Rule Britannia!

Jan Ledger on 30 April 2015
At the beginning of March 2015, I was delighted to have been able to join the inaugural launch celebrations of P&O’s brand new ship, Britannia, in Southampton.

MV Britannia is the largest cruise ship built for P&O exclusively for Britain and she is by far the largest ship in their fleet at 141,000 tons. Emblazoned on her bow is the longest Union Flag in the world at 94 metres. She can carry 3,647 passengers in a total of 1,837 cabins with 27 single cabins (inside and balcony) together with 64 suites and, for the first time on a P&O cruise ship, all outside cabins have balconies.

Britannia was designed to encompass the very latest in design, entertainment and dining whilst also be a celebration of the past. Her relaxing colour scheme of nautical blues, creams and greys with touches of gold and silver gives rise to the feel of a luxurious boutique hotel and is all about understated luxury. Apart, perhaps, from the atrium with its absolutely stunning starburst sculpture. Britannia is big on art and features more than 6,000 pieces, in the restaurants, the corridors and also the cabins, all originals by British artists.

Dining is a very important feature on board Britannia. There is a choice of 13 restaurants and cafes with menus designed by the likes of Marco Pierre White and Atul Kochhar together with 13 bars. Dining can be ‘freedom’ or ‘fixed’. P&O have also enlisted the help of TV Chef James Martin and have created the first cookery school onboard a British ship, the Cookery Club, with well known chefs such as Mary Berry and Antonio Carluccio leading the classes.

On board Britannia you will find four pools, including one for adults and one for the teenagers, a state of the art gym, together with classes and the stunning Oasis Spa and Retreat in addition to all the entertainment venues.

The Reef is the place to be for kids! Children from 2-17 are well catered for in The Reef with four age specific clubs to entertain them throughout the day and evening with the added benefit of the Night Nursery for those from 6 months to 4 years from 6pm to 2am.

During the summer season Britannia will sail to the Mediterranean, Norwegian fjords, the Baltic and the Canary and Atlantic Islands. In the winter she will sail in the Caribbean.

I hope the above has provided a brief introduction to Britannia, but please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in travelling on her or any other cruise ship in the future.