First time on P&O and we were worried because we’ve only previously sailed Carnival which is quite informal and because of some of the reviews I’d read, however, we had a lovely week in the Norwegian Fjords and I would definitely sail P&O again. Ship was nice and no complaints really. Unfortunately we were expecting bad weather most days so was a lovely surprise to have a hot and sunny sea day. Plenty of places to sit and relax and some lovely bars. A shame that P&O charge for things like the adult sitting area and ice cream when these are included on other lines. There were 13 of us travelling and plenty to do to keep amused for most of us. The food was very good. Drinks were similar prices to bar prices in the UK, cocktails and spirits seemed cheaper. We were glad not to have taken the drinks package as we wouldn’t have had our money’s worth at £40 per day. Some of us booked early saver so couldn’t pick our rooms, however, although I booked two rooms at the same time for us and my son and friends son, they finally allocated us B211 and B212. I thought they were together but no they were on opposite sides of the ship...... however it wasn’t a huge problem but would have been if he was younger. Internet was expensive to buy so we managed without it for the week. All in all a great week spent with friends and adult children who all enjoyed themselves. My son and my friends sons (aged 17-22 yrs) thought there was more for their age group to do on Carnival but I think this could have been weather related. The older kids (24-26 yrs) enjoyed themselves. The Norwegian fjords are definitely worth a visit, but for me they don’t beat the beauty of Alaska which we cruised to last year.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We were a party of 13 all due to board at different times. My embarkation time was scheduled for 2pm and we were on board by 12.30pm. Rooms were ready by 2pm.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
We ate in the buffet at breakfast and lunch and the dining room in the evenings. The food in the dining room was very good and always hot. The layout of the buffet was a bit odd which meant you couldn’t see what was available to eat so people were going up and down the line in a tight space. I loved the fact that there was someone at the entrance to ensure people used alcohol gel before being handed a tray. It was a shame that kids had to pay for ice cream when this is free on other cruise lines. My goddaughter has a severe peanut allergy and although her options were sometimes limited in the buffet due to concerns of contamination, the head waiter made sure her needs were met in the dining room. He brought her the menu for the following day every evening so she could pre order and have her menu prepared safely.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
There seemed to be lots of activities going on throughout the ship. We had 7 of our ‘kids’ with us aged 17-26, 3 of them young men aged 17-22. The sports court was too small for them and the weather was bad but they played a lot of table tennis and used the gym sometimes. There were 4 pools, one indoor and several jacuzzis which the kids used but not us adults.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The shows were very good. There were some good singers. The comedian was really awful, but I guess I don’t find humour in jokes about mental health, bullying and race.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Staff were great..... very helpful, no problems.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Ship was spotless, and although it’s an older ship, couldn’t fault anything.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We had an inside cabin which was fine, with comfy beds and nice bedding. But despite having 6 different lights the lighting was poor. I usually use a magnifying mirror for make up but even with a small hand held one it was a struggle in this lighting, so either better lighting or a bathroom magnifying mirror would help. Having a kettle to make a brew and a fridge was a nice touch. The shower was small but we were provided with lovely White Company toiletries. Nice separate dressing area.
Ship tip
This was our first time on P&O and after reading reviews and talking to other people we were really worried about the dress code, mainly for the younger lads travelling with us. There is a no trainer, dark jeans only and collars on shirt or polo rule..... this did not apply and we saw all sorts of attire being worn including trainers. I could’ve avoided many arguments with my 17 yr old son re dress code and who refused to wear a suit before we sailed and saved a fortune on shoes and clothes he won’t wear again. Many young men these days wear expensive designer clothes that may not always fit a cruise ‘dress code’ but are still expensive and smart looking so P&O need to lift their rules, especially if they aren’t going to enforce it once onboard. Although I wore a dress most nights, I also wore mid blue coloured smart cropped jeans with a kimono jacket one evening and no one blinked an eye because they weren’t dark. Who cares what people wear to dinner..... it certainly doesn’t ruin our dining experience.
We purchased tickets online before we left for the Fløibanen funicular, approx £12 each ..... and went early thank goodness as the queues were long to buy tickets once there, but we walked straight on as we had tickets. The queues were horrendous when we came down for both buying tickets and to get on the funicular. Nice views from the top and places to walk. Some of our party walked back down into town. Wandered around the old town shops and fish market before reboarding ship.
Again it rained. We were undecided about the train journey but could have got tickets at the station which is on the dock for the 3pm journey for £60 each, (however it didn’t return until 5pm and we were due to leave at 5.30pm so we didn’t risk it). Buy online before you go as I think you can get it for £40 and P&O charge £90 for their excursion. We went for a long walk and had a couple of beers at £10 each in a lovely restaurant on the dock. Beautiful scenery. Some people were kayaking and cycling in the area.
Again it rained ....... We got a bus trip just off the boat at £25 each to the waterfall and the Briksdall glacier ...... lovely scenery and photo opportunities along the way. It dropped us in Olden town (a few outlets and a cafe) where we had a coffee before having a walk back to the ship. My god daughter and her fiancé kayaked in the fjords around the area which they purchased once off the ship.
Drove to Southampton from Lancashire and stayed overnight in Mercure Dolphin with parking near the dock prior our trip which was approx £60 per double /twin room with a very nice breakfast. We could have left our car here but it was more expensive than booking parking directly on P&O website.
*Cruiseline.com is not a booking agent or travel agency,
and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Our partners
(travel agencies and cruise lines) provide prices, which we list for our
users' convenience. Cruiseline.com does not guarantee any specific rates or
prices. While prices are updated daily, please check with the booking site
for the exact amount. Cruiseline.com is not responsible for content on
external web sites.
Contact us
Submitting...
Need help from a personal vacation planner?
Loading...
Find the perfect cruise with weekly tips and cruise deals for as little as $30/night!
Sign up for weekly cruise deals
Join other subscribers and get the best
cruise deals of the week in your inbox every Thursday.
