Finding your way around a ship
At 143,000 tons, P and O's Britannia will be the second largest ship I've travelled on. The first being Queen Mary 2. Over the years of travelling on and visiting ships, there is an art to finding your way around a ship. Also, it depends how much time you have.
On a ship visit: Start at the top. Most people on a ship visit will start at the bottom, i.e. restaurants, lounges, etc, and work their way up. If you start at the top, chances are you will get the whole deck to yourself. Then you can walk over the deck area and see the facilities. Then work your way down. It's much better to walk down a flight of stairs than go up. Check the deck plan. Is there anything on this floor you need to see? Ship layout today is fairly simple, it does (from the top): Outside space, floors of rooms, entertainment areas and restaurants, crew quarters. Most ships tend to follow this layout. While most people are huffing and puffing upstairs, you can be gliding down to the next level (or getting the lift down). Then at the bottom you can have a meal or coffee without being bothered by hoards of people!
One thing I always keep in mind though, it that a Ship Visit doesn't always tell the full story. You see only what the Cruise Line wants you to see in a brief time. They want to impress you so that you'll take a longer cruise, or publicise their line, so everything is at it's best. The ship is polished to within an inch of it's life, everyone is on their best behaviour.
On a Ship Visit, I always make a point of visiting some of the cabins that the crew are working on, and chatting to the crew. I found I could pick up some wonderful tips on navigating the ship, and find out other little things about the ship.
I prefer:
Travelling on board: Travelling on board gives you a very different perspective of a ship from a Ship Visit. You can see the nitty, gritty of how the ship operates and how the crew interact. Is it a happy ship? Is the ship well run? Does the crew understand its passengers? Where are the best places to go on board ship? Can you find a quiet spot somewhere? Is the layout good? In the past I've visited a ship on a Ship Visit to find that the experience of travelling on board is totally different.
Again, I start at the top and work my way down. I also wait for a day everyone is in port, then I take a wander about the ship. It's quiet! Sometimes you also get to see the crew working on their safety drills.
However:
I am a great believer that all ships have their own personality (like humans) and that it is the crew and layout that make a ship great. Start with a good layout (I recommend Princess Cruises Sun and Gem class. They are my favourite layouts.), then put a great crew on board, and you've got the makings of a great ship!
On a ship visit: Start at the top. Most people on a ship visit will start at the bottom, i.e. restaurants, lounges, etc, and work their way up. If you start at the top, chances are you will get the whole deck to yourself. Then you can walk over the deck area and see the facilities. Then work your way down. It's much better to walk down a flight of stairs than go up. Check the deck plan. Is there anything on this floor you need to see? Ship layout today is fairly simple, it does (from the top): Outside space, floors of rooms, entertainment areas and restaurants, crew quarters. Most ships tend to follow this layout. While most people are huffing and puffing upstairs, you can be gliding down to the next level (or getting the lift down). Then at the bottom you can have a meal or coffee without being bothered by hoards of people!
One thing I always keep in mind though, it that a Ship Visit doesn't always tell the full story. You see only what the Cruise Line wants you to see in a brief time. They want to impress you so that you'll take a longer cruise, or publicise their line, so everything is at it's best. The ship is polished to within an inch of it's life, everyone is on their best behaviour.
On a Ship Visit, I always make a point of visiting some of the cabins that the crew are working on, and chatting to the crew. I found I could pick up some wonderful tips on navigating the ship, and find out other little things about the ship.
I prefer:
Travelling on board: Travelling on board gives you a very different perspective of a ship from a Ship Visit. You can see the nitty, gritty of how the ship operates and how the crew interact. Is it a happy ship? Is the ship well run? Does the crew understand its passengers? Where are the best places to go on board ship? Can you find a quiet spot somewhere? Is the layout good? In the past I've visited a ship on a Ship Visit to find that the experience of travelling on board is totally different.
Again, I start at the top and work my way down. I also wait for a day everyone is in port, then I take a wander about the ship. It's quiet! Sometimes you also get to see the crew working on their safety drills.
However:
I am a great believer that all ships have their own personality (like humans) and that it is the crew and layout that make a ship great. Start with a good layout (I recommend Princess Cruises Sun and Gem class. They are my favourite layouts.), then put a great crew on board, and you've got the makings of a great ship!
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