before hitting the north sea back to Blighty. On a previous Baltic cruise I had been to the first three ports, and they all lived up to my memories as being real Baltic gems. Copenhagen is lovely, and I would really recommend getting a river and canal cruise, which is available very frequently from a pickup point a few hundred yards from where the ship docks. This took us about a hour and a half, and we saw a different aspect of the city from the canals, very enjoyable. Helsinki is another lovely city, with beautiful churches, and a great town centre for the shopaholics, again we picked up a cruise from the harbour which took us round many of the small islands that make up Helsinki, and was again very enjoyable. St Petersburg is a star, a very big sprawling star, with the highlight being around the winter palace, the bridges and the magnificent river. Because of the cost of Independently obtained Visas we opted for a full day excursion of the city and the main palace on day one, and a river cruise and stop of at the Czars burial island, and then lastly the spectacular Church of the bleeding heart, at the scene of the dramatic assassination. This church is amazing and a must see if you get the chance. We then went to Tallinn, which was my favourite port of call, and a place we will no doubt go back to for a long weekend at some point. Just like a Disney castle on every turn it is a fabulous characterful wonder, here we just did our own thing and walked around the town at our own pace (Note for diary, bring larger camera memory card) Then on to Riga which was a smaller less Castle like old city, but still very beautiful, and again we had a pleasant day walking around admiring the sights. Then after a sea day it was Kiel in North Germany, here we booked a coach and boat excursion to see some German lakes and Castles, we booked this as I wasn't sure that there would be enough to see in Kiel itself, as it was a large and busy working port. The day here was ok, but wasn't quite up there with the previous stops, with not enough time at the castles for us to go inside and browse. Then lastly after Kiel was Skagen, which was back to Denmark, and unfortunately this was the only time the weather let us down, not bad considering the latitude and time of year, and it was very windy and wet. Skagen is a lovely little fishing village, but best seen in the sun without a force 6 blowing. So ports of call were a real highlight, and I would recommend this to anyone who fancies a scenic and very interesting cruise, but my advice would be do it June/July and August, to make sure of good weather and long days. As for the other aspects of the cruise, food in the buffet was great, with plenty of choice. Our restaurant was the Alexandria, and as always the food was superb, especially on formal nights, and the service was exemplary, friendly fast and after 2 weeks very personal. We ate one night in Sindhu, which was my favourite meal of the 2 weeks, amazing flavours, if you like Indian food then it is a must. We also ate once in the beach house where we sat out on the rear deck, and enjoyed a very tasty Prawn sizzler, a great way to spend an evening with just the 2 of us for a change. Entertainment in the first week was somewhat under par for P&O but improved dramatically in week 2, and overall is still up there with the best, although it does seem to me that this is one area where P&O have trimmed the budget, probably not the best idea!! So to sum up a great cruise on a fantastic ship, and my advice is if you travel on a large ships like Oasis, as we do for our 15 year old son, then Aurora seems like a real "Liner" experience in comparison, with a classic shape, teak decks, and a real feel of being at sea, and this is what I really look for in a cruise. Read Less

We chose this cruise as we had been on this ship last year so we were familiar with the layout. We had been recommended to do the cruise around the Baltics by several people who were on last years cruise, The embarkation for the ship was fantastic, within half an hour of us arriving at the port we were on the ship. The only thing that held us up was trying to find a porter with a trolley to take the luggage away. We found our cabin easily but had to wait for our suitcases as they were all being scanned. Better safe than sorry! The cabin had a balcony and was well kept, clean and tidy. Our cabin steward was great as she was always ready with a smile and a greeting. We had a timed dining slot and were served by the same waiters throughout the cruise, they were brilliant. We built up a rapport with them as they came from India and the tests were being played. The food was very good and nothing was too much trouble for our waiters. Every meal we were asked if everything was ok, which we liked. We did try the restaurant for breakfast at the start of the cruise but ended up using the buffet instead as I wanted to choose what I wanted rather than get things off the set menu. The entertainment on the ship was fantastic. All the shows that we saw were West End standard. The entertainment team on the cruise were also very good. Plenty of different activities to take part in if you wanted to. We opted out of the service charge as the tips we gave were to the people who looked after us. As I was travelling with 2 less able walkers I booked the shore excursions online before we went. Oslo was expensive but beautiful, Gotland was full of history, Tallinn was wonderful and easily accessible on foot, Helsinki was amazing as we did the harbour cruise, St Petersburg was breath taking, the buildings were so grand that we couldn't understand how they survived the revolution, Warnemunde was the only place that it rained but it didn't detract us from walking around. Again it was easily accessible on foot. there were plenty of shops and cafes. Copenhagen was our last stop but the trip we took coincided with the visit of Mr Macron to the Queen. We managed to see the palaces but then got stuck in the traffic around the city as streets were closed and there were police everywhere. We did get to see the little mermaid. After that coach trip we were glad to be back on board. The tour guide was very apologetic but she did change the itinerary so that we could see the palaces before the police locked it down. We do like the Arcadia as it is an adults only ship and if we take another cruise it will probably be on that ship. Read Less

This was our third cruise with P&O and to say we were disappointed with the ship would be an understament. The locations we visited were spectacular, the crew and staff could not do enough for you, but the ship and P&O seem to be failing in many areas. The following is just a few examples of the issues we had on the cruise, some may seem trivial but all together they had an effect. The first thing we had issues over was the toilet in our cabin, every day we had issues with it not flushing and had to keep on reporting it. The toilets on the Belvedere deck at the back of the ship were blocked a few times to overflowing. The air conditioning unit in our cabin although on maximum was very inafective, I fact could not be felt at all most days. The food I’m my view was well below the standard expected of a company like P&O, it was the same thing every day with the exception of the odd speciality meal, never very hot either. The cream for desserts was like eating gravel in thick milk, not nice at all. The cakes were lovely to look at but the taste was somewhat disappointing to say the least. On a more positive not there was always plenty of tea coffee and milk. The resturant for freedom dinners was when full very hot, considering the outside temperature was 30+, no air conditioning was noticeable at all making eating very uncomfortable. The prices on the ship for goods are way way inflated. A notice on the counter in the shop says that they are competitive in price and duty free. I went to purchase a pencil case for my grand son, a simple cheep plastic pencil case you can buy from other outlets for around £1, however on the ship this was just short of £10. Russian dolls starting at £400 then £600 and just short of £1000 the same ones in st Petersburg 30, 70 and 100 Euro. Other goods on the ship like gold and silver plated chain at £1.50 an inch, sales staff trying to get you to purchase jewellery constantly being pushy with items that again seemed to be over priced. The price of drinks we noted had increased since our last cruise, but the glasses seem to be smaller. Transfer busses from port to city locations were once free now you have to pay for them. Don’t even bother thinking about purchasing currency on the ship. We purchased some currency for when we were in Helsinki, as we did not use it all we sold it back after about three hours and lost nearly £10 in exchange rates. Ships lifts out of action for the duration of the cruise, a spa pool empty and out of order for the whole duration of the cruise. One of the two pools empty for three days on what were very hot days, yet had been full on departure. Overall look of the ship felt tired, damage to ships fittings not being replaced, one particular light had a smashed globe on it , trivial it may seem but it was the first thing you spotted on the sun deck. Sun chairs covered in soot and oil from the ships funnel, whilst the white part of the seats were cleaned down as much a possible the blue parts were not so your cloths ended up being stained. All it would have taken was to put a cover over the chairs at night when stacked. Wooden chairs that hold the life vested on deck 3 were varnished during the day so they could not be used, along with the railing tops on deck three. All in all not happy at all. Read Less

Always wanted to go to the Baltics, but this cruise stood out as not many go to all the Capital cities plus St Petersburg, but this one did and the ports of call certainly didn't disappoint. St Petersburg was the stand out highlight , but Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Oslo and Tallin were also excellent stops. Embarkation/Disembarkation was extremely smooth and easy. We went on Arcadia in her inaugaral year back in 2005 and she was a lovely ship, although I have to say now some 13 years on she is looking a little tired in some areas, mainly cabin and balconies. Public areas are ok, but nothing exciting. The entertainment in the Theatre was pretty mediocre, but some of the acts in the Lounge bars were very good. We were on Freedom dining and the food on th whole was very good without being outstanding. We ate at each of the select dining options, Sindhu was very good and The Ocean Grill provided the best starter I had on the entire cruise, but not sure that that the cover charge is worth it. Overall very enjoyable cruise, but that was down to the Ports more than the ship. Read Less

We'd not cruised for nearly 20 years, and this time had a (now) grown up 19 year old daughter and an 83 year old mother in tow. We chose the Baltic as I had Danish heritage and we wanted to go somewhere we'd not normally visit. We had connecting balcony cabins on E deck (E152/E156). The steward opened the balcony so we could share it, and we found the space and cabins really comfortable. Loved the food - mother had three course breakfast, lunch and dinner every day! We didn't need to go to the speciality restaurants, as we found the MDR excellent. We had a table for four near the stern with great views to starboard. The waiters (Peter, Lourenco and Sheila) were attentive and personable, and we got on really well with them. Mother, being less able these days, found the staff in the Belvedere buffet extremely helpful - they carried her tray to her table for her, and were excellent all round. The entertainment was really good - the Headliners' Bacharach and musical shows were great, the 'Two Guys One Piano' show was unique, funny and technically brilliant, and the opera singer was outstanding. Not so sure about the comedian, but I'm sure others enjoyed his routine. We went to the dance classes with Pamela and Peter - they were taxing but enjoyable. We were blessed with amazing weather throughout the cruise, and really enjoyed all the ports. We had P&O trips to St Petersburg, the beauty of which blew us away. Overall, despite the cost, we found the cruise excellent value for money and an overwhelmingly brilliant experience. We loved Arcadia - it's large but not 'too big', and we felt really comfortable. Only downside was the lack of daytime entertainment for our 19 year old. 'Knit and Natter' in the Crow's Nest, and 'Arthritis and Posture' talk are somewhat geared to the older crowd. We left feeling like we could do with two more weeks onboard and can't wait to cruise with P&O again. ...and you just have to do the journey into Stockholm! Read Less

We chose this cruise this cruise because we liked the itinerary its was my 60th Birthday I have always wanted yo visit St Petersburg .The negative part of P&O Britannia was the bar staff I found some very homophobic bar staff which made very rude gestures to my partner in the bar that as karaoke .I was not told by my partner until we returned to the UK. He never told me because I would have been put off the ship. The cabin we was in was E251 the cabin steward really looked after us it was very clean to be fair the whole ship was very clean . The lifts was a nightmare at peak times . The buffet restaurant the food was ok nothing special . The late night buffet was the food left over from the evening buffet .We really enjoyed the limelight club Claire Sweeney was great what a voice . We went to the Indian restaurant on board ship the food was excellent you try it . Read Less

We had to unfortunately cancel our original cruise because of health problems so this Cruise was very much last minute for us as we like to book well ahead to get the cabin we want. We enjoyed the Baltic the last time we were there 8 years ago and thought it would be good to visit again. Having read several reviews earlier we were a little apprehensive but were pleasantly surprised. Britannia is a beautiful ship with modern tasteful décor - there is far more space on this ship and it isn't difficult to find a quiet spot if needed and we found the majority of staff very pleasant. and helpful, The lifts midship were a nightmare - a very bad design error not to have stairs also for those who were able to use them - we did miss the glass lifts on the Azura and Ventura. The Crows Nest was our favourite, but it could be difficult to get a seat after a late dinner. The Glass House and The Limelight Club were also well worth the extra. We decided to try Freedom dining but never managed to get a really good table for two and no matter what time we went down for dinner, we were always handed a pager and had to wait 20-40 minutes for a table with rarely good service - it was extremely slow. We found that if you went up to the Buffet after 10.15 in the morning and around 3 in the afternoon for lunch it was much quieter - sometimes the restaurant timings are far too early for breakfast and lunch. One tthing that is worth mentioning is the caring Medical, Security and Reception Staff - I had a nasty fall whilst in Tallin and ended up in hospital - on my eventual return to the ship the Doctor and Nurse were fantastic and the Security and Reception Staff checked on me every day. I would definitely cruise on Britannia again,but prefer Azura and Ventura. Read Less

I chose this cruise due to its itinerary and duration -Baltic states, unfortunately so did at least several thousand other folks on at least 4 other cruise ships in the same ports everyday (8 ships in St Petersburg) so be prepared this itinerary is VERY popular. Britannia herself looks spectacular in port, there’s no dioubting that, but she’s a little too big for my usual choice of ship but the lack of midships stairs (!) did mean I walked miles everyday and didn’t actually put on weight! Another reason that could have been was the very poor buffet. The food choice was hugely limited at breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, you could have played tennis with the scones. This was the worst buffet of any ship I have been on. The evening food in the oriental restaurant did have a wide choice of mains but if you are veggie I think you’d find a very limited choice, the vegetables and potatoes on every dish were very boring and samey. Having said that the service was top notch not sure whether the food mediocracy was designed to push you to the ‘cover charge’ options. Entertainment - in the Headliners was excellent as was in the live lounge. Day time entertainment was average but if you love sailaway parties then you won’t be disappointed. Casino is small and Brodie’s is a good spot - Chiona the waitress- super! The cabin was snug for 3, with that very annoying feature of the pull out bed right by the balcony doors so you can’t use the balcony after 7 ish unless you are an acrobat! Like the free hanging rail for clothes, so much better than wardrobes, which means the shower is so much bigger than on other ships. Cabin attendant was very good. There are only 3 pools on the boat, with a plunge pool on deck 16, not a lot for 3,600 people and only 2 jacuzzis unless you add in the one in the pay per visit Retreat. The pools were freezing! The in room tv was good with some great movies and they did show good movies most days in the lounges. Getting ashore was fine with only one hold up getting back on board. £75 for a behind the scenes tour is a tad steep but £25 for the sailaway in Stockholm was good value. The spa was lovely with two of the best massages I’ve ever had but the acupuncture was disappointing and expensive as were the Jou supplements. The gym was free and well kitted out, if you venture there. On the whole Britannia is a relatively new modern ship, with modern fixtures and fittings. If you want old style glamour then choose Cunard or an older P&O ship, but if you like sleek modern then Britannia is for you. Read Less

Having cruised Iceland and the Med we wanted to see the Baltic states and St Petersburg in particular. We were slightly put off by many critical reviews of Britannia but remembered critical reviews of previous ships which we enjoyed. The balcony cabin was compact but well designed and well looked after by our steward. The food ranged from good to excellent and the waiters were friendly and efficient. The entertainment was generally good but my wife was not impressed that three of the largest venues were devoted to live World Cup games. All staff were really pleasant, courteous, and helpful. The absence of stairs , midships, caused congestion in the midship lifts at peak times (restaurant dinner times and port excursion times) but the resultant delays were not excessive. Overall - a splendid experience. Room for improvement would include (1) better internet access (expensive and much slower than other ships we have been on) (2) Access to spending account details on the smart TV in the cabin and (3) a beer package. Read Less

Well I love the entertainment. Headliners are better than west end shows I’ve been to and plenty of entertainment onboard and a cinema and costa. I enjoyed a Baltic cruise visiting such wonderful places and an overnight stay in st Petersburg which is a must to get the full benefit of what it has to offer (Part of my trip was visiting historical places of interest and also had quite a few vodkas to enjoy. The ship is comfortable and clean and I always manage to find friends on these cruises. Dinning is like being in 5 star, the waiters are exceptional and you get lots of courses with your evening meals. Great decking area outside and it’s great fun when the entertainment staff all have a little party on board to say bye to whichever port we are leaving. Hardworking staff and always exceptionally clean and stocked cabins.Plenty to do at sea ,can go to various classes as they have something for everyone(so may wish you could attend several that are running at same time) is the only problem you will find here! Shuttle buses are free to take you in to town and bring you back or you can choice a variety of excursions on offer to book. Just a great journey where everything is catered for, so you don’t have to do anything but relax and enjoy your holidays. Read Less

Baltic cruise review 9th - 23rd June 2018 Baltic Cruise on P & O Azura This was our 3rd cruise with P&O and the second on Azura, first was in 2017 on the return re-positioning cruise in the Caribbean. We are a retired couple of 65 & 63 respectively. I am female. We live an hour from Southampton. This is a long review but I thought it is helpful to be thorough. June is the time of 'White Nights' which means that there is very little night time by the time St Petersburg is reached. Long, light evenings feel rather strange but make for lovely evenings sitting out if the weather is warm. We arrived by taxi at 2.15 for a boarding time of 3.30 (the M3 can be difficult at weekends in the Summer hence the early arrival time). Boarding was busy but well organised and we were into our cabin at 3.00 pm, cases arrived after around an hour. We were given a card with our dining arrangements as we checked in and were given freedom dining in the Meridien Restaurant. We went straight to Venezia, the cafeteria area on deck 15, where lunch and hot drinks were available. We could have selected salad or a hot meal or various snacks so all were catered for. When we returned to our cabin our cases were there and we unpacked. Cabin was C217 which is an inside cabin in the forward area of deck 10. A quiet area to be in but there was a small amount of noise from the Playhouse Theatre at night until the second show had ended. As always neat, beautifully clean and well equipped with plenty of hanging room in a dressing area outside the bathroom. There was soap, bath hat, shower wash, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion in the bathroom with plenty of good towels and face cloths. There is a tall shelved cupboard which also holds the safe, room for suitcases below the hanging (lots of wooden hangers but I usually take 15 wire hangers too) a long shelf above the hanging with the life jackets on part of it, then in the bed area two drawer bedside tables, a large dressing area with tea/coffee section and flat screen tv above. There are two cupboards under the dressing table, one is the fridge and the other has two shelves. Large mirrors make the cabin feel airy and we have always been happy to have inside cabins as it is a way of cruising without the very high costs. We had a queen bed and the bunks were folded away at each side, not too much of a problem but if you are happy to have twin beds then there would seem to be a lot more room in the cabin. Azura is an easy ship to navigate once you get your bearings. Use the map given at check in to start with then you will know the lay out quite quickly. We try to always use the stairs as a way of burning the calories and avoiding the lifts that often go one floor at a time on endless short trips. The average age on this cruise would be nearer 80 than 60 although there were apparently 30 young children on board too. The clientele on this cruise were in the main delightful, polite and cheerful but many had limited mobility which could be frustrating for all during busy times in the food service areas and corridors or in disembarking for trips. There were some unpleasant characters who were rude and abrasive but this is true in all areas of life and these could easily be avoided or ignored. The staff everywhere were outstanding and lovely to deal with, attentive and quick to anticipate a need without being over familiar. John and Marvin in the dining room made our cruise very enjoyable and Josef our cabin steward was brilliant. We are early birds and Josef was pleased to see our 'Make-up' the cabin card in the door as we left for breakfast often just after 7.00am and again around 5.30 pm so our cabin was always finished on our return. Most people seemed to use the card in this way which really helps the stewards to get on with the job. Two sea days provided endless opportunities to be lazy, eat whenever you wanted to, read quietly either on the outside areas, the Prom deck (7) or we liked the Planet Bar or Atrium so we could be people watching and settled to our books. We did attend some port talks but very little else although there was a huge selection of activities on offer. The weather was cool so sun bathing and swimming were out for the first few days. Travemunde, Germany. Small, pretty sea side town with a good selection of shops. Free shuttle bus for all to the edge of the town. We wandered along the front street where cafes were plenty and we did pick up wifi there. We continued to the very end of the sea walk and left round the corner to the beach area. If the weather was good a day on the beach would be a good way to enjoy the town but it was not a sunny day so we looked then walked back. We picked up excellent free wifi at the pilots station not far from the beach end of the promenade and we sat in a shelter and checked email and sent replies. Returning on an inside road there were more shops and quite near to the pretty church, on the right, we found a €1 shop with lots of great bargains to give as presents. We were back on board by 11.00 am and enjoyed a lazy afternoon. Helsinki, Finland. Weather was good and we left the ship early to walk into the city, an easy and flat trip of 45 minutes. Wifi is always our first hunt and we found it inside a small shopping mall so dealt quickly with any email and had several watsap exchanges with our sons. We wandered the smart and open city shops and streets spotting the sights along the way. We took a No3 tram that had been suggested on Tripadviser as a way of joining the locals assuming it was a round trip but after 15 minutes out into the suburbs it stopped and we were told to get off as it was the end of the line. Small panic but the driver pointed across the road and said 'Centrum' so we set off to find another No 3 back. About 100 yards down the road we found the tram stop. We are embarrassed to say we didn't pay for the rides as we didn't know how to and had assumed we would pay the driver but both times he didn't want to know so our tram ride was free. I have since found out that you get a ticket before boarding at €2.20 per journey. We enjoyed visiting Stocktons Department store and other shops then headed for the harbour where the market sold fruit and craft items. Boat trips left from here and seemed a good deal and were popular. From the harbour we set off on the coast edge path to go back to the ship which was a pretty and fairly flat pavement walk. St Petersburg, Russia Stunning city to visit with glorious architecture, wide roads and pretty vistas of the Neva river and canals. The World Cup didn't affect our visit. Queuing through immigration both out and back in dominated the first day and was frustrating. We had booked a half day tour of The Hermitage which was in the afternoon. This left a free morning when it was quiet on board so I took advantage and did some laundry. There is a laundrette on each deck which is free to use but you need to bring your own detergent. I always buy tablets with built in conditioner as they break up easily but won't leak. The machines are good and there are also tumble dryers and ironing boards with timed irons. The Hermitage was wonderful although busy and the tour guide led us on a good selection of rooms. The floors and ceilings are often as beautiful as the exhibits. Photographs are allowed without flash, there are toilets available and the shops at the end sell a wide variety of souvenirs at reasonable prices for Russian Roubles. The second day we had booked St Petersburg Explorer which is a 7 hour walking tour of the city. This takes you to three stops and you are dropped off by the bus and left to do your own thing for a few hours each time. There is a route suggested on your map and the guide on the bus gives you ideas of where to visit. This gives you a chance to go to shops, visit churches, enjoy the gardens (The Summer Garden is delightful) etc. The day was hot and sunny so it made a great trip and as long as you are comfortable walking for a good stretch this is an ideal trip to see lots of the city. Shops and stalls were happy to take Euros, Dollars or Roubles. Prices were reasonable and often cheaper than in the UK. Return through immigration the second day was very quick. There is a souvenir shop on the dock beside the ship which you can use without going through immigration. Ideal for Russian Dolls and other gifts to take his home. A good selection of items and prices ranged from around £4.00 for a simple doll with 3 inside each other right up to £100 for large and beautiful individual items. Prices here compared well with stalls and shops in the city centre. Food and drink on board The only way to pay for anything on board (except the collection after the Sunday Service) is your cruise card and this is used rather like a credit card where you sign a slip confirming your purchase or drink order. Breakfast can be self service on deck 15 or in one of the restaurants each morning. Lunch can be self service, deck 15 or pizza/burger type food near one of the pools or in the dining rooms. The evening meal is served in whichever restaurant you have been assigned to. We ate breakfast in both places but found the food a better quality in the dining room. Dinner was wonderful and lots of choice. Lots of variety in the menu and good quality and presentation of the food. If you are so inclined you could eat all day as there is always food available and hot drinks on deck 15. Fruit juice is only available till around 11.45 after which there is water or teas & coffee. Earl Grey tea and slices of lemon are always there as well as sachets of decaf coffee. Afternoon tea is served on deck 15 and is always enjoyable although not always a sensible choice if you dine early as it will spoil your appetite! Trays and dishes are cleared constantly. All over the ship and beside the entrance to any eating area there are stands with hand sanitizer available and the vast majority of people use this, helpful in preventing any spread of bacteria. We ate in Sindu one evening which has an extra charge and the food was excellent as was the ambience and service. Others we spoke to had eaten in Epucurian, The glass House and The Beach House and said all were very good and worth the extra charge. Tallin, Estonia Easy walk into the old town via 'Fat Margaret’s Gate'. We were into the town by 08.15 and were ahead of everyone so could get pictures without the irritation of the large man in an orange T shirt with a ‘selfie’ stick who always seems to be around! We walked uphill on cobbled roads to the top to the look-out points then down again into the town square where we had coffee and used the cafe internet. Such a delightful town, very quaint and pretty. Euros were used everywhere. We walked from the old town out to the newer town passed flower sellers and cafes. There was a small market at the end of the road, worth a look for knitwear. We didn't spend too long looking round the more modern area but found good free wifi inside the first shopping centre, near H&M. We found the walk back to the ship easy and flat and were back in time for lunch. The ship was very quiet and we enjoyed a swim and a sit out while watching a film on the sea screen. Stockholm, Sweden We enjoyed a wander round the old then the new Stockholm. Weather was promised to be warm but we were very cold as the wind was whistling up and down the alleys and streets. Layers is definitely the right approach. We caught the shuttle into the city then walked around the old town area, Gamla Stan, then walked under an arch into the shopping area which was good with lots of variety of shops. Some lovely home style shops with interesting items. We got 200 Krone out of a hole in the wall so we could buy coffee and anything else we saw and that was plenty for us. I used the Stockholm Public wifi on the dock whilst sitting on the Prom deck on the ship and it was very strong so I could browse the internet easily. Where we were docked in Stockholm it would be easily possible to get onto a boat that would take you around the area for a tour or hop on hop off. I think walking into the centre is a long way but it would be more direct on foot than in the shuttle bus but still a fair stretch Copenhagen, Denmark The ship docked close enough to walk into the city. The walk along the sea edge took us past the statue of The Little Mermaid, about 10 minutes from the ship, then on into the city. Smart and clean everywhere with lovely architecture. We enjoyed wandering the sights then into the shopping area. We used McDonalds for wifi as there wasn't any near the ship, we paid for our coffee etc in McDonalds by credit card. Great boat tours on offer in the city for 50 Krone per adult for 1 hour canal tour. Another time we would definitely take one of these but do wrap up as it is windy on the water. We walked back to the ship in the early afternoon having felt we had seen all we wanted to. Skagen, Denmark Pronounced ‘Skane’ by the people who live there. Easy walk into town, about ten minutes. Delightful town with good variety of shopping and cafes and the town band played during the morning. About 45 minutes at a fair pace takes you from the centre of town to the car park and sand dune from where you can see the meeting of the seas in the distance. Area is flat and a smooth path is shared by bikes. Bikes for hire were available on the dock area and would have been a good option to get to Grennen and other areas. Shops would take Euros but with a poor exchange rate, or credit cards could be used. We found wifi at 'Jacob's Cafe' in the centre of town where we had coffee. A lovely last destination for a gentle stroll and final shop. Weather was good but with a strong breeze and if walking to the point it may be worth packing a light woolly hat and thin gloves. Leaving Skagen and moving into the North Sea brought us into rough seas for the final sea day and spending time as low down in the ship as possible in the Atrium helped keep us feeling well. Travel tablets were available from the reception desk. Some activities were cancelled because of the poor weather but most continued. Details of disembarkation were given out with the on board daily paper and we packed the main cases and put them outside the cabin door by 9.00pm so they could be taken away. We planned to enjoy a dining room breakfast on the last morning which was available from 6.30am. We had to be out of the cabin by 8.00am at the latest but we left around 6.45 and took our time in the dining room then went to our designated disembarkation area to wait for directions to leave. Self disembarkation was from 7.30 when you could take your own luggage and get off the ship under your own steam if you wanted to and there were lots of people took this option. We left the ship about 45 minutes ahead of expected time and went to search for our luggage in the hall where they were set out by deck. We were one of the latest groups to disembark so there were very few cases left which made ours easy to find. We thoroughly enjoyed this cruise and the itinerary worked well. We will continue to book cruises with P&O as they are well run and suit us. Read Less

Longer than usual 7 night cruise and gave more time to settle in. the scenery was fantastic. The weather was warm unusually. But Norway is very expensive for everything. A man’s belt was £50. Way more than the UK. A railway journey listed as spectacular, forgot name, was terribly noisy. Cost about £50 and more booked via ship. Not worth it. Did not find it good as packed out and with the dreadful screeching noise of the tracks was unbearable. Pleased to get off. A snack out was so expensive I either made rolls at breakfast time or I collected rolls from the breakfast area made up. Ship excursions are very expensive and rarely worth it. Better to soak up local atmosphere at each port. Norwegians mostly spoke good English and were charming. The food on P and O has gone downhill. Silver service a few years ago but preplated now. Portions very small. One potato! Ask for more and you get a truckload to embarrass you to not ask again. Bad! I would never travel with this cruise line again. Been on Aurora twice and Arcadia. Warning. If you like you balcony doors open Arcadia’s are not sliding and you have to wedge a coffee table in the gap to get some fresh air. That’s it! Read Less

Chose this cruise for the interesting ports of call and it certainly delivered on that front ! Visby and Klapeida were our favourites and of course St Petersburg continues to fascinate and amaze us. We loved all the ports and enjoyed all our excursions except Gydnia which is a lovely place but the excursion we did was very rushed. We think the P and O excursions are actually good value, especially with loyalty discounts. The Captain Neil Turnbull was great and kept us up to date every day with weather and funny little comments. He was seen around the ship and was always very friendly. The staff at all levels were exceptional and they made up for the minor irritants we experienced. The cabin was kept spotless by Mariam and thank you for her hard work and endless cheerfulness. Now the food and entertainment this is where it all goes a bit downhill....Food on formal nights is just laughable really...I am not going to don my dressing up gear for 3rd rate so called Gala dinners, Marco Pierre White, did you really come up with that weird menu !? What has happened to yummy things like lobster ( not that dried up little morsel we get now ) and fillet steak, we ate at the supplementary restaurants on every formal night as there was nothing to tempt us on those 4 nights on the MDR menu. Main dining room breakfast is still awesome and delish. Lunch in MDR boring, boring, boring, we only went once but looked at the menu every day, no inspiration there. The other nights in MDR were passable, all the food was tasty enough ( soups always nice ) but nothing to write home about and reminded me of hotels trying to be posh in the 1970's akthough I must say the desserts were always very good. Buffet was okay the few times we used it for quick lunch but what has happened to pizza at the Lido ? We were looking forward to a slice of pizza for lunch some days and now you can only get pizza from room service ( extra charge surprise, surprise). Beach house we ate there 3 times and all meals were nice and worth the bit extra ( fajitas too spicy for me and it was not explained on menu that they were spicy hot so maybe that could be added P and O ?) Sindhu, we got a deal on second night for £11 extra per person and the service and food were pretty good. Glasshouse was a letdown on first try, we had fillet steaks and they were chewy..when we told waiter they just kind of shrugged it off...no offer of free dessert or anything to make up for it. We tried again, second time round we had the Neptunes feast...if you are hungry don't bother with this, we had literally 6 prawns, 6 scallops and a tiny crab to share ! This cost £16 extra...I don't mind a bit extra but come on P and O this was a rip off.(see picture) Entertainment...who chooses the films..are they trying to send us into a depression..this is some of what we had to choose from...Murder on Orient Express ( quite good we watched that one but the sound was pretty fuzzy) then it all went downhill...other films we did not even bother to go to, Last days of Stalin, Churchill, The last Showman, some weird film about a woman in a mental asylum, Peter Rabbit, The railway children, the one film we did want to see, Red Sparrow, was cancelled because of a technical issue !!!! ?????? As for the in cabin offering, well I know we do not go on hols to watch telly but after a long tiring day ashore we do like the option of chilling in cabin with a good film..well, nothing there to be found...they do give you a printed TV guide but unless you can work out from one word what a film is about it is not much use. Mind you it did not matter much because the postage sized TV was so hard to see anyway. Poor Poor Poor...come on P and O get into this century when she goes for a re-fit. Would be nice to be able to see our bill on TV also please. Theatre shows...and live music....dire and boring except for the comedian (Jeff someone, sorry forgot his last name but he was pretty good). Do we really need that jingoistic flag waving we will meet again show anymore ? Not very diverse is it P and O ? Sack all the choreographers and bring in some new ideas...the dancers were not bad but they had terrible material to deal with. Lots of of the shows we had seen on other ships. Quizzes were fun and well run. We were so bored in the evenings that it took the gloss off our cruise. We ended up reading in the cabin for most nights...not really worth dressing up for formal nights is it if the shows are awful and the food is under par. I am sorry if I have moaned on a lot but those niggly things get under your skin after a while and if we had not been blessed with such lovely weather the cruise would have been bad for us. We were lucky as we got to be up on deck and in the pools a lot which was a lovely bonus. Cabin was fine, not a bad size for an outside with a nice sized bathroom with a bath so that was nice. Sea was smooth all the way there and back, never even knew we were sailing the whole time ! We are booked on Aurora for next year with Mum and Dad and really really hope the re-fit will bring forth some upgrades. I would be tempted to cancel our next cruise but Mum and Dad are looking forward to the Canaries so we will try again and hope for better food and entertainment. Read Less

This was chosen by friends and we went along.Restaurants were fantastic.Lots of good food and the service was great with wonderful waiters.Our cabin was always kept clean and we had a very polite and helpful steward. Entertainment was good but could have been better on certain days.Excursions: We were disappointed on some especially one where on the hottest day ever we were given a coach without air-condition.I even fainted.Full marks go to the St.Petersburg excursion and to our wonderful guide Katerina.Embarkation and disembarkation were fast with helpful staff.The ship was always clean and very easy to move about without getting lost or confused. Films in the cinema could have been better.What we would have liked was an all inclusive for drinks and cocktails.What was offered was coffee and wine all inclusive and not all drink them.We would gladly travel again with these cruise liners.Thank you all. In all it was a wonderful cruise. Read Less

We chose this ship purely for the Geiranger Fjord destination. The fjords were beautiful. I asked at Reception what time we would be docking in Geiranger, because we wanted to wake up early and see the ship sail in. I was given a time, but the ship actually docked much much earlier, so we missed the sail in, despite getting up early, which was very disappointing. Geiranger was a beautiful, as was Flam. Our first port was Bergen. We arrived there on a Sunday, when everything was closed. At the tours presentation we were told all the things to see, but they knew full well that most places would be closed. The final port was Haugasund, which was an industrial port, not a pretty fjord destination. It did not fit with the itinerary and many passengers were disappointed with this port, especially as Stavanger was just a short way down the coast. I need a gluten-free diet, which P&O knew in advance. None of the buffet food was labelled with food allergens and I was told on the first day by the staff in there, not to eat in the buffet at all. All my meals in the main restaurant had to be pre-ordered the night before, so my choices were very limited. None of the gluten-free cakes were fresh; they were all brought in pre-packaged and stale. This really put a damper on my holiday. I have never had this problem with other cruise companies. The entertainment was good, although there was too much strobe lighting in some of the shows in the theatre. The ship has recently had a refit, but there was still quite a lot of maintenance work being done. The cabins were clean and spacious and the bed very comfortable. The two formal nights were very good, with most men wearing dinner suits and ladies in long or cocktail dresses. These nights were better than formal nights on some of the other cruise lines. On the morning of the last port day, it started to feel like our cruise was over and we were surplus to requirements. The waiters and chefs paraded through the buffet, so everyone could thank them for the food - yet we still had two more days to go. That evening, again there was a parade in the main dining room with the entertainment compere thanking them for their food. That evening in the theatre, as we were waiting for the show to start, a video was playing showing us what shows we had enjoyed throughout the cruise, yet we had two more shows to see. On the last day, just before introducing the guest speaker at 11am, the entertainment compere asked if everyone was packed. To cap it all, most of our suitcases had to be outside the cabins before we went for dinner on the last night, not at 11pm, as on other cruise lines. At 6pm, when many people wanted to go for dinner, most of the lifts were out of order so that the luggage could be moved. To cap it all, after the final show, about 11.15pm, the compere told us that our cruise wasn't over as some of the bars were still open! Embarkation and disembarkation were very smooth, although a welcome drink would have been a nice touch. P&O certainly does not have the edge when it comes to customer satisfaction, which is very disappointing. I won't be booking another cruise with them in a hurry! Read Less

We chose this cruise as my mum isn’t very mobile and we didn’t plan to do excursions. Our mini suite was very large and well presented. Our cabin was kept pristine by Javier. The food in all areas was really good and the wine was . We had a number of extras. I had a hair pamper day which was really good value for money. We also had a spa day and as it was a day we were in port we had it all to ourselves, which was rather nice. There was various entertainments every day and you would find it hard to say there wasn’t something for everyone, from bingo and quizzes to plays and musicals. My mum isn’t very good in her pins and the staff in all areas couldn’t have been more attentive and helpful. I wouldn’t hesitate to book with P&O again. Thank you to all. Read Less

Cruised on Oriana to Northern lights in March 2018. My first time with P&O and my last. Starting with Embarkation at the Mayflower terminal Southampton, P&O give you a time to turn up and I arrived at my exact time of 1.30 to find that everyone else including coaches had also arrived at this time. My driver pulled up at the rank and took my cases from the boot while a porter leant on his sack truck watching him! My driver then had to leave as it was so congested and I dragged my cases past the porter and 2 more until I got to the conveyor belt! Never had to drag my cases before on any other cruise line. I entered the terminal that was full and was given a fast pass to join a long line waiting to check in? After getting to the front of the line I was shown to another smaller line! I waited till it was my turn, the lady behind the desk was slow and not very friendly told me her card machine was playing up but try it anyway! Put my card in and waited then it declined it! Oh try again its my machine so she reset everything and put card back in and waited and waited till it got declined again! Oh she said its my machine join the line at guest services when you board and it will work there, I said I had onboard credit and would wait till the line was small but was told that my onboard credit wouldn't work until I registered my card so off I went to join line number 3! card worked fine and I could finally be on board. Other cruises I have been on have had a anytime policy and I have been onboard in a third of the time! First impression of the ship was better than I thought, it looked in good condition and had some nice décor, on reaching my cabin I was not so impressed as it was very small, my suitcase just fitted between the bed and the wall and stayed there as it didn't fit under the bed like on other ships, ok for me as a solo but not good for a couple, I had booked and outside cabin to get a nice window to look out of but the bed was in front of it and the only real way to look out properly was to kneel on the bed. On first impression it looked clean but more of that later. As per all ships we all attended a safety drill before sailing, I was in Harlequins and it seemed most of the ship was also mustered in harlequins, all seats had gone and very little standing room but people just kept coming in, lots of elderly people on sticks etc all stood up and crammed in, the drill took ages to start and we had to put life jackets on in a space that was only just about big enough to breath let alone put a life jacket on. Finally the drill ended and many people headed to bars and cafes to sit down after standing for so long only to be told they could not be served with a life jacket so elderly not very mobile passengers had to return to there cabins to return life jackets before they could sit down? We sailed away to no sail away party and the awful vibration from the propellers that has been a feature of Oriana since its build. Thankfully when we increased speed it did get less noticeable. The buffet on Oriana looks ok on first entry but its split in 4 and each section of food is repeated in the other sections so very little selection compared to other lines, I arrived at 7 a.m for breakfast the opening time and had sausage and bacon, the sausage was cold and the bacon was like cold cardboard, a waiter asked if I would like a drink and I asked for freshly squeezed orange juice, he returned after 15 mins with a glass screw top bottle of sugary orange juice with a label, sell by date, barcode etc like you would buy from a shop and was probably squeezed a month or more ago, he did say it was fresh from the bottle as a bit of a joke! This was a paid item that I could have got from the juice machine for free in the buffet however this machine only had water as an option after a couple of days! P&O couldnt seem to afford to run the drinks machines in the buffet. The buffet was very cold and bar staff and smokers kept opening the 2 glass sliding doors and the wind and snow would blow in as this was an artic cruise! All meals from then on were for me in the restaurant. The Restaurant was nice but not enough small tables, I only have main course and pudding and leave to enjoy the music each night, one night I sat down at 6.30 with the plan of seeing the show at 7.30. I was on a table of 8 and sat till 7.30 before my first food arrived, this was a table of elderly couples who spoke quietly to their partner and not to anyone else so 1 hour of sat in silence watching them eat! Many waiters cant speak English and on asking for tea you get coffee, this is partly because they all seem to be from one nation and talk in their own language all night, on other lines its a mix of nations who all converse in English and therefore their language skills improve. Entertainment on board is worse than an old peoples home, I get up a 6 in the morning, I have breakfast then back to the cabin, 11.15 go to the only lecture on board and the room is full as its the only thing on, the room has 2 small screens that swing back and forth with the movement of the ship and from the back of the room cant been seen properly and the room has pillars so sometimes you cant see the screen or only part of it! The theatre had no pillars and 3 large screens and sat empty! Then its lunch 12 till 1, I would go to the piano music in Tiffany's but you very often cant get a seat as people sit most of the day in there drinking Costa coffee and when quiet piano music is played they talk loudly over it. So 1 till 4 is in the cabin as nothing to do except a piano recital, when he said he would play music that was written before the piano was invented I gave up, I like classical music but he never played anything I recognized. 4 in the afternoon is afternoon tea, I go because I am bored not hungry. Then back to the cabin till 6 then its evening meal, if I get in at 6 I might get a small table! 7.30 the first bit of entertainment starts the 8.30 its the show that's squeaky and twee and looks like a red coat show from the 70's despite being the new show premiered tonight?? just random songs and dance with no storyline, way below the west end shows that are the norm for the industry, guest acts were thankfully good. So by 9.15 the shows are over and I would go to listen to the house band Inspiration who were very good but had to keep stopping while the dance teacher dragged couples (6 couples if she was lucky) to the floor for a rumba 1 and other sequence dances! Other music on board was poor, a duo who keep stopping, and most of the time the keyboard player just plays solo while she sits looking bored instead of singing! A trio playing old fashioned music and a very good piano player playing background music that everyone talks over. So you can see why my tablet used over 20gb of data as it was for 90% of the day my only entertainment and I franticly downloaded things at each port to use on the sea days when no signal was available as was not going to pay the high price for wifi on the ship. Things were scheduled in the daytime, these included shopping, knit and natter, craft and natter, footprint analysis, cellulite something or other, the spa giving free advice to try and get you to sign up to something paid, sequence dance class and my favourites deck quoit's and deck cricket!! on a icy deck that was closed for safety but they still wrote please keep your sun loungers away from the areas of play, who uses a sun lounger on an icy windswept deck in the Arctic??? the ship is run like an old peoples home and they seem to be dyslexic like me as P&O should read OAP and it was a over 18 cruise so they must have meant a over 81 cruise. So as for the Northern lights, all public rooms except the crows nest have no exterior views so its either the crows nest with all the lights on and it cant hold 1800 people or the outside deck that was closed off most of the time due to the excessive movement of the ship and the ice and wind! So its not really fit for purpose as most of the time the crows nest is the only viewing area and for 3 days the windows were covered in snow and ice! All windows were dirty and none were cleaned until we got back to Southampton. The ship pitches and rolls badly in slight to moderate seas, we had a force 7 and the ship kept slamming down into the ocean with a noise that sounded like someone playing a bass drum next to my bed, I cant believe this ship is stabilized or if it is that they used them? I have been in worse storms on other ships and not moved half as much. Made me laugh that they told everyone they needed a tripod to photograph the northern lights and lots of people bought the overpriced ones on board and set them up on a rolling and pitching deck to get a stable image????? one night in Alta it was forecast for heavy snow all night (why dock at Alta for 2 nights to see the northern lights next to the airport with all the flood lights on??) but they still sent people off on an expensive trip to stand in a field in a blizzard to look for the northern lights through thick clouds, surprised this was not a safety issue on the roads and elderly people stood in a cold field, some asked for a refund as it was obvious they would see nothing but none I heard of got one. The bridge gave little information, even crossing the Arctic circle was not announced. On cruising into Tromso on a nice morning with no ice on the promenade deck, no high winds and a smooth sea I found the deck closed and was instructed that only deck 12 was open for the smokers, on reaching deck 12 it was covered in ice and was next to the swimming pool that was part frozen but this was safer? Soon as we docked deck 7 was opened again! Bar staff would pester you for a drink when you had one but when you wanted one you couldn't find one and when you did they disappeared with your order to another bar returning 15 to 20 mins later, my favourite is I ordered a non alcoholic cocktail that I drink on other ships, the barman looked confused, walked to his computer and typed it in and turned and said “computer says no” and that was it, no how do you make it or can I suggest you try this instead! After being in my cabin for many hours each day I noticed about an inch of dust under the fridge, guessing it had never been cleaned since the fridge was put in, pulled the luggage mat down from the top of the wardrobe and got covered in dust again I don't think anyone had cleaned the top of it since the ship was built as it was thick up there, the sprinkler was also covered in thick blue dust and so was the air vent, the shower bubbled every time I heard a toilet flush next door, some passengers had flooding from this and some had no heating. We had one sail away party at the last port to cd music not a live band and the party finished while we were still docked! We left about 15 mins after the sail away party finished??? Disembarkation in Southampton hurray I can finally get off. Got a 9.15 time slot, left the cabin at 8 and sat in the restaurant waiting to leave, people by me had a 9.00 and some had a 9.30 I think some had a 9.45 time slot, no announcements were given, at 9.12 an officer came in and said you can ALL go! So a long line for the gang plank chaos in the baggage hall and chaos outside as all the cars etc tried to pick everyone up at once. The ship is run as an old peoples home, is not fit for purpose for arctic cruises, needs a good clean, needs re plumbing and larger public rooms as for instance the theatre hold 650 people x 2 shows 1300 total with 1800 passenger on board! When anything is put on everyone goes to it and overcrowds the room as nothing else is going on elsewhere. Never did see the northern lights, many on board bought photos of the lights from the photo desk and will be telling people they did see them! My first and last P&O cruise, never been so bored or fed up and counting the days till I can get off on any other ship. Not going to write and complain to P&O as I don't want a discount cruise or onboard credit, they would have to pay me a lot of money to ever go on another P&O ship of any description. Read Less

Arrived back from the Northern Lights trip on Aurora yesterday with mixed feelings. In general the holiday was very good and whilst I would certainly not criticise any of the staff on board I was disappointed with the ship. I know that many people dislike the big ships, but for a tour like this where the outside decks were not particularly accessible for a lot of the time I found it claustrophobic. We were very relieved to have a balcony cabin. On the 12 night cruise there were several days when the outside decks were closed and even when they weren’t it was so cold and windy that it was quite unpleasant to spend much time outside. This put a lot of pressure on the inside areas. The entertainers were mostly pretty good, although a little predictable. As usual the Headliners put a lot of skill and effort into their performances but I found that the singers were trying too hard to sing loud, and should have focussed more on the tune and let the sound engineers make it louder. The speciality acts were also mostly enjoyable. The comedian early in the trip was funny, but had clearly been around for many years and some found his humour a bit tame. We enjoyed good performances by a singer trumpeter and violin player as well as the Brit Tones, although the latter should restrict the chat a bit. We didn’t get around to seeing the resident group, Caravan, until the last night and I regret that as they were excellent. We were on Freedom dining and had a table for two each night. Even so we met some very nice people on adjoining tables on many of the nights. The staff in the dining rooms were very pleasant and efficient as was our cabin steward. The first three of the four ports of call were all small places. In the first, Andalsnes, we had a trip to a skiing and climbing centre with the obligatory coffee and waffles. It became clear that no matter how bad the snow and cold the natives don’t let it bother them. We tourists were kitted out in our thermals but were met up in the mountains by the owner wearing a blouse and thin cardigan. We were most amused at the start of the trip when we all boarded the coach, only to be dropped off about 100 yards later at the Norwegian Mountaineering Centre. Tromsø was the next place and we just took the shuttle into tow and had a wander around. We had a glimpse of the Northern Lights but at this point I was a little underwhelmed as they just looked like slightly green clouds. The highlight of the trip was Alta where, on the first night, we saw a dazzling display of dancing lights from the ship. The temperature was around minus 17 but the thermals coped pretty well. I managed to get some not-bad pictures using an app on my iPhone but as someone had mentioned you need to spend time watching as well as taking pictures. The last stop was Stavanger where we had been several rimes before, so we decided to redo the Pulpit Rock boat trip. Unfortunately the weather was pretty appalling and we could only just see the rock. During the whole cruise we had about 3 days and nights when the winds got up to force 10/11 (maximum is 12). In spite of that I did not feel at all I’ll, but sleeping was almost impossible. Without wishing to sound like a miserable old git, there were some things that were really disappointing. Whilst almost all the people we met were very friendly I was disgusted at the manners of some. 2 young people from the photography department gave a talk about snapping the Northern Lights. They were clearly a bit nervous but during a q&a session lots of people started leaving the theatre and it made it impossible to hear the questions and answers. As usual, it was the same after every show. I wonder what these people do that is so exiting it can’t wait a few minutes. I found the choice of guest speaker disappointing. Whilst probably very popular with people interested in the astronomical world, I found it rather dull. I expected that there may have been an alternative later in the cruise but he was the only one. The last complaint applies to most cruise ships and I’m thinking of starting a support group for people affected. Why on earth do cruise companies think that someone spending between £2000 and £10,000 want to steal some second hand coat hangers. I think we should all boycott ships that don’t have hangers with hooks !!! Seriously though, whilst I probably wouldn’t do a Winter trip to Norway again, and definitely wouldn’t go on Aurora, I’m glad I went and on the whole enjoyed the experience Read Less

Our 14th Cruise with P&O and 4th on Aurora. We chose this cruise as seeing the Northern Lights has always been on our bucket list. We weren’t disappointed! As with all previous Cruises on Aurora, food and service in the Medina restaurant (freedom dining) was superb throughout. The only (minor) criticism would be the portion sizes of vegetables, which were far too small in relation to the main dish. We had one meal in the Beach House (average) and several lunches in the Glasshouse (very good). We didn’t use Sindhu as it isn’t up to the standard of the excellent versions on Britannia and Ventura, not least because it lacks ambiance and is noisy being in the atrium. Entertainment, as on all P&O cruises, was mixed. The Headliners troupe was far better than the team we had on board Aurora in October. At least this lot could sing! We always enjoy performances from Caravan and this was no exception, other than two of their performances were somewhat spoiled by irresponsible parents allowing toddlers to run around between the audience and the performers, which was incredibly distracting for both and terribly discourteous. None of the guest singers were particularly impressive. Peter Haworth was average but really fancied himself and we left early as a group of passengers arrived late and then proceeded to talk through the performance (a persistent problem we find). The Brit Tones (4 piece male vocalists) were dire. One of them has a comically low voice and the chatter between songs was far too long and frankly juvenile. Georgina Jackson had a reasonable voice but ruined her act by unnecessarily playing the (shrill) trumpet. Craig Halliday (violinist) was the best performer by a mile. Several classes above the usual standard of P&O entertainment. All performers were let down by the Aurora Orchestra whose backing arrangements were rather odd and, at times, a distraction. Another good artist was Flamenco guitarist Adam Westcott. Really nice guy and incredibly talented but we went to all 5 of his shows and there was far too much repetition. The main guest speaker was Bob Turner who, in spite of sounding like Uncle Albert from Only Fools and Horses, gave some very interesting talks. He did, however, make the schoolboy error of having his entire script on the (very word heavy) PowerPoint slides, which made them impenetrable. We did a few tours. Leisurely Alta was pleasant and informative. I really enjoyed Snowmobiling but all my outer clothes stank of exhaust fumes for days afterwards. The ice hotel was interesting but no way would I sleep there. Not only is it cold, it has no toilets inside, mattresses felt cold and damp and the pelts made the place smell like the house of someone who owns big dogs. I did the ‘In Search of the Northern Lights’ tour on the first night in Alta. We only went 10 minutes away as that was where the best viewing was predicted and we had a superb view of them, the strongest being once again between 10 and 11pm. My wife stayed on the ship and although had a good view of them, the light pollution from the ship made them significantly less impressive. We had seen them two nights earlier whilst at sea (although not terribly strong) and a fantastic display, again between around 10 and 11pm at Tromso the day before. Sadly, cloud coverage meant that the 2nd night in Alta didn’t produce anything. The Scenic Rauma Railway journey from Andalsnes was pretty, but only 45 minutes long. The views from the coach on the return were just as impressive. For those who do not do tours, be aware that there is very little to do in Alta or Andalsnes. Tromso is bigger and several passengers felt that longer there and less time in Alta would have been better, especially as we had a fantastic showing of the Northern Lights in Tromso between around 10 and 11pm. As might be expected going into the Arctic Circle in March, we had some ‘interesting’ weather conditions. Force 4 to 6 was the norm whilst at sea, but we reached force 10 on the way out and force 10 to 11 on the return. Force 11 is described as ‘exceptionally rough seas’ and is one below a hurricane. We felt absolutely fine thanks to Stugeron, but a number of passengers were a bit off colour. As for outside air temperatures, there was a lot of exaggeration about this. People kept quoting things like -15 degrees but the coldest we experienced was -8 degrees, although it feels much colder when stood on snow in a field or with the wind at sea. The cold weather did cause problems with the ships lifts. 3 of the 7 forward and midships lifts were out of action for 3 days as a result, which was a problem for us as my wife uses a wheelchair. Final words of advice for anyone doing a Northern Lights Cruise. Take Stugeron for the rough seas and plenty of layers of clothing for the cold. You can see the Northern Lights from the ship but don’t let anyone convince you that it’s not worth doing a tour. Light pollution from the ship is excessive. They make no effort to dim deck lighting. My wife and I saw the same ‘display’ at the same time in Alta. My wife was on the ship and I was 10 minutes away in a dark field. My experience was much better. Perseverance pays. Some passengers who insisted on seeing all the shows and popping their head out occasionally missed the best displays. When the lights appear, although impressive they are mostly white. You do see green and, at times, red hues but the camera does lie when it comes to the Northern Lights as it massively exaggerates the colour. All photos come out very bright green as the camera lens sees the colour far better than the human eye. They look nothing like that in reality. If the lights appear, keep your eyes on whichever part is brightest. It is these parts that tend to evolve into the movement (dancing) that people refer to. Read Less