13 October 2023 , 09:54
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As the sun beats down on the deck, and waves gently lap below, you could easily believe P&O’s Britannia lies at anchor in the Caribbean or the Med.
Blue skies are dotted with wisps of cloud and waiters bearing trays of cooling drinks shimmy between the poolside sun loungers. And yet... bagpipes can be heard playing a Highland lament that echoes across the lush green hills rolling away into the distance.
This is Greenock on the west coast of Scotland, one of the ports of call on Britannia’s 14-day circumnavigation of the British Isles. The cruise offers the perfect opportunity to step away from reality. Our home from home is a floating comfort blanket, packed with experiences to sate the most varied of appetites.
No long waits in busy airport lounges, no winding queues for passport control, or visions of your prized hand luggage being squashed in a plane’s overhead locker by a last-minute arrival hoping to jam their rucksack in. Instead, an announcement heralds our departure and well-oiled pulleys bring in the mooring ropes as the 143,000 gross-tonnage ship glides majestically towards the open sea.