Cruise Holidays Irish Cruise Blog

Princess Anne to Join P&O Cruises Celebrations

P&O Cruises today announced that Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal will conduct a review of the P&O Cruises fleet as part of The Grand Event on Tuesday July 3, 2012. Princess Anne will take centre stage to what will be the pinnacle to celebrations which mark 175 years of heritage.

The Royal family has long been linked with P&O Cruises with Her Majesty the Queen naming Oriana at her launch in 1995 and Princess Anne named Aurora in 2000 and Oceana in 2003.

Her Royal Highness will visit Southampton and join guests on Oriana. Following the reception, she will sail on THV Patricia, one of the vessels of Trinity House, a maritime charity where the Princess Royal is a Master of the Corporation.

Each of the seven ships in the P&O Cruises fleet will then depart on a Grand Event cruise and passengers on board will enjoy a special deck party to see them off in style with flutterfetti and daytime pyrotechnics from the quayside. They will leave their berths in Southampton in order and process down the Solent into Southampton Water.

The P&O Cruises fleet will then move into formation to pass THV Patricia at Charlie Anchorage and salute HRH The Princess Royal as they are photographed from the air before they sail onwards to their various destinations.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “We are honoured to have HRH The Princess Royal visit us on this, one of the most significant days in our history, as all our seven ships gather in their home port on the same day for the first time ever to celebrate 175 years of heritage. As one of our esteemed godmothers* she is intrinsically linked with P&O Cruises and we are privileged that she has agreed to conduct our Fleet Review.

“Thousands of people are expected to line the shores to witness this historical occasion, joining over 15,000 passengers and 6000 crew on board the seven ships.
“I am sure that this magnificent Fleet Review with Her Royal Highness in celebration of 175 years of heritage will go down in British maritime history, providing long lasting memories as we look forward to the next stage in our company’s history, with a new ship being launched in 2015.”

The Grand Event is part of a year of celebrations in 2012, marking 175 years of heritage. P&O Cruises can trace its roots back to 1837 when the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company was awarded the Admiralty contract to carry mail to the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. Today P&O Cruises has a fleet of seven ships offering cruise holidays tailored to British tastes.

Guests onboard the seven cruises celebrating the anniversary will have a host of event to look forward to including special on board entertainment, a 175th Anniversary gala dinner, heritage art display, guest speakers, heritage presentations and more. There will also be a price draw on each cruise for one couple to win a full world cruise of their choice in 2013.

P&O Cruises Promise Cocktail of Cruises in 2013

P&O Cruises have promised a cocktail of cruise holidays for 2013.

The comments came as P&O Cruise celebrated its 175th anniversary with the unveiling of an exclusively made cocktail set to go on sale across the company's fleet.

Fans were treated to a special taste of the new drink at the Bombay Sapphire bar in London, with the new cocktail proving one of a number of additions to the P&O stable.

Ms Marlow promised that 2013 would bring a "really broad programme of cruises with a carefully considered range of onboard experiences and themes" for holidaymakers.

The new cocktail offering, Brodie's Bombay Cooler, is among these new additions.

Mixing gin with elderflower, cranberry juice and tonic water, the drink gets its name from P&O Cruises co-founder Brodie McGhie Wilcox.

It represents one of the many new additions to the firm's holiday mix, with 200 new cruises set to be offered through the firm from March 2013.

Among the highlights on offer will be a special series of seven Strictly Come Dancing cruise performances and the arrival of chef Marco Pierre White aboard the company's fleet.

Sri Lanka - Cruise Holiday Hotspot

The arrival of the P&O Cruises vessel the Arcadia in Sri Lanka could be the first of many in the region, according to tourism officials.

The Southern Asian nation is the latest region to be hit by the cruise holiday bug, following the emergence of the industry in regions like the United Arab Emirates.

Arcadia’s arrival represents a major coup for Sri Lankan tourist officials too, with an estimated 2,100 visitors on board, according to news360lk.

This influx of holidaymakers is likely to provide a major boost to the Sri Lankan economy, with passengers set to disembark at the Colombo Port.

The Arcadia is arguably one of the most luxurious cruise ships of its type, with a total of 11 decks offering restaurants, a gym, an auditorium and a state-of-the-art swimming pool.

According to a statement from the Sri Lanka Tourism:“Having set sail from the UK on the 3rd of January this year, the vessel was berthed at Cochin, India, just before resuming its journey to Colombo.”

The arrival could be the first of many to the country though, with 20 luxury ships already confirmed for the coming year and a record figure of 950,000 tourists expected.

Is Sri Lanka somewhere you would like to visit?

Strictly Stars join P&O Cruises

Exciting news for ‘Strictly’ fans, you can now join the stars of the show next summer on two P&O Cruises holidays.

P&O Cruises will have top names from the highly-rated BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing on two Oriana cruises – a 12 night Canary Islands cruise on May 28 and a 14 night Fjords cruise on July 14. Passengers can learn how to jive, foxtrot, rumba, quickstep and more from the professionals and join acerbic judge Craig Revel-Horwood for a night in the theatre.

As some of Strictly’s most loved professionals show off their award-winning routines, passengers will also be able to see a collection of the exquisitely intricate costumes worn by the celebrities and stars this series.

P&O Cruises’ managing director, Carol Marlow said: “We are so excited to bring the magic of the Strictly ballroom to Oriana this summer. Our passengers will be able to learn with the professional dancers, watch extraordinary show dances and hear some of the secrets of this global phenomenon.”

Richard Halliwell, Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with The Stars’ commercial brand director, said: “The Strictly brand is very well suited to an ocean cruise given the heady mixture of elegance, romance, high-class entertainment and exhilarating destinations. We’re very excited about this new adventure with P&O Cruises and I believe Craig Revel-Horwood has already packed his bags!”

Prices for Oriana’s X206 12 night Canary Islands cruise departing May 28 start at £1,349 per person. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Ponta Delgada, Horta, Madeira, Gran Canaria, Lisbon and Vigo.

Prices for Oriana’s X212 14 night Fjords cruise departing July 14 start at £1,599 per person. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Stavanger, Alesund, Trondheim, cruise in Trondheimsfjord, Ny Alesund, Tromso, Bergen, Eidfjord and cruise in Hardangerfjord.

P&O Cruises adds seven new cruises in 2012

P&O Cruises has added seven new cruise itineraries in 2012, all departing from and returning to Southampton.

The cruises range from a three night cruise break on Ventura to a 28 night Caribbean cruise on Adonia. Also included are itineraries to the Canary Islands, Western Mediterranean and Atlantic Coast.

The new cruises are:

Ventura:

N217N, three night cruise break, July 20 - 23, 2012
Southampton, Zeebrugge, St Peter Port, Southampton
Prices from £349 per person

N217P, four night cruise break, July 23 – 27, 2012
Southampton, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, St Peter Port, Southampton
Prices from £449 per person


Adonia:

D215N, 15 night Western Mediterranean cruise, October 7 - 22, 2012
Southampton, Alicante, Barcelona, Sete, Livorno, Alghero, Port Mahan, Gibraltar, La Coruna, Southampton
Prices from £1,649 per person

D216N, 13 night Canary Island cruise, October 22 – November 4, 2012
Southampton, Madeira, La Palma, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Tangiers, Lisbon, Southampton
Prices from £1,349 per person

D217N, 28 night Caribbean cruise, November 4 - December 9, 2012
Southampton, Madeira, Virgin Gorda, St Maarten, Antigua, Martinique, Barbados, Grenada, Bonaire, Aruba, St Vincent, St Lucia, St Kitts, Tortola, Ponta Delgada, Southampton
Prices from £2,599 per person

D218N, 14 night Atlantic coast cruise, December 9 - 23, 2012
Southampton, Madeira, La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Casablanca, Cadiz, Lisbon, Southampton
Prices from £1,329 per person


Oriana:

X301N, 24 night Caribbean cruise, January 6 - 30, 2012
Southampton, Ponta, Delgada, St Maarten, Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts, Horta, Southampton
Prices from £1,999 per person

All prices are per person and based on two adults sharing on a full board basis including all main meals and entertainment.

P&O reveals celebrity performers

P&O Cruises has just announced a number of special guest entertainers for three cruises this winter!

Sixties pop group The Searchers, lead singer of the Drifters Ray Lewis and Abba tribute band Voulez Vous will entertain passengers on board Oceana during November and December. The vessel will sail year round from the UK for the first time this winter, to destinations such as the Canary Islands, Egypt and Greece.

The Searchers will perform on a 24-night eastern Mediterranean cruise departing on November 21, as part of a wider 60s and 70s theme for the cruise and former lead singer with the Drifters Ray Lewis will perform with his act Still Drifting on a 12-night Canary Islands Christmas cruise. Meanwhile, Voulez Vous will sing on board a 12-night Canary Islands New Year cruise, which departs on December 27.

Gareth Gates to perform on P&O Cruises' Oceana

 

Pop Idol star Gareth Gates is to perform on a two night cruise holiday on board P&O Cruises Oceana departing September 3, 2011.

Gareth will perform three shows in the 500-seat Footlights theatre on board. His performances will include his hit singles such as Spirit in the Sky, Anyone of Us, and his version of Unchained Melody – the second biggest selling single of the last decade. There will also be opportunities after the shows for photos and autographs.

The cruise departs from and returns to Southampton and calls in Bruges, from Zeebrugge. Balcony cabins are available and priced from £406 per person based on two sharing on a full board basis including all main meals and entertainment including the Gareth Gates performance.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “Entertainment is one of the key elements of any cruise holiday and we are proud of our vast range of entertainment and guest appearances. Gareth is a worldwide pop star and we are very excited to have him perform on board Oceana. We are sure he will be a great hit with passengers on this weekend cruise.”

Gareth Gates said: “I’m really excited about performing on board Oceana, I’ve never been on a cruise ship before but I’ve always wanted to and so this is going to be a fantastic experience for me.”

P&O Launch Competition to Dispel Cruise Myths

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

P&O Cruises have launched a controversial competition for anti-cruisers and the top 6 winner’s will be sent on a nine-day Pacific Islands cruise with their experience’s on board to be filmed. To enter all they have to do is upload a video explaining why they are anti-cruise.

P&O Cruises said the competition is designed to overcome the believed misconceptions people have about cruising holidays.

P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world starting back in 1837 and consists of a fleet of seven the newest being Adonia launched in May 2011:

These are the ships that make up the P&O fleet: Adonia -Acadia -Aurora -Azura -Oceana -Ventura -Oriana.

“We know from our research that some people hesitate to take a cruise because they are concerned about getting sea sick,” said Jenny Lourey, senior vice president of Carnival Australia. “Others think they’ll be bored and there are some who don’t want to spend days getting to a destination. They are exactly the kind of people we want to enter this competition.”

”The campaign will change people’s perception of cruising by dispelling common myths. We are confident that once we put people with such doubts on a cruise they’ll change their perception of cruising,” she added.

Is this competition a good idea?

P&O Cruises announce exotic itinerary for 2013

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

P&O Cruises is offering a new collection of exotic fly-cruise holidays on four ships in early 2013. 50 new holidays are on offer on Adonia, Arcadia, Aurora and Azura.

These exotic cruises are presented in a new Winter Holidays brochure, combined with cruises on the other three ships in the P&O Cruises fleet – Oceana, Oriana and Ventura – offering holidays throughout the winter to the Caribbean, Canary Islands and Mediterranean. All cruises in the Winter Holidays brochure can be booked from July 15, 2011.

 

The new exotic fly-cruise holidays combine iconic, far-flung destinations and start from just 13 nights in duration and £989 per person, based on Azura’s Mumbai to Singapore, calling in Colombo, Langkawi, Bangkok (from Laem Chabang) and Singapore.

Free on board spending money, which increases per person depending on the grade of cabin booked, and Early Booking savings are available for bookings made before November 30, 2011. In addition, an extra 10% discount is available for bookings made by August 31, 2011.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “These exotic fly-cruise holidays are perfect for those who unfortunately can’t be away for more than a few weeks but want to explore a particular part of the world, on a cruise that is tailor made to combine some of the world’s most exciting destinations.

“No other kind of holiday offers the chance to visit destinations such as Singapore, Bali, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney in little more than two weeks without having to live out of a backpack or take several long flights. Passengers simply wake up in all these different destinations and the days in between are spent relaxing at sea. It is a leisurely way to explore the world and one that more and more people are enjoying each year.

“Time of year is a key factor when choosing a holiday and with more people taking a winter holiday it was a logical step for us to introduce this new brochure which contains all our winter programme between October to April 2012/13.”

 

Dame Shirley Bassey Names Adonia

Posted by Susan O’Driscoll

Britain’s favourite female performer, Dame Shirley Bassey, named P&O Cruises’ latest ship Adonia, in a ceremony in Southampton yesterday.

“I name this ship Adonia, may God bless her and all who sail in her.”

Aided by master of ceremonies, actor and star of Downtown Abbey, Hugh Bonneville, around 500 guests witnessed the celebrations with afternoon tea, Hush Heath sparkling wine and tributes to Dame Shirley in performances of her greatest hits.

“I have had the most exciting career imaginable, but to be invited to be Godmother to a cruise ship is something very special and very personal,” said Dame Shirley.

“Dame Shirley is Britain’s most successful female artiste ever, a national treasure who defines the word ‘superstar’ and she is now one of our most celebrated godmothers. With Dame Shirley’s blessing I am sure Adonia will have a long and illustrious time with P&O Cruises and become a favourite within the fleet as she charms all those who sail on her,” said P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow.

Adonia provides an extensive range of on board facilities, yet carrying just 710 passengers is small enough to be able to reach off the beaten track ports of call.  Exclusively for adults, Adonia will offer an atmosphere that is intimate and refined – and the on board excellence for which the company is renowned. 

Speaking at the naming Ms Marlow said: “It is by no means for the first time that we have been able to claim that we are bucking the trend and going against the fashion of the time. Most cruise lines - including P&O Cruises - have gone down the road of building bigger ships with an extraordinary level of choice and range of facilities. But we also appreciate that whilst larger ships offer a special experience, and definitely have their place in cruising, there is still a role for smaller ships which offer passengers a more intimate ambience and experience - and not just on-board. They can be used as pathfinder ships exploring those ocean routes less travelled, to intriguing ports and destinations that see few if any other cruise ships including Zadar in Croatia, Koper in Slovenia and Savona in Italy.”

Adonia’s maiden cruise holiday on Sunday May 22 is a 16 night cruise to the Western Mediterranean, which includes calls to Alghero in Sardinia; Portofino in Italy; Sete in France; Port Mahon in Menorca and Barcelona in Spain.