P&O Britannia Cruise to France, Netherlands and Belgium
We were slightly nervous on the run-up to the cruise as Britannia was in for a multi-million-pound refit that was due to be finished the day before we embarked! Would it be finished in time? Would there still be ongoing work? Would the cruise be cancelled last minute? These were all questions that were being asked. Luckily, apart from the Casino being out of action and part of the spa - everything else was up and running! I’ll admit there was a slight smell of varnish as we got onboard but that was short-lived.
Having only previously sailed on ‘mega ships’ we were unsure what we’d make of a slightly smaller and more traditional ship but we needn’t have worried. We loved it and I think Britannia has stolen a little piece of our hearts.
The atrium is absolutely stunning. Particularly the beautiful Star Burst Sculpture that is a real focal point. The atrium consists of decks 5, 6 and 7 with a host of bars and restaurants to choose from. Our favourite was the Blue Bar where we chose to sit most evenings with a gin to people watch and take in the atmosphere. The staff are very attentive and friendly and soon remember your favourite tipple.
Ours was a 5-night cruise from Southampton visiting France, Netherlands and Belgium. As usual, embarkation at Southampton was easy and stress-free. We were soon on board and exploring all the ship had to offer (after a quick trip to our Muster Station).
In total, Britannia has 27 bars and restaurants, 8 entertainment venues, and 4 pools plus lots of other venues such as kids clubs, art gallery, sports area etc. Although it is smaller than the ships we’ve sailed on previously, it’s still a large ship with 1837 cabins and a capacity of 3647 guests. Everything felt within easy walking distance though and it wasn’t difficult to navigate our way around (I’m usually the one that gets lost!).
During our cruise we ate at several of the venues: Buffet Restaurant, Lido Grill, Peninsular and Meridien main dining rooms, The Glass House, The Epicurean, The Limelight Club, and The Market Cafe plus room service too! We didn’t get around to trying Sindhu or The Beach House but there’s always another cruise! The food was excellent and even the fussiest of eaters were catered for!
Our first stop was Cherbourg. It’s an easy (and flat) walk into town but is a little underwhelming with many of the shops/restaurants being closed on a Monday! It was nice to stretch our legs though we wouldn’t rush back. However, there are excursions to the beautiful Mont Saint Michel if you fancy venturing further afield. The next day was a Sea Day so there was an increase in entertainment options during the day - something for everyone. On Wednesday we awoke in Rotterdam. Again, it was an easy walk into the city (about 30 minutes) but the very cold wind, rain showers, and even some hail made our walk very interesting!! My photos of Rotterdam range from sunny blue skies to dark, angry clouds! Our main aim was to visit the brightly coloured Cube Houses and also the infamous Markthal - luckily for us, they are pretty much opposite one another. Although Rotterdam is flat, there are a number of steps to get to the Cube Houses fully, so not suitable for those with walking difficulties. The Markthal is essentially a massive food court with stall after stall of various delicacies from around the world. It’s bright, vibrant and the smells are amazing - a real assault on the senses. We tried Churros, Waffles and Cheese during our trip but we’d happily go back and sample the other stalls too. As the weather was worsening, we made our way back to the ship but we’d love to visit Rotterdam again. Our last stop on our cruise was the port of Zeebrugge which is the gateway to the beautiful city of Bruges. Unfortunately, the weather was pretty awful so we chose to stay on the ship instead. We intend to visit again in the future and hope for better weather next time. The cruise went all too quickly and we were soon back in Southampton. Disembarkation was smooth and we were off the ship ultra early as two of us had forgotten to change our watches back to UK time so were an hour ahead of our intended plans!! Oh well!
To sum it up, Britannia is beautiful, the food is plentiful, the service is outstanding and we’ll definitely be back!
