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P&O Cruises

MS Artemis

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Reviewed by: Andrew Walker
# previous cruises: 5 to 10
Date of Trip: October 1, 2008
Itinerary: Europe

Artemis is rapidly approaching the ripe old age of 24! Named by the late Princess of Wales in Southampton as "Royal Princess" in November 1984, she was the first ship designed and built by P&O in a number of years. As the American market was growing fast, the company decided that she would be given to "Princess Cruises".

Revolutionary in a number of ways she was the first ship to offer all outside cabins, and had a wonderful tiered stern design. It was decided a few years ago to transfer the ship to the UK operation as it was clear once Victoria was retired, that there was a market for a small ship in the P&O Cruises fleet. Saying that, its worth mentioning that her GRT is very similar to the mighty "Canberra" which shows how much ships have grown over the last couple of decades.

Embarkation went by in a flash - I went from being dropped off at Southampton's "City Cruise Terminal" to getting onboard in 8 minutes! Even flying from the boastful Terminal 5 at Heathrow will never beat that!

The weather was good, but we encountered a Force 8 in the Channel on the last night, however the ship rode the conditions very well indeed.

Artemis is well maintained, but showing her age in places. The outside space onboard is vast with plenty of forward facing views. The stern is wonderfully tiered and the Promenade deck is wide. Clearly designed in the eighties, Artemis has some interesting "angles" in her design.

Marketed as an Adults-only ship, the age range was quite different this cruise due to the duration, normally the ship appeals to the older passenger as her itineraries are quite long.

Compared to modern cruise ships, the Atrium is only two decks high, but a pleasant place, especially having a drink in "Tiffany's".

There is no theatre as such onboard, but the "International Lounge" is the main entertainment venue onboard, quite nostalgic to have sight lines obstructed by pillars in places! Good to have a drinks service prior to the show.

The "Horizon Lounge" is the nearest thing to a "Crows Nest" and surrounds the base of the funnel. Smoking was available on the port side and unfortunately did seem to spread to the non smoking area. Good views of the Ocean to be had.

The main deck with bars and shops is unusually one deck below the "Prom Deck". One can clearly see how Oriana's design was influenced by the Artemis in places.

The quality of the food was good, although the selection in the main restaurant was lacking, and didn't inspire. The alternative dining options were the Horizon Grill (cover charge) and a Chinese buffet and Italian Trattoria in the Conservatory. I dined in the main restaurant on the first night, but decided to go the Trattoria on the second and third night and the Chinese Buffet on the last night. The selection and quality was very good and extremely tasty.

Crew were very efficient and friendly, however we didn't really get that much chance to see them in action as most time was spent ashore! The Captain was very friendly, and would often chat from the Bridge wing when entering and leaving port.

I had a "obstructed view" cabin on "B" deck, but still had a decent enough view. The cabin was cosy, but big enough for me. The wardrobe was compact, but only being a 4 nighter, I had no problem with a lack of storage space.

Only got to see one show, an Abba tribute, and this was good. Amazed to see former Canberra Stadium Theatre Company entertainer "Terry Gleed" still treading the decks!

It was Artemis' first call in Amsterdam (she did visit many many times when Royal Princess), and we stayed here for a day and a half. We were treated to a fireboat water display on departure. Then it was a day in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge before returning to Southampton.

There were some large groups celebrating birthdays and the like, and overall the atmosphere was lively.

Having opted for the "self help" disembarkation, I expected to nigh on walk off the ship with minimum fuss, wrong! It was a total farce with no pass being give to me even though I registered early in the cruise. Needless to say, I was not allowed to get off, and even once proving I registered, had to then queue for a pass, and lo and behold they had run out! So, I had a priority pass given to me, and once I got off the ship, had wasted a good 30 mins. Good job I didn't have a urgent train to catch. Overall Verdict - a very pleasant short break away, and the ship is lovely. Shame the choice in the main restaurant is lacking, but the alternative venue's did compensate quite nicely.

As for Disembarkation, it certainly needs sorting out. This was a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things, and I would certainly like to do a longer cruise on her, but having a family, will probably never get the chance. Shame…