Britannia Review

Fast forward 20 years and Britannia, arguably, does the same. The ship (at the time) was by far the biggest in P&O Cruises' fleet, carrying 3,647 passengers and weighing in at 141,000 tons -- 27,000 tons heavier and carrying 547 more passengers than the line's previous biggest ship, Azura. Britannia was also the biggest ship ever built specifically for the UK market, until sister Iona took that title in 2021.

Though ultimately owned by a U.S. company (Carnival Corp.), and built in Italy, the ship is registered in Southampton (due to European tonnage tax laws), and has a very British feel to it. For the first time a British design company, Richmond International, has overseen the whole of the design of the ship's interiors rather than parts. Richmond International has worked on a number of great British hotels -- including The Langham, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, Intercontinental Hotel London and Four Seasons Hampshire -- and it shows in Britannia. The ship has the feel of a luxurious boutique hotel, with expensive-looking textures of wood, leather and glass in every public space and lavish use of marble.

The ship is not showy (except perhaps in the atrium); it's all about understated luxury. The overriding colour scheme throughout is nautical blues and creams, soft greys and touches of gold and silver. Stand-out features include the stunning three-tier atrium complete with a star burst sculpture made from shards of aluminium and bathed in coloured light. The atrium is intended to be a destination -- rather than a place to pass through on your way somewhere else -- with Eric Lanlard's Market Cafe and Olly Smith's the Glass House both central features and the reception desk shifted to an adjacent corridor.

Britannia takes the most popular features of the rest of the fleet -- such as The Glass House, Sindhu restaurant and the Crow's Nest Bar -- and adds some brand new features such as the Cookery Club and a TV Studio. The aim is to incorporate P&O Cruises' 150-plus years of history, but use modern design touches and a non-traditional cruise ship look and feel to try and bring in new-to-cruise passengers. Celebrity chefs are an obvious draw, as are Britannia's Strictly Come Dancing link-up and intimate performances by stars in The Live Lounge. Families can take advantage of the biggest and best children's facilities of any P&O Cruises' ship.

Another big emphasis is on the food. Marco Pierre White creates the Gala menu on board across the whole fleet and he also hosts intimate dinners and masterclasses in Britannia’s Cookery Club on selected sailings, as do acclaimed Patissier Eric Lanlard and wine guru Olly Smith -- although Olly’s take place in the Glass House. Eric “Cake Boy” Lanlard has also recently given Britannia's sweet treats a makeover, with new menus in the Market Cafe as well as his Afternoon Tea in the Epicurean. Britannia is also big on art, with a huge collection of more than 6,000 pieces. You can see these pieces everywhere -- in the cabins, the corridors and the restaurants -- and all are originals from British artists, commissioned by the line.

Overall, the ship is elegant and refined and perfectly captures the spirit of modern Britain.