Let your troubles just float away...
STEVE HOWARTH gets his sea legs aboard the cruise ship Britannia for a week exploring the Mediterranean
NOW I must confess straight away that my wife and I were cruise virgins before we got the invite from those nice people at P&O to board their flagship for a week of fun and sun afloat.
We have friends who are regular cruisers and they enjoy a life on the ocean waves so much they are now well into double figures.
So it was good to get the chance to find out what life on board was like for ourselves and as the taxi pulled up alongside Britannia we had our first wow moment – the ship is vast, dwarfing all the other vessels and even the port buildings.
Only put into service two years ago the 143,000-tonne craft can accommodate 3,647 passengers and has a crew of 1,350… this is not a ship, it’s a floating town!
And just like a town there are shops, cinemas, theatres, swimming pools, bars, nightclubs, a spa and 10 restaurants as well as more than 1,800 cabins over seven decks, from one or two bed inside rooms to palatial suites.
We were lucky enough to have a delightfullyspacious cabin with a balcony, which meant sipping champagne in the Italian sunshine as we sailed away to start a week of adventures.
And what adventures – the first of which was navigating our way around this vast vessel which has everything on board you could possibly want to make your holiday extra special.
Having missed out on the Rome shore excursions (I had only taken my wife there a few weeks before as a birthday treat) we were ready to step ashore at our next port of call – beautiful Naples.
We had booked for a day trip to nearby Pompeii – one of the places I had long ago put on my ‘must see’ list – and it did not disappoint.
We were expecting just a few foundations and collapsed ruins but there are still complete buildings and dozens of impressive streets to wander around with a helpful guide explaining what happened after nearby Vesuvius blew its top and buried the whole place under metres of ash in just a few hours in 79 AD. Well worth seeing.
Back onboard we dressed for our first ‘Bond-style’ black-tie night in one of the many restaurants and the food was truly excellent.
Friendly staff and a good bottle of wine ensured we had a great time and, as we had opted for something called Freedom Dining, we were free to select where and when we ate, meaning we found ourselves chatting to all kinds of people, from music producers to retired servicemen, during the week.
Our second day was ‘at sea,’ so again there was the opportunity to further explore our gigantic floating palace and make use of the three large pools and two jacuzzis before enjoying midday entertainment in the lecture theatre with tales of Sir Donald Campbell and his water speed record-bidding boat Bluebird.
This was after we had enjoyed yet another delicious full-English helpyourself breakfast and – be warned – there is a price to be paid for such culinary delights as I have still to lose the half stone in weight I gained over the week.
Another super meal in yet another restaurant and we decided to take in a show, which would have done any West End theatre proud, and then hit the disco until late – there really is something going on 24-7 on these cruise ships.
If you are feeling lucky there is a casino – we were just bystanders I am afraid – and also two large cinemas where we watched some blockbuster films in comfortable modern surroundings (luckily not Titanic or the Poseidon Adventure!).
Our next port of call was Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, and again an excursion was in store – be warned the most popular are booked up very quickly.
This time we were taken on a tour of the island and its extensive but now redundant salt lakes – where flamingos are a big attraction.
Like all the other tours we went on during the week this proved excellent value, being either a full-morning or fullafternoon, with knowledgeable guides on hand to shepherd you around as we also toured the city’s hilltop castle, medieval walled quarter and museum.
Back on board as Britannia steamed the 741 nautical miles to our next destination, Cadiz in Spain, there were a long list of activities for yet another ‘sea day,’ but we enjoyed relaxing in the sunshine and watched others getting stuck in at the gym, spa and enjoying deck sports.
Another high point was ahead as our Cadiz excursion included a trip to a world-famous winery (with sampling) in Jerez, and then the spectacle that is the Spanish Riding School with its performing Andalusian-bred horses and their high-stepping equestrian ballet based on choreography taken from classical and cowboy horse training lessons with traditional Spanish music and riders in 18th century costumes – stirring stuff.
Another item on the don’t-miss list is the sail away parties on deck, organised by the ship’s entertainment staff, which take place as Britannia leaves each destination. It’s a hoot with flag waving passengers being egged on to do silly things – and you just can’t help joining in.
As we left Spanish waters it dawned that our next stop would be the end of our wonderful cruise in P&O’s home port of Southampton – but there were still two days on board to sample more great entertainment and good food – plus a few more bottles of wine.
But sadly it was all over too soon and we found ourselves stepping ashore back in Blighty and heading for nearby Southampton Airport, which is just a 40-minute hop away from Manchester.
So now we are true sea dogs, what’s the verdict? Well we loved it and would go back again tomorrow – cruising is a way of really getting away from it all where your troubles just seem to float away...