Sailing in P & O Britannia
A Breathtaking Itinerary
Eric Lanlard Afternoon Tea
Just over a year ago, I was asked to travel in P & O Britannia on her maiden voyage, which was an amazing experience; so when I was invited back on this beautiful ship, with an offer to travel on a two-week Gastronomic Mediterranean Cruise with P & O Britannia again, I was over the moon! This time I was joining Britannia at Southampton for the full two-week cruise experience, with a friend……and the itinerary I was sent prior to me embarking was breathtaking, with stops at Cadiz, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Civitavecchia near Rome, Naples, Cartagena and Vigo, the cruise was the perfect way to explore the Mediterranean with ease and in comfort.
There are too many wonderful meals and activities to share with you today in one post, so this is a preliminary “overview” post to tell you what my itinerary comprised, as well as share some photos with you and highlight future posts for you to bookmark. Along with Amanda, my lucky “plus one” guest and Binny from Binny’s Kitchen and her husband, we all enjoyed the best of food, wine, entertainment, special shore excursions and hospitality whilst on-board Britannia. Britannia is P & O Cruises flagship, and she is sleek and elegant with refined decor and over twenty bars and restaurants in which to wine and dine.
Winner of the Best New Ocean Ship in the 2015 Cruise International Awards, it’s not hard to see why Britannia stole the show in that particular award; her sleek and contemporary design also harks back to an earlier more elegant period when ocean liners ruled the seas, and there’s definitely an air of the “Art Deco” and “Art Nouveau” about the ship, with some stunning art installations and fabulous sculptures. The three decked “Atrium” with its spectacular starburst chandelier is the central focal point of the ship, and it’s here you will find a selection of bars, coffee shops, small bistro-style restaurants, shops and a comfortable seating area.
As well as the Atrium with its bars, cafes and shops, Britannia boasts three large “Club” and “Freedom” dining areas – The Peninsular, The Oriental and The Meridian, as well the Lido Bar & Grill, the Horizon Self-Service restaurant and SIX fabulous “Select” dining areas ( The Epicurean, Sindhu, The Glass House, The Limelight Club, Market Café, The Beach House) where a small to medium surcharge is added. For me, one of the best aspects about sailing in the Britannia, as well as its obvious luxury and port calls, is the chance to dine at the highest level and to choose what type of meals suit you best.
Eric Lanlard Cakes in The Market Cafe
As well as the dining, there is also another HUGE selling point if you travel in Britannia – the unique and innovative Cookery Club, an on-board cookery school no less, where as well as learning how to tart up your tapas, bake brilliant bread and host a spectacular dinner party, you can also enjoy hosted dinners with Britannia’s celebrity chefs; the Cookery Club is the brainchild of the charismatic Yorkshire-born chef and TV presenter James Martin. And, as well as James Martin, Eric Lanlard, Atul Kotchhar, Marco Pierre White and Olly Smith are also often on-board for demonstrations and private hosted dinner opportunities.
https://youtu.be/pBofCP2tL7c
I had the pleasure of James Martin cooking dinner for me this time, at a private hosted dinner in The Cookery Club, which is the second time I have dined with a celeb chef, as last year on Britannia’s maiden voyage I dined with (and next to!) the fabulously talented pâtisserie chef Eric Lanlard; you can read all about my dinner with Eric, as well as the wonderful cookery class I took with him here: A Master Class with Eric Lanlard: Art, Cooking and Dining on the High Seas. I’ll be telling you all about my James Martin hosted dinner, as well as a cookery class I took in a later post, so do keep popping back!
But a cruise is not just about food, well not always anyway! And on this two-week cruise in Britannia, as well as some relaxing and chilled-out “sea days”, we also stopped at some interesting ports, where there was an opportunity to explore the local cities, as well as take advantage of some fabulous excursions. My itinerary of the cruise is shared below, with my choice of shore excursions, so you can also bookmark this for future reading, as I will be covering all the ports and excursions below in a later post. The shore excursions are created by a team of destination experts who work closely with carefully selected, reliable local operators and are designed to suit all ages, interests and abilities, and there’s lots to choose from.
Sat 3 September: Southampton – Embark
Sun 4 September: Sea day
Mon 5 September: Sea day
Tue 6 September: Cadiz – Sherry Tasting and The Royal Spanish Horse Show
Wed 7 September: Sea day
Thu 8 September: Barcelona – Gaudi Park and Tour of Barcelona
Fri 9 September: Monte Carlo – Trip to the Artist’s Village of Saint Paul de Vence
Sat 10 September: Rome – Taste of Tuscania and Lunch at an “Agriturismo” farmhouse
Sun 11 September: Naples – Naples Pizza Festival Experience
Mon 12 September: Sea day
Tue 13 September: Cartagena – The Tapas Trail
Wed 14 September: Sea day
Thu 15 September: Vigo – Trip to Santiago de Compostele
Fri 16 September: Sea day
Sat 17 September: Southampton – Disembark
I also enjoyed a wine tasting class, an evening’s entertainment with dinner in The Limelight Club, a pamper session in the Oasis Spa, as well as several meals in the select dining restaurants. Please sit back now, and enjoy my gallery of images below, and please do keep calling back to see my next couple of posts, which will cover the destinations and shore excursions, the hosted dinner with James Martin, on-board activities and all my dining experiences on-board too. I hope you’ve enjoyed this introductory post about sailing in the Britannia, Karen
The Lido
Disclaimer: I was the guest of P and O Cruises who paid for me and my guest for a two-week cruise, several hosted and select dining dinners, accommodation and all my food whilst on board Britannia; all views are my own and are not representative of P and O Cruises, any of their employees or third-party agents. Karen S Burns-Booth
Naples and Mount Vesuvius
For more information about Britannia and other P & O Cruises, please visit their website here:
Prices for a Food Heroes Mediterranean Cruise:
Inside cabins: start from £1,149
Outside cabins: start from £1,249
Balcony cabins: start from £1,549
The Cookery Club
Gallery:
Gaudi Park in Barcelona
Sunset at Sea in Britannia
Wine Tasting in The Glass House
Room Service Breakfast
Champagne with a sea view
Small Plate in The Glass House
P & O Britannia in Cartagena
Eric Lanlard’s Afternoon Tea
Sunset wine in the Beach House
Dining in Sindhu
Lido Pool in the Morning
The Crystal Room
James Martin in The Cookery Club
The Crow’s Nest Bar
Kavey says
I really enjoyed following you live via your social media, so it’s lovely to read more about the trip. The itinerary does indeed sound like a winner and the onboard dining and shore excursions all looked fabulous!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thank you Kavey, it was a fabulous experience!
Liz Thomas says
And here was me thinking you were in Yorkshire!!!! How wrong!! It sounds absolutely wonderful and even got Graham. who always says he’s not keen on the idea of a cruise, going!
I thin James Martin is great. Lucky you!
Cheers!
Liz
xx
Karen Burns-Booth says
The hosted dinner with James Martin was the highlight of the cruise for me, not that it wasn’t all amazing Liz!
Indrani says
Looks like a grand trip . The experience related and the pictures tell it all.
I like how you compose the images, particularly that of the sunset wine glass! It is so dreamy!
Karen Burns-Booth says
It was a fabulous trip thanks Indrani and my evening glass of wine was very much looked forward too!
Tom says
I’m really not into cruises, but if you pair the words Gastronomic and Mediterranean, I’m sure you can’t lose. The opening photo of the high tea offerings would have gotten me on board.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Tom, I met a lot of people on board who said they weren’t sure about a cruise, but soon changed their minds once on board the Britannia!
Punita Malhotra says
Cruises always evoke such an image of lavishness and luxury, don’t they? I’m reminded of the movie Titanic seeing your pictures of the delicately presented food, the elegant crockery, the vast deck and the impeccable interiors. I’m sure you came back with great memories.
Karen Burns-Booth says
I did come back with some fabulous memories Punita, and I now want to go again!!
John Rodgers says
What a fantastic cruise. I have never been on a boat like this. From the U.S. all that was available was Mexico and Caribean which did not interest me but that is not the case here. Being able to do several months worth of travel to great cities is like a dream come true. I would really like to know your secret to getting these great invitations.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks John, Mediterranean cruises are a great way to see lots of different countries without having to pack and unpack your suitcase all the time! 🙂
Janine Good says
What an incredible cruise and experience! Jame Martin appears to have made some incredible meals! I particularly loved the afternoon tea! That is one of my favourite meals and enjoyed it so much while in the UK. The backdrop for these meals was also incredible, making this a true once in a lifetime experience.
Karen Burns-Booth says
The afternoon tea by Eric Lanlard was a truly decadent and tasty experience Janine, and one I’d be happy to repeat again, any time!!
Dom says
what a truly wonderful gastronomic journey Karen! We all watched you sail the med on Facebook and instagram but this is simply divine… all the food and comfort of the cruise… what a wonderful experience.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Dom – I am so glad you enjoyed my social media feed too! Karen
Subhadrika Sen says
i love fruits and those fresh apricots would do great for me. I would love the cake as well. i have a sweet tooth. Also, If i want to go a little on the fried side, those burgers looked delicious and tempting.
Karen Burns-Booth says
That was one of the aspects I loved with this cruise – lots of fabulous food and also fresh fruit and vegeteables too, as well as those sinfully good burgers! Karen
Rashmi and Chalukya says
It must be an amazing experience onboard a award winning Gastronomic Cruise isnt it? On-board cookery classes with an opportunity to host a party and to be part of a hosted dinners sounds remarkable. BTW Loved the starburst chandelier its gorgeous.
Karen Burns-Booth says
The on-board cookery club is a fabulous idea and I have enjoyed several cookery classes there now! Karen
Jenn says
A Gastronomic cruise would be a dream come true to me. I didn’t actually know that they existed. Even though you were invited, do you about how much that 2-week cruise is? I am the biggest food-lover and I’d love to enrol this trip!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Jenn! The cruises start at:
Inside cabins: start from £1,149
Outside cabins: start from £1,249
Balcony cabins: start from £1,549
For 2 weeks!
All food is included in those prices too!
Karen
Sabine says
My jaw just dropped and my stomach growls…wow that cruise looks absolutly amazing…I just can dream to be able to take a cruise like that at some point…You must have had a great time…looking forward to seeing the rest of your posts, especially that cooking class =D
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Sabine, My next posts will be live soon, including the cookery class one too!
Laveena Sengar says
Sunset, cruise, wine and fruits. You have it all here. Looks like a really fun and grand trip. I am totally amazed and wanna cruise soon. Love the pictures
Mimi says
Gaudiii! Omg bucketlist, I totally forgot it on my list! I have never done a cruise and this journey with all the food sounds like such a good idea!
Thuymi
Terumi says
The atrium of this ship looks absolutely spectacular. I am also really curious about the tea spread…..I am in love with scones. I always think I’ll be excited about the port days on a cruise, but it looks like there is a lot to do onboard as well.
verushka says
I have been following your trip on IG and loved your images. Cruise ships can be so much fun and the Cookery Club onboard would defo be my highlight. I would to travel through the Med on a cruise ship.
Vaisakhi Mishra says
OMG the pictures just say it all. I can just imagine what a grand trip this must have been. Not a cruise person at all but Mediterranean cuisine is something I love! 😀
EG III says
I’ve never been on an official cruise, but after reading this post..I think the itinerary you just described would be the perfect start it I had my choice!
Joanna says
I was never a fan of cruises but a two weeks gastronomical cruise is something completely different! I would love to be on board and taste all of those delicious dishes! And how great it is that in almost every harbour you have another gastronomical experience. Where do I sign in? 🙂
Mardi (eat. live. travel. write.) says
Really great to read all about the trip after seeing it on social media. I have a soft spot for P&O – we travelled from Adelaide to England in 1972 aboard the “Orcades” (took 6 weeks!) though it was nothing like this experience. It’s my dream to one day take a cruise like this. For now, I can live vicariously through you!
blair villanueva says
OMG I’m feeling jealous right now! I would be also over the moon if granted with free two-week gastronomy cruise tour 😀
Foods looks delicious and instagrammable! What’s your most favorite part of the trip?
Judson L Moore says
I’ve never done a cruise before because I don’t like the idea of only getting to experience a destination for a few hours before having to be back on a boat. Not to say there is not a lot to love about being on the boat! However, that is maybe a bit of an American-cruise perspective. Now that I am living in Europe, this might be a perfect way to maximize exposure to a variety of Mediterranean destinations, to which I can later go back and explore more in-depth. I like this plan!
Christina says
I hadn’t heard of a Gastronomic Cruise previously. What a brilliant idea. And the itinerary visits some amazing places. I like how there is a cooking school on board as well. What a great way to learn about the different dishes.
Glamorous Glutton says
It was an amazing trip, so much to see and do and so many fabulous meals. I loved it. GG
Ana says
I’m fond of cruising and this is one perk of living in Florida! Looks like you had a gala time on your cruise and food looks delicious. Most of the cruise which I’ve been, I never liked the food!
Veronica says
Dangerous! Too tangerous for the waist, hips and tummy lol!
This cruise is like a love-hate relationship. The love is for all those artistic dishes they serve and those things you could try at the markets (can I have some abricots, please?). And the hate is for the kilos that come along … How did you manage?
Liana says
What an amazing experience! You’re damn lucky! For me, gastronomic food is the milestone and when you’re mixing this with my favrorite Mediterranean roots, you go for it! I adore how you describe the cruise and the experience is so envying!
Maria Kelly says
I really enjoyed your photos on Instagram and this post has me pondering the idea of a cruise for the first time. I’m looking forward to seeing more. Thanks Karen!