If you are planning your evenings on P&O Britannia, dinner is one of the most important parts of the onboard experience to understand before you sail.
Britannia has a more traditional dining setup than newer P&O ships like Iona and Arvia. You have the main dining rooms, including fixed dining and Freedom Dining, the Horizon Buffet, room service, and several speciality restaurants if you want to pay extra for something different.
The good news is that dinner on Britannia can work very well. In fact, the main dining room was one of the strongest parts of my cruise. The food was generally good, the service was excellent, and formal nights felt much more special than eating casually elsewhere.
The key is knowing how the system works, which restaurant you will use, and whether the included options are enough for you.
This guide breaks down all the main P&O Britannia dinner options, including fixed dining, Freedom Dining, the buffet, room service, speciality restaurants, what is included, and where I would personally choose to eat in the evening.
You can also download the full Britannia dinner menus in the free PDF below, including main dining room menus and room service menus.
If you want a full overview of all restaurants across the day, you can also read my full P&O Britannia dining options guide.
Britannia Dining Options: Full Video Guide
If you want to see how dinner works onboard, along with breakfast, lunch and speciality dining, you can watch my full P&O Britannia dining guide here.
Where to Eat Dinner on P&O Britannia?
P&O Britannia dinner options fall into three main groups.
You have the main dining rooms, which are the core of the evening dining experience. You have the Horizon Buffet, which is the casual included option. Then you have paid options such as room service and speciality restaurants.
The main dining rooms are where most passengers will eat in the evening. They offer a traditional three-course dinner with starters, main courses and desserts. Depending on your dining arrangement, you will either have fixed dining or Freedom Dining.
The Horizon Buffet is there if you want something more casual and do not want a formal dinner.
Room service is available as a paid cabin option, which can be useful if you want a quieter evening.
There are also speciality restaurants such as The Beach House, Sindhu, The Glass House, The Epicurean and The Limelight Club. These are best treated as occasional extras rather than something you need every night.
For me, dinner is where Britannia’s more traditional style works best. If you enjoy a classic cruise dining experience, the main dining rooms are the place to start.
Main Dining Rooms on Britannia: How Dinner Works
The main dining rooms are the centre of dinner on P&O Britannia.
Britannia has three main dining rooms:
Peninsular Restaurant
Oriental Restaurant
Meridian Restaurant
The evening menu is usually the same across the main dining rooms, so your experience is more about your dining arrangement than different food.
If you are on Freedom Dining, you can eat in the Meridian or Peninsular restaurants during the evening dining window. This is usually between around 6:30pm and 9:30pm.
If you have fixed dining, you will usually be in the Oriental Restaurant. This means you have either an early or late sitting, with a set dining time each evening.
I had the early sitting in the Oriental Restaurant, and I found it worked really well. I liked knowing when I was eating, where I was going, and having the same dining team each evening. It made the evening feel settled and easy.
The main dining room dinner menu includes a selection of starters, main courses and desserts. You will usually find options such as steak, seafood, pasta, vegetarian dishes and more traditional cruise favourites.
Most of the meals I had were very good, and importantly, they were served nice and warm. That sounds basic, but it makes a big difference.
The service was also one of the highlights. The staff in the Oriental Restaurant were excellent, attentive and friendly throughout the cruise.
For me, this was a much better main dining room experience than I had on Arvia the previous summer. Britannia felt more traditional, more consistent and better suited to this style of evening dining.
Fixed Dining on P&O Britannia
Fixed dining is the more traditional option on Britannia.
If you are allocated fixed dining, you will usually eat in the Oriental Restaurant at either the early or late sitting. The early sitting is 6:30pm and the late sitting is 8:30pm.
You have the same dining time each evening, the same table, and usually the same waiters.
This will not suit everyone. Some people prefer the flexibility of choosing when to eat each night. But if you like routine, fixed dining can make the evening much easier.
You do not need to think about when to join a queue, whether there will be a wait, or how dinner fits around your evening. You know your time, and you build the evening around it.
I had the early sitting at 6:30pm on Britannia, and for this cruise it worked well. It meant I could eat, then go on to shows, live music or evening entertainment without dinner drifting too late.
The only downside is that you need to be happy with the assigned time. If you prefer to eat later some nights and earlier on others, Freedom Dining may suit you better.
Freedom Dining on P&O Britannia
Freedom Dining gives you more flexibility in the evening.
On Britannia, Freedom Dining is usually in the Meridian and Peninsular restaurants. Instead of having a fixed sitting, you can choose when you want to eat during the evening dining hours.
This usually runs from around 6:30pm to 9:30pm, although you should always check the Horizon daily programme onboard for exact times.
Depending on how the ship is operating, you may be able to use the P&O My Holiday app to join a virtual queue, or you may be able to go directly to the restaurant.
Freedom Dining is useful if you do not want your evening planned around a set dining time. It works well if you want to eat after a show, before a show, or at different times depending on the day.
The trade-off is that you may need to wait at busier times. The most popular dinner period is usually early evening, when people want to eat before the theatre or main entertainment.
If you are using Freedom Dining, I would avoid treating it as completely last minute. Join the queue or go to the restaurant before you are already really hungry, and it will feel much smoother.
Formal Nights and Celebration Nights on Britannia
Formal nights were one of the highlights of dinner on Britannia for me.
The main dining room felt extra special, particularly on New Year’s Eve. These are the nights when Britannia’s more traditional dining style really works.
The menu usually feels a little more elevated, the atmosphere is better, and the dining room has more of a proper occasion feel. If you are going to use the main dining room on any night, I would definitely use it on formal night.
For me, it was much better than going to the buffet or choosing something casual. The main dining room is part of the experience on those evenings.
If you enjoy dressing up, having table service and making dinner a main part of the night, Britannia does this well.
Horizon Buffet Dinner: Casual but Not My First Choice
If you do not feel like a formal dinner, the Horizon Buffet is open in the evening.
It usually opens from around 6:00pm and offers a casual alternative to the main dining rooms. The food is similar in style to lunchtime, with a selection of hot dishes, salads, sides and desserts.
This can be useful if you want something quick, if you do not want to dress for dinner, or if you prefer a more relaxed evening.
However, I did not eat in the buffet for dinner on Britannia because I had not been that impressed with the buffet at lunchtime. I found some of the food quite bland and not always as hot as I would like.
That does not mean it will not work for you. It is included, it is flexible, and it is there if you want a casual option. But for me, the main dining room was so much stronger that I would choose that instead.
If you are on Britannia and only have a limited number of evenings onboard, I would not make the buffet your default dinner option unless you specifically prefer casual dining.
Room Service Dinner: A Paid Cabin Option
Room service is another dinner option on P&O Britannia, although most items are extra charge.
This can be useful if you want a quieter night in your cabin, if you are tired after a long port day, or if you simply do not feel like going back out around the ship.
The room service menu usually includes lighter options, snacks, sandwiches and hot dishes, although the exact menu and prices can vary.
I did not use room service for dinner on Britannia, but I have used P&O room service before and had a good experience. For Britannia, I would see it as a convenient paid option rather than something you need to plan your evenings around.
If you want the best included dinner, I would still choose the main dining room. If you want something casual, the buffet is included. But if you want food in your cabin, room service is another option to know about.
I have included the P&O Britannia room service menu in the downloadable dinner menus PDF below, so you can see what is available before you sail.
Speciality Dinner Options on Britannia
Britannia also has several speciality dining options in the evening.
These all cost extra, so they are best seen as a way to add variety rather than something you need every night.
The Beach House is one of the most affordable paid options. It is located within the Horizon Buffet area in the evening and serves dishes such as fajitas, ribs, steak sizzlers and mac and cheese. I tried the fajitas, and although they were not the most photogenic dish, they tasted excellent.
Sindhu is Britannia’s Indian restaurant and one of my personal favourites. If you enjoy Indian food, this is one of the speciality restaurants I would seriously consider. The food feels different from the included dining, and it is one of the paid options that felt worth booking.
The Glass House is a more relaxed extra-cost venue with small plates and wine-led dining. I like the atmosphere here, but I personally prefer it as a relaxed lunch rather than a main dinner.
The Epicurean is Britannia’s fine dining restaurant. It offers a more formal, longer dining experience with dishes such as steak, lobster and carefully presented plates. I know many people enjoy it, but personally I was not as impressed as I expected to be. It was fine, but I wanted it to feel more special.
The Limelight Club combines a three-course meal with live entertainment from a guest performer. This is more about the overall night out than just the food, so it is worth checking who is performing before booking.
If you want a full breakdown of all the paid restaurants, menus, prices and what I thought was worth it, read my P&O Britannia speciality dining guide.
What Time Is Dinner on P&O Britannia?
Dinner times on Britannia depend on whether you have fixed dining, Freedom Dining, or are using the buffet.
If you have fixed dining, you will usually have either an early or late sitting in the Oriental Restaurant. The early sitting is 6:30pm and the late sitting is 8:30pm.
If you have Freedom Dining, dinner is usually available in the Meridian and Peninsular restaurants between around 6:30pm and 9:30pm.
The Horizon Buffet usually opens from around 6:00pm for dinner.
Room service is available separately and can be used in your cabin, although it is usually extra charge.
Speciality restaurant times vary, and these should be checked when booking onboard or before your cruise.
As always, exact times can change by itinerary and sailing, so check the Horizon daily programme onboard.
Is Dinner Included on P&O Britannia?
Yes, dinner is included on P&O Britannia.
The main dining rooms and Horizon Buffet are included in your cruise fare. That means you can have dinner every night without paying extra.
Room service is generally extra charge outside the included breakfast offering.
Speciality restaurants such as The Beach House, Sindhu, The Glass House, The Epicurean and The Limelight Club also cost extra.
In practical terms, you do not need to pay extra to eat well at dinner on Britannia. For me, the main dining room was strong enough to use most evenings.
Speciality dining is best used when you want a change of setting or a different type of meal.
What Is the Best Dinner Option on Britannia?
For me, the best included dinner option on Britannia was the main dining room.
The food was generally good, it was served warm, the service was excellent, and the whole experience felt more traditional and settled than on some newer ships.
If you enjoy a classic cruise dining experience, I would make the main dining room your default dinner option.
The buffet is useful if you want something casual, but it would not be my first choice based on my experience.
Room service is helpful if you want a quiet cabin night, but it is a paid convenience option rather than the best-value choice.
For speciality dining, I would personally choose Sindhu or The Beach House first. Those were the two paid options that felt most worth considering.
Overall, Britannia dinner works best when you lean into what the ship does well: traditional main dining, good service, and a proper evening meal.
Download the Britannia Dinner Menus Free PDF
You can download the full P&O Britannia dinner menus below, including main dining room menus, room service menu and other evening dining options available onboard.
This is the easiest way to see what is available before you sail and decide where you want to eat on different evenings of your cruise.
Useful Guides for Your Britannia Cruise
If you are planning your dining across the whole cruise, it helps to understand how each part of the day works.
You can read my P&O Britannia breakfast options guide to see where to eat in the morning, including the main dining rooms, Horizon Buffet and free room service breakfast, along with menus and a downloadable PDF.
My P&O Britannia lunch guide covers the main dining room, Horizon Buffet, Lido Grill, pizzeria, room service and The Glass House, including menus and what I thought was actually worth choosing during the day.
If you are considering paying extra, my P&O Britannia speciality dining guide breaks down The Beach House, Sindhu, The Glass House, The Epicurean and The Limelight Club, with menus, prices where relevant, and which restaurants I personally think are worth booking.
You can also read my full P&O Britannia dining options guide for a complete overview of all restaurants onboard and how everything fits together.
For a full overview of the ship, my what’s onboard P&O Britannia guide is the best place to start. It will help you understand the layout, main venues, pool areas, restaurants, bars and where you are likely to spend most of your time onboard.
If you want to know where to drink onboard, my P&O Britannia bars guide covers the Crow’s Nest, Blue Bar, Brodie’s, Glass House, Sunset Bar, pool bars, Live Lounge and other venues.
FAQs: P&O Britannia Dinner Options
What are the dinner options on P&O Britannia?
P&O Britannia dinner options include the main dining rooms, Horizon Buffet, room service and speciality restaurants such as The Beach House, Sindhu, The Glass House, The Epicurean and The Limelight Club.
How does dinner work on P&O Britannia?
Dinner depends on your dining arrangement. Fixed dining is usually in the Oriental Restaurant with an early or late sitting. Freedom Dining is usually in the Meridian and Peninsular restaurants, where you can choose when to eat during the evening dining window.
Does Britannia have fixed dining?
Yes, Britannia has fixed dining. Passengers with fixed dining are usually assigned to the Oriental Restaurant for either an early or late sitting.
Does Britannia have Freedom Dining?
Yes, Britannia has Freedom Dining. This usually takes place in the Meridian and Peninsular restaurants between around 6:30pm and 9:30pm.
Is dinner included on P&O Britannia?
Yes, dinner in the main dining rooms and Horizon Buffet is included in your cruise fare. Room service and speciality restaurants usually cost extra.
What is the best place for dinner on Britannia?
For me, the main dining room was the best included dinner option on Britannia. The food was warm, the service was excellent, and the formal nights felt special.
Is the buffet open for dinner on Britannia?
Yes, the Horizon Buffet is open for dinner and offers a casual included option if you do not want to eat in the main dining room.
Is the buffet good for dinner on Britannia?
The buffet is convenient, but it was not my preferred dinner option. I found the main dining room much stronger, especially for evening meals.
Can you get room service for dinner on Britannia?
Yes, room service is available as a paid cabin option. I have included the room service menu in the downloadable Britannia dinner menus PDF.
What speciality restaurants are open for dinner on Britannia?
Britannia has several speciality dining options, including The Beach House, Sindhu, The Glass House, The Epicurean and The Limelight Club. These cost extra and should usually be booked.
Is formal night worth doing in the main dining room on Britannia?
Yes, I think formal night is worth doing in the main dining room. On my cruise, the formal nights felt extra special, especially New Year’s Eve.
Dinner on Britannia is one of the areas where the ship’s traditional style works in its favour. If you use the main dining rooms, understand the difference between fixed dining and Freedom Dining, and keep speciality dining for the nights when you want something different, the evening dining experience works very well.
Useful Cruise Items to Consider
These are a few simple items that can make your cruise on P&O Arvia more comfortable and help you stay organised onboard.
I personally use variations of these when cruising, and they’re all practical rather than essential.
Magnetic hooks Perfect for extra storage in your cabin
Packing cubes Keep your suitcase organised
Cruise luggage tags Protect your tags at the port
Travel Extension Lead UK For charging multiple phones, cameras, and laptops
Toiletry organiser Great for small bathrooms
You can also browse my full Cruise Essentials list for more useful items I use or recommend for cruise holidays.
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