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P&O Cruises fleet

Pacific encounter, pacific adventure, pacific explorer, review of p&o cruises.

This is CruiseMapper's hub for both companies - P&O UK and P&O Australia. Both P and O cruise lines belong to the world's largest cruise shipping company. P&O cruise lines deals are mainly on voyages departing from Southampton UK and Sydney NSW Australia . Both P&O companies are subsidiaries/part of the Carnival Group of companies - all of which are fully owned by Carnival Corporation & PLC . P&O UK is under the management of Carnival UK. And there is a 3rd "PandO" company (not part of Carnival plc) - the UK-based P&O Ferries .

Company history and changes

P&O Cruises UK (POcruises.com) is a British-American passenger shipping company headquartered at Carnival House (Southampton, England) and operated/managed by Carnival UK. P&O was originally a constituent of “Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company” (1797-founded/1966-defunct) which was the world's oldest cruise line that operated the first-ever passenger ships.

P&O Cruises' sister company is P&O Cruises Australia. P&O Australia's current President is Marguerite Fitzgerald. while P&O UK's (as well as Carnival UK's) current President is Paul Ludlow.

In 2000, "P&O Cruises" was excluded from P&O Group, becoming the subsidiary "P&O Princess Cruises". In 2003, P&O Princess merged with Carnival, forming Carnival Corporation & plc.

P&O (UK and AU) holds as market share ~5% of the worldwide cruise industry. Both companies (P&O Australia and P&O UK) were created in 1977, re-branding P&O's passenger division. Arcadia was the fleet's first adults-only liner, followed by Adonia (now Azamara Pursuit ), Oriana and Aurora (April 2000).

P&O UK ships Arcadia and Aurora are currently marketed as adult-only.

In August 2017, Azura became the world's first cruise ship to perform gay weddings at sea. P&O UK's wedding package prices started from GBP 1200. For comparison, Cunard’s shipboard weddings cost starts at ~GBP 2570 ( RMS Queen Mary 2 ) and ~GBP 2120 ( Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth ). On MS Azura, gay wedding ceremonies are carried out by the ship’s Captain, while marriage licenses are issued by Bermuda's Government (as the vessel is registered in Hamilton Bermuda ).

In June 2018, P&O UK announced that Oriana leaves the fleet in August 2019. The liner (now named Piano Land ) was sold to the Chinese company Well Star Travel Cruise (brand of CTS-China Travel Services International). The Chinese company plans short cruises from Chinese homeports to ports in Japan and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia).

Since May 1, 2019, P&O Cruises UK's Daily Service Charge per person (GBP 7) is no longer required. Crew tipping remains not expected or required.

In June 2021, P&O UK launched a mobile app to optimize pre-boarding and maximize onboard efficiency. The new "My Holiday" app is free of charge but available only on the ship. It allows pre-booking and making reservations onboard (dining times, restaurants, shows) via mobile phones and tablets. The app is an addition to the My Holiday (Reception Desk) which provides 24-hour assistance, including booking and how to use the application.

In summer 2023, two P&O UK ships (Iona and Arvia) introduced in their retail shops three kids' toy brands (Barbie, Hot Wheels Cars, Keycraft's Pocket Money) in addition to the always available toys from brands like Lego, Jellycat, TY (stuffed animals).

In April 2024 was introduced fleetwide the new illusion show "Unbelievable" created by Stephen Mulhern (TV presenter, magician, comedian) and Jonathan Wilkes (TV presenter, singer) and with Vegas-style choreography from Paul Domaine (show director, professional choreographer).

In June 2011 was announced that P&O UK will expand the fleet with a new 141,000-ton unit built by Fincantieri. The new vessel ( MV Britannia ) entered service in 2015. In January 2014, with Britannia was introduced a new livery based on UK's Union Flag.

On September 6, 2016, P&O UK (via Carnival Corporation) signed an MoA with Meyer Werft ( Papenburg Shipyard ) for building a new (company's largest) 5200-passenger vessel. In late-October 2016, P&O announced that the new ship ( Iona ) will have some of the largest at sea outdoor areas, glass-domed top deck, glass-walled atrium (full height) and wider and longer (approx 2600 ft / 800 m) Promenade Deck allowing multiple alfresco dining/open-air venues.

Iona was delivered in October 2020 and inaugurated in August 2021. The sistership Arvia was postponed (due to the COVID crisis) and delivered in December 2022 and inaugurated in January 2023.

The newest P&O UK vessel has max passenger capacity 6264, volume 187500 GT-tons, 18 decks, 2610 staterooms, 17 eateries (including 7 specialty restaurants/ Britannia has just 3), 12 bars/lounges, 13 entertainment venues, 4 swimming pools, 16 outdoor whirlpools. The top-deck Dome is an entertainment space, with a swimming pool, large jacuzzies, a retractable stage. This all-weather venue hosts daily entertainment and dining and nightly shows (aerial performances and light projections onto the covering glass roof).

P&O UK's newest ship is also LNG-powered (by liquefied natural gas). Two similar-design ships (180K tons) were also ordered for CCL-Carnival Cruise Line . On January 26, 2018, Carnival Corporation signed a shipbuilding contract with Meyer Werft for building a second (180,000 GT) liner for P&O, with the delivery scheduled for 2022. As of 2018, Carnival Corp’s fleet of newbuilds ( on order and under construction ) numbered 19 units, scheduled for deliveries in 2018-2022.

In January 2016, Carnival Corporation signed an MoA (memo of agreement) with Fincantieri to build 4 new units. Contracts were finalized in April 2016. Of these, 2 vessels were for Costa Asia (homeported in China), one for Princess and one for P&O Australia. With this shipbuilding order, the Corporation had a total of 17 new ships scheduled for deliveries between 2016 and 2020. The four vessels will be built at Fincantieri's shipyards in Monfalcone and Marghera, with scheduled deliveries in 2019-2020.

Three of the vessels are designed with gross tonnage 133,500 tons, LOA length is 323 m (1060 ft) and capacity 4000 passengers plus 1450 crew (2 are for Costa Asia, 1 for P&O AU). One ship with GT 143,700 tons and capacity 3560 passengers is for Princess. Both Costa ships are exclusively for the booming Chinese market. Each vessel is powered by two MAN diesel engines (model 14V48 / 60CR) plus three MAN diesel engines (medium-speed, model 8L48 / 60CR), providing total power output 62,400 kW. The engines are Tier-II compliant.

P&O Cruises Australia

P&O Cruises Australia Ltd is a British-American company with corporate headquarters at Carnival House (Southampton, England UK). P&O Australia is a sister company of P&O UK. Both are under Carnival UK's executive control. Currently, P&O Australia operates 3 boats deployed in the South Pacific Ocean on island-hopping itineraries - mainly roundtrips from homeports in Australia.

After numerous changes in the company’s organization, in 2000 P&O Group demerged all cruise shipping operations. Then, P&O Princess Cruises was created- a new company independent of P&O; consisting of AIDA Cruises , Princess Cruises , P&O Cruises Australia, P&O Cruises (UK), and later "Ocean Village" and A-Rosa Cruises (riverboats).

In 2003, Carnival Corporation merged with P&O Princess Cruises thus forming Carnival Corporation & plc- the largest cruise company in the world, with eleven cruise lines portfolio, including P&O AU. Official website pocruises.com.aunofollow.

Princess' oldest ship - Regal Princess, was transferred to P&O Australia in October 2007, and after a month of drydock refurbishment entered service as Pacific Dawn.

Carnival Corporation informed about the closure of Ocean Village (UK-based travel brand) on October 30, 2008. Both Ocean Village ships were transferred to P&O Australia - Ocean Village 2 (as Pacific Jewel, in December 2009) and Ocean Village 1 (as Pacific Pearl, in December 2010).

P&O ships sail on 270+ itineraries each year (with 120+ of them departing from Southampton), and visiting 90+ countries on 6 continents.

Pacific Pearl was renamed MV Columbus and in 2017 started operations for CMV . Pacific Pearl left the fleet in April 2017, after completing 294 voyages for P&O and carrying 1+ million passengers over 5 years. In November 2019, for Pacific Aria (now Celestyal Journey) and Pacific Dawn (now Ambience) were signed presale agreements with CMV and both ships were planned to start operations for the UK-based company in 2021 as "CMV Amy Johnson" (Pacific Dawn) and "CMV Ida Pfeiffer" (Pacific Aria). In September-October 2020, following CMV's bankruptcy , both vessels were acquired by new shipowners.

On November 25, 2015: P&O AU's entire fleet (all 5 liners) gathered in Sydney Harbour to celebrate the arrival of the fleetmates Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden.

In June 2018, P&O Australia launched with  Pacific Explorer "The Big Laugh" onboard show program - advertised as "the biggest comedy festival at sea". The program included all 14 stand-up comedy celebrities performing a total of 36 shipboard live shows (combined over 33 hours live performances). The program started with the 4-day roundtrip Sydney cruise to Moreton Island (departure June 20).

Among the guest comedians were Jimeoin (Irish), Matthew Matt Okine (AU), David Gerard Callan (Australian), Scared Weird Little Guys (Australian comedy music duo - John Fleming and Rusty Berther), David William "Hughesy" Hughes (AU), Harley Breen (AU), Claire Hooper (AU). "The Big Laugh" program comprised of all 72 comedy- themed cruises in 2018-2019. The famous Australian comedians performed during 2-, 3- and 4-night itineraries ("SeaBreaks") leaving roundtrip out of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Cairns, Auckland NZ.

In 2019, P&O AU scheduled the ever largest "comedy cruise" program in the company's history - 38 itineraries (January through October). On March 7, 2018, was announced that Pacific Eden is sold to the UK-based company CMV , joining CMV's fleet in April 2019.

Since 2007, P&O Australia ships' onboard retail shops are managed by Harding (UK-based travel and cruise retail group). In 2020, Harding was acquired by Davidson Kempner Capital Management LP (1983-founded, NYC-based investment management firm with USD 34+ billion in managed assets). Harding has hubs in Bristol (England) , Miami (Florida USA)  and Sydney (NSW Australia) .

New beverage packages

In May 2023, P&O UK introduced four new drink packages available fleetwide but only on longer voyages, with durations of at least 5 nights (or longer).

The beverage packages are at a fixed price per person and per day. The package's pricing is lower if purchased online and before the voyage.

• "The Refresh Drinks" package is priced GBP 9.85 (prior to the voyage) and GBP 10.95 (if purchased onboard).  The Refresh package Includes soft drinks (lemonade, Pepsi, juices).
• "The Alcohol-free Drinks" package is priced GBP 22.45 (before) and GBP 24.95 (onboard) and includes all The Refresh package's beverages plus Costa Coffee and sodas.
• "The Classic Drinks" package is priced GBP 40.45 (before) and GBP 44.95 (onboard) and includes all beverages from The Refresh and The Alcohol-free packages plus alcoholic beverages (spirits, wines, cocktails).
• "The Deluxe Drinks" package is priced GBP 49.45 (before) and GBP 54.95 (onboard) and includes all other packages' beverages plus specialty cocktails, premium spirits and wines. Additionally, passengers who buy The Deluxe Drinks package also receive 20% off on all drinks excluded from this package.

The above-listed new packages are for P&O UK ships only and introduced/first offered on the liners Iona and Ventura (starting May 20, 2023) and available fleetwide since July 2023.

P&O Cruise Personaliser

PandO Cruise Personaliser is an online service that allows passengers to update their before-sailing information and see in a concise form all their booking details. P&O Personaliser is NOT mandatory to complete but may be of great help in cases of emergency for the company to contact family members, relatives, friends.

To log in, you'll need to input your first and surname, and cruise reference number. It is received as part of your reservation confirmation (up to 120 days prior to departure, not available for 18-yo) or upon booking (up to 1 year). The same number serves all people included in the booking. On the Web page, there's information about cruise itinerary, stateroom (category and number), boarding times, contact info (including emergency contacts), passport data, medical and dietary requirements (if requested).

PO Cruise Insurance is optional. If purchased, the Insurance policy type is also shown (Standard or higher), package deal type, all kinds of pre-made reservations (shore excursions, Air, Spa), credit card number, luggage tags, etc.

• Dining /medical requests can't be entered online - they must be specified in the manual form.
• The accessible information about changes and updates pertains ONLY to a phone number, address, passport, emergency contacts.
• You can't book a cruise through P&O Cruise Personaliser - booking requires full payment and immigration details.
• Through the Personaliser you can make online reservations (shore excursions, tours, Spa, hairdresser, specialty restaurants), to update special requests and onboard preferences, or to add some additional services (babysitting, amenities, etc).
• Itinerary changes are also listed in the Cruise Personaliser form, along with other important updates.
• Immediately call P&O if you have forgotten or lost your booking number. Call between 7 am – 8 pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time - Monday to Friday) and Saturday (8 am - 5 pm) - phone number 1300-159-454.

PO Cruise Personaliser is accessed by both travel agents and passengers. With personal bookings (through a travel agent or P&O Reservations Centre) passengers receive reference numbers (after confirmation). On a particular booking, each passenger can access the Personaliser using the booking reference number and first name-surname. If you're not the booking person, contact the one who did it for obtaining booking reference. After log-in, note that all passengers' names in the booking party are displayed under the same reference number.

IMPORTANT - Each of the same-booking passengers is able to access the info about you and the other, i.e. you can update and provide information of all other passengers in your booking, and they can change your information. If you wish so, you could provide P&O with other passengers' personal information. Another case is when they are minors (younger than 18 years old). Then you must be a parent or legal guardian.

After providing P&O cruise company with the personal data needed on the Personaliser (and also with additional info if asked for more details), this database is used for updating pre-cruise information.

Certain information is sometimes required under maritime-customs-immigration-security laws. Personaliser info may be disclosed to P&O Cruises service providers (ticketing companies, travel, and port agents, authorities, emergency response providers, immigration, airlines, customs, shore tour operators, related entities) for Carnival Corporation's business purposes. Certain information is collected because of customs or immigration laws requirements. If you refuse to provide the information requested in the Personaliser, they may not be able to process the booking or provide certain services during the voyage.

(Coronavirus crisis) passenger shipping pause 2020-2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, P&O's entire fleet (all UK- and AU-based liners) is with an expanded cancellation policy. All bookings on pre-scheduled itineraries (departures in the period March 14 through August 31, 2020) were given the option to cancel up to 48 hours (prior departure) without penalties.

All affected bookings received a 125% refund in FCC (future cruise credit) transferred to a booking made before December 31, 2021, or 100% monetary refund. With the FCCs customers can also pay for cabin upgrades or book a second stateroom (on existing bookings). FCCs can be also gifted or transferred (options offered through December 31, 2021).

P&O UK canceled all voyages departing between March 14, 2020, and June 2021.

• P&O UK planned to resume operations in early-February 2021 (Caribbean fly-cruises from Barbados and St Lucia) and in mid-March 2021 (roundtrips out of Southampton).
• P&O UK's World Cruises 2021 (ships Arcadia and Aurora) were both canceled.

Next are listed P&O UK's ships and their first departure dates in 2021-2022 - AZURA (Dec 10, 2021), BRITANNIA (June 27, 2021/UK Coastal), AURORA (April 13, 2022/Mediterranean from Southampton), ARCADIA (March 27, 2022/Canaries from Southampton), IONA (Aug 7, 2021/ Maiden Voyage /UK Coastal), VENTURA (Oct 3, 2021/Canaries from Southampton).

P&O Australia canceled all departures between March 14, 2020, and May 31, 2022. P&O Australia resumed operations in 2022 with the ships Pacific EXPLORER (May 31/from Sydney), Pacific ENCOUNTER (Aug 27/from Brisbane), Pacific ADVENTURE (October 22/from Sydney).

Citing the Coronavirus crisis' impact, in early-July 2020, P&O UK sold the ship Oceana . A total of 190 scheduled itineraries (departures from homeports Southampton UK and Dubai UAE) were canceled.

Itinerary of P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises ships sail on mostly round-trip itineraries leaving from UK (Southampton, April through October), Caribbean (from Barbados, during winter) and from Australia (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane - year-round departures). While most PandO UK ships remain in Europe year-round, the line's largest vessels also sail in the Caribbean (out of Barbados) and offer longer world cruise itineraries.

Citing the COVID crisis' impact on the passenger shipping industry, in early-July 2020, P&O UK sold the cruise ship Oceana . A total of 190 scheduled itineraries (departures from homeports Southampton UK and  Dubai UAE ) were canceled.

P&O UK's 2025-2026 itinerary program (opened for booking on October 18, 2023) features 12 new for the company ports (including Los Angeles CA USA, Melbourne Victoria AU, Port Chalmers/Dunedin NZ, Benoa Bali Indonesia, Bodo Norway, Tangier Morocco). MS Britannia has scheduled two new Caribbean fly-cruise itineraries visiting Jamaica, Dominicana, Grand Turk). In January 2026, MS Aurora starts a 75-night Grand Voyage while MS Arcadia starts a 100-night World Circumnavigation Cruise (28 ports/destinations). Traditionally for P&O, both World  Voyages are roundtrips from Southampton.

(UK & AU) PO cruise itinerary changes

PO AU's vessels are all UK- flagged . However, all ships are registered in Bermuda ( Hamilton ) to allow shipboard weddings (at sea). These ceremonies are conducted by the Captains and are pretty popular.

Our P&O cruise schedules include the ships of both brands (Australia and UK).

In October 2022, P&O UK announced new "Scandinavia and Baltic Sea" itineraries debuting in 2024 summer, all of which are roundtrips from Southampton.

• (Arcadia) 16-night from GBP 1700 pp (June 25)
• (Aurora) 16-night from GBP 1350 pp (May 18) and 16-night from GBP 1450 pp (August 26)
• (Britannia) 14-night from GBP 1150 pp (May 10), plus 2x 14-night from GBP 1300 pp (August 30, September 20)

Arcadia also offers a 16-night "Iceland and Norway" voyage from GBP 1650 pp (July 30), while Britannia offers a 14-night "British Isles" from GBP 1300 pp (June 7) and a 14-night "Canary Islands" from GBP 1250 pp (July 5).  The new Baltic sailings feature overnight port stays in Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), and Stockholm (Sweden).

P&O Cruises related cruise news

P&O UK's ship Ventura undergoes deep cleaning in Southampton following Norovirus outbreak

P&O Cruises UK's ship Ventura is undergoing an extensive sanitation process at Southampton UK after an outbreak of norovirus affected passengers...

P&O Australia's ship Pacific Adventure brings home Rotary volunteers from Vanuatu

P&O Australia has come to the aid of a group of young Australian Rotary volunteers who were stranded in Vanuatu due to the sudden collapse of Air...

Norovirus outbreak on P&O UK's ship Ventura prompts isolation measures

Following a Norovirus outbreak on the P&O Cruises UK's vessel Ventura, several passengers are currently isolating. The liner departed from...

Family blames P&O Australia's cruise ship casino policies for a fatal passenger overboard incident

A passenger on the P&O Australia's ship Pacific Adventure, Shane Dixon, 45, tragically fell overboard on May 6th, just after 4 AM as the ship...

Civil unrest forces P&O Australia and CCL-Carnival to cancel New Caledonia visits

P&O Australia and CCL-Carnival Cruise Line have both canceled scheduled calls to New Caledonia due to ongoing civil unrest in the region...

Carnival Corporation's fleet achieves 100% Starlink satellite connectivity

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise company, has announced that its entire fleet is now equipped with Starlink's high-speed...

P&O Australia ship Pacific Encounter rescues sailors off New Caledonia

A P&O Australia vessel (Pacific Encounter) successfully conducted a rescue operation to assist 3 stranded sailors off New Caledonia on Saturday...

Body found after P&O Pacific Adventure cruise ship passenger was reported missing off Sydney

In a significant search operation off the coast of Sydney (NSW Australia), a body has been discovered following reports of a man going missing from a...

P&O Cruises' Britannia sets sail after extensive refurbishment

P&O Cruises UK's flagship Britannia left from Southampton on April 21st following an extensive multimillion drydock refurbishment. The company...

Crew medevaced from P&O Australia's ship Pacific Adventure

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter executed a medical evacuation of a crew member from the P&O Australia cruise ship, Pacific Adventure, who urgently...

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P&O Cruises Ships by Size, Age and Class (2022)

P&O Cruises has an active fleet of seven ships currently. They plan to launch a further ship in late 2022 ( Arvia ).

The fleet is primarily based in Southampton but during certain periods of the year they homeport in the Caribbean or perform World Cruises.

Introduction to P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises is a British cruise line and part of the biggest cruise company – Carnival Corporation. They are based in Southampton and were originally a subsidiary of the shipping company, P&O.

In 1977 they split from the parent company, along with sister line P&O Cruises Australia to form P&O Cruises.

P&O Cruises is one of the oldest cruise lines in the world, dating back to 1837 – which is even before Cunard Line .

This guide will help you work out which P&O Cruises’ ship is which!

P&O Cruises Frequently Asked Questions

Which p&o ships are adults only.

Both  Arcadia  and  Aurora  are adult-only ships in the P&O Cruises fleet.

Which P&O Ship is the best?

This would depend on the type of cruise you wish to have and the region.  Britannia ,  Azura  and  Ventura  are very popular family ships. Whereas  Iona  caters for families too but specialises in Norwegian / Northern Europe cruises – which are usually for the more mature passenger.

What ships have P&O sold?

P&O Cruises have sold three ships in the last five years.  Adonia  was sold in 2018,  Oriana  was sold in 2019 and  Oceana  was sold in 2020.

Which is the biggest P&O Ship?

The biggest P&O Cruise ship to date is  Iona , she can carry over 5,200 passengers and is also the longest ship in the fleet at 344 metres.

Which is the smallest P&O Ship?

Currently,   Aurora  is the smallest ship in the P&O Cruises fleet at 270 metres long and carrying 1,950 passengers.

Are P&O Ferries the same as P&O Cruises?

No! They are totally different companies (only sharing the same name!) Back in 1977 P&O Cruises separated from its parent company P&O Shipping.

They are now two totally different entities, with Carnival Corporation owning P&O Cruises.

P&O Cruises Ships by Size (from largest to smallest)

What does ‘tonnage (grt)’ mean.

GRT (Gross Registered Tonnage) is a term used to calculate the volume inside a ship. It is a measure of cubic capacity and is calculated by the total volume from inside the hull and decks of the ship. 1 GRT = 100 cubic feet of space. In essence, the bigger the GRT – the more ‘space’ the ship has for passengers, cargo, etc.

How are ‘Passengers (Max)’ calculated?

You’ll see multiple numbers for passengers on ships – this is because many ships include extra beds in cabins (such as the sofa/couch can convert to a pull-out bed) – but the majority of cabins usually have 2 people in them. the ‘Max’ number is if every cabin used their additional pull-out bed, etc. This number is unlikely to be reached very frequently.

P&O Cruises Ships by Age (from newest to oldest)

Are all p&o cruises ships new builds.

Yes, although almost all P&O Cruises’ ships are sister ships ‘in class’ with other ships from other Carnival brands.

Examples of this are:

• Britannia (Royal-class – like Royal Princess )
• Ventura/Azura (Grand-class – like Diamond Princess )
• Arcadia (Vista-class – like Queen Victoria )

P&O Cruises Ships by Class (from newest to oldest)

Final thoughts.

When it comes to picking one of the P&O Cruises’ fleet to cruise on – you have a wealth of choices between adult-only and family-friendly ships with some in-between too!

New to the fleet flagship, Iona has proved very popular with UK cruisers and when her sister, Arvia sets sail in late 2022 cruisers will have even more choice of cruises from Southampton on P&O Cruises .

Enjoyed this article? Check out our other guides on MSC Cruises , Royal Caribbean and Holland America Line .

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Hundreds sick with norovirus, say cruise passengers

T he number of people taken ill on a cruise ship following an outbreak of norovirus was in the hundreds, passengers have told the BBC.

Port health officials were due to meet P&O Cruises vessel Ventura for an inspection after it docked in Southampton earlier.

P&O said new passengers would face delays in boarding on Saturday while the ship was deep-cleaned .

The cruise company has not confirmed the total number of cases but apologised to those affected .

Ventura docked in Southampton at about 05:00 BST, where just under 3,000 passengers disembarked after a two-week voyage around the Canary Islands.

Leaving the ship with her family, Hollie Taylor, from New Milton in Hampshire, described the £8,500 holiday as "absolutely horrendous".

"There were constantly areas blocked off because people had been vomiting all over the hallways," she told the BBC.

Ms Taylor said her sons had become ill a couple of days into the trip and were "violently sick" for about 24 hours.

She and her husband James said they believed up to 600 people on board had fallen ill.

"We didn't report it [their sons' sickness] because what's the point?" Ms Taylor added.

On Wednesday, P&O said 0.64% of people on board Ventura had symptoms of norovirus after sanitation measures had been put in place.

A spokeswoman for the company said at the time it showed "the efficacy of our extensive protocols" but would not provide a total number of cases reported since the start of the outbreak.

Enhanced sanitation protocols had been put in place on board following the outbreak, P&O has said.

Unwell passengers had also been asked to isolate for longer, according to Southampton Port Health Authority (SPHA).

Ventura is scheduled to leave Southampton again at 21:00 BST for a seven-night cruise to Spain and Portugal.

New passengers were being contacted in advance to make sure those with symptoms did not get on the ship, the SPHA said.

In addition, boarding has been delayed by four hours to allow for a deep clean of guest cabins, public areas and crew areas.

Commercial cleaners would sanitise the ship before new passengers were allowed on, P&O's spokeswoman said.

The company previously confirmed it would be using fogging, which involves spraying special disinfectant into a sealed room as a mist-type vapour.

Ventura would then be checked by a port health officer.

"Carnival UK [P&O Cruises' parent company] are cooperating fully with the investigation," SPHA added.

Alex Woolfenden, who was due to board the vessel on Saturday afternoon with his three-year-old son, wife and her elderly parents, said the situation had left him "stressed".

He said more than £8,000 had been spent on their trip, which was a belated honeymoon for the couple from North Wales.

Mr Woolfenden told the BBC he was having second thoughts about boarding and felt like he was "caught between a rock and a hard place".

"P&O are putting their profits before safety of guests, especially as we have two vulnerable groups," he said.

"Could you imagine having to isolate with a three-year-old in a cabin for the whole time?"

P&O previously said the health and wellbeing of its guests and crew was its "absolute priority".

Ventura would remain at a "heightened level of response" for its next voyage to manage the "elevated" number of cases, SPHA confirmed.

Follow BBC South on Facebook , X (Twitter) , or Instagram . Send your story ideas to [email protected] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2240 .

More on this story

• Cruise ship to get deep-clean after norovirus spread
• Norovirus cruise to be met by port health officials
• Cruise stomach bug 'has been a problem for weeks'
• Cruise ship passengers isolating amid bug outbreak

Related Links

• Southampton City Council

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Welcome to P&O Cruises. This website presents a main menu on the left hand side from where you can browse our cruises, and a toolbar menu at the top page with search, live chat, support, and profile settings.

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• Pacific Explorer®

Pacific Explorer®

Something for everyone.

See why we love Pacific Explorer®. Whiz down waterslides by day, enjoy great restaurants, bars and edgy stage shows at night. There’s something for every member of the family.

When it comes to dining, you are spoilt for choice with our range of everyday dining venues including Modern Australian fare at WaterFront and Italian dining at Angelos. Treat yourself to something special at Luke's, our amazing celebrity chef restaurant in partnership with Luke Mangan. Enjoy a mouth-watering signature burger at lunch or a delicious 3 course la carte dinner with the sunset.  For a more casual bite-to-eat, enjoy a delicious pizza at P&O Trattoria or try some exotic Asian fusion flavours at Dragon Lady. The world is your oyster when you dine at sea with P&O.

P&O’s stylish yet relaxed modern Australian interior designs make Pacific Explorer the perfect place to holiday.

We can’t wait to welcome you onboard.

Disclaimer: Onboard offerings are subject to change. Charges apply for some activities, venues and menu items. 400 Gradi to be replaced by P&O Trattoria from September 2023.

What did Hughesy get up to?

Check out some Dave Hughes adventures onboard Pacific Explorer. Plus, stay tuned for more exclusive Hughsey moments.

Onboard Activities

Get splashy and ride our Disco Diver and Super Slider Waterslides as many times as you like, splash out in our interactive waterparks or take a dip in one of the pools or spas.

Challenge your mates or family to a friendly game of Barefoot Bowls. Go on, just roll with it!

Choose your Adventure with P&O Edge. The P&O Edge Adventure Park is your ticket to action and excitement. Try Rock Climbing, The Flying Fox, Walk the Plank and more. Plus there's a special program designed just for kids.

Head to the Arcade and test your skills with the latest video games.

The Bonded Store

In partnership with Archie Rose Distilling Co.

Sit, swill and savour the finest liquors at warm and inviting The Bonded Store. Set your tastebuds free in this glamorous speakeasy as our mixologists serve up fantastic cocktails. Or get inspired during a gin or whisky masterclass.

Black Circus

Enjoy new levels of entertainment with exclusive dinner and show packages and a glamorous cabaret style show, Purple Rabbit . A five-star evening of mischief, magic and mind-blowing mayhem.

Hit the dance floor and cut some shapes to some funky live tunes in the Blue Room. You’ll catch some home grown live acts every night.

Stage Shows - It's Showtime!

All of our original stage shows are developed and choreographed by a leading Australian production company exclusively for P&O Australia audiences, so you can’t see them anywhere else. With an exciting program of shows to choose from, you’ll want to catch them all.

Find your new local

Try a range of delicious craft and small batch beers at the cosy pub atmosphere of Explorer Hotel. We recommend you visit all of our inviting bars and pubs. You’ll find your favourite in no time.

Sit back and relax while Luke Mangan takes care of the menu. Enjoy a casual yet mouth-watering burger for lunch or a delicious three course dinner with the sunset.

*Charges apply

P&O Trattoria

PIZZA & ITALIAN

Foodies rejoice! P&O Trattoria wil be your new favourite place to eat, serving rustic, home-style Italian fare and delicious freshly-cooked pizza. Buon appetito!

Complimentary Dining

When it comes to dining, you are spoilt for choice with our range of everyday dining venues. Dine a la carte at Waterfront, or if you after something more casual, choose from some deliciously different outlets at The Pantry, our food-court style restaurant.

Upcoming Cruises on Pacific Explorer

• Pacific Adventure®
• Pacific Encounter®

The Trophy Case

Not to brag, but we've kind of cleaned up lately thanks to cruisers like you.

2018 Cruise Critic AU Editors’ Pick Award Best Ship Refurbishment for Pacific Aria

2018 Cruise Passenger Reader's Choice Award Best Contemporary Cruise Line (third year in a row) Best for Kids

Readers Digest Trusted Brands 2018 Gold Award - Cruise Operator category

Readers Digest Quality Service Awards Gold Award - Cruise Operator category

250 cruise passengers stuck in isolation on ship from ‘vomiting bug’

• Updated: May. 21, 2024, 3:05 p.m. |
• Published: May. 21, 2024, 7:30 a.m.

More than 250 cruise ship passengers in the United Kingdom have fallen ill from suspected norovirus. David Sacks | Getty Images

• Katherine Rodriguez | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

More than 250 cruise ship passengers in the United Kingdom have fallen ill from suspected norovirus.

Norovirus, also known as “the vomiting bug,” is a highly contagious illness that causes vomiting and diarrhea.

Of those guests, more than 150 cruise ship passengers aboard P&O’s MS Ventura ship are isolated. The ship left the U.K.’s Southampton area on May 11 for a 14-night cruise journeying through the Canary Islands, according to Metro UK.

One source told Metro UK that passengers were “throwing up in public spaces” on board.

A P&O spokesperson told Business Insider that there were many reports of guests with “gastrointestinal symptoms” aboard the ship.

In the U.S., the risk of getting norovirus is about 1 in 15 each year. A passenger on a cruise ship, however, has a 1 in 5,500 chance of coming down with norovirus, according to Cruise Lines International Association.

The virus, however, spreads quickly in confined areas or within close contact with someone with the virus or contaminated surfaces.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , five out of six outbreaks of gastrointestinal issues among passengers were due to norovirus. One of the six outbreaks was due to E. Coli.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at [email protected] . Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips .

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