Ship Reviews
A brief outline of the ships we have sailed on, and some of our impressions
SS Olympic
This was the first ship we sailed on and sadly now has gone to that great cruise ship scrapyard, probably in Turkey! Originally built at Glasgow Shipyards as the Empress of Britain, a liner in her own right.
This was a fly-cruise and my goodness I’m surprised it didn’t put us off altogether. However we had a fun time, met some interesting people and had chance to see how a Ships Captain should NOT conduct himself!
MV Oriana, P&O Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
260m
68,153
1822
April 1995
HM Queen Elizabeth II
Mayer Werft shipyard
From April 1995 to July 2019 before being sold to Astro Ocean, a Chinese cruise line, and being renamed MV Piano Land. As Oriana, she held the Golden Cockerel trophy in recognition of being the fastest ship in the P&O cruises fleet.
When she entered service, Oriana was one of the largest cruise ships in the world and delighted passengers throughout her time. We first sailed on her in 1998, celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary that year. She was very special in so many ways and one of the most impressive areas was her then state of the art theatre.
Her décor centred around the Art Deco era with many features representing this. Her library was quite extensive too, with a central table made by renowned furniture maker Viscount Lindley.
We sailed on Oriana several times and made lifelong friends in the process. A much missed lady from the fleet, our last sailing was her penultimate trip before being sold.
MV Aurora, P&O Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
270m
76,152
1852
April 2000
HRH Princess Anne
Meyer Werft Shipyard
After the sale of Oriana from the fleet, Aurora took the mantle of the Golden Cockerel. She was the first of the P&O ships to receive the updated design on her bow.
We have sailed on Aurora many times, both short and mid-length cruises and she is has a very friendly feel. She still has many of her original features which echo that of her sister Oriana, notably her tiered aft.
She continues to hold a warm place in our hearts and our YouTube channel reflects this.
Her internal features include a theatre that can seat 600 guests, favourite bars including the Crows Nest and Andersons. Decorate features include a 35ft sculpture by artist John Mills.
We continue to book cruises on this magnificent, adult only, ship and hope we shall do so for some time to come – making more friends along the way.
To see more information about Aurora, why not watch our ship tour. Just click on the link below.
MV Adonia, P&O Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
261m
77000
2100
1998
Dame Shirley Bassey
Fincantieri Shipyard
In 1998 she sailed as Sea Princess and then in 2003 was transferred to P&O Cruises and named Adonia. In 2005 she was transferred back to Princess Cruises and reverted to Sea Princess.
We sailed twice on Adonia, both times in 2004 and thoroughly enjoyed her. She was a little short on public room space and was much more suited to pottering around the Caribbean.
After a problem with missed ports on a world cruise she returned to Princess where she sailed as Sea Princess once more.
MV Arcadia, P&O Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
290m
84000
1952
June 2004
Dame Kelly Holmes
Fincantieri shipyard
Arcadia is a mid-sized ship. Originally built for families she is now adult-only with the sophistication of a boutique ship and the choices of a larger vessel.
Originally built for families, Arcadia is now adult-only. She has the sophistication of a boutique ship and the choices of a larger vessel.
We have had some marvellous times on this ship. She is comfortable and the theatre is absolutely beautiful.
Our main criticism is probably that there is no not a feature atrium. There is no doubt that there are some issues with her pipework, but that seems always to have been the case. In general though the criticism of her is frequently unfounded and she remains a popular ship to sail on.
MV Ventura, P&O Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
288.6m
116017
3192
June 2007
Dame Helen Mirren
Fincantieri Shipyard
Ventura first entered service in April 2008 which included her formal naming ceremony. A major refit took place in 2013. When she entered service she was one of the largest ships to be built for the British market.
We first sailed on Ventura in 2008 during her maiden season and then twice more over the next few years. We have not sailed on her since 2011 and re-visited her in November 2023.
Some of her specialist dining has changed over the years and now comes in line with other ships in the fleet. We have fond memories of one of the outside bars, Breakers and will be keen to see how she has changed over the years and following her refit.
She remains a popular family ship.
Ship tour to follow
MV Azura, P&O Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
290m
115055
3096 (3597 max)
April 2010
Darcey Bussell
Fincantieri Shipyard
MV Azura is a cruise ship operated by P&O Cruises and owned by Carnival plc and is the sister ship to Ventura.
We were lucky enough to sail on Azura’s Maiden Cruise out of Southampton. This was a 16-night cruise that took us as far as Venice and Dubrovnik. As far as Maiden Cruises go it was uneventful, however it coincided with the Ash Cloud over Iceland which meant some of the planned entertainment did not happen. With guest entertainers not being able to get to, or from, the ship, those on board went above and beyond to put on additional performances.
These days Azura undertakes fly-cruises, sailing out of Malta and the Canary Islands.
To see more information about Azura, why not watch our cruise sail in to Venice. Just click on the link below:
Grand Princess, Princess Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
290m
107517
2600
1998
Olivia de Havilland
Fincantieri Shipyard
Grand Princess is a Grand-class cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises. She cost approximately US$450 million and was the largest and most expensive passenger ship built at the time
Grand Princess was the first Princess Cruises ship we sailed on and we thoroughly enjoyed our time on her, the new experiences and innovations that she brought. A particular favourite was watching movies on the Sea Screen – accompanied by popcorn of course.
It was however quite some years until we travelled with Princess Cruises again.
MV Britannia, P&O Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
330m
143000
3467
May 2015
HM Queen Elizabeth II
Fincantieri Shipyard
Britannia was the flagship of the P&O fleet from 2020 to 2022, taking the honour from Oriana. She has since been superseeded by Iona
We first sailed on Britannia in 2019 and found her to be a comfortable ship. However, for us, we would find her quite crowded in peak season and with full capacity.
Easily identifiable by her twin funnels, she was often spotted in safe harbour on the south coast during the pandemic.
She was the first P&O ship to sail from Southampton post-pandemic and we were lucky enough to be on her. An emotional and enjoyable 4-day `sea-cation’ – we were very glad to be able to sail once more.
Regal Princess, Princess Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godparents
Built at
330m
141000
3560
May 2014
Original Love Boat Cast
Fincantieri Shipyard
Regal is the sister Ship to Royal Princess from Princess Cruises. Unusually she has several Godparents as she was christened by the original cast of The Love Boat: Gavin MacLeod, Fred Grandy, Ted Lange, Bernie Kopell, Lauren Tews and Jill Whelan
Our only experience of Regal Princess was on a short Staycation on the return to cruising following the p andemic. She therefore had limited numbers and was a very comfortable ship to sail on.
She has an impressive Sea Walk feature – not necessarily for the fainthearted, but actually very safe.
MV Iona, P&O Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
344m
184000
5206
August 2021
Dame Irene Hayes
Mayer Werft Shipyard
Iona was floated out in February 2020 and delivered in October of that year amid the pandemic which delayed her maiden voyage until August 2021. She was the first ship dedicated for the British Market to be powered by LNG.
Our first sailing on this beautiful ship was in September 2021 and then again in February 2022. Both were 7-day cruises and neither were at full capacity. She is quite stunning inside and unusually there is no set (or club) dining. There are some stunning specialist dining venues including The Olive Grove, Sindhu, Epicurean and more.
Entertainment is hugely varied from the Production shows in the theatre to ariel shows in the dome. This latter venue also hosts music acts, but the sound is terrible. The Limelight Club is a lovely venue and have been lucky enough to see La Voix and Toyah there on separate occasions.
A great family ship and frequently good value, although when you add in the cost of specialist dining, it can rank up the pounds at times.
To see more information about Iona, why not watch our ship tour. Just click on the link below.
Queen Mary 2, Cunard
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
345m
151400
2620
2003
HM Queen Elizabeth II
Chantiers de L’Atlantique
Shipyard
Queen Mary 2 is a British transatlantic ocean liner and the only liner of its kind left in service. She has served as the flagship of the Cunard Line since 2004.
Our first glimpse of this unique liner was on her first trip out following the pandemic. Passenger numbers were restricted and covid restrictions still in place. There is no doubt that she is different with her half decks making finding your way around a challenge. This is more than made up for in the beauty of the ship, the service and the wrap around teak deck.
Another unique feature is the kennels on the top deck that enables passengers on transatlantic sailings to take their dogs and/or cats with them. They come with their own Kennel Stewards to pamper the pooches, lounge and exercise areas and more.
We took another short trip on her a year later and enjoyed that but found that the then introduction of one freedom dining venue did not work terribly well and I am sure tainted the overall experience for us.
To see more information about Queen Mary 2, why not watch our ship tour. Just click on the link below.
Sky Princess, Princess Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmothers
Built at
330m
145000
3660
February 2019
Poppy Northcutt
Captain Kay Hire
Fincantieri Shipyard
Sky Princess is a Royal-class cruise ship currently operated by Princess Cruises. She is the second ship in the cruise line’s history to sail under this name.
Our first cruise on Sky Princess was shortly after the pandemic April 2022 on a trip to the Fjords which was pretty spectacular.
In the autumn of 2022 we took a 25-night cruise on her to the USA and Canada. Honestly you would not believe how different an experience that was. With quite a few days at sea before reaching our first port of call, people seemed to settle into a routine. We made new friends, who we stay in touch with today, which enhanced the whole experience. There was lots to do on board and a highlight was the choir, led by Sarah from the Entertainment Team.
I know Ken really enjoyed New York, although in the main I didn’t, but there were many highlights among the ports which we have tried to reflect in our videos. If you get the chance to do a similar trip, we highly recommend it.
To see more information about Sky Princess, why not watch our ship tour. Just click on the link below.
Enchanted Princess, Princess Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
330m
141000
3660
August 2019
Explorers Club
Fincantieri Shipyard
On delivery Enchanted Princess became the 100th passenger vessel constructed by Fincantieri. Three women from The Explorers Club godmothers christened the vessel: Captain Lynn Danaher, Dr Vicki Ferrini, and Jenifer Austin.
Our 4-day cruise on Enchanted saw us receive an upgrade to a club class mini-suite. This gave us a dedicated dining room and of course a super cabin and balcony. We felt very spoilt, particularly when we were the only passengers in our dining room for breakfast one morning. There were some extra dishes on the menu in the evenings too. Thoroughly enjoyed our time in this lovely cabin.
The cruise itself was fun and we met up with followers of our channel and vloggers including Paul and Carole (Paul and Carole Love to Travel) and Mark and Linzi (Suite Natured).
Mark and Linzi were sat with us when we encountered a rare happening on a cruise ship. The 4 of us were refused a drink. The staff were overworked and closed the bar early – not any other reason – honest!
To see more information about Enchanted Princess, why not watch our ship tour. Just click on the link below.
Virtuosa, MSC Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
331m
181541
4842 (6334 max)
November 2019
Sophia Loren
Chantiers de L’Atlantique
Shipyard
MSC Virtuosa was named to pay homage to the skill and expertise of the MSC Cruises architects and shipyard partners at Les Chantiers de l’Atlantique who designed and built this innovative class of ships. She is one of the two largest in MSC Cruises’ fleet, along with her sister ship MSC Grandiosa.
We have sailed twice on Virtuosa, two 3-day cruises back to back. Both were taster style cruises and the party ship certainly lived up to its tag. Quite possibly the most exhausting time we have had on a cruise ship!
That’s not to say we didn’t like it. This ship itself is quite stunning inside, the balcony cabin we had was very nice, although the wardrobes were a nightmare, entertainment was better than we anticipated, food in the MDR disappointing, but the buffet was quite possibly the best of its kind at sea.
Being short taster cruises, it attracted many groups – the group cruise that we were part of, family groups, hen and stag weekends. This made the whole ship busier than it would be on a longer cruise with queues for food, drinks, everything.
Would we go again, maybe given the right circumstances. But there is no doubt it is value for money.
To see more information about MSC Virtuosa, why not watch our ship tour. Just click on the link below.
Riviera, Oceania Cruises
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
239m
66,084 tons
1238
2012
Cat Cora
Fincantieri shipyard
Riviera blends sophistication with a contemporary flair to create a casually elegant ambiance. Designer touches are everywhere and include the Lalique Grand Staircase. She was refurbished in 2022 to a very high standard.
This was our first taste of small ship luxury – oh boy, what an experience. It is difficult to put into words the ambiance of the ship, the quality of service, the friendliness and efficience of the staff, the relaxed country casual theme.
The artwork throughout the ship is quite amazing and you can even do a self guided tour of the pieces on show.
Specialist restaurants are included in the fare and our favourite was probably Polo Grill, the steakhouse on board. Main Dining Room was a little disappointing. The Terrace Cafe and Grill was a great buffet style restaurant where you could eat steak and lobster cooked to your liking every day, twice a day if you wished. Barristers was the most amazing coffee bar with tasty treats that changed throughout the day.
Did we enjoy this ship – yes
Would we go back – definitely!
To see more information about Oceania Riviera, why not watch our ship tour. Just click on the link below.
Celebrity Silhouette
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
315m
122400
2886
May 2011
Michelle Morgan
Meyer Werft Shipyard
Celebrity Silhouette is a Solstice-class cruise ship operated by Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group. She was ordered with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft in May 2007 and was delivered in July 2011 as the fourth Solstice-class ship in the fleet.
This was our first trip with Celebrity Cruises in the early autumn of 2023. As this line is not the cheapest on the market, we wanted to see whether it suited us.
We had a really good time on her, met some great people and enjoyed our ports of call. The range of drinks in the bar were extremely good. Food in the main dining room was good – if somewhat repetitive (we understand that this has since changed) and the speciality dining is worthwhile. As always the crew worked tirelessly to keep us fed, watered and entertained.
The entertainment was quite interesting with a great aerial show in the main theatre one evening.
All in all we enjoyed ourselves and would consider going again if timings and costs were advantageous.
To see more information about Celebrity Silhouette, why not watch our ship tour. Just click on the link below:
Fred Olsen, Bolette
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
237.94m
62735
1338
4 January 2000
Janet Olczak-Lanterman
Fincantieri shipyard
MS Bolette, formerly named Amsterdam, is a cruise ship owned and operated by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, formerly named for the city of Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands. The ship is the fourth and last ship of the Rotterdam class (R class) and was originally built for the Holland America Line.
She is named after Bolette, the great great grandmother of Fred Olsen Junior – her portrait hangs in the Morning Light pub and lounge.
We took our very first Fred Olsen trip on Bolette in February 2024 and thoroughly enjoyed our short time on her.
The crew were absolutely amazing and more than happy to go the extra mile for their customers. A friendly ship all-round, we quickly found ourselves feeling very much at home and found much of what is now lacking on other ships has been retained (you know, those small touches). There are a number of intimate lounges and bars on board, all serviced by very efficient staff. It creates a very homely feel and it was easy to get a seat – unless you were trying to get into the Morning Light bar for the quizzes, which were extremely popular.
It was a shame that the weather was not good enough to make use of the outside areas – another time perhaps.
Food in the Main Dining Room for evening meals was very good, with excellent service, although this could not be said at breakfast time. The buffet is perhaps not as extensive as some other ships but a great experience as staff find seats for you and most of the food is served to your plate – afternoon tea gets very busy.
A word must be said about the specialist dining – only 2 options but they were very good and excellent value. Certainly worth considering.
Down sides for us:
1. Production shows – we saw 2 of the 3 available and thought that their production could have been much better to compliment the abilities of the performers.
2. Drinks package was quite complex, however much of what was not included, was available at half price. We thought it could have been simplified.
Would we travel with Fred again – yes, very probably
To see more information about Fred Olsen’s Bolette, why not watch our ship tour. Just click on the link below.
Queen Anne, Cunard
Length
Tonnage
Capacity
Launched
Godmother
Built at
323 m
113,000
3,000
April 2023
To be confirmed
Fincantieri shipyard
Queen Anne is the 249th ship to sail under the Cunard Flag and her Maiden Voyage took place in May 2024 with her naming ceremony taking place in June 2024.
She is very different to her predecessors but there has been a deliberate aim to flash back to her heritage throughout the ship. With 14 guest decks to explore and some 4,300 pieces of artwork and sculpture there is much to see on this beautiful ship.
Master of the ship is Captain Inger Klein Thorhauge. When she was named Captain of MS Queen Victoria in 2010, she became the first female Captain in the history of the cruise line. She has since become Captain of MS Queen Elizabeth, and in 2022 was named as the first Captain of MS Queen Anne.
We were lucky enough to sail on the Maiden Voyage of this beautiful vessel. Initially due to sail on Ken’s 60th birthday, it was delayed until May 2024. Fortunately we were still able to make the new dates.
Southampton must have rocked with the fireworks that hailed our departure and the response on the Ship’s Whistle from Captain Inger.
We have no doubt that the design and decor of Queen Anne will split opinions. But be in no doubt that this ship is beautiful inside and out.
There were teething problems, as always with a new ship, but given a bit of time and patience these will be ironed out and in a short time passengers will learn to love her.
The photo gives a small snapshot of the Queens Room which is at the heart of all of the Queens. It has been remodelled and is a pleasant space to be in.
This room is utilised throughout the day and evening with all sorts of activities taking place. From chair aerobics to ballroom dancing and beyond.
It is of course the ‘home’ of Cunard’s iconic afternoon tea and don’t worry if tables are full, there is an overspill into the neighbouring Britannia Club Restaurant.
Evening entertainment ranged from caberet to dance music, both live and pre-recorded. There is also a show that takes place with aerial artistes!
Too much to see in one short week on board, but a good excuse to go back.
The Pavillion is a great place to relax in good weather or bad.
Centrally located on Deck 9 it provides places to eat and drink and relax. It boasts a pool and 3 whirlpools. Although the photograph doesn’t show it there is a hoist to assist with access to the pool,
It has an impressive glass roof that can open or close depending on the weather.
During our cruise it was also used for the Captains Welcome Party and this is a feature that we feel will continue. It is a great space for that sort of event enabling passengers to enjoy hospitality and speaches in relative comfort.
There is also a screen and performance area in The Pavillion.
Definitely one of our favourite outside areas.
We consider ourselves very fortunate to have sailed on Queen Anne’s Maiden Voyage. Whilst there are still things to sort out, she will be an asset to the line. We are sure that she will become a favourite among many and perhaps an alternative to those who wish to be on a ship that is a little more contemporary.
There is so much to talk about and we have barely touched on its features. There are lovely outside areas both at the front and aft of the ship, an aft pool area too. The interior has been reimagined with new style cabins, an 835-seater state of the art theatre, an enlarged Golden Lion and so much more.
But we don’t want to spoil the surprises – although you can get some sneak peaks via our YouTube Channel KenGoesCruising