Britannia, a large contemporary P&O Cruises ship.
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CruisePing verdict
Britannia is P&O’s strongest all-round compromise for passengers wary of Iona and Arvia’s scale. Cabin position and lift routes need unusually careful attention.
Britannia Cruise Ship at a Glance
| Cruise line | P&O Cruises |
|---|---|
| Ship class | Royal class, P&O variant |
| Entered service | 2015 |
| Gross tonnage | 143,700 GT |
| Length | 330 m |
| Guest capacity | 3,647 |
| Crew | 1,350 |
| Included dining | 5 |
| Alternative / speciality dining | 6 |
| Swimming pools | 4 |
| Hot tubs / whirlpools | 4 |
| Staterooms / cabins | 1,837 |
| Passenger decks | 13 |
| UK departures | Regular |
Best suited to
Couples, families and first-time P&O passengers wanting a balanced modern ship with substantial dining and entertainment.
Think carefully if
Passengers needing effortless lift access, small-ship intimacy or the newest P&O facilities.
The Britannia cruise ship occupies a useful middle position in the P&O Cruises fleet. It is a large contemporary ship with substantial dining, entertainment and family facilities, but it is smaller and more conventional than Iona and Arvia. For many passengers, that makes Britannia easier to understand and navigate without reducing the holiday to a traditional small-ship experience.
The ship is particularly well suited to couples, families and first-time cruisers who want a broad mainstream product without choosing the fleet’s two largest vessels. Its recurring weaknesses are well known: the lift arrangement can be frustrating, crowded sailings place pressure on public spaces, and some aspects of service or food can vary. Britannia is a good compromise, not a flawless one.