P&O Cruises celebrates 175 years of heritage in spectacular style with Royal fleet review

PandO Cruises - Adonia, Arcadia, Aurora, Azura, Oceana, Oriana, and Ventura Rendezous in Southampton

Southampton, July 4^th 2012: P&O Cruises yesterday celebrated 175 years of heritage with a ‘Grand Event’ in its home port of Southampton.  The company’s seven ships were welcomed into port by ship’s Godmother Darcey Bussell for a day of celebrations. HRH Princess Royal later conducted a Royal Fleet Review as the ships departed in formation in the Solent, after a spectacular ‘flutterfetti’ and firework evening send-off.
 
The seven ships – Adonia, Arcadia, Aurora, Azura, Oceana, Oriana, and Ventura – with a combined gross tonnage of 569,000 tonnes, arrived into Southampton at dawn, marking the first-ever occasion all seven P&O Cruises ships have gathered together in their home port. 
 
On the aft deck of Azura, Darcey Bussell, who named the ship in 2010, was photographed with seven ship’s officers including the master of the ship, Captain Keith Dowds, and the commodore of the fleet, Steve Burgoine.
HRH The Princess Royal was greeted on the quayside and presented with a posy of flowers by Captain Ian Hutley's daughter, 12 year old Georgia. Later, HRH The Princess Royal was greeted by the seven ship’s captains in a special ceremony.  Her Royal Highness, godmother to two P&O Cruises ships, enjoyed a VIP reception on board Oriana, with P&O Cruises  consultant chefs Marco Pierre White and Atul Kochhar and  wine expert Olly Smith in attendance, as well as a special cake baked by celebrity patissier Eric Lanlard. 
 
With 2,600 bottles of champagne and 1,750 whole lobster loaded on board, passengers enjoyed deck parties as the ships sailed away. 
 
Once in formation, the ships were reviewed by HRH The Princess Royal, who was on board the Trinity House vessel Patricia.  HRH The Princess Royal was escorted by the Royal Navy’s newest Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dragon.   
 
After taking the Royal salute the seven ships went on their separate ways on seven anniversary cruises around the world, including the Mediterranean, the Baltic, Scandinavia and the Canary Islands. 
 
In a complex logistical operation, 15,000 passengers disembarked and 15,000 new passengers embarked throughout the ‘Grand Event’ day.  An estimated 30,000 spectators gathered at vantage points around Southampton Water to watch the departure of the ships. The whole event brought £17 million to the local Southampton economy.  
 
P&O Cruises managing director Carol Marlow said: “Our ‘Grand Event’ celebrations were a truly impressive spectacle, and we were honoured to be joined by HRH The Princess Royal, godmother to two of our ships, to carry out our Royal Review.  During our 175 years of heritage, the ships and crew have been at the cutting edge of maritime and cruising innovation, served with distinction as troop carriers in several wars, and, most importantly, offered our passengers a superb cruising experience year in and year out.
 
“We were delighted to see so many people lining the shore to witness our historical event – in spite of rather grey weather! The whole day was a fantastic celebration of the past and present, looking forward to the future of Britain’s best-known and best-loved cruise line.”

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P&O 7 Ships in Southampton on July 3rd.

P&O Cruises Ventura - One of the many ships partaking in the Grand Event.

P&O Cruises can trace its roots back to 1837 and this year is celebrating 175 years of heritage. The Grand Event on Tuesday July 3 is part of these celebrations, with all seven ships in Southampton for the first time. Thousands of people are expected to line the shore to witness this historical occasion, joining the 14,000 passengers and 6000 crew on board the seven ships.

A map showing all the best vantage points and times to witness The Grand Event sailaway has been released. Starting with the sailaway from Southampton, the map charts the progress of the seven ships out into the Solent, meaning that onlookers and well-wishers can secure themselves a good spot to observe the historical event.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “This day is 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. As we look forward to exciting plans for our next new ship in 2015, it is fitting to be celebrating our past as it has helped us become known as Britain’s trusted cruise experts.”

As each ship departs on its own Grand Event cruise, passengers on board will enjoy a special deck party to see them off in style. The ships will then form a procession as they leave Southampton and head down the Solent. Where the channel widens, the ships will move into a formation to be photographed from the air before they sail onwards to their various destinations.

Departing on July 3, 2012, all seven cruises will be heritage themed with special on board entertainment including a 175^th Anniversary Gala dinner, heritage display, guest speakers and more.  There will also be a prize draw on each cruise for one couple on each ship to win a full world cruise of their choice in 2013.

Limited availability remains on the following Grand Event cruises:

 A 17-night Central Mediterranean cruise on Ventura (N216) priced from ￡1,999 pp. Calling in Malaga, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Split, Palma, Lisbon and Vigo.

 A 17-night Baltic cruise on Aurora (R208) priced from ￡1,995 pp. Calling in Gothenburg, Copenhagen (two full days), Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg (two full days), Tallinn, Riga, Oslo and Hamburg (overnight and full day).

 A 21-night Central Mediterranean cruise on Adonia (D208) priced from ￡2,673 pp. Calling in La Coruna, Dubrovnik, Zadar, Venice (full day and evening), Koper, Durres, Corfu, Tunis (from La Goulette), Malaga and Huelva.

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P&0 Cruises Releases New Book to Celebrate 175th Anniversary

P&O Cruises has announced the publication of a special book commissioned to celebrate 175 years of maritime heritage. P&O Cruises: celebrating 175 years of heritage, tells the official story of one of Britain’s oldest, yet even today best-loved brands. The cruise line’s ships have seen service in two world wars and the Falklands war, and, in peace time, have inspired loyalty and great affection in their passengers.

Looking forward, P&O Cruises has a bright future with yet another new ship on the horizon and this new book celebrates the remarkable history and future of the line, combining British innovation with glamour and service excellence.

The book, by Sharon Poole and Andrew Sassoli-Walker, covers the history of the company since 1837, when the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company won a lucrative mail contract to the Iberian Peninsula. Not long afterwards the concept of cruising was born and since then has evolved into a mainstream holiday choice.

The authors, keen maritime historians, who have previously published the definitive history of P&O Cruises’ Artemis, give a compelling account of the company’s varied and impressive history, highlighting key milestones in the history of P&O Cruises and intriguing personal stories and anecdotes from the early days of first-class cruises in the nineteenth century to Canberra’s crucial role in the 1982 Falklands war, to the current day logistics and running of a major cruise line, and then on to the future with a new ship planned for 2015.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “We are delighted that this fascinating book will be part of our anniversary celebrations in 2012. We can trace our roots back 175 years and during that time our ships and crews have been at the cutting edge of maritime and cruising innovation, served with distinction in several conflicts, and, most importantly, offered our customers a cruising experience that they have loved, year in and year out. We have seen countless weddings, honeymoons and proposals on board, along with all manner of other remarkable events. It’s excellent to have a book which sheds some light on some of these personal stories, as well as the current day operation of our brand and our ships.”

“The anniversary will be celebrated on 3 July 2012, when for the first time in the company’s history, our entire fleet of seven ships will be docked together for our ‘Grand Event’ in Southampton. After a spectacular send-off, the ships will form a procession in the Solent as they depart for seven special anniversary cruises.”

Further pivotal moments covered in the book are:

- In 1844, P&O ships were offering tourists passages to Gibraltar, Malta, Athens, Constantinople and Egypt, establishing P&O as one of the world’s first cruise companies. In that year, the author William Thackeray was also offered a free voyage – the first ‘press trip’ – if he would write about his experience for the company, bringing welcome publicity to P&O.

- In 1904, P&O introduced Vectis as its first full-time cruise ship and in the same year offered its first cruise holiday programme – a first class only cruise with shore excursions arranged by Thomas Cook.

- By the 1920s, cruising had become a huge part of the company’s business and, post-war, the company grew this business on the back of its lucrative ‘Ten-Pound Pom’ contracts with the Australian government. - In 1929 - P&O launched Viceroy of India, its first turbo electric-powered ship and the first to have an indoor swimming pool.

- By 1981, P&O Cruises Canberra was carrying almost half of all cruise passengers from the UK, and in 1982, Canberra – along with Cunard’s QE2 and the Uganda from P&O Cruises educational cruise brand British India – was requisitioned by the British Government for the Falklands War.

- Post-Falklands, P&O Cruises began to expand with new vessels. Today, the company has seven cruise ships - Adonia, Arcadia, Aurora, Azura, Oceana, Oriana and Ventura. The ships’ celebrity godmothers include HM The Queen, HRH The Princess Royal, Dame Kelly Holmes, Dame Helen Mirren, Darcey Bussell CBE and Dame Shirley Bassey.- A further new addition to the fleet is being planned and will be launched in 2015, to cater for the future needs of P&O Cruises passengers.

P&O Cruises: celebrating 175 years of heritage by Sharon Poole and Andrew Sassoli-Walker £25 – 978-1-4456-0596-8 – Paperback.

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P&O Cruises Adds Seven New Cruises In 2012

Reflecting an increased demand in cruise holidays that start in and return to the UK 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 seven new cruises which are included in the new Winter 2012/2013 brochure are part of the P&O Cruises 175th Anniversary Sale, which offers up to 10% discount on all 249 cruises in the Summer 2012 and Winter 2012/13 brochures on bookings made between December 1, 2011, and February 29, 2012.

So in cementing its reputation as leader of ex-UK cruising, P&O Cruises can confirm that from winter 2012, Oriana, Adonia and Oceana will sail year round from Southampton. The three ships will sail on cruises of two to 35 nights duration.

Research conducted by the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) found that in 2010, ex-UK cruises out performed the UK cruise market growth overall, growing by 10% and accounted for 40% of the cruises taken by British Passengers.

A recent survey conducted by P&O Cruises on their Facebook page supports these findings with 40% of respondents stating they preferred cruising from Southampton due to the fact the ‘holiday starts as soon as you arrive’.

A further 20% favoured cruising from Southampton because there are no baggage restrictions, 12% selected ‘ease of embarkation’ as their favourite thing about cruising from Southampton, while 6% like that ‘no flying’ is involved.

The new, ex-UK 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.

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P&O Cruises Announce 2012/2013 Winter Cruise Program From Southampton

P&O Cruises has doubled its ex-UK capacity next year from one ship to two as both Oceana and Oriana sail from Southampton throughout winter 2012/13 on cruises of two to 35 nights duration.

Oceana’s second year of winter cruising from Southampton includes, for the first time, two short cruises for Christmas and New Year. These cruises offer the chance to spend Boxing Day in Copenhagen or New Year’s Eve in Amsterdam, for some authentic festive celebrations whilst only being away for four or seven days.

Oriana will offer seven ex-UK cruises including a 10 night Baltic cruise in December calling in popular Christmas market destinations such as Copenhagen and Hamburg; and a 12 night Canary Islands cruise in late January to ports including Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Casablanca.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “P&O Cruises already offers the greatest choice of ex-UK cruises and next winter will have 39 roundtrip cruises from Southampton from October to April. A growing number of people are keen to holiday in the winter, but don’t necessarily want to fly, so this additional range of cruises from Southampton will increase their options sill further. Convenience is a key booking factor for our passengers, with travelling to Southampton so easy – and then their holiday starts right away.”

This is in addition to the four winter world cruises from January to April 2012, from and to Southampton, including Azura’s maiden world cruise.

Ship/itinerary winter ex-UK highlights, October 2012 – April 2013:

Adonia

· Sailing one ex-UK cruise from October 2012 to April 2013
· Prices from £2129 per person for the 16 night Atlantic Island cruise departing December 2012

Arcadia

· Sailing five ex-UK cruises from October 2012 to April 2013
· Itineraries range from a 10 night Atlantic coast cruise to a 23 night Caribbean transatlantic
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, Atlantic coast and Atlantic islands
· Prices from £879 per person for a 10 night Atlantic coast cruise departing in October 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 20 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise departing November 2012 with prices starting from £1,779 per person

Aurora

· Sailing five ex-UK cruises from October 2012 to April 2013
· Itineraries range from a two night cruise break to a 23 night Mediterranean cruise
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Europe and the Caribbean
· Prices from £239 per person for a two night cruise break in October 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 17 night Central Mediterranean cruise with prices starting from £1,499 per person

Azura

· Sailing seven ex-UK cruises from October 2012 to April 2013
· Itineraries range from a two night cruise break to a 24 night Caribbean cruise
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Europe, Caribbean, Atlantic Islands and Atlantic coast
· Prices from £239 per person for a two night cruise break departing December 2012
· Highlight cruises include an 11 night Atlantic Coast cruise departing in December 2012 with prices starting from £869 per person

Oceana

· Sailing 11 ex-UK cruises from October 2012 to April 2013
· Itineraries range from a two night cruise break to a 35 night Caribbean cruise. Also including a seven night Christmas cruise to Belgium, Denmark and Sweden, and a four night New Year cruise to Belgium and The Netherlands
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Europe, Atlantic Islands and the Caribbean
· Prices from £239 per person for a two night cruise departing in December 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 35 night Caribbean round trip departing January 2013 with prices from £2,899 per person

Oriana

· Sailing seven ex-UK cruises from October 2012 to April 2013
· Itineraries range from a 10 night Baltic cruise to a 35 night Caribbean cruise
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Atlantic Islands, Baltic and the Caribbean
· Prices from £779 per person for a 10 night Baltic cruise in December 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 12 night Atlantic Islands cruise departing in January 2013 with prices from £999 per person

Ventura

· Sailing three ex-UK cruises from October 2012 to April 2013
· Itineraries range from a two night cruise beak to a 14 night Mediterranean cruise
· Cruising to Mediterranean, Europe and Atlantic Islands
· Prices from £239 for a two night party cruise departing October 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 14 night Western Mediterranean cruise departing in October 2012 with prices starting from £1,299 per person

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P&O Oriana Drops 3 Sailings

P&O Cruises has cancelled a number of pre-Christmas cruises on the Oriana due to a scheduled drydocking.

The ship is scheduled to drydock in November to be converted to “adults only,” but it now appears the drydock will run longer than anticipated, prompting P&O to cancel a number of December sailings on the 1995-built ship.

P&O Cruises has announced that when Oriana is transformed into a ship exclusively for adults in November 2010, the ship will feature a different select dining restaurant, Ocean Grill by Marco Pierre White.

Oriana will undergo a transformation which will see the addition of 27 new cabins, including balconies and singles, in place of the current children’s areas. Sorrento, a stylish new, light and airy Italian restaurant with ocean views and an outdoor dining area will be added, the Oasis Spa will be updated, and the deck 8 aft children’s pool will be replaced with a relaxing seating area complemented by the existing deck bar.

P&O is offering booked passengers alternatives on other ships.

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P&O Offers Warm Weather Cruising From Southampton All Winter Long

P&O Cruises has confirmed several special guest entertainers for three highlight cruises this winter. Legendary pop group, The Searchers; Drifters lead singer, Ray Lewis, with his act Still Drifting, and the ultimate Abba tribute band, Voulez Vous, will entertain passengers on board Oceana in November and December.

Family friendly ship Oceana will cruise year round from the UK for the first time this winter, visiting destinations with guaranteed warm weather and winter sunshine, such as the Canary Islands, Egypt and Greece.

Legendary pop group, The Searchers, will perform on a 24-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise departing on November 21. The band will perform as part of a wider 60’s and 70’s theme for the cruise, also launching a new production show by the onboard headliners theatre company.

Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Cadiz, Alexandria, Cairo / Giza (from Port Said), Limassol, Haifa, Ashdod, Athens (from Piraeus), Katakolon, Messina, Valencia and Lisbon. Prices are from £1,944 per person based on two sharing.

Ex-Drifters lead singer, Ray Lewis, will perform with his act Still Drifting on a 12 night Canary Islands Christmas cruise, departing December 15. This cruise will take all the effort out of Christmas, with carol-singing at sailaway, festive decorations throughout the ship, Santa's Grotto for children, a pantomime performance, parties for all ages, gift and of course, Christmas dinner with all the trimmings.

Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Madeira, La Palma, Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lisbon. Christmas Eve is spent in Lisbon and Christmas Day is at sea. Prices are from £1,319 per person based on two sharing.

Ultimate Abba tribute band, Voulez Vouz, will perform on board a 12 night Canary Islands New Year cruise departing December 27. The band will perform on New Year’s Eve providing a real highlight, alongside the spectacular Tenerife fireworks display. New Year’s Eve is celebrated on board with a black tie ball and countdowns in all bars.

Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Oporto, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Madeira and Lisbon. Prices are from £1,359 per person based on two sharing.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “These cruises are an excellent choice for those who want to enjoy some winter sun but still want to benefit from all the conveniences of sailing from the UK – no flights, no airports and the holiday starts as soon as you get on board. Our cruises are a home away from home and with a unique party atmosphere on board, are the perfect choices for the festive season.”

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P&O Offers Free Nights on Select Cruises.

P&O Cruises has 20,000 free cruise nights available on 2011 holidays of seven nights and more. The offer is available on the remaining 2011 holidays departing between August and December 31. Bookings must be made by September 30, 2011.

One free cruise night represents savings of 14% on a seven night cruise.

P&O Cruises managing director Carol Marlow said: “It’s not too late to enjoy a cruise holiday this year and these offers present exceptional value for money on holidays to the Mediterranean, Caribbean, USA and the Canary Islands.

“We have the ship and holiday to suit everyone – whether you want to sail from Southampton or fly and join a ship in Barbados, Savona or Athens; whether you want a ship that’s family friendly or exclusively for adults; large or small. Whatever you choose – one night will be free.”

For the first time this year, family friendly ship Oceana is offering year-round cruises from Southampton, making it possible to enjoy a winter holiday in the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Caribbean and USA, without flying.

A 12 night Canary Islands cruise on board Oceana departing November 9, 2011 (E130) is priced from £952 per person including a one free night saving of £86 per person*. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are La Coruna, Madeira, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Cadiz and Lisbon.

All bookings must be made before September 30, 2011.

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P&O Offers 2012 Cruise Discounts

P&O Cruises offers a 15% discount and free on board spending money on 2012 holidays

Early booking discounts of up to 15% and free on board spending money of up to £700 per person, is being offered by P&O Cruises throughout July for those booking early on 2012 holidays.

The offers are available for bookings made before July 31, 2011, on all holidays from January 2012 to March 2013, published in the P&O Cruises 2012 second edition brochure, out now.

This is a collection of 215 holidays on all seven ships, visiting 84 countries and 255 individual destinations, including 13 new ports.

A 14 night Western Mediterranean cruise on board Oceana (E224) departing October 17, 2012, is priced from £1,099 per person (was £1,299) including a 15% discount, and also includes £60 per person free on board spending money.

Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Cadiz, Barcelona, Villefranche, Florence/Pisa (from Livorno), Rome (from Civitavecchia), Alicante and Gibraltar.

The maximum saving on seven night cruises is £100 per person (all seven night southern and northern cruise breaks) and £40 free on board spending money.

P&O Cruises can trace its roots back to 1837 and will be celebrating 175 years of ocean travel in 2012. On July 3 2012 all seven ships will be together in Southampton for the first time ever for The Grand Event and the subsequent seven Grand Event cruises will be heritage themed with special on board entertainment including a 175th Anniversary Gala dinner, heritage art display, guest speakers and more.

Limited spaces are still available on four of the Grand Event cruises:

· Adonia – a 21-night Central Mediterranean cruise (D208) priced from £3,729
· Arcadia – a 14-night Norway and Iceland cruise (J208) priced from £1,889
· Aurora – a 17-night Baltic cruise (R208) priced from £2,599
· Ventura – a 17-night Central Mediterranean cruise (N216) priced from £1,939

Managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “We have an exciting year in 2012 and we are offering one of our most diverse and adventurous programmes yet, with the greatest choice of ex-UK cruises including 148 round-trip cruises from Southampton.

“Cruising with us is excellent value for money and those who book early get the best choice of ship, cabin, destination and date with the added bonus of early booking discounts and incentives. Plus, if you book now, there is still time to be part of a once in a lifetime historical occasion, with our Grand Event on July 3, 2012.”

For more information or to book call P&O Cruises on 0845 3 554 444, visit www.pocruises.co.uk or see an ABTA travel agent.

Highlights of the 2012 cruises available in the Second Edition 2012 brochure are:




Adonia

· Sailing 12 ex-UK cruises from April to October 2012 and six Mediterranean fly cruises from October to December 2012
· Itineraries range from seven night Fjords to 23 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise
· New ports: Ancona, Brindisi, Durres, Honfleur, Kalmar, Portimao, Pula, Rapallo, San Sebastian, Sanary Sur Mer and Trapani
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Northern & Western Europe and Round Britain
· Prices from £899 per person for a seven night northern cruise break departing in August 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 14 night Central Mediterranean fly cruise departing in October 2012 with prices starting from £1,819 per person

Arcadia

· Sailing 17 ex-UK cruises from April 2012 to January 2013
· Itineraries range from seven night Fjords to 24 night Canada & New England
· New ports: Charlottetown
· Overnight calls in Venice, Istanbul, New York, Quebec and St Petersburg
· Cruising to Mediterranean, Northern Europe, North America, Atlantic coast and Caribbean
· Prices from £779 person for a seven nights Fjords cruise in May 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 20 night Black Sea cruise departing in August 2012 with prices starting from £2,249 per person

Aurora

· Sailing 18 ex-UK cruises from April 2012 to January 2013
· Itineraries range from two night cruise break to 24 night Canada & New England
· New ports: Charlottetown
· Overnight calls in New York, St Petersburg and Quebec
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Northern & Western Europe, the Caribbean and North America
· Prices from £279 per person for a two night cruise break in August 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 24 night Canada & New England roundtrip from Southampton departing in September 2012 with prices starting from £2,599 per person

Azura

· Sailing 24 ex-UK cruises from March 2012 to January 2013
· Itineraries range from two night cruise break to 24 night Black Sea or Caribbean
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Northern & Western Europe, Atlantic Islands and the Caribbean
· Prices from £219 per person for a two night cruise break departing December 2012
· Highlight cruises include an 11 night Atlantic Coast cruise departing in December 2012 with prices starting from £819 per person

Oceana

· Sailing ex-UK all year, 30 cruises from April 2012 to March 2013
· Itineraries range from two night cruise break to 35 night Caribbean cruise. Also including a seven night Christmas cruise to Belgium, Denmark and Sweden, and a four night New Year cruise to Belgium and The Netherlands
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Northern & Western Europe, Atlantic Islands and the Caribbean
· Prices from £219 per person for a two night cruise departing in either September or December
· Highlight cruises include a 35 night Caribbean round trip departing January 2013 with prices from £2,789 per person

Oriana
· Sailing 24 ex-UK cruises from March 2012 to March 2013
Itineraries range from three night cruise break to 35 night Caribbean
· New ports: Rijeka
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Northern & Western Europe, Atlantic Islands and the Caribbean
· Prices from £309 per person for a three night cruise break in May 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 14 night Music Festivals at Sea cruise to the Baltic departing in August 2012 with prices from £1,599 per person

Ventura

· Sailing 21 ex-UK cruises from March to November 2012 and eight Caribbean fly cruises from November 2012 to March 2013
· Sailing two Caribbean transatlantic fly cruises in November 2012 and March 2013
· Itineraries range from two night cruise break to 21 night Caribbean transatlantic cruise
· Cruising to the Mediterranean, Northern & Western Europe, Atlantic Islands and the Caribbean
· Prices from £229 per person for a two night cruise break departing in October 2012
· Highlight cruises include a 14 night Icelandic cruise departing in June 2012 with prices from £1,599 per person
Ends

Note:
Lead in cruise fares are per person and based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin.

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P&O Cruises 3 Ships Embark on Maiden World Cruise in 2013

‘Awe inspiring adventures’ as Azura embarks on maiden world cruise in 2013

The newest P&O Cruises ship and the largest ever in the fleet to embark upon a world cruise will depart in spring 2013. The maiden Azura Grand Odyssey is 110 nights and takes in 32 ports in 19 countries.

The cruise is one of a wide selection in the 2013 World Cruise brochure, which also includes itineraries on board Arcadia, Aurora and Adonia – the latest and smallest ship to have been added to the fleet. At just 710 passengers, Adonia sits at the opposite end of the scale to Azura, which can carry 3,100 passengers.

This is the largest ever P&O Cruises world program, with the four ships visiting 94 destinations in 52 different countries and collectively covering 131,824 nautical miles. The four ships represent a 23% increase in world cruise capacity compared to 2012.

A video news release highlighting the popularity and growth of world cruises is available on the P&O Cruises YouTube channel and Facebook page. It can be downloaded for hosting on independent sites from www.youtube.com/pandocruises.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said: “P&O Cruises knows ocean travel like no other. With every passing year more passengers are attracted to our world cruises, seeing a world cruise as the perfect opportunity to travel the world in comfort and style, choosing a luxury cabin and unlimited luggage over youth hostels and a backpack.

”In 2013 we are offering a selection of awe inspiring adventures, with cruises on some very special ships. These are the ultimate cruises, exploring different parts of the world and providing the holiday of a lifetime always with the ‘P&Oness for which we are renowned.”

The world cruise program offers the best ever value with Early Booking savings and free on board spending money, which increases per person depending on the grade of cabin booked, available for bookings made before November 30, 2011. In addition, an extra 10% discount is available for bookings made by August 31, 2011.

Passengers booking the 110 night Azura Grand Odyssey before August 31, 2011, will receive Early Booking savings of between £800 to £2,000 per person, plus the additional 10% discount, and free on board spending money of between £220 to £1,100 per person (an inside cabin compared with a suite).

In addition to the four full world cruises, 18 line voyages are available on Aurora, Arcadia and Azura. The line voyages go to or from Australia and New Zealand and range from 40 to 69 nights in duration.

Prices are from £3,059 (cruise only) for a 41 night Southampton to Perth (from Fremantle) cruise on Azura, including Early Booking savings of £300 and free on board spending money of £90 per person. The cruise calls in Barcelona, Athens (from Piraeus), Cairo / Giza (from Port Said), transit Suez Canal, Safaga, Dubai, Mumbai, Colombo, Langkawi, Bangkok (from Laem Chabang), Singapore, Bali and Perth (from Fremantle).

Holiday Package Add-ons including flights, transfers and overnight hotel stays where necessary, are available for purchase from £600 per person for the above Southampton to Perth (from Fremantle) package on Azura. Alternatively prices are ‘cruise only’ so that passengers can arrange their own flights and pre or post cruise holiday extensions.

Pre and post cruise city stays are offered in Auckland, Perth, Sydney and Brisbane, priced from £79 per person per night (SkyCity Hotel, Auckland).

The 2013 World Cruise brochure also offers two ‘Boomerang’ cruises – offering a circumnavigation of the globe on two different ships (sail out on one, return with a different) with extended free time in Sydney. The first Boomerang cruise sails from Southampton on Aurora and returns on Azura, after three or four nights in Sydney.

The second Boomerang cruise sails from Southampton on Azura and returns on Arcadia, after two or three nights Sydney.

The Azura Grand Odyssey departs on January 7, 2013, highlights are:

· 110 nights
· 32 destinations in 19 countries
· 36,999 nautical miles
· Cruises via the Middle East, India, Australia, the Far East and South Africa
· Highlight ports of call include Bangkok, Singapore, Bali, Melbourne, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, Mauritius and Cape Town
· Extended two day calls in Dubai, Singapore (two separate calls), Sydney, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Cape Town
· Prices for the 110 night Grand Odyssey are from £8,099 after Early Booking savings plus 10% discount, and includes £220 free on board spending money


“Azura’s maiden world cruise visits many ports of call for the first time – including those in Australia – the home of her Godmother, prima ballerina Darcey Bussell. Her maiden call into Sydney will be celebrated in true P&O Cruises style when we hope to reunite Darcey with her ship for the first time since performing her Godmother duties in April 2010,” continued Marlow.

“This is a classic itinerary featuring some of the most exciting and cultural destinations around the world. The ship itself takes inspiration from around the globe, with an Indian fine dining restaurant, Sindhu, Italian inspired casual restaurants Verona and Venezia, and wines from all over the world selected and served by the glass in The Glass House wine bar.

“These features combined with her variety of bars, restaurants, dance floors, spa, gym, shops, theatre and library make Azura the perfect ship for travelling the world and many of our passengers will be excited to hear that she will be offering her maiden world cruise so soon after entering service.”

The smallest ship in the fleet, Adonia, has her second world cruise in 2013, an 85 night port-rich exploration of South America. Departing on January 8, 2013, highlights are:

· 85 nights
· 35 destinations in 17 countries
· 22,802 nautical miles
· Highlight ports of call include Manaus, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Coquimbo (Chile) and Lima
· Cruises through the Beagle Channel and the Panama Canal
· Sails by Cape Horn, Amalia Glacier and PIO X Glacier
· Return sail to UK via the Caribbean, calling at smaller islands not visited by other ships in the fleet, St. Barts and Virgin Gorda
· Prices for the 85 night South American Odyssey are from £7,649 after Early Booking savings plus 10% discount, and includes £200 free on board spending money


The Aurora World Circumnavigation departs on January 7, 2013, highlights are:

· 106 nights
· 39 destinations in 25 countries
· 37,243 nautical miles
· Cruises via the Caribbean, North America, New Zealand and Australia, Japan, China, India and the Middle East
· Highlight ports of call include San Francisco, Honolulu, Bora Bora, Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Osaka, Xingang, Shanghai, Ko Samui, Mumbai, Safaga and Haifa
· Includes new port of call, Sokhna in Egypt
· Transits the Panama Canal and Suez Canal and features extended two day calls in San Francisco, Hong Kong and Dubai
· Prices for the 107 night World Circumnavigation are from £8,549 after Early Booking savings plus 10% discount, and includes £220 free on board spending money

The Arcadia South America and Pacific Adventure departs on January 5, 2013, highlights are:

· 99 nights
· 32 destinations in 20 countries
· 34,780 nautical miles
· Highlight ports of call include Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Papeete, Bora Bora, Suva, Sydney, Auckland, Pago Pago, Honolulu and San Francisco
· Sails by Cape Horn, Amalia Glacier, PIO X Glacier, Easter Island and Pitcairn Island
· Cruises through the Beagle Channel, Milford Sound and Panama Canal
· Prices for the 99 night South America and Pacific Adventure are from £8,099 after Early Booking savings plus 10% discount, and includes £200 free on board spending money

The World Cruises 2013 can be booked from July 14, 2011.

Shorter cruise sectors are also available and can be found in the Winter Holidays brochure, on sale July 15, 2011.

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Carnival UK Brands Environment Conscious

Reductions in the key areas of fuel and water consumption as well as increases in waste-recycling were among the environmentally-friendly highlights of Carnival UK’s cruise operations in 2009, according to the first-ever sustainability report to be published, detailing the performances of Cunard Line, Ocean Village Holidays and P&O Cruises.

Chief executive officer, David Dingle said: "As an industry, we recognise the need to balance out the actions required to sustain an ever-increasing economic benefit for the communities affected by our operations with that of fulfilling wider social and environmental needs.

"As a company, we recognise the need to set the agenda for building an industry that is sustainable economically, socially and environmentally."

Publishing an annual sustainability report is intended to give transparency to the company's efforts in those areas.

This first report shows a 5% fall in fuel consumption and a resulting reduction in CO2 emissions of about 11% .

The amount of water consumed on board the ships also fell - by nearly 3%* - and there was also a trebling of the amount of waste recycled. This included office paper, every tonne of which recycled saved 17 trees and 32,000 litres of water, reduced air pollutants by 27kg and conserved enough electricity to heat the average home for six months.

Since a programme to recycle used cooking oil from the ships into biodiesel began in 2008, enough has been generated to fuel a family car to travel more than a million miles. The money raised from the sale of this fuel has been donated to marine environmental preservation projects across Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and Kent.

* About 76% of water consumed on Carnival UK ships is produced on-board through reverse osmosis, evaporation and the use of waste heat from power plants and boilers.

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Azura Departs on Maiden Voyage

Monday April 12, 2010

Britain’s newest ship sails on maiden voyage after naming by Darcey Bussell

Prima ballerina Darcey Bussell CBE has officially christened Azura, the latest P&O Cruises ship built exclusively for Britain. The spectacular celebrity naming ceremony, with Darcey Bussell as the ship's Godmother, took place on Saturday April 10, prior to Azura’s maiden cruise to the Mediterranean which departed today.

Widely considered to be one of the greatest ballerinas of all time, Miss Bussell danced in the “Girl Hunt” scene reminiscent of Cyd Charisse in Band Wagon and then twirled onto the top deck of the ship in a striking red Jasper Conran evening dress.

Darcey Bussell said, "It’s a great honour to be involved as Azura’s godmother. For me this is a wonderful event because I am able promote the best of dance within one evening. It’s wonderful that P&O Cruises is carrying on that theme from the old films where dance was so important.”

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow said: "Darcey embodies glamour, vitality and classical elegance, which are also reflected in Azura. We are honoured that she agreed to become Godmother. Azura has one of her three magnificent dance floors right at the heart of the ship, so with dancing a real feature, Darcey was a natural choice for Godmother and very fittingly has given Azura the best possible start in life.”

In keeping with Azura’s “back to the future” values, her naming ceremony was a departure from tradition yet captured the glamorous spirit of dance and romance. As well as Darcey’s customary champagne naming, the celebration encompassed a spectacular event with clips from the most memorable dance sequences in film history, on Azura’s new SeaScreen, along with a live dance show.

Over 1,200 guests were on board including Azura’s consultant Michelin-starred chef, Atul Kochhar; wine expert Olly Smith who has a designer wine bar on board; GMTV presenter Emma Crosby; Strictly Come Dancing stars Tom Chambers, Camilla Dallerup and Craig Revel Horwood; Angela Griffin; parliamentary candidate Esther Rantzen and comedian Johnny Vegas.

The occasion benefited three charities supported by Darcey Bussell – The Prince’s Rainforest Trust, Royal Ballet School and Sydney Dance Company.

Azura departed today on her maiden cruise to the Mediterranean, calling in Malaga, Katakolon (for tours to Olympia), Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula and Gibraltar before returning to Southampton on Wednesday 28 April.

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NOTE:

For Information on Cruises From New York Check out www.NYCruiseInfo.com.

For Information on Cruises From Baltimore, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Boston, Quebec, Montreal and the Great Lakes - Check out www.NortheastCruiseGuide.com.