P&O Ventura Retreat - what’s included?

[Woolmull]

Hi,

 

We’ve booked the Retreat aboard Ventura as part of an August cruise and are just wondering if anyone can give us a first-hand account of what’s available inside. Currently on board Arvia and there’s a steady supply of drinks (alcoholic, soft, hot) and food so it’s made the drinks package unnecessary this trip. Just wondering if it’s the same on Ventura or if it’s scaled back? 
 

thanks

[Megabear2]

3 hours ago, Woolmull said:

Hi,

 

We’ve booked the Retreat aboard Ventura as part of an August cruise and are just wondering if anyone can give us a first-hand account of what’s available inside. Currently on board Arvia and there’s a steady supply of drinks (alcoholic, soft, hot) and food so it’s made the drinks package unnecessary this trip. Just wondering if it’s the same on Ventura or if it’s scaled back? 
 

thanks

Sorry to highjack your thread but I'm considering booking Arvia Retreat for my mid May cruise and see you are currently onboard enjoying it.  Is your experience good and how are you finding it in general?  I note you mention drinks and food, is this a fairly good selection? I'm a solo traveller on this occasion with just one day out of 14 booked for a shore excursion so intend spending a fair amount of time onboard.  I am assuming Retreat will be sold out for entire voyage and would be interested in how you find bed availability etc and also the times of operation.

 

Any information would be much appreciated. Thank you.

[Woolmull]

Hi Megabear,

 

It’s been well worth it for us from the perspective of this cruise. It’s the Easter holidays, the ship is full and there are many children aboard - nothing awful, but we’ve preferred the quiet of the Retreat. 
 

Food wise - there are a couple of breakfast options each day, replaced with four or five lunch options (different meat/veggie/vegan options) and a dessert around 12. At about 2:30 the scones appear and then that’s it. 
 

Drinks-wise, the fridge has Heineken, cans of wine (white and pink - the red isn’t in the fridge) as well as a range of soft drinks. 
 

There have been loads of beds available - even at its busiest, it’s always been at least a third empty. However, one of the attendants did say that it was very full on all the Caribbean sailings with people claiming beds early. On this cruise, there have been warnings posted about people reserving sun beds and then not using them - but this has been ship-wide so I’m guessing that it was a problem in one of the communal areas, not the Retreat.  

[SarahHben]

6 hours ago, Woolmull said:

Hi,

 

We’ve booked the Retreat aboard Ventura as part of an August cruise and are just wondering if anyone can give us a first-hand account of what’s available inside. Currently on board Arvia and there’s a steady supply of drinks (alcoholic, soft, hot) and food so it’s made the drinks package unnecessary this trip. Just wondering if it’s the same on Ventura or if it’s scaled back? 
 

thanks

We’ve also booked the Retreat for our August cruise on Ventura so I’m interested in seeing any replies.

[Scots Couple]

Also intested as we have the retreat booked for our October trip to the Canaries 

[Wonky]

I was on Azura in November and I assume Ventura will be the same. It will be very different by the sounds of it, certainly no alcohol, although the staff will go to the bar for you. Just water and a couple of juices. Boxed breakfast and lunches all cold options (meant to be !). Afternoon tea also available. I think if you pay for retreat on Ventura/Azura you are paying for the peaceful area. It was very quiet in the Canaries. Hopefully now there are drinks available on the big ships this might filter down?

[Woolmull]

Thanks Wonky - much appreciated. 

[mdartnell]

On 4/13/2023 at 1:24 PM, Woolmull said:

Hi,

 

We’ve booked the Retreat aboard Ventura as part of an August cruise and are just wondering if anyone can give us a first-hand account of what’s available inside. Currently on board Arvia and there’s a steady supply of drinks (alcoholic, soft, hot) and food so it’s made the drinks package unnecessary this trip. Just wondering if it’s the same on Ventura or if it’s scaled back? 
 

thanks

Hi

hope you had a good cruise on the Ventura in August. How was the retreat ? Did it include any alcohol , as was also thinking of booking for March next year .

thanks 

[Woolmull]

8 hours ago, mdartnell said:

Hi

hope you had a good cruise on the Ventura in August. How was the retreat ? Did it include any alcohol , as was also thinking of booking for March next year .

thanks 

It was great on Ventura in August - highly recommended. 
 

There wasn’t alcohol in the Retreat. Fruit juice and smoothies. Water. Different boxed meals.
 

However… the ship was at capacity and I’m a teacher so I wanted to be away from children during the day. It was definitely worth the £20 advance fee. The staff were amazing at going to the bar for you. Other passengers were told that it was sold out but there were always plenty of empty spaces. I think that there version of sold out is one lounger, one sofa seat and one dining table per passenger, so it never felt full.  

[nellydean]

Sounds lovely, how, and when, can one book the Retreat?

[Scots Couple]

10 hours ago, nellydean said:

Sounds lovely, how, and when, can one book the Retreat?

You can book it before you board we booked it for our October cruise months ago.

[Interestedcruisefan]

My concern with the Retreat is there's only so many loungers in the sun and those are the prime ones that get taken early 

 

Same as outside of the Retreat 

 

So even in there if you are unlucky you may not have a prime spot despite paying  extra in advance etc

 

We used it for an early  P and O cruise we did when we had kids with us and wanted some peace whilst they went to kids club etc

 

However now without kids we leave our cabins early and can find prime spots on the normal decks without having to pay

 

We also found that when we used the Retreat we preferred to go out to have buffet lunch rather than the limited food on offer in there

 

So the benefits weren't that great to us. Although I totally understand why others would always want to use the retreat

 

Definitely a calm place on the ship and nice atmosphere

 

But not every lounger as good as the next depending where the sun is shining

Edited September 27, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Megabear2]

3 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

My concern with the Retreat is there's only so many loungers in the sun and those are the prime ones that get taken early 

 

Same as outside of the Retreat 

 

So even in there if you are unlucky you may not have a prime spot despite paying  extra in advance etc

 

We used it for an early  P and O cruise we did when we had kids with us and wanted some peace whilst they went to kids club etc

 

However now without kids we leave our cabins early and can find prime spots on the normal decks without having to pay

 

We also found that when we used the Retreat we preferred to go out to have buffet lunch rather than the limited food on offer in there

 

So the benefits weren't that great to us. Although I totally understand why others would always want to use the retreat

 

Definitely a calm place on the ship and nice atmosphere

 

But not every lounger as good as the next depending where the sun is shining

Some of us want it because it's not in the sun.  If we want sun we have a balcony....

[Interestedcruisefan]

20 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Some of us want it because it's not in the sun.  If we want sun we have a balcony....

I thought not getting the sun all the time was also a problem of balcony cabins MB?

 

Would imagine only a very small percentage of balconies are positioned where they can get sun all day (when it's out)?

 

Ps I very much accept some people prefer shade and some need shade

 

But that's not my wife!!!

 

Lol

 

On the cruises it's almost always the sunbeds in the sun on the best side of the ship that go first from our experience

 

And my wife always wants one located where it will be the sun all day. Ie in the middle at the back of the ship where nothing can possibly shade her. She thinks ahead 

 

She's a sun worshipper. So good job we are early risers to get the right beds

Edited September 27, 2023 by Interestedcruisefan

[Megabear2]

47 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I thought not getting the sun all the time was also a problem of balcony cabins MB?

 

Would imagine only a very small percentage of balconies are positioned where they can get sun all day (when it's out)?

 

Ps I very much accept some people prefer shade and some need shade

 

But that's not my wife!!!

 

Lol

 

On the cruises it's almost always the sunbeds in the sun on the best side of the ship that go first from our experience

 

And my wife always wants one located where it will be the sun all day. Ie in the middle at the back of the ship where nothing can possibly shade her. She thinks ahead 

 

She's a sun worshipper. So good job we are early risers to get the right beds

As someone who has had cancer including removal of various thankfully benign skin growths I would not wish to sit in the sun all day, plus as I've aged I get skin irritation and hives.   However I can confirm our normal port side midforward cabins normally have sun on them from around 11.00am until sunset. We do of course sail at a period of shorter days than you.

 

In fact my only problem with Britannia is the lack of shade in public open space. One of the few things I liked better on Arvia was the fact the adult only pool at the front did offer a shaded area.

Edited September 27, 2023 by Megabear2

[terrierjohn]

48 minutes ago, Interestedcruisefan said:

I thought not getting the sun all the time was also a problem of balcony cabins MB?

 

Would imagine only a very small percentage of balconies are positioned where they can get sun all day (when it's out)?

 

Ps I very much accept some people prefer shade and some need shade

 

But that's not my wife!!!

 

Lol

 

On the cruises it's almost always the sunbeds in the sun on the best side of the ship that go first from our experience

 

And my wife always wants one located where it will be the sun all day. Ie in the middle at the back of the ship where nothing can possibly shade her. She thinks ahead 

 

She's a sun worshipper. So good job we are early risers to get the right beds

Unless your cruise ship is going round in circles, then balcony cabins will get an equal amount of sun every day.