P&O Cruises

P&O Cruise

As the leading British cruise line P&O Cruises are very popular and have a huge following in the UK. The addition of Azura in 2010 and the newly launched Adonia in May 2011 means they now have a fleet of seven ships sailing from their home port of Southampton.

P&O Cruises are catered to suit people of all ages. Aurora, Azura, Oceana and Ventura are all family-friendly so are perfect for those travelling with young children and teenagers. Arcadia and Adonia are exclusively just for adults and are very popular with groups, friends and couples looking for a more traditional style of cruising. Oriana is currently also a family-friendly ship but in November she will join Arcadia and Adonia to become an adults-only ship, with inside cabins for single travellers as well as new restaurants and bars.

Food & Drink

The range of dining facilities on board P&O are superb, with a wide variety of different options including speciality restaurants from top culinary masters Gary Rhodes, Atul Kocchur and Marco Pierre White. Fixed-time silver-service dining is available across all of the ships, with Azura, Oceana and Ventura also offering freedom dining which is great for families as it's more flexible and has no set times. There are also self-service buffets, cafes, and al fresco grills and bistros, as well as 24-hour room service so there is sure to be something to suit every taste at any time of the day.

Entertainment

Entertainment really ranges across the fleet from traditional deck games and ballroom dancing to circus schools and modern nightclubs. Day time activities include pub quizzes, sports tournaments, port talks, fitness classes or simply lazing by the pool with a decent book. The ships are all equipped with a gym and spa so you can keep fit and relax whilst you are away. The evening is when the ships really come to life with theatre productions and musicals, dancing, live music, cinema, comedy, and nightclubs so there's never a dull moment. One of the highlights for many people are the formal nights that are held during the cruise, with a typical 7 night sailing having 1 or 2 throughout. It's a great opportunity to get dressed up and there are often special menus in the restaurants on these nights. It's not for everyone though, so if you prefer to keep it casual there will be a couple of restaurants and bars available on these nights that don't have the formal dress code.

Families

For passengers travelling with children and teenagers, there is a whole host of things to do to keep them entertained. The Reef is the dedicated children's area and is split in to various age groups from 2 - 17 years old. Youngsters can enjoy the soft play pits, treasure hunts, face painting, drawing and fancy dress parties, whilst older children and teens have various games consoles, sports tournament, movie nights and discos to keep them thoroughly entertained. In the evening, The Reef is open until 10.30pm, with the exception of the teen areas which stay open until midnight. Children aged 6 months to 5 years can join the Night Nursery which is open from 6pm until 2am and during school holidays there is also Slumber Time until midnight for children aged 5 - 8. In addition to this, there is an in-cabin listening service where parents can dial their cabin from any phone on the ship to check on their child.

Destinations

Throughout the spring and summer, the ships sail regularly from Southampton to exciting destinations throughout Europe and the Mediterranean including the Norwegian Fjords, the Baltic's, Greece and Turkey. During the autumn and winter months, most of the ships relocate to warmer climes like the Canary Islands, Egypt, and the Holy Land as well as the Caribbean islands, where the 14 night fly/cruises are always a popular choice on Azura and Ventura. Arcadia, Oriana, Aurora, and Adonia will sail round the world voyages in the New Year, taking in lots of exotic destinations in South America, Australasia, the Far East and Africa with durations ranging from 17 night sectors to full 107 night voyages.