P&O Cruises have a rich vein of historical success in the cruise industry, as they first invented modern day cruising as we know it way back in 1837. To date, P&O Cruises sail to over 180 different destinations in 72 different countries, and boast more ports than any other UK cruise line. With more than 170 years experience and seven impressive ships, it is easy to see why they are a long-standing favourite among cruise enthusiasts.
In April 2004 P&O Princess plc, the parent company of P&O Cruises, joined the Carnival Corporation, bringing together two of the best known companies in the cruise industry, meaning P&O Cruises is now part of one of the world’s largest holiday companies. The award-winning cruise line have seven ships to choose from, with each offering a subtly different cruise experience. Some offer adult only cruises for couples or groups who want some time and space to relax, whilst others are family friendly with lots of activities and fun.
P&O Cruises offer three very different types of cruise experiences. There's the contemporary and innovative style of holiday offered by cruises on the Arcadia and Oceana, a unique and original cruise experience can be found on the Adonia, Ventura, Azura and Oriana, or a more traditional cruise being provided by the Aurora.
Explore the world with P&O and at the same time as experiencing the very best of British. Their traditional and intimate style offers you relaxed days at sea and enchanting evenings, where you can dress up to the nines. The ships sail from Southampton for the majority of the year, and most of the cruises are about 14 nights in duration. However, each year its ships offer a host of shorter mini-breaks of two to seven nights, and some even undertake long cruises of 80 to more than 100 nights, some of which take them around the world.
- Brand history – founded in 1837 this line has a long pedigree and is British to its core with a host of features that appeal to a clientele that is predominantly UK based
- Signatures of the line – two kinds of ship, adult-only and family-friendly, mean that both kinds of cruise enthusiast are made welcome
- Number of ships – currently 7 but with one ship transferring out very soon it will be back to 6
- Best for – British enthusiasts: there’s everything British about P&O from the tea-making facilities on board through to the entertainment
- Special dining features - Arcadia and Oriana have Gary Rhodes restaurants, while Ventura features Marco Pierre White and Azura has an Olly Smith themed restaurant that focuses on dining and fine wine
- Special suite features – a fairly classic approach to suites here, with a rather sedate feel
- Special kid features – Family friendly ships feature Noddy and Mr Bump
- Entertainment features – British themed entertainment predominates with participation shows based on British TV formats
- Spa and fitness features – not especially noted for spa and fitness, P&O has upped its game with new facilities on Ventura and Azura
- Routes – virtually all ships are home-ported in Southampton and generally offer itineraries to the Med, Northern Europe and British speaking Atlantic although there are at least two world cruises a year