P&O

Britannia

Two parallel scores from 110 z-qualifying reviewers and 118 raw-average reviewers. Cohort: P&O · 8 ships.

41.1%

Z · Global

71.4%

Z · Cohort

P&O

43.8%

Raw · Global

57.1%

Raw · Cohort

P&O

Photos

Ship at a glance

Entered service

March 2015

Class

Britannia Class

Ship type

mega ship

Passengers

4,600

1,600 crew

Staff ratio

1 : 2.9

passengers per crew

Typical voyage

7-11 night Mediterranean, Caribbean, Transatlantic

For kids

good

Registry

Bermuda

Last inspection

2016-12-13

95/100 · Excellent

CDC VSP

Christened by

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge

Entertainment onboard

theater productions
casino
nightclub
multiple restaurants
spa and wellness center

Room categories

Interior
Oceanview
Balcony
Suite
Club Class

Family features

kids club
splash pools
family entertainment venues

Ship specifications are AI-curated from public sources and confirmed against P&O marketing copy. Rankquant's 41th percentile is computed independently across 110 z-qualifying Cruise Critic reviewers — see how percentiles are computed.

Life onboard

What it actually feels like to sail Britannia— entertainment, food, and the crowd you'll find onboard.

Entertainment

The Britannia's multiple entertainment venues keep the activity lineup rolling with nightly productions in the main theatre, comedy club acts, live bands scattered across the ship, and everything from trivia competitions to themed deck parties. The shows feel polished—not touring-production quality, but impressively staged for a floating venue, with rotating production changes keeping repeat cruisers engaged. The sheer variety means you can be as social or as selective as you want, though the constant activity can feel relentless if you prefer quiet evenings.

Food & dining

The two-deck main dining room offers waiter service with changing menus and reliable comfort-food execution, though the high capacity means it's built for volume and bustle rather than quiet candlelit ambiance. Beyond the formal room sits a solid buffet, casual grab-and-go spots, and paid specialty venues (Italian and Asian fusion standouts) where the cooking noticeably improves if you book ahead. The food itself is solid mid-range cruise standard—generous portions, familiar flavours, nothing adventurous but rarely disappointing.

Atmosphere

This is a family-and-friends ship with distinct zones: families with young kids cluster on their own deck levels, adults-only and quiet zones in different sections, so you get the mix without forced mingling. The vibe is contemporary British seaside-resort-at-sea—well-appointed and cleanly designed without trying to compete with ultra-luxury lines, and the culture is social and activity-centric. Expect British accents everywhere, a calendar packed with group events, and the sense of a floating community rather than either a party boat or an exclusive enclave.

The ship & service

A closer look at P&O as a line, Britannia as a ship, and the service and deck quality to expect onboard.

The line: P&O Cruises is a mainstream British line aimed at UK holidaymakers who want a familiar, value-oriented experience with pound-sterling pricing, British crew touches, and itineraries skewed to Europe, the Caribbean, and round-Britain sailings. It sits in the mass-market tier alongside Royal Caribbean and Princess rather than the premium or luxury brackets, and is best for families, couples, and groups who prefer a sociable British atmosphere over an international or upscale one.
The ship: Britannia is the namesake of P&O's Britannia Class, launched in 2015 and now around a decade old, sitting firmly in the mega-ship bracket at roughly 4,600 guests. She feels large and full-featured without being among the industry's biggest, with a multi-deck atrium as the social spine and zoned family and adult-only areas that help the scale feel manageable.
Service: Service is mainstream-cruise standard rather than personalised luxury, with a crew-to-guest ratio near 2.9 guests per crew member that is typical for this tier and reflects a high-volume operation. Expect friendly, efficient interactions in dining rooms, bars, and at guest services, but not the name-recognition or anticipatory touches of premium or luxury lines.
Decks & spaces: Public spaces follow contemporary British resort styling with a tiered central atrium, multiple pool decks, and wraparound outer promenades suited to sea-day lounging and walking laps. Finishes are mid-range modern - patterned carpets, glass balustrades, and durable upholstery built for heavy footfall - and upkeep should be solid given a mid-cycle refurbishment expected for a 2015-built ship of this class.

Book this ship

Compare sailings on CruiseCritic · Booking.com · CruiseDirect. Rankquant doesn't set prices — these links open the third-party booking results for Britannia.

Two scores · one item

Z-normalized · global

41.1

Z-normalized · cohortP&O

71.4

Raw average · global

43.8

Raw average · cohortP&O

57.1

Z-normalized corrects for reviewer bias (every reviewer re-centered onto their personal scale). Raw average uses simple mean across the broader pool including stddev=0 reviewers.

Where this ship sits