Ventura

A great ship overall, very popular with families in the summer holidays due to its vast facilities, some of which include 3 swimming pools; one of which has a retractable roof & a circus skills school on the top deck.
There are some stunning public rooms & lounges on this ship, my favourite being the Metropolis lounge at the very top of the ship. All of the lounges have afternoon & evening entertainment to suit all ages.
Before or after your evening meal, you can catch one of the theatre productions put on by a fantastically dedicated production team, or even a comedy show, that include tribute acts or comedians with their own unique show.
The Havana bar at the back of the ship on Prom Deck is also a great place to have a drink and relax after dinner, with music & varying entertainment until late.


The dining experience is where Ventura particularly excels herself. A beautiful two-tier main dining room is the perfect venue to enjoy a typically P&O four to five course meal, depending on how hungry you are of course!
Some very well blended dishes all of an excellent quality, particular attention should be paid to the Lobster Thermidor when it arrives on the menu during your cruise. This is a must have!
The ship also has a large two-sided buffet restaurant with a great selection of buffet food available for breakfast, lunch, dinner & late night snacks. Both indoor & outdoor seating are provided here.
One of the main attractions on the ship is the White Room; this is the speciality restaurant on board, endorsed by the famous Michelin Star Chef, Marco Pierre White. There is a cover charge of £25pp, but I can assure you this is money well spent, the beef medallions was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten, certainly the best at sea.

One thing I did notice was the prices on board the ship for drinks, they are excellent as far as ship bar prices go, and no 15% gratuity is added without you knowing!

We stayed in an obstructed oceanview cabin, which was ideal for the duration of the cruise. The rooms have a bathroom, vanity area, twin/double beds & a good size wardrobe area. Even though the cabin was partially obstructed, there was still plenty of light coming into the room as the window itself is quite large.
We did have a look at a couple of the balcony cabins, which are higher up on the ship & have the extra space of the walk out balcony.
The cabins are tastefully decorated with a spacious feeling, they are very well sound proofed as well.

Overall I really liked the Ventura, for couples looking for the quieter time on this ship, I would advise them to go out of the summer holidays, perhaps June or late September, but for families looking for a great summer holiday for themselves & their children this ship is a great choice.