Just off Britannia

[Ilovemygarden]

I was on this Britannia cruise too and whilst I can sympathise with the other poster being ill and agree there were cool spots here and there on the ship in the evenings, because the weather was so very good it wasn’t really a problem for me.   I would also agree that there were a few signs of wear and tear but nothing significant enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the trip.  I do agree the food in the MDR was sometimes as described but it was more or less what I expected and similar to my last two cruises on Azura.  I would also describe myself as “very picky” and I don’t have a large appetite.   There was a lot of lamb served but again not an issue for me. The meals in the Beach House, Glass House and Epicurian were all excellent and in my opinion not expensive, given the initial fare.   The Limelight Club did have a more limited menu than previously advertised but it was ok.  Drinks were, as usual, very good value and overall I enjoyed the cruise very much.    The weather was absolutely amazing with people sunbathing by the main pool on the very last day before Southampton.  

[FangedRose]

Sickness and diarrhoea is a symptom of Covid. I certainly had an upset stomach in the early days of my covid infection and the others who shared my taxi home also suffered similarly to a greater or lesser degree. i also thought the food bland and tasteless for several days before I tested. My cough I also blamed on the air conditioning.

 

Everything described can be attributed to the covid infection. I very much doubt the op would be the only ones affected if it was food poisoning.

[shot2bits]

Just out of interest, I have not said P&O we’re responsible for the food poisoning symptoms I suffered and maybe it was down to covid, which I am suffering from now. Maybe it was a dirty coffee cup in Cadiz! I guess food is subjective, I thought it was poor on board but if others enjoyed it I respect their view. 

[Eglesbrech]

42 minutes ago, Ilovemygarden said:

agree there were cool spots here and there on the ship in the evenings, because the weather was so very good it wasn’t really a problem for me

And you are from Glasgow so very used to the cold.

 

Glad you had an enjoyable cruise.

[Ilovemygarden]

3 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

And you are from Glasgow so very used to the cold.

 

Glad you had an enjoyable cruise.

Indeed - now wondering if my garden and surrounding roads have more water in them than the Britannia pool! 😰

[Ilovemygarden]

Forgot to mention the entertainment on board.  The Headliners shows I attended were excellent, as were the two shows by the Four Harps.  A Country and Western singer was also very good (I can’t remember her name) but the buskers - oh dear they were absolutely dire!  I cannot imagine how they were ever employed.  Kevin Simm in the Limelight Club was ok - I felt I was perhaps at least 10 years too old to fully appreciate him (not his fault)!    

[majortom10]

2 hours ago, S1971 said:

Agreed, but taking into account all the things experienced I'd certainly be inclined to but it down to a bad overall cruise.

 

Whether I'd not cruise again based on one bad experience is another thing, it certainly wouldn't put me off.

Yes perhaps so for one person that doesn't mean the whole cruise was a bad cruise. With over 3500 people on onboard I am sure there were many differing opinions on the food and sure would say it was a great cruise. The same can be said on any cruise with any cruise line because it is impossible to please everyone all the time.

[Pippa04]

I've been very critical of P and O in the past and was on the Britannia cruise in September just after her little Majorca mishap but I can't say I noticed anything more than the normal wear and tear that you'd expect on a ship that is used 24 hours a day 365 days a year.  She certainly wasn't in bad condition.  To my mind some people are still taking cruises that they paid for under the old expectations and they may feel that standards have dropped whereas this was one that I booked and paid for more recently and I was happy with what was offered.

 

It must be very difficult to please every palate in the dining room on the budget that they now have to work to so they obviously go for the least offensive (tasteless) option. Disappointing but probably understandable.

[FangedRose]

1 hour ago, shot2bits said:

Just out of interest, I have not said P&O we’re responsible for the food poisoning symptoms I suffered and maybe it was down to covid, which I am suffering from now. Maybe it was a dirty coffee cup in Cadiz! I guess food is subjective, I thought it was poor on board but if others enjoyed it I respect their view. 

That the food poisoning was contracted on board was certainly implied because you added to the list of criticisms of the cruise. 

[terrierjohn]

20 hours ago, shot2bits said:

Yes, forgot to mention four days of food poisoning that I am still getting over!

Do you know for certain this was food poisoning, or could it have been Norovirus  or something similar. If the former then presumably only other passengers eating the same food would have been affected, if the latter then many other passengers could have been affected.

[zap99]

1 hour ago, shot2bits said:

Just out of interest, I have not said P&O we’re responsible for the food poisoning symptoms I suffered and maybe it was down to covid, which I am suffering from now. Maybe it was a dirty coffee cup in Cadiz! I guess food is subjective, I thought it was poor on board but if others enjoyed it I respect their view. 

Your post #5 certainly implies it was P&O's fault.

[terrierjohn]

Dual post.

Edited October 8, 2023 by terrierjohn

[Megabear2]

19 hours ago, shot2bits said:

. I made the mistake of having a shrimp dish followed by clam chowder. This led to the four days of food poisoning. I could go on but fear the hard liners are going to roast me!

Sorry, if I read this wrong and you are not saying that the shrimp and clam chowder were served by P&O.  However anyone reading a comment such as this in a review of a bad cruise would seem to me to say you believed that those items of food caused you to be unwell.  I have every sympathy that you clearly have been very unwell, it must indeed spoiled any enjoyment of your cruise but there is a responsibility with serious issues like food poisoning to be certain of the facts of where it came from if it was indeed food poisoning.

 

[Cruise Anorak]

My husband and I were on this cruise, first with P&O , but have been on other lines.

We found the ship very clean, the food in our opinion was very varied and cooked and presented well. We were on club dining in the Oriental restaurant, My husband also had the shrimp and clam dishes but had no after affects, in fact he had a lot of seafood dishes while onboard.. 

My only issue was there was no stairs near some of the lifts, so you had to wait for the lift. When they did arrive they were mainly full. There were some very rude people that would push themselves into a crowded lift making it very uncomfortable and a breeding ground for Covid.

The weather and seas were a great addition  to a very enjoyable cruise.

[Cruise Anorak]

double post sorry

Edited October 8, 2023 by Cruise Anorak
double post sorry

[lincslady]

Is it possible that the food poisoning was a severe allergic reaction to probably clams rather than shrimps?  The OP will know if they have had these foods before if it was not,  but if either of them were new to them, it could be possible.  I have been pretty ill (mainly sickness) for a few days after having clams, years ago, and had a similar reaction to mussels and crab - but can happily eat shrimp, prawn and lobster.  Doctor said it was definitely an allergy, so haven't touched them since.

[zap99]

11 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Is it possible that the food poisoning was a severe allergic reaction to probably clams rather than shrimps?  The OP will know if they have had these foods before if it was not,  but if either of them were new to them, it could be possible.  I have been pretty ill (mainly sickness) for a few days after having clams, years ago, and had a similar reaction to mussels and crab - but can happily eat shrimp, prawn and lobster.  Doctor said it was definitely an allergy, so haven't touched them since.

I only eat muscles if I know the provinence. Remember the man in the white coat who punted trays of seafood around the pubs ?.

[Megabear2]

8 minutes ago, lincslady said:

Is it possible that the food poisoning was a severe allergic reaction to probably clams rather than shrimps?  The OP will know if they have had these foods before if it was not,  but if either of them were new to them, it could be possible.  I have been pretty ill (mainly sickness) for a few days after having clams, years ago, and had a similar reaction to mussels and crab - but can happily eat shrimp, prawn and lobster.  Doctor said it was definitely an allergy, so haven't touched them since.

A possibility, yes but as no doctor was consulted unfortunately the OP will most likely not know unless they eat these foods on another occasion.  Clearly he has been ill however it would appear because he has miserable about the cruise and overall experience he just assumed it was a nasty case of food poisoning rather than something like you suggest.  

 

Whatever the cause hopefully they are soon fully recovered.

[kalos]

20 hours ago, shot2bits said:

 I made the mistake of having a shrimp dish followed by clam chowder. This led to the four days of food poisoning. I could go on but fear the hard liners are going to roast me! That was the final cruise for us. 

 

2 hours ago, shot2bits said:

Just out of interest, I have not said P&O we’re responsible for the food poisoning symptoms I suffered and maybe it was down to covid, which I am suffering from now. Maybe it was a dirty coffee cup in Cadiz!

 

That's the problem ,you will never know if it was the shrimp dish or was it the coffee cup 

or the Covid  symptoms that you are suffering.

The last one knocked me sideways and I have only just began to feel normal.

I was blaming the air con ,then a woman who sneezed near me or a lift that filled with people

when I was in it. I will never know.

Hope your symptoms fade soon and you get back to normal.

[S1971]

1 hour ago, terrierjohn said:

Do you know for certain this was food poisoning, or could it have been Norovirus  or something similar. If the former then presumably only other passengers eating the same food would have been affected, if the latter then many other passengers could have been affected.

Not necessarily, sea food is one of those foods that it only take one bad egg that causes an individual to fall ill,  widespread contamination may not always be relevant.

 

But as has already been said as this wasn't reported or tested no one will ever know!!

[Winifred 22]

4 minutes ago, S1971 said:

Not necessarily, sea food is one of those foods that it only take one bad egg that causes an individual to fall ill,  widespread contamination may not always be relevant.

 

But as has already been said as this wasn't reported or tested no one will ever know!!

I would have thought the way the meals are prepared en masse it would be quite difficult not to cross contaminate across several portions/ servings if there were any issues. Let’s hope the OP poster recovers soon from whatever it was. . My only problem with the food on Britannia in May was there was too much choice. I enjoyed all of the dinners and lunches. I had to be careful in the end or I could have had a cooked breakfast a two course lunch then a 3 course dinner plus afternoon tea from the buffet. A 5 oz steak was enough for me with everything else. 

[zap99]

2 hours ago, S1971 said:

Not necessarily, sea food is one of those foods that it only take one bad egg that causes an individual to fall ill,  widespread contamination may not always be relevant.

 

But as has already been said as this wasn't reported or tested no one will ever know!!

Perhaps Carnival corps lawyers may have an opinion.

[S1971]

9 hours ago, zap99 said:

Perhaps Carnival corps lawyers may have an opinion.

Have an opinion on what Zap?

[zap99]

3 hours ago, S1971 said:

Have an opinion on what Zap?

Have an opinion on somebody accusing them of causing severe food poisoning.

[shot2bits]

Just out of interest, I have not said P&O we’re responsible for the food poisoning symptoms I suffered and maybe it was down to covid, which I am suffering from now. Maybe it was a dirty coffee cup in Cadiz! I guess food is subjective, I thought it was poor on board but if others enjoyed it I respect their view.