Karl WP Beyer The route - 14 nights Caribbean Transatlantic Voyage with the P&O Ventura
Itinerary - From Bridgetown / Barbados via Castries / St. Lucia, Basseterre / St. Kitts, St. John's / Antigua, Ponta Delgada / São Miguel / Azores to Southampton / England.
The Caribbean ports mentioned are regularly called by cruise ships. In contrast, fewer cruise ships dock in the Portuguese Azores during the course of the year. We visited the above-mentioned Caribbean islands - apart from St. Kitts - again. There is something new to discover with every visit. However, São Miguel, the main island of the Azores, is particularly attractive. There it is advisable to book a rental car for a tour of part of the island and to roam for a few hours through the island's capital, Ponta Delgada. If, as in our case, the weather "plays along", the island is a wonderful stage destination.
The Ventura covered a total of 4.081 nautical miles, corresponding to 7.558 kilometers, on its voyage. There were 1.161 nautical miles between Antigua and São Miguel. Time enough to intensely enjoy the feeling of decelerated travel that comes with an Atlantic crossing.
Our rating of the Ventura:
The Ventura is neither a luxury liner nor a "dream ship". It is certainly not a ship for friends of German club ship culture. She is a no-frills, comfortable and high-quality ship that can best be defined with the term “very British”. Anyone who opts for this ship moves in an international environment. Solid English language skills are not harmful in this environment, but rather required. All announcements are made exclusively in English. Consultation hours in German are just as rare as German-language menus. What else can you expect when there are exactly eight Germans among 3.036 travelers?
The Ventura is a high quality, excellently managed ship. It was refreshed in 2013 at Blohm + Voss in Hamburg. The ship is currently in perfect condition. The cleanliness on board is impressive.
A lot of well-differentiated entertainment was offered on the trip. A “must” for us were often the evening dance meetings called “Dance Dates” as well as the fun in the stylish beer pub.
The gastronomy requires special comments. Breakfast is heavily geared towards British requirements and demands. At this time, continental Europeans certainly want a greater variety of options. The lunch buffet would not satisfy the needs of travelers on TUI Cruises ships. For dinner, however, the galley is in top form. There is nothing to complain about. The selection and the range of dishes are consistent. The food tastes excellent and the ordered wines are also a pleasure. The crew's service is attentive and focused on the guest. We did not test the specialty restaurants on board. Fellow travelers, however, expressed their praise for these restaurants. The bars and lounges of the Ventura lack some comfort. A little more intimacy would be desirable.
Apart from these small restrictions, we enjoyed our stay on board the Ventura extremely. She is a very pleasant ship. After this first trip with P&O, we could imagine traveling again with this or another ship of the shipping company.
The trip took place in March 2015.
June 2015
