Bon Voyage Britannia
To give an overview of the weekend, I flew with Flybe from Leeds to Southampton which, in my opinion is a much more hassle free way of travelling from the north of England! Just a short train ride from the airport to Southampton Central and then a taxi ride to the Holiday Inn meant we arrived in good time for cocktails! (with luggage I would suggest a taxi directly from the airport to your hotel or the Port roughly £20).
I had a lovely room overlooking the water with Britannia rising majestically from the Ocean Terminal. Dining recommendation if you are staying the night prior to your cruise is 'Ennio's' - a super Italian restaurant within walking distance of the hotel.
So, onto the boarding day and we were very excited as we approached the Terminal and astounded how super huge the ship actually is! £500 million to build she is the biggest ever cruise ship built for British cruise market. The 141,000 ton ship is 20% bigger than any existing ship. She can carry 3,600 passengers and is more than 1000 feet long..... WOW! Once on board, we were confronted with the amazing Atrium - a fantastic area and centre-piece of the whole ship. Dropping like an enormous glittering stalactite from the ceiling is the Starburst, which centres the 3-storey 1920’s inspired atrium. On the open plan decks around you will find the Market Café, the Glass House and tempting shops, as well as welcoming sofas perfect for resting your dancing feet or meeting up with friends for a drink. Try Brodie's Bar where you can sample 70 different bottled beers, ales and ciders from 56 UK counties - my favourite being 'Wold Gold' from our local Wold Top Bewery in Driffield.
We had a quick tour of the ship starting with the James Martin Cookery Club - (with a host of celebrity chefs including Marco Pierre White, Mary Berry, Eric Lanlard, Atul Kochar and the amazing Pierre Koffman who will all be on a number of Britannia’s sailings throughout the year running cookery master classes, book early!) to viewing the 3 main signature restaurants serving breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner daily. There's also plenty of other eateries to tempt you though from “Grab & Go” outlets and relaxed buffet dining around the clock to speciality restaurants, such as The Epicurian, Sindhu and The Limelight Club.
Children are catered for too with The Reef, age-specific clubs, a night nursery, a boatload of activities and enthusiastic Reef Rangers on hand, The Reef is the place to be for under 18s. Once the children are into their PS gaming, you can relax in the amazing Oasis Spa - think of the most opulent and luxurious spas you’ve ever seen – the ones with sumptuous dark wood and the aroma of scented oils – and you’re imagining Britannia’s Oasis Spa! If being indoors isn't your thing, try lazing on Britannia’s Lido Deck with four pools, all of which aim to recall the old-fashioned glamour of an afternoon spent relaxing on deck, plus lots of on board activities.
Evening entertainment is second to none, in fact too much choice! From the Headliners Theatre which hosts slick West End style productions, the Crystal Room which will host BBC's Strictly Come Dancing themed cruises (check the dates), The Limelight Club, an adult-only dining and late night dancing venue in sumptuous surroundings to the Live Lounge, a buzzing venue, playing host to singers, tribute acts and live bands.
And so to bed... with soothing colours, bespoke artworks from British artists and large flatscreen TVs for films on demand, all the outside cabins have small balconies and there are 27 single cabins, many of which will have balconies. Bathrooms have glass shower screens and pamper packs from The White Company.
If you would like any more information about this wonderful British ship, or would like me to check availability for a particular cruise - please don't hesitate to call.