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Destination: Mini Cruise
Sailing date: Apr 11th, 00:00

Pros: Nice design, elegant interior, good cabins
Cons: Entertainment choices

P&O Cruises invited me to experience their new superliner Ventura in Southampton before her official ‘naming ceremony’. First impressions were very good, from the dockside she looked great – lots of glass from all those balcony cabins! Upon embarking we were greeted with a warm welcome from the staff and given directions to our cabin. We easily found our way and were pleasantly surprised. A nice size cabin with lots of storage, flat screen TV, Tea & coffee supplies, mini bar and a great size balcony, we did brave the cold and wet weather to make the most of that! Off exploring we went. The ship design is lovely and you could tell it’s where the emphasis of build has been centred – very simple yet stylish with some nice touches throughout. The atrium was gorgeous, the black granite pillars really set it off, and the ‘bubbles’ in the main lift brought a smile to our faces. There are plenty of bars to relax in, all with a different theme yet all with the same high standard of design. My favourite was the Tamarind Club, it felt quite opulent. Buffet lunch at the Waterside was nice enough, although we heard reports that the same food was served at the Beach House too, shame there wasn’t more choice. We then took a stroll round the ship, the kids facilities are outstanding, however we were very disappointed with the Scaletrix feature, I have seen much bigger/impressive sets in my friend’s lofts! The pools & gym were impressive, the spa looked top notch – and the prices weren’t excessive. Dinner in the Bay Tree was very good; the food was fantastic although the service very slow, I think they forgot about our table as we got our mains whilst everyone else was on coffee. If I do decide to book a Ventura cruise then I am definitely booking in for the East restaurant, it looked divine. Looking for entertainment, we went to the watch the comedians, they weren’t entertaining so we made our way to The Havana Club to enjoy the Legends show and we weren’t disappointed, it was a great night! After a good nights sleep in our comfy cabin we ate breakfast at the Waterside buffet, no queues for food which was good, the food was nice enough, would be better if there was more drinks machines though. We then had a quick look at the suites, they are quite small so I would say a balcony cabin is very good value. Overall I felt quite at home on the Ventura, it has a great feel to it and is perfect for the UK cruiser, especially those with kids. The ‘fabric’ of the ship is wonderful and I am sure P&O will quickly improve some of the weaker points (i.e. entertainment). Ventura will then offer all her guests a great time on board.

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