britannia cruise august 2023

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Cruise line P&O UK (P&O Cruises)

• Bridgetown (Barbados)
• Southampton (England)

Britannia current position

Britannia current location is at North East Atlantic Ocean (coordinates 50.42165 N / -0.19147 W) cruising at speed of 21.7 kn (40 km/h | 25 mph) en route to Rotterdam. The AIS position was reported 2 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Britannia

Britannia current cruise is 14 days, one-way from Bridgetown to Southampton , themed as "Easter". The itinerary starts on 22 Mar, 2024 and ends on 05 Apr, 2024 .

Specifications of Britannia

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Britannia Itineraries

Britannia review, review of britannia.

The 2015-built MV Britannia cruise ship is the largest vessel in the P&O UK's fleet. From this Royal-class are also the Princess Cruises liners Royal Princess (2013), Regal Princess (2014), Majestic Princess (2017), Sky Princess (2019), Enchanted Princess (2021) and Discovery Princess (2022). These are the ever biggest cruise vessels constructed by Fincantieri (Italy).

The vessel (IMO number 9614036) is currently UK- flagged (MMSI 235106595) and registered in Southampton .

History - construction and ownership

P&O Cruises is a subsidiary company and two brands owned by Carnival Corporation - P&O UK and P&O Australia. In 2000, P&O Cruises became subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises, which merged with Carnival Corporation in 2003. P and O is the world's oldest cruise company, starting passenger shipping operations in 1822 on the routes connecting England with Iberia.

The 3700-passenger ship Britannia is the biggest ever cruise liner built especially for the British source market. The £500 million new-build is a result of four years of planning. P&O Britannia is 25,000 tons heavier than Azura and Ventura sister ships (previously the largest vessels in the P&O fleet). The Britannia ship alone boosts the capacity of the P and O line by almost a quarter – 24%. Britannia impresses with her Union Jack livery and offers British-style cruising with modern look and feel. Her homeport is Southampton .

Britannia has the most popular features of the P&O fleet, such as The Crow's Nest Bar, Atul Kochar's Sindhu restaurant, Olly Smith's The Glass House, as well as brand new amenities. P&O says that Britannia cruise ship engine power output (MAN diesel engines) is equivalent to 70 Challenger tanks’ power or 86 supercars Bugatti Veyron. Britannia cruise ship is also the greenest yet and designed to deliver greater levels of environmental and operational efficiency. The new form of the hull is expected to reduce fuel consumption by approx 20%. Along with the hull design, P and O changed the hull art as well – with the Union Jack flag 94 m / 308 ft long.

The Britannia ship is the eighth vessel to join P&O UK's fleet and named "to resonate with the forward-looking mood in Britain". Britannia is considered to be the most fitting name because of its famous long heritage, so suitable for the newest P&O addition – the favourite cruise line of Britain. Apparently, HM The Queen gave her permission to P&O use the name.

Two ships connected to the company have been previously named "Britannia". The first one entered service for General Steam Navigation Company in 1835. The second one, together with three other boats, was ordered to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary of her accession to the throne) and entered service in 1887. The "Golden Jubilee ship" had passenger capacity 410 (160 second-class plus 250 first-class) and cargo capacity 4000 tons. In 1888, on this Britannia sailed (to Bombay India ) Winston Churchill, with his hussar regiment, and then fought on India's North-West Frontier (present-day Pakistan's KPK-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province/occupied by the British between 1849-1947 via the East India Company).

Royal Yacht Britannia was the vessel decommissioned in 1997 by John Major government, but the name has been associated with P&O for a long time. In June 2013 a management shake-up at Carnival UK operations later saw the exit of Carol Marlow- the former managing director, and Peter Shanks – ex-boss of Cunard brand. Britannia is the first vessel for P&O Cruises since then. These departures were linked to boosting younger cruisers’ proportion at the UK arm of Carnival Cruises. Everyone who believes in the growth of the cruise industry now expects the new P and O cruise ship Britannia to mark a new era of success.

Her Majesty The Queen (1926-2022) was the royal godmother. She named the ship on March 10th, 2015, at Southampton's Ocean Terminal. HM The Queen was accompanied by Prince Philip and The Duke of Edinburgh. After the royal words "May God bless her and all who sail in her", The Queen pressed the button that released a Nebuchadnezzar wine (a giant bottle of sparkling wine, the equivalent of 20 regular bottles) to be smashed against the hull. This most special event was also marked by live band music performances – Her Majesty's Royal Marines band, and the Irish Guards’ Regimental Band. Also present at the naming ceremony were the Carnival Corporation's front men Micky Arison (chairman) and Arnold Donald (CEO), and also David Dingle (chairman of Carnival UK).

Decks and Cabins

MS Britannia staterooms (a total of 1837 total, in 35 grades) include 64x Suites, 1298x Balconies, 448x Inside and 27x Studios (single-occupancy cabins). The ship has no Oceanview cabins. Most staterooms are Balcony (sized 175-290 ft2). Cabin balconies are rather small (sized 35 ft2 / 3 m2). The largest accommodations are the Owner's Suites (470 ft2/44 m2, with terrace sized 210 ft2/20 m2).

The boat has 17 decks , of which 14 are passenger-accessible and 8 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The rise on the world stage of British cooking is reflected in Britannia's dining options. The Epicurean Restaurant specializes in fine dining and molecular gastronomy. It features both contemporary and traditional dishes. The Glass House is home to nearly 40 different wines from all around the world, including labels from Greece, Croatia, and Japan. Wine expert Olly Smith pairs wine with food from the menu, featuring dishes like a Wagyu burger, sea bass ceviche with lime, lobster buns, Morecombe Bay and Devon crab sliders. The first British ship to offer cooking lessons at sea, The Cookery Club provides guests an opportunity to hone their cooking techniques under the watchful eye of food experts and chefs. Aboard the Britannia, passengers can cook alongside baking queen Mary Berry and TV chef James Martin. Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar teaches guests how to make dishes from Sindhu - his signature restaurant. Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White also runs a class, demonstrating his famous dishes whilst passengers cook alongside him.

While P&O UK has already linked up with celebrity chefs for Cookery Club school, Britannia will also act as a backdrop to the first at sea celebrity-led TV cooking contest, Battlechefs, from April 4. On April 2, 2016, the ship will be the setting for another first as she will host live Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway from the top deck.

Follows the complete list of Britannia restaurants and food bars.

• The Limelight Club (supper club for specialty dining; offers live performances and the 3-course dinner menu)
• Meridian Restaurant (aft Dining Room; for Breakfast 7:30-9 am, and Lunch 12:15-1:45 pm/3-course menu; Afternoon Tea 4-4:45 pm.; club dinner dining at 6:30 or 9.30 pm)
• The Oriental Restaurant (aft MDR, with fixed seating dining at 6:30 and 8:30 pm)
• The Peninsular Restaurant (forward MDR, with fixed seating dining at 6:30 and 8:30 pm, open-seating breakfast and lunch; also serving Afternoon Tea 4-4:45 pm)
• Sindhu (Indian specialty restaurant, by A. Kochhar)
• Ocean Grill (specialty, by chef Marco Pierre White)
• The Glass House (steakhouse/seafood specialty restaurant and wine bar, by Olly Smith)
• Java Cafe (buffet-style restaurant)
• The Cookery Club (specialty restaurant and cooking club by James Martin)
• Fine Dining Restaurant (Epicurean Restaurant - specialty, dinner-only, by the Michelin star Marco Pierre White)
• Horizon Restaurant (Lido buffet; complimentary, self-service; with several food stations and floor-ceiling windows)
• Beach House (casual dining venue, dinner-only)
• Poolside drinks and fast-food bars – The Pizzeria, Lido Bar, Lido Grill, Riviera Bar, “Grab and Go”.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

MV Britannia ship design is a masterpiece created by Richmond International – London-based architects, who anticipate today's Britain tastes. They are well known for creating “flowing” coherent interiors but with each area having an individual identity. While the Britannia ship may be a large vessel, every inch of the interior was carefully considered as to become breathtaking and striking. MV Britannia was designed to make guests feel special, and all of her was planned with flair and imagination. The Britannia ship offers the very best of Britain's contemporary design and an unprecedented number of facilities for passengers.

The vessel provides the best classic features of Aurora and Oriana , and a wide choice of the contemporary variety of Azura and Ventura. 13 cafes and restaurants, 13 bars, 15 passenger decks, 4 swimming pools, 9 jacuzzis – what more of all these could a traveler wish for? Another good decision on a practical level is the greater number of single cabins - more than on any other ship. Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Internet/WiFi access, supervised kids program, laundry/self-serve laundromats, nursery.

Follows the complete list of Britannia lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Britannia Atrium (3-decks central open floor area and social hub); Atrium Shops (Regalia - clothes, souvenirs, gifts; The Wardrobe - brand fashion, watches, bags, hats); Chic - fashion boutique; Emporium - candy shop; Eternity - jewelry, Essence - perfumes)
• Market Cafe (Atrium patisserie by Eric Lanlard), Blue Bar (Atrium piano bar), Sunset Bar
• Brodie’s Pub; The Studio (multi-purpose lounge); Marlow Suite (multifunction room, doubles as Card Room)
• Headliners Theatre (836-seat, 2-decks, featuring grand scale productions, live performances, game shows)
• The Crystal Room (Lounge and Bar; daily dance classes, grand evening balls)
• The Live Lounge (music-dedicated venue; disco at night)
• The Crow's Nest Lounge (dance floor, a stage for live music; with floor-ceiling windows for panoramic views; hosts art classes, quiz games, cooking demos during the day)
• Casino; Ivory Suite (vow renewal and wedding services)
• Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery; The Library (with Internet computers)
• Terrace Pool (adults only area, served by Terrace Bar); Riviera Pool area; Aqua Pool and Bar; Coral Pool and Bar
• adults-only relaxation areas ("Retreat" /VIP Spa terrace with private cabanas, and "Serenity")
• Oasis Spa complex (Treatment Rooms, Steam Rooms, Thermal Suite, Thalassotherapy pool, Beauty Salon)
• Gymnasium (complimentary equipment, Fitness classes; Yoga and Pilates at surcharge)
• Childrens' Facilities (Kids Play Area, The Reef Kids Programming Rooms, Nursery)
• Promenade (Walking Lane and Jogging Track); Sports Court (basketball, volleyball, football, cricket, tennis); Table Tennis; four Golf Net cages.

Itineraries

P&O Britannia itinerary program is based on homeporting in Southampton England and Bridgetown Barbados . The roundtrips include Caribbean Islands (from Barbados), ex-Southampton voyages along the Atlantic Coast, Baltic, Mediterranean, Canary Islands, "mini-cruises" to Guernsey (Channel Islands), Transatlantic repositioning crossings.

Britannia returned to the UK/Southampton on March 25, 2016 (a year after the naming ceremony led by HM The Queen) being homeported in Barbados throughout winter 2015-2016. From the UK, the ship operated short-breaks to Northern Europe and longer cruises to the Mediterranean (during summer). For the Caribbean winter 2016-2017 season, the ship was homeported in Saint Lucia (Castries) .

On June 27, 2021, Britannia became P&O UK's first liner to restart operations (following the 15+ months pause due to the Coronavirus crisis) leaving roundtrip from Southampton on a 4-night "Short Break" ( cruise to nowhere ) in the English Channel/along Devon's coast.

Britannia - user reviews and comments

Photos of britannia.

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Other P&O UK cruise ships

Britannia wiki.

MS Britannia is currently P&O UK's largest liner, as well as the ever-biggest built specifically for the UK market, Fleet's next largest vessels are  Azura and Ventura . The interior was designed by "Richmond International" - UK-based hotel design company. On February 22, 2015, the vessel was delivered at the Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard . The ceremony was attended by Enrico Morando (Italy's Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance), Micky Arison (Carnival Corporation's Chairman), David Dingle (Carnival UK's Executive Chairman), David Noyes (P&O UK's CEO), Vincenzo Petrone (Fincantieri's Chairman) and Giuseppe Bono (Fincantieri's CEO).

P&O Britannia (Monfalcone shipyard/hull number 6231) is powered by Wartsila marine diesel engines (models 12V46F and 14V46F) generating total power output 62,4 MW.

First Mediterranean cruise (2015, March 14) was a 14-day roundtrip from Southampton to Gibraltar , Barcelona , Monaco , Civitavecchia-Rome , Corsica , Cartagena , Cadiz . First Transatlantic cruise crossing (2015, October 23) was a 14-day itinerary from Southampton to Bridgetown Barbados , visiting Madeira (Funchal), St Maarten, St Lucia, Dominica, Grenada. First Caribbean cruise (2015, November 6) was a 14-day roundtrip from Barbados to Aruba, Grand Cayman, Jamaica (Ocho Rios), BVI (Tortola), St Maarten, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada.

During winter, the ship cruises in the Caribbean on roundtrips from Barbados . The ship was homeported in Port Castries (St Lucia) during winter 2016-2017 season. It also offers fly-cruise deals from UK ( Southampton England ). P&O UK's "flight and cruise" deals to the Caribbean are inclusive of discounted airfare to and from Barbados or St Lucia.

P&O Britannia refurbishment 2019 review

The ship's first drydock refurbishment was in 2019 (October 8-22) at Damen Shipyard Brest (France) . During the drydock works were implemented the following changes:

• All interiors were refreshed (shipwide).
• ( Landing Deck 5 / midship Lobby) a permanent Art Gallery was added (adjacent to Blue Bar / Atrium bar)
• (deck 5 midship) The Atrium was redesigned with new color schemes and relaxed live entertainment (music, informal acts).
• (deck 5 midship) Market Cafe's menu upgraded with new gourmet sweets (recipes by Eric Lanlard / French patissier and celebrity chef)
• (deck 5 forward) To Oasis Spa and Salon (ship's wellness complex) were added two express pods for treatments - one for high-tech spa massages, the other for express skin treatments and LVL lash lifting.
• ( Tween Deck 6 ) The onboard shopping was upgraded with new luxury brands - Jo Malone London (candles), Tom Ford (designer fashion), Michael Kors (designer clothing and accessories, handbags, watches, shoes), Clifton (custom design clothing), Edinburgh Gin (alcohol).
• ( Main Deck 7 midship-starboard) Java Cafe (buffet restaurant's) menu was upgraded with alcoholic beverages.
• (deck 7 midship-aft-starboard) Photo Gallery upgraded with Dixons Electronics Hub selling gadgets (imaging, computing, audio) from premium brands like Amazon, Apple (electronics, computer software), Microsoft (software), Sony (electronics, gaming), Canon (imaging and optical products), Fitbit (trackers, wireless wearables), GoPro (action cameras), Bose (audio devices / headphones, speakers, wearables).

On MS Britannia, P&O also introduced a try-before-you-buy program with consultant-managing tasting tables in the ship's beauty and make-up areas.

Fun ship facts

During its first year of service (March 10, 2015 - March 25, 2016), the Britannia cruise ship:

• sailed more than 90000 nautical miles (103570 ml / 166680 km)
• hosted 730 theater shows
• served 94457 meals
• operated 43 itineraries (visiting 31 different countries and calling on 61 seaports).

During that time, the ship carried 116900+ passengers, who consumed ~375000 cocktail drinks, ~2,8 million cups of tea, 292000+ scones.

The vessel was laid down in 2011, its name was announced in 2013. P&O Britannia features a 308 ft / 94 m long Union Jack flag on hull's bow - world's biggest of its kind. The vessel is the first Monfalcone -made cruise ship with 2 funnels. The last ocean liner with 2 funnels (SS Eugenio C) was delivered by Monfalcone shipyard in 1966.

For the naming ceremony was used a nebuchadnezzar British Brut NV (from Winston Estate Winery, England's Sussex region). For the cruise ship's christening event, thousands of bottles "Rose Vintage 2011" and "Brut NV" were delivered.

MV Britannia ship's godmother was Her Majesty The Queen of Great Britain (Elizabeth II/1926-2022). On the naming ceremony, she was accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Philip. The event took place in Southampton on March 10, 2015. The list of other P and O cruise ships named by British Royals includes Oriana (April 6, 1995, by HM The Queen), Aurora (April 27, 2000, by HRH Princess Royal) and the ships Oceana and Adonia (both named on May 21, 2003, by HRH Princess Royal and her daughter Zara Phillips).

The cruise ship's namesakes are the ferries Spirit of Britain (P&O FERRIES) and Stena Britannica (STENA LINE).

Cruise Ship   Britannia

Cruises On Britannia

Ship Specifications

City Bridgetown

City Southampton

City Castries

Britannia itineraries, 5 night western europe, 7 night norwegian fjords, 14 night scandinavia and baltic sea, 14 night british isles, 7 night spain and france, 14 night canary islands, 14 night mediterranean, 15 night caribbean, 14 night caribbean, p&o cruises fleet.

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P&O Britannia Itinerary

P&O Cruises 2024 itineraries of the cruise ship Britannia with homeports and ports-of-call including dates and times. Find out where the ship is sailing and future vessel deployment at the exact date with arrival and departure times. To track how busy is the port or to see when the ship intersects with other vessels we have included a separate column Ships in Port  The following monthly cruise ship calendar is updated frequently using the official itineraries released by the cruise line. You can also download a full year-round itinerary of the ship at the end of this page in a PDF format. This file is intended for the cruise ship crew, and their families to keep track of the ship’s itinerary.

• P&O Britannia Ship Info
• Double occupancy/max occupancy:  3650 / 4250
• Crew:  1300
• Tonnage:  141000
• Length overall:  1082ft (330m)
• Beam:  141ft (43m)
• Visit Other P&O Cruise Ships
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MV Britannia   cruises

Sorry we do not have cruise data yet for the MV Britannia for August of 2023.

Click here  to see all cruises for the MV Britannia .

• P&O Cruises ( UK )

Arvia VS Brittania in the Caribbean Dec 23

By technoman , August 12, 2023 in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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Hello my fellow cruisers, some of you may remember we went on Arvia earlier this year and we have never been on Brittania but are looking to go to the Caribbean in December. We like the itinerary for Britannia the first week of December but looking at some of the recent reviews re food it is putting me off. Has anyone been on her recently and have any views either way or maybe been on her in the Caribbean?. I know Megabear had issues on Arvia on a trip following mine earlier in the year but i wonder if things have improved. 

Any help or views either way may help us make a decision.

Thanks In advance

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We’ve never been to the Caribbean on a cruise, but have done 4 cruises on Britannia, the most recent one was a 2 week cruise last month.   

We like the ship, with the only big negative point being the lack of a promenade deck. In all other aspects, it ticks all the boxes for us as far as a cruise ship goes.   

I had read a number of reviews about poor food prior to our cruise, but have to say that we were very happy with the main dining room meals. Choice wasn’t brilliant (same issue on all P&O ships now) but we both always found something that we fancied, meals were always served piping hot, quality was fine and portion sizes OK. The only weak meal was the Marco Pierre White menu on the celebration night.  

We experienced a number of problems with Freedom Dining (queue full messages etc) but, again, that is a fleet wide issue now. When we go on Britannia next we would book second sitting Club dining in order to alleviate most of these issues (well, for dinner anyway). 

Kittyonions

Hi Technoman,

we too were on the Arvia cruise along with Megabear, and following that dreadful experience we have decided to book Brittania on 2nd sitting fixed dining for early December. Would have preferred the itinerary of Arvia, but can’t face another 2 weeks of having no idea what time we will be dining every evening. Looking on other threads, it appears the MDR problems still exist.Totally agree with all your comments Selbourne!

AndyMichelle

Agree with all that Selbourne and Kitty have said about Britannia. 

We had a slow start with Michelle having 2 consecutive bad mdr meals, but things definitely improved with service and quality. 

We have booked a couple more Britannia cruises and as much as I would like to try Arvia and Iona, until they sort out the dining situation, I won't consider them.

Too many reports of long delays have really put me off for now. 

I need the assurance of fixed dining, we don't mind sharing if we have to. Rather that than wait 2 hours to eat... 

Can you book the main Dining room venues on Britannia 14 days before and shows in theatre 15 days before like you were able too on Arvia.?

Appreciate everybodys time and views so far, thank you.

I was also on the same cruise a Megabear and Kittyonions and after all the problems  have opted for club dining on Britannia in September and also on Azura in January. It's been a while since I have been on Britannia, last time was in the Caribbean 2019, so can't comment on the food choices, etc. but have had several good cruises on her.

I cancelled my booking for Arvia Caribbean after my experience.  I have booked a Celebrity cruise for over Christmas and join Britannia on 13 January instead.

The Britannia cruise will be my 6th successive year on her in the Caribbean even though the itinerary has unfortunately not varied in recent years.  I find Britannia a very good choice for the Caribbean due to the outside space - I've also done this cruises on Azura and in my opinion Britannia is superior but it is of course personal choice.

This is from my cruise personaliser:   

And from the Entertainments page, under Q&A's:

Can I pre-book entertainment on board for all ships?

You’ll be able to view the bookable events if sailing on Arvia, Britannia or Iona via My P&O Cruises before your holiday, or you can book once you’re on board via My Holiday for these ships.

Some events can be booked by turning up on the day and this will be managed on board. Please refer to your daily Horizon paper when you get on board for the booking details of each event.

47 minutes ago, technoman said: Can you book the main Dining room venues on Britannia 14 days before and shows in theatre 15 days before like you were able too on Arvia.? Appreciate everybodys time and views so far, thank you.

To clarify the dining position on Britannia as it was for us in July. The only dining that we could book before the cruise was the Limelight Club.  

Epicurean, Sindhu & Beach House could only be booked when on board, but you could book for the entire cruise as soon as you boarded. Glass House and main dining rooms could only be booked via the app when you are ready to dine (not in advance). I believe that it is only Arvia that allows a degree of pre-booking for the MDR, and that is to encourage early diners as there is an MDR capacity issue on Arvia.  

Someone posted in the last week that they were able to book Epicurean, Sindhu and Beach House prior to their Britannia cruise. If correct that has literally just changed.   

As for shows, we could pre book 14 days out. However, the dates of some shows changed once we were on board (one show changed date twice!) and other shows were added during the cruise (singers).

Sorry, forgot to say….

On the cruise Personaliser, if under a restaurant or show it says “Coming Soon”, that means that bookings will open before the cruise (usually 14 days, but shows only opened 12 days before for our upcoming Iona cruise). When bookings open this changes to “Book Now”. If it says “Please enquire on board” that means that you will only be able to book on board and there is no option to book before you board. 

51 minutes ago, Selbourne said: Sorry, forgot to say….   On the cruise Personaliser, if under a restaurant or show it says “Coming Soon”, that means that bookings will open before the cruise (usually 14 days, but shows only opened 12 days before for our upcoming Iona cruise). When bookings open this changes to “Book Now”. If it says “Please enquire on board” that means that you will only be able to book on board and there is no option to book before you board. 

Just double checked my Britannia cruises, both still say "Coming Soon".  Interestingly on a non dining issue, the Retreat has gone to "Enquires on Board".

Just now, Megabear2 said: Just double checked my Britannia cruises, both still say "Coming Soon".  Interestingly on a non dining issue, the Retreat has gone to "Enquires on Board".

We can cross our fingers and toes!

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said: Just double checked my Britannia cruises, both still say "Coming Soon".  Interestingly on a non dining issue, the Retreat has gone to "Enquires on Board".

Our cruise on Britannia is in September and there is nothing with regard to booking the retreat.

28 minutes ago, purplesea said: Our cruise on Britannia is in September and there is nothing with regard to booking the retreat.

The trouble is from one ship to another there appears to be no consistency.  Sarah is on Ventura and booked before going, Arvia I was offered it constantly.  I'd just like to know what I can book in advance, if not asking for the world!

39 minutes ago, purplesea said: Our cruise on Britannia is in September and there is nothing with regard to booking the retreat.

I must confess that I never looked to see if it was bookable or not before our recent Britannia cruise, as it’s not something that we consider, but friends of ours like the Retreat and I have a feeling that they book it once onboard. 

Thanks for all your replies.

Can i just confirm the freedom dining and club dining arrangements if anyone knows the answer.

When we were on Azura in December last year we booked an early saver and they gave us club dining when we boarded the ship but for the later sitting whereby we prefer the earlier one. We asked the Maitre D if we could change to freedom dining and he arranged that straight away.

So is this how it might work on Brittania and if so and we opt for freedom dining is this on an app or do we just turn up and get given a bleeper if we have to wait because the restaurant is full.

Thanks again

1 minute ago, technoman said: Thanks for all your replies. Can i just confirm the freedom dining and club dining arrangements if anyone knows the answer. When we were on Azura in December last year we booked an early saver and they gave us club dining when we boarded the ship but for the later sitting whereby we prefer the earlier one. We asked the Maitre D if we could change to freedom dining and he arranged that straight away. So is this how it might work on Brittania and if so and we opt for freedom dining is this on an app or do we just turn up and get given a bleeper if we have to wait because the restaurant is full. Thanks again

Britannia has 3 main dining rooms. One is for Club (fixed dining) and two are for Freedom. If you book a Saver and are allocated a dining arrangement that doesn’t suit you can certainly enquire about changing as you did on Azura. Hopefully you will be successful, but first sitting fixed dining (6.30pm) is the most popular so could technically sell out first. However, there are bound to be others on Savers who have been allocated first sitting and want second, or freedom, so it’s hopefully possible.   

As for Freedom dining on Britannia, you are meant to use the My Holiday app (that isn’t an app) to join a virtual queue BUT they also allow walk-ups and issue pagers, so it’s a buggers muddle (to use a technical term). As you prefer to dine early, you shouldn’t have a problem using the app. Just be aware that it shows ‘Queue Full’ around 20 minutes before breakfast service ends, around 45 minutes after lunch service starts (on sea days) and at peak times during the evening dinner service. We stuck religiously to using the app on our recent 2 week Britannia cruise and, when it worked, it was great. However, the frequent ‘Queue Full’ situation became tiresome and it was irritating to find that those who just did a walk-up were getting seated quicker than those of us doing as P&O request and using the app! 🙄

Yes Selbourne , i found that on Azura too , that people who turned up in most cases just got seated straight away.

1 hour ago, technoman said: Thanks for all your replies. Can i just confirm the freedom dining and club dining arrangements if anyone knows the answer. When we were on Azura in December last year we booked an early saver and they gave us club dining when we boarded the ship but for the later sitting whereby we prefer the earlier one. We asked the Maitre D if we could change to freedom dining and he arranged that straight away. So is this how it might work on Brittania and if so and we opt for freedom dining is this on an app or do we just turn up and get given a bleeper if we have to wait because the restaurant is full. Thanks again

It will depend on how full your cruise is. In 2020 we struggled on a saver to get changed from 8.30 club, was refused freedom and on day 3 got 6.30 shared table of 6.  Our next 3 Britannia cruises we booked freedom and as we eat early was offered a table for 2 in the same section every night at 6.15 in the freedom dining room.

As you can read from this it varies by cruise. Certainly the Caribbean ones have been harder to be accommodated on as they sail pretty near to capacity.

27 minutes ago, Megabear2 said: It will depend on how full your cruise is. In 2020 we struggled on a saver to get changed from 8.30 club, was refused freedom and on day 3 got 6.30 shared table of 6.  Our next 3 Britannia cruises we booked freedom and as we eat early was offered a table for 2 in the same section every night at 6.15 in the freedom dining room.   As you can read from this it varies by cruise. Certainly the Caribbean ones have been harder to be accommodated on as they sail pretty near to capacity.

I thought that with saver, you just got what was left over and couldn't change? 

If it is made easy, then that's another thing that weakens the select offering... 

28 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said: I thought that with saver, you just got what was left over and couldn't change?  If it is made easy, then that's another thing that weakens the select offering...  Andy 

I haven’t booked a saver post covid but before covid always did. Back then if we were not given late sitting table for 2 we were always able to change to it on embarkation day apart from once. Even then they were able to change us by night 3 but by then we had got to know and like our table mates so decided to stay on early sitting (instead of late sitting) table for 8.

1 hour ago, Megabear2 said: It will depend on how full your cruise is. In 2020 we struggled on a saver to get changed from 8.30 club, was refused freedom and on day 3 got 6.30 shared table of 6.  Our next 3 Britannia cruises we booked freedom and as we eat early was offered a table for 2 in the same section every night at 6.15 in the freedom dining room.   As you can read from this it varies by cruise. Certainly the Caribbean ones have been harder to be accommodated on as they sail pretty near to capacity.

I admire your memory. I can't remember what time we ate yesterday.

57 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said: I thought that with saver, you just got what was left over and couldn't change?  If it is made easy, then that's another thing that weakens the select offering...  Andy 

You do technically get what’s left over with a Saver, whereas with Select your dining choice is usually guaranteed, but they will let anyone change if space allows. However, we have been on a few cruises where there have been signs outside the Freedom dining MDR on the first few nights stating that Freedom dining is full and they cannot accommodate requests to change.

Of course, now that P&O have managed to completely mess up Freedom dining, I suspect that these signs will soon start appearing outside the Club dining room 😂  

All your help has made me decide to bite the bullet and book it for December and because its an early saver the agent Cruise UK told me that P&O will contact me (not sure how) a few weeks before to ask our dining preference . This doesnt happen on late saver?. Maybe its in the planner nearer the time. I will keep ya posted.

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