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Ventura, 23-30th May 2008 Iberian Interlude |
| Reviewed By: Scott, Broadstone, Poole on 1st Jun 2008 |
| Cruise Line: P&O Cruises |
Times cruised before: 6-10 |
| Cruise Ship: Ventura |
Sailed:
May,
2008 |
| Destination: Iberia |
Age: 56-65 |
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Embarkation was efficient and quick. Cabin (inside,OD, or as I prefer to call it steerage) was spacious and well designed. The real bonus being the sound-proofing which was brilliant. Public rooms beautifully appointed and the art-work magnificent. We were not bombarded with art auction announcements for which much thanks. We chose Freedom Dining in the Cinnamon Restaurant, we mostly pre-booked a time and this worked well. The food was very good. The variety and quality of the food in the Beach House and Waterside self-service restaurants was very variable and often disappointing. The rolls in all areas and bread in general was horrible. Plenty of tables available however. Plenty of poolside loungers also.
The Production Shows, of which there were five in the week, were excellent and each performed three times.
The Exchange bar hosted almost all of the quizzes but as this was reserved for smokers I was unable to attend. Live and let live yes, but vary the venue. The Library, or Chapter One, as it is known is open plan with no seating - so no quiet place available, except one's cabin, to read. This is very disappointing in a ship built for a British market - the librarian told me this was in keeping with the modern trend!
We had no children travelling with us but was particularly interested in their facilities with a view to a future cruise with grandchildren and make the following observations:- All the children appeared to have a great time from tiny ones to late teens. Noddy was around a lot - breakfast, tea and parties and was a huge hit. However, be aware that Cirque Ventura is not free - £1.50 for children for five mins. and £5.00 for adults on the bungee trampoline and £5.00 for two hours circus skills training. Scalextric was free, but was not in a separate location but wheeled out into one of the lounges and was a much smaller affair than I had anticipated.
Films on TV were mostly pay per view, more recent releases costing £5.95. To eat in the White Room £25pp, East £20pp and Ramblas £5pp. We cannot comment on any of these as not sampled.
Would we travel on Ventura again? Maybe but we will look to the Independence of the Seas, which is receiving excellent reviews, to take the grandchildren.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Cinnamon Restaurant very good, see above for self-service. | | Entertainment |  |
| Production Shows as above. One comedian very poor, three others good. Two singers, one excellent the other reasonable. | | Shore Excursions | |
| Bilboa - The Guggenheim Museum a real treat as not normally open on the day we visited. French blockade ruined two ports of call. Tender landing in Guernsey, as usual with P&O very well organised. | | Staff |  |
| Cruise director devoid of personality a real shame as the shows were so good. Cabin could have been kept a little cleaner, however, all crew polite and helpful. | | Children's Facilities |  |
| Please see above | | Onboard Activities | |
| Would have liked more talks/lectures, but guess as a family ship the children, quite rightly, took precedence and there was loads for them to do. Gym very well equipped. | | Cabins | |
| Exceeded them. | | Overall Rating | |
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