P&O Cruises My Holiday app: How it works & what you need to know

Last updated: 21/04/2026

If you’re planning a P&O Cruises holiday, you may have come across something called My Holiday and wondered exactly what it is. 

Is it an app? Do you need to download it? And will you actually need to use it once you’re onboard?

The good news is that it’s all very straightforward. My Holiday is designed to make organising your time onboard easier, bringing everything from your daily plans to your bookings into one place.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how P&O Cruises My Holiday works, what you can use it for, and whether it’s something you’ll want to use during your cruise. 

My Holiday is P&O Cruises’ onboard planner, designed to help you organise your time during your cruise. 

You might hear it referred to as an app, but it’s not something you need to download. Instead, it’s a web-based platform that you access through your phone, tablet or computer once you’re connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi. 

It brings everything together in one place, from your daily plans and bookings to your onboard account, so you don’t have to keep track of things separately. 

Think of it as your go-to place for what’s happening onboard and what you’ve got planned, all in a format that’s easy to dip in and out of throughout your holiday. 

Once you’re onboard your P&O Cruises ship, getting started with My Holiday is very simple.

All you need to do is connect to the ship’s Wi-Fi, then open your internet browser and access My Holiday. There’s no need to download anything, and you won’t need to buy a Wi-Fi package to use it.

Once you’re in, everything is linked to your booking, so you’ll be able to see your plans, reservations and onboard account in one place.

You can check it as often or as little as you like. Some people like to look at it first thing in the morning to see what’s on, while others just dip in when they need to book something or check a detail. 

While the layout is broadly the same across the fleet, you might notice that some ships offer a few more features than others, particularly the newer ones. 

While it might not seem essential at first, My Holiday quickly becomes something you’ll find yourself using throughout your cruise. It’s there to make things easier, whether you like to plan ahead or prefer to decide things as you go. 

Before embarkation, My Holiday can help you begin exploring what’s available on your sailing. It’s a great way to familiarise yourself with the ship and start thinking about how you might like to spend your time onboard.

For example, you can:

• Browse the restaurants, bars and venues available on your ship
• Discover shore excursions available in each destination
• Learn more about spa treatments and onboard facilities
• Explore deck plans to understand the ship’s layout 

This allows you to start planning your cruise experience before you even step onboard.

Once you’ve embarked, My Holiday becomes even more useful. Many guests use it as their daily cruise planner, helping them keep track of activities and bookings throughout the voyage.

Through My Holiday, you can: 

• View the daily programme: Each day, the ship hosts a wide range of activities, from quizzes and live music to fitness classes and enrichment talks. My Holiday allows you to browse the full schedule and see what’s happening around the ship. 
• Create your own personal planner: If something catches your eye, you can add it to My Diary, helping you organise your day and make sure you don’t miss the events you’re most interested in.
• Book dining and join virtual queues: Depending on your ship, My Holiday lets you reserve speciality restaurants or join virtual queues for certain dining venues. This means you can continue enjoying the ship while waiting for your table to become available. 
• Book shore excursions: You can also explore and reserve shore excursions, making it easy to plan how you’ll spend your time in port.
• Check spa treatments and onboard services: From relaxing massages to salon appointments, My Holiday allows you to browse and book a range of spa and wellness treatments available during your cruise.
• Monitor your onboard account: My Holiday lets you track your onboard spending, view purchases, and check your balance throughout the cruise.
• Book children’s activities: Families travelling with younger guests can also use My Holiday to book sessions in The Reef kids’ clubs, helping parents organise activities for their children during the voyage. 

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While My Holiday is available across much of the P&O Cruises fleet, you might notice that it doesn’t work in exactly the same way on every ship. 

The core features are generally consistent, so you’ll still be able to check your plans, keep an eye on your onboard account and browse what’s happening around the ship. However, some of the more advanced features (such as booking entertainment or joining virtual queues) are more commonly found on newer ships like Arvia and Iona. 

On other ships, My Holiday may offer a slightly simpler version of the platform, focusing more on viewing information than on managing every part of your cruise through it.

It’s nothing to worry about, but it’s helpful to know what to expect depending on the ship you’re sailing on.

Below, you’ll find a quick guide to how My Holiday features can vary across the fleet: 

Features may vary slightly depending on the ship and sailing. 

No, you don’t have to use My Holiday during your cruise.

While it can make things easier, it’s entirely optional. You can still book dining, reserve shore excursions and find out what’s happening around the ship in the more traditional ways, whether that’s visiting the relevant desk or speaking to a member of the onboard team.

That said, many guests do find themselves using My Holiday once they’re onboard, simply because it’s convenient. Being able to check plans, make bookings or keep an eye on your account from your phone can save time and avoid queues, especially on busier days. 

If you prefer a more relaxed, less tech-focused holiday, you can use it as much or as little as you like. It’s there if you need it, but it’s never essential. 

If you do decide to use My Holiday during your cruise, there are a few simple ways to get the most out of it. 

A quick look in the morning can give you a good idea of what’s happening onboard. It’s an easy way to spot anything you don’t want to miss, whether that’s a show, activity or event later in the day.

Some dining times, excursions and activities can fill up quickly, particularly on sea days. If there’s something you’ve got your eye on, it’s worth booking sooner rather than later.

If you see something you’d like to do, adding it to your planner helps keep everything in one place. It saves you from having to remember times and locations later. 

You’ll likely use My Holiday more when you’re spending the day onboard. With more time to explore the ship, it’s helpful for planning your day and making last-minute decisions. 

It’s easy to feel like you should be using every feature, but you don’t need to. Most guests naturally use it for a couple of key things, like checking the daily programme or booking a table.

Checking your onboard account regularly can help avoid surprises at the end of your cruise. It only takes a few seconds and can give you a bit of peace of mind.  

You don’t need to download anything - My Holiday isn’t an app.

Instead, it’s a web-based platform you access in your internet browser once you’re onboard and connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi. Simply open your browser and follow the onboard instructions to get started.

You’ll be able to use My Holiday once you’re onboard and connected to the ship’s Wi-Fi. It isn’t something you can access in full before your cruise, but you may be able to preview certain elements in advance.

No, you don’t need to purchase a Wi-Fi package to use My Holiday. As long as you’re connected to the ship’s internal network, you’ll be able to access it.

Yes, My Holiday works on most devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops, as long as you have an internet browser.

Yes, absolutely. My Holiday is completely optional. You can still make bookings and find information in person or by speaking with the onboard team. 

The core features are similar across the fleet, but some ships - particularly newer ones - offer a wider range of functionality. 

Yes, you can view your onboard account at any time, including a breakdown of your purchases and your current balance. 

Yes, you can browse and book shore excursions directly through My Holiday once you’re onboard.