P and O Ventura

legolass · 30 Sep 17, 11:59 AM

Has anyone been on the P and O Ventura lately? I've got a really good price for a 12 night cruise for next summer but I've had a look at Cruise Critic and I'm a bit put off by some of the negative reviews.

It's a cruise round the Canaries and we have never cruised before if that makes any difference (we'd have nothing to compare it to). I've priced up cruising several times over the years but it always seems expensive and we've thought we'd rather spend that amount on a Florida holiday instead (I realise it's a total different type of holiday). But the price is so good we are thinking of just going for it. We are 2 adults, an 18 and a 15 year old.

Tracyjj0 · 30 Sep 17, 02:58 PM

It's 5yrs since I cruised on Ventura, but my husband and I absolutely loved it. We have done quite a few cruises since then and would say that P&O are very British - we did not see that as a negative. We enjoyed the slightly more formal aspects, such as the formal evenings, afternoon tea & possibly more sedate pace than some other cruise lines we've sailed with.

We sailed the Caribbean on Ventura, but earlier this year we did a Canary Islands cruise with Thomsons. Loved the Canaries, so I'd definitely recommend the destination.

In short, I'd say go for it!

legolass · 2 Oct 17, 11:02 AM

Thanks for your reply. Still unsure though as some of the reviews seem to suggest its gone a bit downhill recently. And we live pretty far from Southampton so the cost of getting there adds a fair bit onto the overall cost of the holiday.

And a �500 difference between the cheapest available cabin and a balcony cabin is adding to my dilemma. Decisions decisions ...

RT's · 2 Oct 17, 12:52 PM

We were on a 4 night cruise to Amsterdam/Brugge on Ventura in January.
Ship was lovely, no negatives for facilities, restaurants etc and staff all wonderful. I did feel that maybe there are a few too many people on board for the space as it was difficult to get a seat in some of the bars which is frustrating.
Cabin wise we did have a balcony and I'm glad we did as the cabins are quite dark and small, would have felt a bit claustrophobic without the large doors. We couldnt really sit out for long as it was cold but it would be lovely in a warmer climate

legolass · 8 Oct 17, 10:30 AM

Thanks - that does sound quite positive (sorry for my late reply). Looks like the extra cost for a balcony would be worth it. Still haven't made a decision though

It's still the hassle of getting to Southampton that's putting me off, we would prefer to fly and there are no direct fights from our nearest airport. At this rate, by the time we make a decision the bargain price will have gone ..

disney owl · 8 Oct 17, 03:41 PM

We sailed on Ventura last year, & had a lovely cruise, with no problems. didn't have any trouble getting a seat on an evening or a sun bed during the day.

We drive down from Yorkshire, you can take as much luggage as you want! We go down the day before & stay at an hotel. This year we stayed at the Southampton Doubletree Hilton, on their cruise package which included D,B&B, parking whilst we were away & taxi to & back to port. This worked out cheaper than parking the car at the port!