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Fantastic Ventura |
| Reviewed By: Kenworthy, Ashton under Lyne on 3rd Oct 2008 |
| Cruise Line: P&O Cruises |
Times cruised before: 0 |
| Cruise Ship: Ventura |
Sailed:
September,
2008 |
| Destination: Mediterranean |
Age: 26-35 |
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On 14th September myself, my husband our 2 1/2 year old son, my mum and my husband's parents all set sail on Ventura from Southampton to the Med. We had an inside cabin whilst my parent-in-laws had a cabin with a balcony. The rooms are surprisingly spacious. My son slept in a bunk bed that pulled from the wall and had a bar running the length of it to make it safe. Planty of wardrobe space and you can store your cases under the bed. This was our first experience and we loved it. The Toy Box which was the kids club for 2 - 4 years olds was fantastic, loads to do, the staff were really friendly and warm with the children. You can leave the children in Toy Box of an evening also which I hadnt realised prior to the cruise and they can watch DVD's and fall asleep and stay in there until midnight so if you fancy a night to yourself thats a good option to have. The shows on the cruise were really good, especially the Andrew Lloyd Webber show.
We opted for Freedom dining which worked out great for us, we ate mostly in Cinnamon which was lovely 3 course meals every night. We tried East twice and thought the food there was delicious and the service impecable and we also tried the White Room which was a lovely treat although if pushed I think i preferred East. My son loved seeing Noddy about the boat and quite often got presents which I thought was a nice touch and I didnt expect.
We did quite a few trips which I found well organised but very long days especially having a toddler with us. I think if I had my time again I would opt to do my own excursions where I could rather than be hurded around in a group.
The weather was nice but not hot enough for my liking so next time I think I will try the Caribean but I would definitely recommend Ventura and P&O and cruising in general the standard of this P&O cruise I thought was very good, the staff could not do enough for you, there was loads to do onboard you needn't get bored. People will always find some fault but I thought the whole experience was 5 star.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| We ate mostly in the Waterside/Beach House in the day and Cinnamon of an evening. We tried East twice and loved it and also the White Room which is very nice. We loved it all, some days were better than others but generally I would give the whole dining experience 5 out of 5. | | Entertainment |  |
| We enjoyed the Andrew Lloyd Webber Show enormously and there was a pianist/comedian on two evenings and he was excellent. The Pirate show was a bit of a disappointment and there could have been more family disco type events but generally they catered for everyone and repeated shows three times a night. | | Shore Excursions | |
| We did quite a few excursions and found them to be very organised. We did Rome on our own and had a lovely day at our own pace and managed to see all the main highlights. Santa Margarita is very pretty and Monico was very glam. Florence/Pisa was a very long day and with a toddler hard work - not again. | | Staff | |
| The gentleman who cleaned our room was very friendly and did a great job, as were certain waiters, they would make an extra effort with our son which was always nice. | | Children's Facilities | |
| The children's facilities were excellent. Better than I expected, I was very impressed by the whole set-up. Very clean in the rooms, the staff were friendly and warm and the entertainment schedule left you dizzy but you could pick to do as much or little as you wanted but was always made to feel welcome. Our son loved seeing Noddy and Mr Biscuit. | | Onboard Activities | |
| I didnt partake in a lot of onboard activities but you received a newsletter every evening containing the days highlights for the following day and tehre was plenty to do should you want to take part. Personally we were glad of a rest and a chance to sunbathe and play in the pool. | | Cabins | |
| We had an inside cabin which was surprisingly spacious. I thought it would be more cramped. Having a bunk bed fold out from the wall is a great idea so its not out all the time. Lots of hanging space. Bathroom lovely and clean and showers very good. My parent-in-laws had a balcony room but said they didnt use it that much as it was windy (they were at the back of the boat), I didnt feel I was missing anything by having no window or balcony. | | Overall Rating | |
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