I Stayed in The Biggest Inside Cabin (P&O Aurora Review)

If you are taking a cruise on P&O’s Aurora you may be wondering if an inside cabin is a good choice for you.

This review is based on my thoughts on cabin number A297, it was a MASSIVE inside cabin. The biggest I’ve ever had.

Inside Cabin – A297 P&O’s Aurora

I chose this particular cabin because I could see from the deck plan that it was squarer in shape. Most inside cabins are rectangular.

I thought this cabin might turn out to be more spacious than a standard inside cabins – and I was right.

Usually when I book an inside cabin, I let the cruise line pick the location. These are known as “guaranteed” cabins and are a cheaper option than picking your exact location.

Find out more about Guaranteed cabins here:

I Always Book Guaranteed Cabins on Cruise Ships – (Photo Examples, Regrets & More)

All Inside cabins have:

• A comfortable double bed that can be made into two twins
• A sofa
• A table
• A desk area and a chair.
• Mini Fridge
• Hairdryer
• A Safe
• Bedside tables
• A TV
• Tea and Coffee making facilities

The Bathroom Was A Little Dated

The bathroom was a little dated, with a salmon pink colour theme going on. The walls of the shower were pink and sparkly!

The bathroom was clean and functional but the ship is nearly 25 years old.

There was a narrow shelf below the sink where you could put your washbag, but very little space beside the sink to put anything else.

It was fine for two average-sized people – but if you are a larger or taller person it might be a struggle. 

Toiletries were provided in refillable bottles.

The shower worked well but was smallish – and had a very clingy shower curtain!

Even though the bathroom was small it was always spotlessly clean and we were very well looked after by our cabin steward.

Find out about the inside cabin I had on the newer P&O ship Iona below. It was one of my favourite inside cabins in terms of decor and design.

The Cabin Location

The cabin was number A297, which was situated towards the back of deck eleven.

It was a great location because it was very close to the door which led out on to the the tiered aft at the back of the ship.

The cabin was quiet, and I never heard guests in other cabins around me.

We were only one deck below the buffet but never heard any noise from this. It was just one easy flight of stairs to get up to the buffet when we were hungry.

The cabin itself was warm and cosy, the air conditioning worked well when needed. It was a quiet, comfortable room.

The huge advantage of a ship of this size is you never have to climb too many stairs. The deck twelve pool deck and the deck eleven buffet was never too far away.

I didn’t use the lifts/elevators at all during my short cruise.

There were tea and coffee-making facilities in the room, which you do get on all P&O ships.

When I sailed on the larger P&O ship Iona, we got two packets of biscuits that were topped up every day. When I sailed on Arvia (which is the same size as Iona but newer) I got no biscuits at all!

On Aurora, we got one pack of biscuits (containing two individual biscuits) per day, so we had to open the packet and share them. Still, one biscuit is better than no biscuit at all…

What I Liked About The Ocean View Cabin A297

• The comfortable beds
• Very quiet
• The larger-than-average floor space
• A sofa
• Plenty of storage
• Tea and coffee-making facilities

What I Didn’t Like…

• The shower curtain
• The very small TV that was wedged on top of a cabinet.
  • Other cabins had larger TVs that were wall-mounted.
• Not enough plug sockets.
  • We only had one usable plug socket. Other friends in balcony cabins had more.

I would have been stuck if I hadn’t packed my universal travel adapter. We would have had to take turns charging our phones and laptops.

I use a travel adaptor like the one below:

We were able to find out about what was going on onboard via the cruise ship App, or in the paper daily schedule. We never turned the TV on at all, it was too small to be worth bothering with.

Find out more about cruise ship App’s here:

You Don’t Need to Pay For Wi-Fi To Use a Cruise Line App – Here’s Why

Would I Choose This Cabin Again?

Yes. This cabin had everything I needed, was in a quiet location and was very comfortable.

It was a very spacious inside cabin, compared to many others I have stayed in. That extra space and seating area was appreciated!

I was really impressed with P&O’s Aurora, and would love to take another cruise on her!

P&O has seven cruise ships – Ariva and Iona are the same. Britannia, then Ventura and Azura which are very similar – plus two adult-only ships Arcadia and Aurora.

The seven P&O ships vary greatly in size, style and overall ambience.

The P&O ships were built between 2000 and 2022. Arvia is the newest ship in the fleet, launched in 2022 and holds over five thousand passengers.

Aurora is the smallest and oldest ship in the fleet and only takes around one thousand, eight hundred and fifty passengers.

I loved the overall feel of Aurora – its teak decks, its big windows and intimate spaces. Its tiered Aft was one of my favourite features onboard.

Although this ship doesn’t have Ropes courses, Go Kart tracks or Water Slides you might find on larger newer ships, her smaller size gives the ship a more intimate and homely feel.

Find out why you shouldn’t discount choosing an older cruise ship here:

9 Reasons You Shouldn’t Avoid Cruising on Older, Smaller Cruise Ships

She can dock in smaller, more unusual ports than the large Mega-ships

She never felt overly busy – despite the cruise we were on being fully booked.

Before You Go

Find out about the inside cabin i had on the world’s last Ocean Liner, the Queen Mary 2 here:

I Cruised in The Cheapest Cabin on the World’s LAST Ocean Liner – Queen Mary 2

Aurora is P&O’s oldest ship. Find out what happens to older cruise ships when they are sold on to other companies below:

Why Cruise Lines Sell Ships to Other Cruise Lines (Average Lifespan and More)