Regular Celebrity Cruiser tries P&O!

[P&O SUE]

You can certainly see your account on your Tv on Ventura and Azura - I have read on reviews this isn't on Britannia yet. Does seem odd but I think they will be added at some stage.

[groovechick]

IIRC this was discussed shortly after Britannia launched and another poster said it was because the software used on the old TVs is not compatible with Britannia's new flat-screen TVs. Certainly we found the system much easier to use than on Azura, and the range of free TV programmes and films much better.

[Tayscot]

Having been on 20 P & O cruises we have always found that extra pool towels are available to pick up at any time from the Spa/Sauna/Steam Room area. We, if we have wet the towels in the morning, simply put the used ones in the receptacle and pick up replacements. No problem !

[kruzgal]

I didn't visit the spa (other than a brief walk through on the first day) but on Britannia it is on deck 5, so not exactly handy for the main swimming pools on deck 16, even if there were any towels to collect from there.

[jeanlyon]

that's fine, but I don't use the Spa, Steam room or Sauna. I do think there should be spare dry towels at the pools.

[Tayscot]

that's fine, but I don't use the Spa, Steam room or Sauna. I do think there should be spare dry towels at the pools.

 

So do I but if they don't start supplying towels at poolside at least passengers know where to go to collect spare towels when required.

[tartanexile81]

Actually you can see your account on Fred Olsen ships, so it seems strange that a brand new ship like Britannia doesn't hav e it.

 

You can only view your account interactively on Balmoral and Braemar with Fred Olsen.

[tartanexile81]

Thanks tartanexile81 - you hit the nail on the head with regards to the entertainment. On Celebrity I don't recall there being so much live music, and what there was tended to be jazz/easy listening. PULSE, the band on Britannia, were a really talented 8 piece band who played a range of music/themed nights - pop classics, 80'nights, rock nights and they also performed on deck for New Year's Eve. They reminded me of the sort of band you might see on the bigger Royal Caribbean ships but they were better. It just felt younger and more fun than Celebrity, although maybe that was partly due to it being a Christmas cruise, I don't know.

 

I agree totally about P&O being more fun than Celebrity and just a livelier atmosphere. That's really important to us when we're choosing a cruise line. We've been on various lines and Princess and RCI are livelier and Fred Olsen, Cunard and Celebrity more sedate, IMO. There's always at least a couple of live bands on most P&O ships and they play in different locations - on deck and in lounges and bars and that really suits us. We go on our cruise to enjoy ourselves. Life's too short!

 

Thanks again for your excellent review.

Edited January 6, 2016 by tartanexile81

[merseyscouse]

really good review, regarding towels, on both ventura and azura there are always racks of fresh towels outside the spa, also all the stewards we have had would always give extra towels if asked.

ice & lemon only had to be asked for once and it was fresh every afternoon in our cabin.

 

ice cream would be nice!!!!;)

[kruzgal]

I guess there are always solutions to problems, but with regard to pool towels, free drinks by the pool, free drinks in the buffet and free ice cream, Celebrity does it better. :)

[bee-ess]

Regarding P&O towel policy - perhaps they do it to stop passengers reserving more than 1 bed each - just a thought.

[daiB]

I guess there are always solutions to problems, but with regard to pool towels, free drinks by the pool, free drinks in the buffet and free ice cream, Celebrity does it better. :)

 

 

So as your excellent post above indicates its swings and roundabouts. Companies excel in different areas. We do not sit round the pool and are not bothered about ice cream so those advantages mean little to us.

[kruzgal]

Very true... I guess we all have an idea of what our perfect cruise ship would be....and they would all be a bit different!

[ser55]

Thanks for your review kruzgal, we are also celebrity cruisers taking our first p&o cruise to the Norwegian fjords in May. We are fans of the undercover solarium pool on celebrity and as we're not expecting much outdoor sunbathing weather in Norway, could anyone confirm whether the Azura has anything similar ( either complementary or paid for).

[laurakdy]

We have been regular Celebrity cruisers since 2002 and although we have also tried Royal Caribbean we consider Celebrity to be our cruise line of choice. We have just returned from our first P&O cruise aboard Britannia for Christmas and New Year and I thought it might be helpful to share our thoughts and comparisons. I have posted this on both the Celebrity and P&O boards.

 

Why did we choose P&O on this occasion?

 

We decided 12 months ago to have a change and go away for Christmas for the first time. We have been on many cruises and enjoyed them all so started looking at options. P&O had not really appealed previously but their new ship, Britannia, caught our interest. There were several benefits over the Celebrity offering. Both cruises were in the Caribbean as we wanted some better weather and to see some blue skies! The P&O trip was 14 nights and covered Christmas and New Year’s Eve, compared to the Celebrity trip which was 12 nights and only covered Christmas. The P&O trip was £2,000 cheaper in total. P&O charter planes direct to Barbados and handle your luggage once checked in at the airport. This makes things very easy as we exited the plane and walked straight across the tarmac to buses ready to take us to the ship – no going through the airport, collecting bags etc. Similarly, on the return journey once you put your bags outside your cabin the night before departure you don’t see them again until collecting them from the airport carousel in the UK. We were able to stay on the ship all day on the last day and use the facilities, although we did have to vacate our cabin by 8 am. On the last day it took just 2hr 45mins from leaving the ship to being on the plane ready for take-off, including a 45 min journey from the ship to the airport. With a mobility impaired family member this made the whole process much easier. Finally, our youngest son, aged 19 would not have been able to drink alcohol on the Celebrity ship because of the ship operating under US laws and sailing in US waters, but with P&O he was able to drink as it operates under UK laws and does not sail in US waters (at least that is my understanding). He is not a heavy drinker, but given that this was a Christmas cruise (and being a student in the UK he is used to being allowed to drink) we would not have felt it fair to book a cruise where he couldn’t have the occasional beer. All of the above factors meant that, on this occasion, we decided to give P&O a try.

 

Our thoughts….

 

We enjoyed the trip and found there were many more similarities than differences. I am not going to write a detailed review of the trip but simply pick out the things that we liked and the things that we missed, when comparing this cruise to our many experiences on Celebrity.

 

The things that we liked…..

 

• The Britannia has a free launderette which, although I only used it a couple of times, was very handy. It was an excellent facility with 4 washing machines, 4 dryers and 4 ironing boards and irons and was open from 8 am to 10 pm. It happened to be close to our cabin (which I didn’t realise when booking) which made it even handier. There are no launderettes on Celebrity ships.

 

• Entertainment is subjective, but overall I would say the entertainment is better on P&O. In fairness, it is probably easier for P&O because they are not trying to cater to an international audience, as is the case on Celebrity, and can therefore tailor the entertainment to British tastes. There were several venues with live music every day/night (‘Pulse’ rock/pop 8 piece live band in the Live Lounge, ‘The James Murrum Band’ in the Crystal Room for more traditional dancing, The Anderson Sealy steel band by the pool etc.). In addition there were nightly performances in the theatre ranging from the usual production shows, a comedian, a ventriloquist, tribute bands and a violinist – something for everyone. On our more recent Celebrity experiences I would say the amount of live music has been paired back but this was not the case on Britannia.

 

• We hoped that by travelling on a British ship we would still experience something of a British Christmas and this proved to be the case. The whole team went out of their way to put on a range of festive activities – decorations put on every cabin door, a Christmas Eve deck party looking for sightings of Santa (with help from the officers on the bridge) was magical and great fun, midnight mass, a service of nine lessons and carols conducted by the Captain on Christmas morning, the nativity story performed by the children from the kids club, a passenger choir singing carols in the atrium, a Christmas Fete on the pool deck in the afternoon with a huge range of traditional games and prizes, Santa’s grotto with gifts for all the children, a gift for every cabin (P&O limited edition Monopoly), a Christmas themed production show etc. All that we had hoped for and more – you won’t feel as if you have missed Christmas on P&O.

 

• Room service - we used room service to deliver fresh orange juice every morning and found the service to be extremely prompt. On Celebrity we have found there can be a long wait, irrespective of how little you order.

 

• We found the Horizon buffet to be relatively civilised, particularly when compared to the Windjammer on Royal Caribbean which we found to be an awful experience. We never struggled to find a table at any time of day and generally the tables were cleared promptly.

 

• P&O are very relaxed about taking your own alcohol on board for use in your cabin. We bought bottles of gin and rum in the duty free shop in Barbados and took them on board with no problem. They also sell bottles of wine, spirits and mixers (for consumption in your cabin) on the room service menu at very reasonable prices. On Celebrity you are only allowed to take 2 bottles of wine and if you purchase alcohol along the way it will be confiscated and only returned to you on the last day.

 

• The gratuities are cheaper on P&O as are the drinks, although on Celebrity they offer an all-inclusive drinks package (often offered as a free incentive to book), free drinks at the evening drinks party for their Elite members (part of their loyalty scheme) and ‘free pour’ measures making their drinks much stronger.

 

• Freedom dining – our last couple of trips on Celebrity and Royal Caribbean have been with flexible dining, rather than fixed time dining. We found P&O had the best of all the flexible/freedom style dining experiences. If there is a queue they give you a pager, allowing you to remain in a bar until your table is ready, but this was rarely needed. Very efficient and no need to stand in a queue.

 

• Fun – this was a Christmas cruise and therefore the demographic was probably younger than the typical P&O cruise. We enjoyed the sail away parties (I know they are not for everyone) and the New Year’s Eve deck party. It was generally livelier than we have experienced on our Celebrity cruises – they certainly know how to party!

 

The things we missed…

 

• On P&O there are no towel stations by the pool. You are given one pool towel in your cabin and that is it. We really missed the Celebrity system where there are piles of fresh towels by the pool (no need to carry them around) available all day. If your towel gets wet you simply place it in the used bin and collect some more. On this trip, we would often visit the beach in the morning returning to the ship for a late lunch and pool swim. Our towels were wet and sandy so we put them in the used towel bin on the way back on the ship but there was nowhere to pick up any fresh towels. We ended up collecting towels from cabin attendant’s trolleys and hiding them under our bed to build up a store for future use. We spoke to others who did the same so we were not alone. Completely ridiculous and a definite negative for us.

 

• Soft drinks – on Celebrity there are free drinks stations by the pool and in the buffet with a choice of water, fruit punch, lemon drink, iced tea, coffee, tea etc. whereas on P&O there is a jug of iced water on the bar by the pool and that is it. In the Horizon buffet they don’t even have an ice machine so if the glasses have just come out of the dishwasher your only option is warm water, coffee or tea - or put your hand in your pocket and pay for a drink. We really missed this facility.

 

• Ice cream – on P&O the only ice cream available has to be paid for (apart from in the dining room) whereas on Celebrity there is a free ice cream counter in the buffet supplying a range of ice creams, sweets and toppings. On Royal Caribbean there are soft serve ice cream machines by the pool, again free of charge.

 

• It has been reported many times that the balconies on Britannia are very narrow and we found them to be disappointingly small. We had 3 cabins and opened up the dividers to create a large space, but the space was so narrow it was impossible for us to sit around on the balcony together. Disappointing but not unexpected since I was aware of the issue before booking.

 

• We found the food to be of good quality but a bit limited in choice when comparing to Celebrity, both in the dining room and the buffet. No signs of any smoked salmon at breakfast, no streaky bacon at breakfast, no olives in the buffet, no pasta on the evening dinner menu – typically there would be 3 meat with veg options, two fish options, plus one vegetarian option. The desserts were better on P&O and were ‘proper’ desserts rather than the air filled mousse type desserts often seen on Celebrity.

 

• We found there was a lack of visible security around the ship. We hadn’t realised this until one of the sail away parties during which a member of the crew was targeted and in our view treated very badly by some passengers. We felt very uneasy and could not believe there appeared to be no security around to help. At such a gathering on Celebrity or Royal Caribbean there would be visible security stationed around the pool with walkie talkies to call for back up if needed. This needs addressing urgently for the safety and security of the crew. The sail away parties are attended by large numbers of people, most of whom have been drinking to a greater or lesser extent, and it is easy for things to get ‘out of hand’. A visible security presence would help prevent this and is desperately needed at these events.

 

• TV – there is no facility to check your on board account or order room service via the TV on Britannia, as is the case on Celebrity, although I understand this is going to change (certainly with regard to the on board account anyway).

 

In conclusion…

 

Well done if you have made it to the end of this! I hope it has been of some use for anyone considering either cruise line. We would consider P&O cruises again but probably only on their newer, larger ships and only if the itinerary and price were favourable. Celebrity is probably still our line of choice but for Christmas we enjoyed the British feel provided by Britannia. If you are on a cruise in the Caribbean in the depths of winter, when the UK is covered in grey skies and rain, you can’t go wrong. Just wish we were still there!

An excellent review, Thankyou. We are just back from Azura and I will do a review when I'm less tired but we are really wanting to try Brittania.

 

A couple of things thought you mentioned. Azura most definitely had the streaky bacon. They had both back and streaky. Normally at home I would never have streaky but quite like it when I'm on me hols...ok. Maybe that's where it all went! As for checking your account though the TV. You certainly can do this on both Ventura and Azura, so very surprised you can't do it on Brittania.

As for the towels, I know the first time we went on Azura, it was the same as celebrity and you just picked up towels as and when you needed them. Thats not the case now and although you only get given one every night in your room. We always ended up with 4 between 2 of us as we used to keep them and our lovely cabin steward always gave us fresh one's nightly as well.

[cruisebore]

Until another cruise line operates Caribbean cruises with the seamless transport from local airport to the ship and return, it will be P&O our cruise line of choice.

Princess used to offer this at one time but now no longer.

In the past we have journeyed via Heathrow/Gatwick, an American hub, spent ages queuing at US immigration, lugging our cases around, 'thrown' off the ship at 9.00am for a 4.30 flights back home.

No longer will we accept this. P&O win hands down if the travel arrangements are a big consideration when booking the cruise.

[Patsy Flower]

I agree with everything you have said.

 

Getting to the Caribbean with P & O is so straight forward and generally so easy it really is a no brainer.

 

I must admit it would be nice to try another line in the Caribbean. However, the thought of those long days travelling (not forgetting US immigration and the overnight stay) being taken to the airport so early for a long journey home make choosing another line very difficult.

[kruzgal]

Thanks for your review kruzgal, we are also celebrity cruisers taking our first p&o cruise to the Norwegian fjords in May. We are fans of the undercover solarium pool on celebrity and as we're not expecting much outdoor sunbathing weather in Norway, could anyone confirm whether the Azura has anything similar ( either complementary or paid for).

 

We also like the undercover solarium on Celebrity. I have never been on Azura, this being our first P&O cruise, but from the quick bit of research I have done it seems as if Azura doesn't have a covered pool. Perhaps a regular can confirm?

 

There was no covered pool on Britannia but of course that was not a real problem in the Caribbean. There was a quieter adult pool towards the front but there was almost no shade there at all, which made it a difficult area for us to use. There were two cabanas up there but they had open areas to the top and sides and did not provide cover from the sun.

 

I agree with everything you have said.

 

Getting to the Caribbean with P & O is so straight forward and generally so easy it really is a no brainer.

 

I must admit it would be nice to try another line in the Caribbean. However, the thought of those long days travelling (not forgetting US immigration and the overnight stay) being taken to the airport so early for a long journey home make choosing another line very difficult.

 

Having done the Caribbean both ways now I totally understand why you both feel this way and I would have to agree. It makes a huge difference to the overall experience and is much less tiring on the return journey. P&O win hands down for the ease of transfers and being allowed to stay on board on the last day.

 

On the day before we docked in Barbados they had 2 tables set up in the Atrium where you could go to check day cabin availability for the day of departure and book a cabin if needed. There was a bit of a queue and it soon became apparent we weren't moving because someone at the front was complaining. I am sure it must have been their first cruise as they couldn't believe they had to vacate their cabin by 8 am, they had never had to do this in any hotel in the world etc. I said to the person in front of me (also a first time cruiser) they didn't realise how lucky we were to be allowed to stay on board for the day, eat the food, use the facilities etc. and only have to depart the ship a couple of hours before the flight. If we were on most ships we would have been kicked off by 9.30 am and left to spend the day at the airport!

[tartanexile81]

For those of us who don't fly but still like to get Winter sun, P&O is the only option. We tried Fred Olsen last year but it was definitely not for us as the ships are ancient and there just wasn't the lively atmosphere we enjoy with P&O. I'm more than happy to give other lines a go and they are all different. Some of them we've liked and others we haven't but overall P&O hits the spot for us.

 

kruzgal, you're right about Azura not having a covered pool but her sister Ventura does and we're going to the Caribbean this time next year on her.

[Patsy Flower]

Don't think there is a solarium on Azura, in fact I am sure there isn't.

 

We have sailed on Eclipse to the Canaries and on some of the sea days we went into the solarium and it is a great addition to the ship. We loved it.

 

We've enjoyed cruises on both Celebrity and Princess and would use them in Europe. But, here comes that but again, you really have to travel to the Caribbean with P & O to see how much easier it is than to go with another line through the U.S.

 

Our friends returned from the Regal Princess in November and had an awful journey home being deposited at the airport for the return flight home about 9am. They were flying at 9pm......

 

They are now considering Britannia in December but thinking of taking the cruise from St Lucia.

 

Does anyone know if the flight/ease of transfer will be as good as going into Barbados?

[davecttr]

Until another cruise line operates Caribbean cruises with the seamless transport from local airport to the ship and return, it will be P&O our cruise line of choice.

Princess used to offer this at one time but now no longer.

In the past we have journeyed via Heathrow/Gatwick, an American hub, spent ages queuing at US immigration, lugging our cases around, 'thrown' off the ship at 9.00am for a 4.30 flights back home.

No longer will we accept this. P&O win hands down if the travel arrangements are a big consideration when booking the cruise.

 

For next winter you could try Splendor of the Seas under its new name of Thomson Discovery. Thomson have been operating seamless transfers on their caribbean cruises for years ;)

[cruisebore]

For next winter you could try Splendor of the Seas under its new name of Thomson Discovery. Thomson have been operating seamless transfers on their caribbean cruises for years ;)[/quote

 

Does Thomson's Discovery have balcony cabins and ore the prices comparable with P&O?

[CRUISIN LINDA]

For next winter you could try Splendor of the Seas under its new name of Thomson Discovery. Thomson have been operating seamless transfers on their caribbean cruises for years ;)

I was just going to say that Dave ;)

 

Thomson also have the advantage of having their own airline.

 

Lots of balconies on Discovery. Not sure how prices compare. Pretty similar I think.

[daisymay1960]

As I have only been on 3 cruises I am very much a novice , but would hazard a guess some of the difference between the 'niceties' on Celebrity and P&O would be explained by the price difference ? We went to Alaska on Celebrity Millennium , absolutely loved the cruise and the ship, but thought they sting you on drinks.Last year we 'won' a cruise on Oceana in a charity auction, tbh wasn't expecting much because kept thinking of them as cross channel ferry company lol. We enjoyed to so much we have booked the 2nd leg this year.Yes there were noticeable differences , I didn't think the food was as good, and free extras were missing , but the difference in prices more then made up for it.

 

We know people who go on Med cruises with Regent and praise the service and the food , but they say it costs them £3500 each per week ....I would rather spend that on 2 holidays, so it's horses for courses

[sapphire4]

Fab review. Enjoyed reading it and did agree with the points raised regarding the Britannia.