P&O Oriana Reviews

Our first cruise by P&O and we thought the service and facilities were excellent although the self service cafe - the Conservatory- did get rather crowded and noisy. However we like the fact that there were other quieter places for breakfast and other meals. Both embarkation and disembarkation were speedy and efficient. We would happily take another cruise on this ship.

Embarkation, diembarkion and car parking at Southampton smooth and efficient. Food very good. Lots of fresh fruit and varied vegetables and fish Cabin Quiet and clean but too much furniture for space. Film selection excellent Oriana orchestra excellent Stage shows variable Male dance team excellent. Staff cheerful and helpful but buffet waiters could have been better trained. They had a tendency to dump other people's dirty trays in front of you when clearing tables and then stack more dirty dishes in front of you. Hygiene seemed effective I did not meet anyone who had suffered D & V. Value for money was excellent. The itinery was very good but in Jewish Gibraltar on Saturday so many shops shut and in Lisbon on Monday when museums were closed. Corunna( attractive town), Cadiz(lovely compact town though Sunday visit meant flamenco bars were closed except for pre booked tours.) Jeep trip from LIsbon fun and good value. Information for shore going was ppor. Many people did not enjoy Casablanca though we took a red taxi to the Habous Medina and had a lovely day with no hassle. Overall experience very good.

My wife and I have just returned from a 30 day cruise on Oriana. This is the 5th time we have sailed on this vessel. The 9th time with P&O. I personally am fed up with the tipping system that P&O have adopted. Tipping is an Americanism where staff on very poor wages make up their income from the paying passenger. In this day and age this should be something of the past. Stewards and waiters know they will get their dues and in my estimation do not in many cases pull their weight. I like P&O even though it is an off shute of Carnival the much despised american owner.

Refurbished in late 2011 the public areas are all in good condition so ignore the reviews saying ship is "tired" on cruise critic. Cabin decor is a bit old fashioned for our taste and bathroom fittings gave a strange pink glow to the room. Fold out bed settee which we had for our daughter was ok but not great. Dedicated cinema is a good idea but screen smaller than it could be and the sound system was not that good on a couple of the films. The Oriana is now adult only but this translates as mainly older retired passengers. Laughter was met with glares from some fellow passengers. Resturant and cabin staff very good and attentive. Entertainment mainly cabaret style and targetted at the older market. Speciality resturants Marco Pierre White and Sorrento (evening conversion of Conservatory self service) both good. Al Fresco a more intimate alternative for daytime self service. Overall a good cruise but we will be looking for a "younger" ship next time.

My wife and I have done a number of short breaks with P&O. We had cause to complain on a cruise earlier in the year, which P&O dealt with to our satisfaction. We have just come back from a 4 night mini cruise on Oriana, and can't praise the crew enough. Superb and attentive service in the Peninsular restaurant, with good choice of food, catering very well for my wife's dietry requirements (gluten free). Nothing too much trouble! Cabin steward on hand whenever needed, but not in your face all the time. Bar staff on the ball and friendly. All in all, a perfect example of what cruising is all about. 100% P&O.

Went on the Oriana in july for 16 days to Malaga, Venice, Dubronvik, Split, Corfu, Cadiz. What a fantastic cruise, price was excellant value, the food was great the staff were friendly, great, the facilities were very good, the enternainment was very proffesional, the Captain was approachable and very funny witty, when interviewed, the lecturers,and lectures on board were very interested and informated, the cinema with upto date films, we attended twice, the cabins were good size we had inside, very spacious, tv, tea/coffee, good size wardrobe, cupboard space, very clean, cabin steward did an excellent job. I would recommend this cruise with P&O and would book with Iglu again - for their exceptional value for money, thank you.

My first cruise was on the Oriana and I will admit that I was sure that cruising was for me I thought it was just for old people. I couldn't have been more wrong it was a fantastic experience and the food selection was beyond belief. Full breakfast, followed by coffee and cakes mid-morning, followed by lunch, afternoon tea, five course dinner and supper if required. The first few days, I'm embarrassed to say, I eat constantly I felt that it was getting my money's worth. Needless to say, but by day 3 I could barely move and by day 5 I was back to my normal routine (well, nearly). The whole experience was worth every penny and I was delighted with my first cruise.

When we saw an Iglu advert on the Internet in May 2009 for a cruise to Ireland, Greenland, Iceland and Norway at half-price (£1800 down to £900) we booked immediately, and it proved to be a fascinating trip. We had a day each in Cobh and Dublin, then north across the Atlantic to Greenland where we had a day cruising along a fiord through ice-floes before a day ashore at Nuuk, the capital. In Iceland we had an excellent shore excursion from Rekyavik to visit the geysirs and waterfalls. The cruise then took us to Alesund, Nordfiord, Bergen and Stavanger in Norway, each with interesting sites and activities. As usual with P&O, the onboard services and staff were excellent, and our cabin (one of the cheaper inside ones) very comfortable. We chose to eat most evenings in the Conservatory where we enjoyed the 'themed menus' from around the world with great food and lovely views of the scenery as we sailed down fiords etc in the bright evening sunshine, and watching the sun dip on to the horizon before rising almost immediately in the land of the midnight sun! Excellent in every way.

We chose this cruise of the Mediterranean partly because we had very much enjoyed a previous trip on the Oriana, but mainly because it included a number of 'must-see' sites which we were keen to visit. These included Santiago-de-Compostela (from Vigo), Lisbon, Mt. Etna in Sicily, Corinth from Piraeus, Ephesus from Kusadasi in Turkey, and Rhodes. The shore excursions were excellent value, very well organised, and had informative local guides. This was our third cruise with P&O and once again the overall experience was very good, with excellent food, varied menus, efficient friendly service both in the restaurants and in our cabin. Also, unlike some cruise lines, the bar prices were reasonable and in many cases cheaper than in UK pubs and restaurants.  Although we had one of the cheaper inside cabins, it was quite roomy and well-appointed with plenty of storage space, and there are plenty of public areas both inside and out to sit and read etc.  We were not very impressed however with the onboard entertainment which had a hint of 'Butlins at sea' about it. In particular the Headliners' shows were much the same as on the previous cruises and seemed to be getting rather stale.  There was though an excellent programme of talks on Shakespeare, his plays, poetry and life.  By booking through Iglu we were able to get a fantastic price, with generous on-board spend, which in fact covered most of our shore excursions.  Overall a very pleasant holiday with good site-seeing and at £75 per person per day for everything, excellent value.

The Oriana is still as lovely as I remember her from a few years ago. Had a long 35 nights cruising to the Caribbean and New Orleans (two nights) plus Florida Keys and Fort Lauderdale. Such a friendly ship and good polite staff. I always enjoy a P&0 cruise. There is certainly adequate food and  it is very good too. I would recommend cruising with  P&0. I  am hoping to go again later this year.