We liked Britannia.
In particular, unlike Arcadia , there were no smokers around the pool, and the smoking area was kept away from other guests – especially important as we were with children.
The ship had recently been refurbished so carpets etc looked fresh, and the ship was very clean.
The pools were good and I particularly liked the adults’ only pool which was a reasonable size and where there was no music playing.
The entertainment was varied and generally excellent, and the children’s club was outstanding.
This was divided into appropriate age groups and had three sessions a day, the evening one running until 11pm.
Our grandchildren, 5 and 7, loved it.
The buffet was excellent, but the food in restaurants was mediocre.
On the plus side, we were on freedom dining, but never had to wait for a table.
The port destinations were interesting and the ship berthed near the city centres, so we didn’t need to book any expensive excursions.
We also had a good amount of time in each place.
The only real negative is P and O’s very poor My Holiday internal WiFi system (once on the ship) which doesn’t have the one thing you need – the ability to message the other members in your party.
They need to sort this as the other cruise company we have used – Royal Caribbean – has got its system to incorporate a messaging service, so it’s not impossible!
