P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises is a British cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton and owned by Carnival Corporation. It sails seven ships built or adapted for British holidaymakers, most of them sailing from Southampton, from the adults-only Aurora and Arcadia to Iona and Arvia, the largest ships built for the UK market.
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About P&O Cruises
Its heritage goes back to 1837, when the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company began carrying mail and passengers to Spain and Portugal; the parent P&O set up P&O Cruises as a separate subsidiary in 1977. Its first newbuild, Oriana, arrived in 1995, followed by Aurora in 2000. P&O spun off its cruise business as P&O Princess Cruises in 2000, which merged with Carnival in 2003. Ventura (2008), Azura (2010) and Britannia (2015) followed, and in 2020 and 2022 the line added Iona and Arvia, the first British-market ships to run on liquefied natural gas. Oceana was sold in 2020. In October 2026 Carnival announced that Arcadia will move to Holland America Line after August 2029 and that Cunard's Queen Anne will join P&O in May 2029 under a new name.
The ships are designed around British tastes, with pubs, menus created with British chefs and a Union flag painted on the bow since 2014. The large family ships have pools, teen areas and glass-roofed SkyDome venues, while Aurora and Arcadia offer a quieter adults-only alternative.
What P&O Cruises is known for
P&O Cruises claims the longest heritage of any cruise line, and Carnival markets it as Britain's favourite cruise line. Sailing from Southampton, it lets British guests cruise without flying to a port, and its ships carry touches aimed squarely at British travelers, from pubs and afternoon tea to chef-led venues such as the Cookery Club developed by James Martin on Britannia. Iona and Arvia brought the line its largest ships and its first LNG-powered vessels, while Aurora and Arcadia keep an adults-only option in the fleet.
Its record also includes well-publicized problems. Aurora's 2005 world cruise was abandoned soon after departure because of propulsion faults, and she had further propulsion trouble on her 2009 world cruise. Ventura and Iona have had norovirus outbreaks, in 2024 and 2025. In 2022 the line also faced public backlash after a mass dismissal of staff at P&O Ferries, a separate company sharing the P&O name, and ran newspaper and social media advertising to make clear that it has different owners.
Who it's for
Mainstream · big ships with lots to do and fares for most budgets
- Families
- Couples
- Adults only
P&O Cruises suits British travelers who want a holiday that starts at Southampton and feels familiar on board: families on the big ships, couples and groups of friends, and first-time cruisers who want British food, entertainment and service. Adults who prefer a calmer, child-free ship can choose Aurora or Arcadia.
Travelers from outside the UK, or anyone who would rather fly to a warm-weather port than spend the first days at sea sailing south from Southampton, may find lines with more North American or Mediterranean departures a better fit. Those looking for small ships or all-inclusive luxury should look elsewhere.
How it rates
- Cabins
- 3.3/5
- Dining
- 3/5
- Entertainment
- 3.1/5
- Service
- 4/5
- Pools & decks
- 3/5
- Value
- 4/5
The fleet's average on each metric, across 7 rated ships in service. Each ship is scored 1 to 5 by Cruise Frog's editors; these are not reader reviews.
Rankings and comparisons
Where P&O Cruises sails
Ships
Best rated
#13.7 ★Arvia2022 · 185,581 GT · 5,200 guests · Canary Islands · CaribbeanArvia is Iona's Excellence-class sister, built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg and delivered in December 2022; at about 185,600 gross tons she is the largest ship serving the British…
#23.7 ★Iona2021 · 184,089 GT · 5,206 guests · Northern Europe · Canary IslandsIona is an Excellence-class ship built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, and the first ship for the British market powered by liquefied natural gas. Delivered in October…
#33.3 ★Leaving Aug 2029Arcadia2005 · 84,342 GT · 1,952 guestsArcadia is a Vista-class ship built by Fincantieri at Marghera, Italy, and originally intended for Holland America Line and then Cunard before Carnival assigned her to P&O…Every ship, by class
Excellence class
2 ships · 2021–2022 · 184,089–185,581 GT · avg 3.7 ★
Royal class
1 ship · 2015 · 143,730 GT · avg 3.3 ★
Grand class
2 ships · 2008–2010 · 115,055–116,017 GT · avg 3.3 ★
Vista class
1 ship · 2005 · 84,342 GT · avg 3.3 ★
Other ships
1 ship · 2000 · 76,152 GT · avg 3.2 ★
Coming soon
Former ships
| Ship | Sailed | Gross tons | Left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oceana | 2002–2020 | 77,499 | July 2020 |
Where to fly in
- London Heathrow (LHR)7 P&O Cruises ships sail from Southampton, England40 lounges on Lounge Frog
Quick answers
What is P&O Cruises known for?
P&O Cruises claims the longest heritage of any cruise line, and Carnival markets it as Britain's favourite cruise line. Sailing from Southampton, it lets British guests cruise without flying to a port, and its ships carry touches aimed squarely at British travelers, from pubs and afternoon tea to chef-led venues such as the Cookery Club developed by James Martin on Britannia. Iona and Arvia brought the line its largest ships and its first LNG-powered vessels, while Aurora and Arcadia keep an adults-only option in the fleet.
Who is P&O Cruises best for?
P&O Cruises suits British travelers who want a holiday that starts at Southampton and feels familiar on board: families on the big ships, couples and groups of friends, and first-time cruisers who want British food, entertainment and service. Adults who prefer a calmer, child-free ship can choose Aurora or Arcadia.
Where does P&O Cruises sail?
P&O Cruises's ships in service sail Caribbean (2 ships), Canary Islands (2 ships), Northern Europe (1 ship) and Norwegian Fjords (1 ship).
How is P&O Cruises rated?
P&O Cruises's fleet averages 3.4 out of 5 on Cruise Frog, across 7 rated ships. Its best-rated ship is Arvia at 3.7.
Does P&O Cruises have new ships coming?
Yes: P&O Cruises has 1 new ship on the way: Queen Anne (debuts May 2029).
How many ships does P&O Cruises have?
P&O Cruises has 7 ships in service on Cruise Frog: Arcadia, Arvia, Aurora, Azura, Britannia, Iona and Ventura.
What ship classes does P&O Cruises sail?
P&O Cruises sails 4 classes of ship in service: Excellence class (2 ships), Royal class (1 ship), Grand class (2 ships) and Vista class (1 ship), plus 1 ship not in a named class.
Who owns P&O Cruises?
P&O Cruises is part of Carnival Corporation & plc.
Where is P&O Cruises based?
P&O Cruises is headquartered in Southampton, United Kingdom. It has operated since 1977.
What is P&O Cruises's loyalty program called?
P&O Cruises's past-guest loyalty program is Peninsular Club.
What is the largest P&O Cruises ship?
Arvia is P&O Cruises's largest ship at 185,581 gross tons, carrying 5,200 guests.
Cruising with children
P&O families should check both the ship and the sailing date. Fleet-wide assumptions about which ships accept children can go out of date.
Read the P&O Cruises family guide →Is a drinks package worth it?
Thinking about a drinks package on P&O Cruises? The average drink starts at what a glass of house wine costs on board, about $9.14; change it to what you usually order, and enter the package price P&O Cruises quotes.
A 175 ml glass of house wine costs about £6.90 on board, roughly $9.14. Cruise Mummy (P&O price rise, May 2026) ↗
Per person, a day, as the line quotes it.
A glass of house wine on P&O Cruises.
Optional. Count coffees and sodas if the package covers them.
The days the package is charged for.
To make the drinks package pay for itself
9drinks a day
A $75-a-day package costs the same as 8.2 drinks at $9.14. Over 7 days that's $525, or 58 drinks for the cruise.
Pay as you go
At 5 drinks a day, buying drinks one at a time costs about $205.10 less than the package.
- Drinks package, 7 days
- $525
- Drink by drink, 5 drinks a day
- $319.90
Break-even is a target for your wallet, not a dare for your liver.
Traveller reviews
What people who've been say. One review each; you can update yours.
Related news about P&O Cruises and its ships
- Queen Mary 2's 500th crossing will leave from Liverpool, a first for Cunard since 2015
Cunard opened 93 voyages for October 2028 to May 2029. The headline act is Queen Mary 2's 500th Transatlantic Crossing, with a rare Liverpool departure.
Itineraries
- Holland America's new Oosterdam bar is built around a 3-meter glowing tulip and 200+ heritage pieces
Bar 1873, the first new venue from Holland America's Evolution refits, fills Oosterdam's two-story atrium with a giant lit tulip, heritage objects and live piano. The Crow's Nest gets more live music too.
Ships
- The 12 best adults-only cruise ships, ranked: 2026
Twelve ships where no child can board, from Viking Vela and Virgin's Lady ships to Saga's over-50s newbuilds and the British adults-only ships of P&O, Marella and Ambassador, ranked by our editorial scores.
Ship ranking
- The 5 best adults-only cruise lines, ranked: 2026
Only a handful of cruise lines keep children off every sailing. We rank the five that do, from Virgin Voyages' party ships to Saga's over-50s fleet, and explain which lines only have adults-only ships.
Cruise line ranking
- Solo cruising on Cunard: single staterooms, shared tables and the Atlantic crossing
Cunard is one of the few premium lines with cabins built for one. Here is what sailing alone on its Queens is really like, and how to keep the cost down.
Cruise lines
- 5 things P&O Cruises does well—and 1 it doesn’t
Five strengths of P&O Cruises, one clear drawback, and the travelers most likely to enjoy its cruise style.
Cruise lines
- 5 things Cunard does well—and 1 it doesn’t
Five strengths of Cunard, one clear drawback, and the travelers most likely to enjoy its cruise style.
Cruise lines
- Cunard Gala Evenings: pack for the schedule you will actually sail
Cunard’s evening dress expectations shape dining and entertainment choices. Check your voyage calendar and casual alternatives before packing.
Ships
- Cruise ship swap: Holland America takes P&O's Arcadia, and Cunard's Queen Anne goes to P&O
Lounge Frog
- Arvia: report published (fatal accident to a crew member, MAIB Report 20/2026)
Marine Accident Investigation BranchArvia