Britannia was designed to offer more of everything to the traditional P&O holiday experience. She offers a surfeit of separate dining venues (no less than ten) as well as many bars, clubs and outdoor spaces. A very family friendly ship, Britannia offers a wide range of cabin configurations, from cosy insides to some quite extravagant suites. In ways, Britannia is a bit of a gamble for P&O; a ship designed to appeal to young families that might never have considered a cruise before while, at the same time, still being a vessel appealing enough in her own right to appeal to the 'old guard' stalwart P&O clinetele of old.
In terms of on board cuisine, Britannia completely covers all bases in terms of palate and pleasure, from deliciously informal to sumptuous and memorable.
Both the Meridian and Penninsular Restaurants allow passengers to indulge in Freedom Dining, available to all passengers booking the Select Fare. The concept is simple; you can arrive at either dining room between 1800 and 2130 each evening to request a table. Meals here typically run to five courses, with a six course Gala Dinner offered at least once on each cruise.
For the traditionalists, the large Oriental Restaurant offers similar fare, but this is served at one of two, pre selected sittings (1830 first, 2030 second) where you have the same, assigned table each evening.
More casual fare can be savoured at Horizon, where all main meals can be taken, with late snacks available until the early morning hours, Grab and Go offers bacon sandwiches and similar fare for those in a hurry, while the Lido Grill specialises in fish and chips, burgers, and fresh Pizza from the Pizzarea.
In terms of extra charge dining, Britannia serves up a few opportunities to dine with the line's signature chefs such as James Martin, Eric Lanlard and Marco Pierre White, but you'll need to check with your travel agent to find out the exact schedules.Eric Lanlard's Maket Cafe also allows you to graze on Mediterranean accented treats during the day.
More of an evening venue, Sindhu serves up chef Atul Kochhars's stunning fusion of British and Indian accented fare, The Glass House pairs food dishes to exquisite wines selected by Olly Smith, and serves by the individual glass, as well as the bottle.
Eric Lanlard's The Epicurian offers the best of English fare, with organic reared meat dishes and sumptuous seafood served with a few beguiling twists. This venue also offers a slightly off the wall afternoon tea, enhanced with some of Lanlard's more exotic creations,
The Limelight Club is new, and offers a kind of intimate, supper club experience that pairs fine dining with late night performances from stars such as Kiki Dee and Dean Friedman to create an intimate, very evocative kind of seagoing experience.
There is also a special, on board Cookery Club, where the chefs were mentored by James Martin, no less, They offer a series of educational options on board the Britannia, including a Best of British lesson, a Chocoholic's Delight, and even an all inclusive family learning class. At this latter option, passengers can bring along one or two children aged between 8 and 17. Each of these gets to cook for free,
