Life Onboard P&O Cruises
Overview
Established in 1837, P&O Cruises began as a mail and passenger service between England and the Iberian Peninsula. In 1844, they pioneered leisure cruising with voyages from the UK to the Mediterranean. Over time, P&O Cruises expanded globally, becoming Britain’s favourite cruise line. Today, they offer a diverse range of fly and no-fly cruises, continuing their legacy of maritime innovation and excellence.
Accommodations
No matter which ship you sail on, P&O Cruises offers a variety of accommodations to suit every traveller. Arvia and Iona, the newest ships in the P&O Cruises fleet, offer exactly the same cabin types: Insides, Sea Views, Balconies, Conservatory Mini Suites and Suites. Likewise, Azura and Ventura both offer Insides, Sea Views, Balconies and Suites. On Arcadia, you can choose from Insides, Sea Views, Deluxe Balconies, Mini Suites and Suites and on Aurora, you’ll have the choice of Insides, Sea Views, Balconies, Mini Suites and Suites. Finally, on Britannia, you’ll find Insides, Balconies and Suites. For more information, click through to each cruise ship to discover the accommodations available.
Activities
Your days spent onboard a P&O cruise can be as jam-packed or as relaxed as you like.
There are lots of fun ways to learn new skills and try something different. You can join dance classes, get active with fitness sessions, or learn how to cook tasty dishes through cooking demonstrations. Head to the library to borrow as many books as you’d like during your voyage, or take part in a quiz to test your knowledge and skills.
Elsewhere, The Art Gallery by Clarendon Fine Art showcases a diverse collection of artworks from renowned contemporary artists. During your cruise, you can attend informative seminars, engaging exhibitions and exclusive events hosted by the gallery. You can also explore a range of shops offering duty-free savings on fragrances, cosmetics, jewellery, watches, fashion, spirits, souvenirs and more. Attend special events such as fashion shows, themed pop-up shops and tastings.
As a mostly family-friendly cruise line, P&O Cruises offers a range of activities for the whole clan. On Iona, you’ll find the Splash Zone, a water play area where families can cool off and have fun together. Additionally, the ship houses Ocean Studios, a four-screen cinema complex showing a range of films. Arvia boasts unique features like the Altitude Skywalk, a high ropes course set 54 metres above the ocean. Beneath the Skywalk, there’s a nine-hole mini-golf course that appeals to all ages. The ship also offers an escape room experience called Mission Control, where families can work together to solve puzzles and complete challenges.
Entertainment
As P&O Cruises says, you’ll never be bored on board. There’s a variety of entertainment across the fleet, with each ship featuring unique options. On Iona, guests can enjoy jaw-dropping aerial shows, full-scale theatre productions, live music, party nights, comedy, the latest movies, guest presenters, interactive game shows and much more. Arvia features the Headliners Theatre, where guests can catch matinee performances during the day and enjoy new shows by the Headliners Theatre Company, as well as singers, comedians and live music in the evenings. Azura has the Manhattan Show Lounge, inspired by New York, where you can enjoy spectacular cabaret performances, fun quiz shows, tribute acts, family shows and glittering discos.
Elsewhere, on select ships, you’ll find Ocean Studios, a boutique cinema showcasing the latest blockbuster films and classic favourites throughout the day. Ocean Studios provides a comfortable setting for families and film enthusiasts to enjoy movies together. You can also enjoy live music across various venues, including performances by resident bands, solo artists and guest entertainers. The 710 Club offers an intimate atmosphere with live music and expertly crafted cocktails.
Food & Drink
You can explore a world of flavour with P&O Cruises' fantastic array of dining options.
P&O Cruises' main dining options vary from ship to ship but offer something for everyone. Both Iona and Arvia feature multiple main dining rooms operating exclusively on a Freedom Dining basis. This flexible arrangement allows you to dine whenever you want between 6:00 pm and 9:30 pm without fixed seating times or assigned tables. On Iona, the main dining venues include Pearl Restaurant, Coral Restaurant, Opal Restaurant, and Aqua Restaurant. Arvia offers Meridian Restaurant and Zenith Restaurant as its main dining rooms.
Britannia, Azura, Ventura, Arcadia and Aurora offer both Freedom and Club Dining options in their main restaurants. Club Dining is a traditional dining style that features reserved seating at the same table each evening, with two fixed settings: the first at 6:30 pm and the second at 8:30 pm. Find out in more detail the difference between Club Dining and Freedom Dining.
If you’d like to grab something on the go, P&O offers a variety of casual eateries. Each ship features a buffet restaurant offering a wide selection of dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For instance, Horizon on Britannia serves meals and snacks from 6:30 am to 2:00 am, with daily themes such as Indian, Mediterranean or the best of British. For quick bites by the pool, there are options like the Lido Grill, which serves grilled items like burgers, kebabs, and classic fish and chips, and The Pizzeria, which offers freshly baked pizzas throughout the day.
P&O Cruises offers a diverse array of speciality dining venues across its fleet, providing you with unique culinary experiences beyond the main dining room. Sindhu is an Indian restaurant serving a fusion of authentic Indian flavours with a British twist. The Epicurean is a fine dining venue offering a sophisticated menu with contemporary European dishes. The Olive Grove, which can be found on Iona and Arvia, is a Mediterranean-style restaurant serving dishes inspired by the cuisines of the Mediterranean region. The ever-popular Glass House is a wine bar and restaurant offering a selection of wines paired with a tapas-style menu. The Limelight Club combines fine dining with live entertainment, featuring performances by guest artists.
There are many bars and lounges for you to choose from onboard. Some notable venues include Anderson’s Bar, which is known for its extensive gin selection, including the exclusive Marabelle Gin crafted on board, and The Crow’s Nest, which offers panoramic views and is ideal for pre-dinner drinks or a quiet evening with a cocktail. Elsewhere, you’ll find The Keel & Cow, a gastropub serving craft beers and hearty dishes, The Limelight Club, which combines fine dining with live entertainment, and the East Bar, which is situated at Arcadia’s highest point, invites guests to indulge in a colonial-style ambience while savouring coffees or sundowners while complimented by stunning views.
P&O Cruises offers a variety of drinks packages. You can choose from the Refresh Drinks Package, which includes soft drinks on tap and fruit juice; the Alcohol-Free Drinks Package, which includes non-alcoholic beers, ciders, cocktails, wines and spirits, as well as selected Costa Coffee and teapigs™, an extended range of soft drinks and fruit juices and waters, and the Classic Drinks Package, which includes everything from the Refresh Drinks Package and the Alcohol-Free Drinks package and beers and ciders and selected cocktails, prosecco, wine and spirits. Lastly, the Deluxe Drinks Package, which is P&O Cruises most popular option, includes everything from the Classic Drinks Package, plus beers and ciders, craft beers, an extended range of cocktails, soft drinks, wines and spirits, full range of Costa Coffee and teapigs™ and a 20% discount on excluded drinks.
Kids & Teens
P&O Cruises' five family-friendly ships offer plenty of activities and facilities for kids and teens. The Reef Kid’s Club provides fun, age-appropriate activities for different groups: Splashers (ages 2 - 4) enjoy toys, books and crafts; Surfers (ages 5 - 8) have computer games, movies and puppet shows; Scubas (ages 9 - 12) get air hockey, games and social spaces; and teens (13 - 17) can chill in H2O/Scene with gaming consoles, sports, discos and karaoke. For younger children, there’s a Night Nursery (ages 6 months to 4 years) open until 2:00 am, letting parents enjoy their evening. Families can also enjoy flexible dining with kid-friendly menus, family shows, movies and more. Activities vary by ship, but there’s always something to keep younger cruisers entertained!
Access to The Reef Kid’s Club is included in your cruise fare. The children’s areas can be found on Deck 6 and Deck 17 on Arvia, Deck 6 on Azura, Deck 17 on Britannia, Deck 6 and Deck 17 on Iona and Deck 16 on Ventura.
Relaxation & Fitness
A cruise is the perfect time to relax, and the Oasis Spa & Salon is the perfect place to do so. Treat yourself to calming wellness offerings and let your worries drift away. Treatments include massages, which are provided by skilled therapists and aim to relieve tension, improve circulation and promote relaxation; facials, which use award-winning ELEMIS skincare products to cleanse, nourish and revitalise skin; couples treatments, which allow you to unwind together; and Medi-Spa services, which are advanced aesthetic treatments that aim to rejuvenate. At the Oasis Salon, you can choose from an array of hair services, including hair cuts, colouring and styling, and beauty services, like manicures, pedicures, facials and waxing.
You can also enjoy facilities such as hydrotherapy pools, thermal suites, saunas, steam rooms and heated relaxation beds. For a premium experience, The Retreat offers an exclusive open-air deck area with private cabanas and alfresco spa treatments.
Each P&O ship has a state-of-the-art gym boasting a range of Technogym machines, including bikes, treadmills, cross trainers and steppers, as well as free weights. In addition, there are a range of fitness classes led by expert trainers. These classes range from high-energy spin sessions to calming yoga flows. While some classes are complimentary, others may incur an additional fee. If you prefer outdoor activities, each ship, apart from Ventura, features dedicated jogging and running tracks, allowing for exercise accompanied by stunning sea views.
The Peninsular Club
Did you know you can be rewarded for your loyalty if you choose to sail with P&O Cruises time and time again? The cruise line’s loyalty programme, The Peninsular Club, offers its members incredible benefits like exclusive savings and special offers. The Peninsular Club is simple to join - once you’ve spent at least 15 nights onboard (accumulating 150 points), you’re automatically enrolled as a Pacific Tier member. The loyalty programme has six tiers, named after the oceans and seas cruised by P&O Cruises seven ships: Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Baltic and Ligurian.
As mentioned, you’ll be automatically enrolled as a Pacific tier member after spending 15 nights onboard. Benefits of this tier include an exclusive cruise discount of 5% on specially selected cruises, an exclusive onboard spend discount of 5% on all purchases in the bars, shops, spas, salons and shore excursions and a dedicated loyalty manager, to name a few. You’ll become an Atlantic Tier member when you’ve spent 51 nights at sea. At this level, you’ll enjoy an exclusive onboard spend discount of 7.5%, an Atlantic tier lapel pin, and a dedicated onboard loyalty manager for any questions you may have, alongside many other benefits. Once you’ve spent more than 201 nights at sea, you’ll be enrolled as a Caribbean tier member. Caribbean tier benefits include an exclusive discount of 10% on bespoke P&O Cruises travel insurance, priority booking on new programmes prior to general release and access to priority check-in at P&O Cruises homeport. Baltic members will have spent more than 251 nights at sea, plus 80 to 200 nights onboard P&O Cruises in the last three years. Benefits include priority booking on new programmes prior to general release, an Officer-hosted fine dining event with fellow Caribbean tier members and access to priority check-in at P&O Cruises homeport. Finally, guests who have sailed more than 251 nights and enjoyed more than 201 nights onboard in the last three years will enter the Ligurian tier. Benefits include exclusive invitations to inaugural events, annual gifts, priority disembarkation and much, much more. To see what’s included in each tier in more detail, please click here.
What’s more, when you book through ROL Cruise, you’ll earn Cruise Miles® and gain benefits from The Peninsular Club.
P&O Cruises Destinations
P&O Cruises sails to over 200 destinations across 70 countries worldwide. These include incredible regions like the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Atlantic Islands. With so many itineraries to choose from, you can explore some of the world’s most iconic landmarks.
Designed to enrich your journey, P&O Cruises offers an array of shore excursions. In Livorno, Italy, you can explore the iconic cities of Florence and Pisa, marvelling at architectural masterpieces, embark on a RIB safari in Ålesund, Norway or kayak along the majestic Los Gigantes cliffs in Tenerife.
Types of Cruises
P&O Cruises, awarded Best Cruise Line for No-Fly Cruise Holidays and Best Cruise Line for Family Holidays at the British Travel Awards 2023, offers a diverse range of cruise experiences to suit every traveller. Families can enjoy tailored activities, kid’s clubs and entertainment on ships like Iona, Britannia and Arvia, while adults seeking tranquillity can choose the serene, adult-only ships Arcadia and Aurora. Other options include short breaks, themed cruises and extensive world cruises, with no-fly itineraries departing directly from Southampton. Whether it’s a family adventure, a peaceful retreat or an immersive journey, P&O Cruises delivers award-winning holidays for all.
