Ventura gets single cabins, but misses out on Olly’s wine bar

P&O cruise ship Ventura is to have 18 single cabins added during a refit next March. The new accommodation will be identical to the extra rooms for solo passengers on sister ship Azura, alongside the main Exchange Bar, and reducing the amount of space for the casino.
The cabins are revealed in the deckplans in the 2013 brochure, published for the first time this week. Accommodation for singles, with no supplement to the fare, will be available on three of the fleet’s seven ships – Oriana also had some added during last year’s refit – and they are promised on the as-yet unnamed ship which will be launched in 2015.
Disappointingly, the new Ventura deckplans do not show another Azura feature which ought to be transplanted – the Glass House wine bar and restaurant with food and drink selected by TV’s Olly Smith.
With its 32 individually-chosen wines, and a tasty menu that includes lamb burgers and calf’s liver it must be busier and more popular than Ventura’s under-used Ramblas. For me at least, the bright and airy Glass House is a destination not to be missed, while the tapas bar is a dark and gloomy room to rush through on the way to or from the theatre.
Olly told me: “I am loving working with P & O and would like nothing more than to offer the Glass House experience far and wide.”
Let’s hope there’s still time for P&O managing director Carol Marlow to have a rethink before the Ventura refit.
The brochure lists a total of 200 cruises visiting 215 ports of call in 84 countries. Highlights for next year include overnight stays in Reykjavik, St Petersburg, Istanbul, New York, Quebec, Copenhagen, Madeira and the northern Norwegian town of Alta.
Two Strictly Come Dancing cruises on Oriana this year have proved so popular that the stars of the show will be featured on seven cruises in 2013 on Arcadia, Aurora, Azura, Oceana and Ventura. Passengers cruising to the Canary Islands and Mediterranean will hear first-hand stories from the hit show and will be able to take part in a special P&O Cruises Strictly Come Dancing dance competition judged by the Strictly team.
There will also be five music festivals at sea hosted by presenters from Classic FM, on Adonia, Aurora and Oriana.
Foodies can look forward to a choice of cookery demonstrations, book signings and wine tastings on six cruises with chef Marco Pierre White, three with Atul Kochhar, and two featuring Olly Smith.
Ship-by-ship, the 2013 highlights include:
Adonia: 18 cruises from Southampton between April 2013 and January 2014, to destinations in the Baltic, British Isles, Mediterranean, Iceland, North Cape, Norwegian Fjords and Caribbean. The cruises range from seven night Norwegian Fjords to a 28-night no-fly voyage to the Caribbean. Prices from £759 for a seven night Norwegian Fjords cruise to Kristiansand, Eidfjord, Bergen and Stavanger, departing September 8.
Arcadia: 17 cruises from Southampton between April 2013 and January 2014, to destinations in the Baltic, Black Sea, Mediterranean, Iceland, North Cape, Norwegian Fjords, Caribbean and Western Europe. Cruises range from two night party cruise to 24-night Black Sea. Prices from £189 for a two-night party cruise to Bruges departing December 15.
Aurora: 21 cruises from Southampton between April 2013 and January 2014, to destinations in the Atlantic Islands, Iberia, Baltic, Canada and New England, Mediterranean, Iceland, Norwegian Fjords and Caribbean. Cruises range from two-night party cruise to 25-night Canada and New England. Fares from £189 for a two-night party cruise to Bruges departing December 19.
Azura: 18 cruises from Southampton between April and November 2013 and nine Caribbean fly-cruises from November 2013 to March 2014, with two transatlantic crossings.. Cruising to the Atlantic Islands, Iberia, Black Sea, Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords and Caribbean. Prices from £189 for a two-night party cruise to Bruges departing October 18.
Oceana: Sailing 31 cruises from Southampton between March 2013 and March 2014, to the Atlantic Islands, Iberia, Norwegian Fjords, Western Europe, Mediterranean and Caribbean. Prices from £189 for a two-night party cruise to Bruges departing April 11.
Oriana: 31 cruises from Southampton between March 2013 and March 2014, to the Atlantic Islands, Iberia, Baltic, Mediterranean, Iceland, North Cape, Norwegian Fjords and Western Europe, including an overnight in Alta and a chance to see the Northern Lights. Fares from £379 for a four-night cruise break to Bruges and Amsterdam, departing October 31.
Ventura: Sailing 20 cruises from Southampton between April and October 2013 and nine Caribbean fly-cruises between November 2013 and March 2014, with two transatlantic crossings. Destinations include the Atlantic Islands, Iberia, Norwegian Fjords, Western Europe, Mediterranean and Caribbean. Fares from £189 for a two night party cruise to Bruges departing June 29.
Carol Marlow said: “We have a really broad programme of cruises … with a carefully considered range of on board experiences and themes that we know will be real highlights to our holidays.”
The cruises are available for pre-registration now, and open for bookings on April 23. To mark the company’s 175th anniversary this year there are Celebratory Savings of up to 10 per cent on 2013 bookings. In addition there are discounts of up to 5 per cent on bookings made before June 30, 2012; free car parking on all cruises of seven nights or more departing from and returning to Southampton; free airport parking on Caribbean fly-cruises; and on-board spending money of up to £160 per person on new Caribbean fly cruises on Azura and Ventura.