P&O UK Cruises - Ventura
Fast Facts
Vessel: Ventura
Cruise line: P&O Cruises
Star rating: Not yet rated by Berlitz
Tonnage: 115,000
Max passenger capacity: 3574
Total crew: 1226
Entered service: April 2008
Passenger decks: 15
Onboard currency: Sterling
Facilities: Gym with personal training; Oasis spa with [comfort zone] Italian products; three outdoor pools (one with retractable roof); spa pool; nine dining outlets; eight additional bars; nightclub; Fortunes casino; Chapter One library; four children's clubs and baby play area; internet cafe; sports deck; circus deck; family cabins; disabled cabins in various categories; hospital.
Ventura
The British cruising community has gone wild for Ventura, whose maiden voyage sold out in a matter of hours. Just what is so special about P&O's new vessel?
P&O Cruises is going to great lengths to stress how 'different' its new ship Ventura will be. Judging by the reaction of the British public, the message has got across. When the maiden voyage went on sale last April (for its launch on April 16 this year), it sold out in hours and the cruise line took 18,800 bookings, many from first-time cruisers, in one day - a record for any ship in the whole of the Carnival fleet.
So what will be unusual about this new 'superliner'? Ventura is the biggest ship ever purpose-built for the British market, although its hull is similar in appearance to Princess' Grand-class ships, with a flat stern and a vast number of balconies - 883 out of 1540 cabins - giving it a tall, slab-sided look.
P&O is going for the family market with this ship, as well as the younger cruiser looking for a relaxed, contemporary environment, and the average age booked so far is 49, some five years younger than the traditional P&O passenger.
Interiors are modern and bright, with extensive input on cutlery, glassware, ceramics and cabin amenities from British designer Nick Munro, well known in the UK for his curvy, minimalist crockery and household goods.
Art is a big theme. Several top British artists have been commissioned to provide a huge, colourful gallery of modern work and guest speakers from London's Tate Modern will accompany some of the cruises to talk about contemporary art. The Metropolis club, high up on Sky Deck (Deck 18), will house 'moving art' - an enormous, plasma video wall showing real-time footage of the world's great cityscapes including London, Paris, New York, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Sydney.
Ventura's dining, too, is answering the demands of the younger, less conventional cruiser. Out of nine places to eat, only one, Bay Tree, offers what has been branded 'Club' (conventional) dining. In the other two main restaurants, you can book a table and there are no fixed sittings. The nature of the remaining six restaurants reflects today's tastes, ranging from an Asian fusion outlet (East) to the Ramblas tapas bar.
What's interesting is the big-name chef, Marco Pierre White, with whom P&O has formed an alliance. The first, and the youngest British chef to win three Michelin stars, White has designed The White Room, which will serve Italian and Mediterranean cuisine; and The Beach House, a bright, cheerful family dining spot with red and white striped chairs and an airy feel.
The ship will also have a Frankie's Bar & Grill outlet, an ocean-going version of White's UK venture with well-known jockey Frankie Dettori. Finally, Ventura will offer 'balcony dining', whereby, for a supplement, a waiter will serve dishes such as a chilled seafood platter on your private cabin balcony.
Evening entertainment promises to be a far cry from the usual feathers and sequins. The maiden season will have three main shows in the theatre, featuring aerial ballet, martial arts, puppets, pyrotechnics and video effects and ranging from the family-orientated Chronicles of Ventura, a story of adventurers in Africa, to Explosion, a hip, contemporary dance show with a bungee wall and trampoline for effect. Children will love Plunder, a lavishly themed pirate show on deck with acrobatics, dance and fireworks.
Children, in fact, win out during the day, too, although some of the fun things are aimed at adults as well. Cirque Ventura, the first circus school at sea, has its own dedicated space on Deck 19 and includes lessons in tight wire, clowning, break-dancing, juggling and stilt walking. There will be four bungee trampolines and a flying trapeze. Ventura also has a giant Scalextric track, 3D movies in the main Arena theatre, and for teenagers, Rock School, in which younger guests can record and perform their own songs.
During its maiden season, Ventura will explore Europe, including the Mediterranean, the Baltic, the Canary Islands and west coast France and Spain, mostly on seven-, 12- and 14-night cruises and all from its Southampton base. In October, the ship crosses the Atlantic for a season of two-week fly-cruises in the Caribbean.
Will Ventura appeal to Australians? The vast majority of passengers will be Brits, which presents no significant cultural problems. British school holidays are in July and August, so only book for those months if you are happy in the company of several hundred children. The other point to note is that on the ex-Southampton cruises, you get a good few days at sea on the long haul to and from the Med; not ideal if you are tight for time but on the other hand, a fine opportunity to make the most of this exciting new ship.
Written by Sue Bryant - Issue 31 Autumn 08