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Carnival Unveils Exciting Rebranding Plans for P&O Cruises Australia
Carnival Corporation & plc has announced exciting changes for Australian cruisers: the P&O Cruises Australia brand will be dissolved, and two of its three ships will be integrated into Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet. This transition means more fun and adventure on the horizon for Aussie travellers. A New Era of Fun The rebranding of P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter into Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter will see Carnival Cruise Line doubling its presence in Australia. Carnival Adventure will sail year-round from Sydney, joining Carnival Splendor, while Carnival Encounter will be homeported in Brisbane alongside Carnival Luminosa, which also sails from Brisbane during the summer season before heading to Alaska for the northern hemisphere’s summer. The fun kicks off in March 2025, with a host of exciting redesigns and new experiences to be introduced before the ships’ first sailings under the Carnival banner. Signature Carnival Experiences Kara Glamore, VP of Sales and Marketing, highlighted the unique opportunity this transition presents. “This transition presents a unique opportunity to combine the best of P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival Cruise Line as the brand expands its footprint in Australia,” she said. On both Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter, guests can look forward to the iconic Fun Squad—a team of activities leaders hosting games, contests, trivia, dancing, and more. Theme nights such as the 80s Rock-N-Glow Party and Silent White-Hot Night will bring energetic dance parties to the ships. Traditional Elegant Nights will also be part of the fun. Dining and Activities From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., guests can enjoy free, unlimited daily pizza, with additional charges applying outside these hours. The youngest cruisers will be welcomed into the Turtles program, offering activities and enrichment for children under two years old, with options for parents to drop off their little ones for some alone time for a small fee. Other Carnival favourites making their way to Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter include the Build-a-Bear activity, KultureCity sensory kits, and more. Honouring P&O Cruises Heritage While embracing new Carnival fun, the two ships will retain some beloved P&O Cruises features. “P&O fans will recognise many of their favourite dining and entertainment options, while experiencing the added fun and flair that Carnival is famous for around the world,” said Deborah Cogin, VP Guest Experience. Luke’s Bar & Grill and Luke’s Burgers, along with New Zealand Natural ice cream, will remain onboard. The Edge Adventure Park will continue to offer thrilling activities like zip lining, balancing, and climbing. The exclusive Byron Beach Club will still be available to guests in suites and selected mini-suites. Looking Ahead In 2025, Carnival Cruise Line expects nearly 600,000 guests to sail from Sydney and Brisbane combined. “Carnival Cruise Line remains the only cruise line globally to demonstrate this level of commitment to Australia, sailing year-round and supporting thousands of local jobs while delivering unforgettable holiday experiences in Australia and the South Pacific,” Glamore added. Carnival Adventure will offer diverse itineraries from Sydney, including visits to Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Queensland, Willis Island, and more. Meanwhile, Carnival Encounter will offer similar itineraries from Brisbane, with special sailings to the Barrier Reef, Papua New Guinea, and extended trips to Fiji. With these exciting changes, Carnival Cruise Line is set to bring even more joy and adventure to Australian cruisers. Get ready to set sail and experience the best of Carnival’s fun and hospitality down under!
P&O Cruises Announces 2025 Food Hero Sailings Featuring Culinary Stars
P&O Cruises is set to elevate the onboard dining and entertainment experience with its highly anticipated 2025 Food Hero sailings. Featuring an exceptional lineup of renowned culinary experts, these select holidays promise to delight food enthusiasts and travellers alike. Renowned chefs Marco Pierre White, José Pizarro, Shivi Ramoutar, Kjartan Skjelde, and award-winning wine expert Olly Smith will join various sailings to offer exclusive culinary events. Additionally, esteemed food critic Tom Parker Bowles will make two special guest appearances following exceptional guest feedback in 2024. A Feast for the Senses Guests sailing on Arvia, Iona, and Britannia can look forward to a range of exclusive food and wine activities, including: Intimate Cooking Lessons: Led by Marco Pierre White in The Cookery Club, Britannia’s fully equipped teaching kitchen. Live Demonstrations and Interactive Cooking Classes: Conducted by the Food Heroes themselves. Chef’s Table Dining Experiences: Featuring expertly crafted dishes prepared by the culinary icons, with wine pairings curated by Olly Smith. Q&A Sessions: Offering insights into the experts’ careers and their extensive culinary and wine knowledge. Book Signings and Meet-and-Greet Opportunities: Providing a chance to meet the icons of the food world. Culinary Highlights Marco Pierre White: The legendary chef will offer masterclasses and hosted dinners featuring signature dishes inspired by his illustrious career on three Britannia sailings. José Pizarro: Known for his authentic Spanish cuisine, José will bring his culinary passion to life on two Arvia sailings. Shivi Ramoutar: Guests sailing with Shivi on Arvia can indulge in Caribbean-inspired culinary experiences. Kjartan Skjelde: Showcasing innovative Nordic flavours, Kjartan will feature on three itineraries onboard Iona. Olly Smith: The award-winning wine expert will join four sailings to host wine tastings, celebrating exceptional wines from around the globe. Special Guest: Tom Parker Bowles Celebrated author and food critic Tom Parker Bowles will make two guest appearances, collaborating with the Food Heroes to provide unique insights into culinary trends. His expertise in good eating worldwide promises to enrich the guest experience further. A Unique Culinary Journey The 2025 Food Heroes sailings onboard Britannia, Iona, and Arvia offer guests a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in exceptional culinary experiences. From learning to cook jerk chicken to savouring intimate dinners with expertly crafted wine pairings, these sailings are tailored for food lovers and culinary adventurers.
P&O Cruises Takes Off with Norse Atlantic Airways
A landmark partnership took flight as P&O Cruises, Britain’s favourite cruise line, launched its inaugural charter flight with Norse Atlantic Airways. Departing from Manchester Airport, the flight carried over 300 excited guests to Barbados, where they joined fellow passengers onboard the luxurious Britannia for a 14-night Caribbean cruise. A New Era of Fly-Cruise Experiences This partnership marks the beginning of a new era for P&O Cruises’ winter Caribbean season. Carnival UK & P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow expressed his pride in the collaboration: “We are immensely proud to see the first charter flight with Norse Atlantic Airways take off, marking the start of our winter Caribbean season. We know flights play a key role in the overall holiday experience, which is why we chose to partner with Norse, alongside TUI Airways and Virgin Atlantic, for our charter offering. These partnerships underpin our commitment to ensuring our guests receive a consistently high level of service across all elements of their P&O Cruises holiday.” Commitment to Quality and Affordability Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO and founder of Norse Atlantic Airways, shared his excitement about the partnership: “We are excited to start this journey with P&O Cruises, connecting UK travellers to stunning Caribbean destinations. Our commitment to quality and affordability aligns perfectly with P&O Cruises’ promise of an unforgettable holiday, and we’re delighted to offer passengers comfortable, direct flights that make their travel as enjoyable as their time on the islands.” Seamless Travel Experience Between November 2024 and March 2025, Norse Atlantic will operate a weekly Friday flight from Manchester to Barbados to meet P&O Cruises’ ships Arvia and Britannia. Additionally, it will operate Saturday flights from London Gatwick and Manchester to Antigua/Barbados on alternating weeks. The Norse Atlantic Airways’ Boeing 787 Dreamliner, known for its modern in-flight entertainment and spacious seating, features an industry-leading 43” seat pitch and 12” recline, ensuring a comfortable journey for all passengers. A Warm Welcome The inaugural flight was celebrated with a warm welcome at Manchester Airport. Pictured at the event were Norse Atlantic Airways cabin crew, Norse Atlantic Airways’ director of airports, James Collins, and P&O Cruises’ hotel operations senior manager, Tom Driscoll. The collaboration promises to enhance the overall holiday experience for P&O Cruises guests, providing seamless and enjoyable travel from the UK to the Caribbean. Looking Ahead This partnership is set to elevate the fly-cruise experience, offering guests the convenience of direct flights and the luxury of P&O Cruises’ renowned service. As the winter season unfolds, travellers can look forward to more exciting journeys and unforgettable memories with P&O Cruises and Norse Atlantic Airways.
Stuart Allison is P&O Cruises’ chief commercial officer
Carnival Corporation & plc announced that Stuart Allison takes on the role of its chief commercial officer for P&O Cruises come October. The introduction of the new role on the Carnival UK Executive team is part of plans to enable the delivery of P&O Cruises’ long-term strategy and realise the full potential that a growing UK cruise market is bringing. Carnival UK and P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “We are delighted to welcome Stuart back to the UK, where he started his career with Carnival Corporation over 25 years ago. Stuart’s knowledge of and passion for our brands is going to be a huge asset to Carnival UK and he will be instrumental in our progress towards achieving our goals. An established member of the Carnival Corporation, Allison is set to join the team from Princess Cruises in Australia where he most recently served as senior vice president, Asia Pacific, UK & Europe, leading all the non-domestic commercial teams for Princess across the globe. Allison said of his appointment: “I'm excited to be joining the P&O Cruises team at a time of such potential for the UK cruise market. Working with the team and alongside all our partners, I’m confident that we have every opportunity to bring cruising to life for a wider audience and to reaffirm our position as Britain’s favourite cruise line.”
P&O Cruises to retire its brand in Australia
P&O Cruises Australia has announced its fleet will soon be sailing to its final berth, ceasing its operations in 2025 after more than 90 years on the water. The Australian travel brand will fold its operations into parent company Carnival Cruise Line from March 2025. P&O's Pacific Encounter and Pacific Adventure ships and workforce will be rebranded and transferred to the Carnival Cruise Line fleet, while the Pacific Explorer, previously known as the Dawn Princess, will be retired. Passengers set to cruise in 2024 will not be affected, while customers who had cruises booked on the Pacific Explorer after March 2, 2025 will have the option of a refund or credit for Carnival with extra onboard spending money. It is the end of an era for the popular brand, which first sailed from Sydney on December 23, 1932, on a seven-day itinerary calling at Brisbane and Norfolk Island. The company's first permanent ship in Australia, the Fairstar — heavily promoted as "the fun ship" — was part of the fleet for nine years until 1997. P&O Cruises Australia issued its surprise notice to customers on Tuesday. "As a result, all itineraries on Pacific Explorer scheduled to sail after 2nd March 2025 are being cancelled," it said. "If you are booked on one of these itineraries you will be contacted by guest services in the coming days with refund details. "We are all immensely proud of P&O Cruises Australia's 90-year heritage of dedicated operations in the region, and Carnival Cruise Line are honoured to carry forward its storied legacy and continue to deliver the same onboard experiences and itineraries." Crews on the Pacific Explorer were expected to be redeployed to other ships, but a small number of workers in the P&O Australia head office would lose their jobs, a spokeswoman said. Acting P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival Australia lead Peter Little will be retained under the new title of country manager. Carnival Cruise chief executive Josh Weinstein hailed P&O Cruises as a storied brand with an amazing team and lauded its accomplishments in Australia and the broader region. "However, given the strategic reality of the South Pacific's small population and significantly higher operating and regulatory costs, we're adjusting our approach," he said. The Carnival brand will see its fleet boosted by eight ships after also acquiring vessels from sister line Costa Cruises and ordering new ships to come into operation in 2027 and 2028. Under the changes, Carnival will continue to be the largest cruise operator in the region with 19 ships, representing almost 60 per cent of the market. The P&O ships will have technology upgrades, including an ordering app and loyalty program, but will retain the "familiar feel and much of the same experiences" for Australian guests, Carnival Cruise Line president Christine Duffy said. Source: AAP/ABC
P&O Cruises’ Britannia Sets Sail After Multi-Million-Pound Makeover
P&O Cruises’ guest favourite, Britannia, has embarked from Southampton following a multi-million-pound makeover. The first guests experienced the newly designed spaces and experiences this past weekend. The changes, completed earlier this month, come ahead of Britannia’s 10th anniversary celebration cruise in 2025. The makeover includes: A refreshed colour palette throughout the public spaces, suites, and cabins. An extension of the Loyalty and Cruise Sales area. Enhancements of the space and dining choices in the Market Café. A significant investment in the crew areas. The Sunset Bar now boasts a new warm colour scheme and additional seating, bringing to life some of the distinctive design aspects from Iona and Arvia. The children’s splash area has also seen a colourful upgrade with interactive water features. One of the most exciting additions to the Market Café is Snowflake’s first gelato-filled doughnuts at sea. This delectable treat, a hit on Iona and Arvia, will now be available on Britannia. Guests can indulge in a variety of flavours, including chocolate, strawberry, sea-salted caramel, praline, and vanilla, all wrapped in a freshly baked doughnut and covered in a choice of three toppings. This unique offering is sure to delight food enthusiasts and add to the overall cruise experience. P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said, “Britannia is our flagship, and with her 10th-anniversary celebration cruise next summer, we know the importance of ensuring the ship looks its absolute best to deliver an elevated experience for our new and loyal guests.” Britannia’s 10th anniversary celebration cruise, set to sail on June 6, 2025, from Southampton, promises a memorable journey. The ship will explore the British Isles, with ports of call including Edinburgh (Newhaven), Kirkwall, Stornoway, Belfast, an overnight in Liverpool, and Cork (Cobh). The cruise, priced at £1,099 per person, based on two people sharing an inside cabin, offers a unique opportunity to celebrate Britannia’s milestone. More details, including special guest entertainers and other surprises, will be unveiled closer to the sailing, adding to the anticipation of this special event. The post P&O Cruises’ Britannia Sets Sail After Multi-Million-Pound Makeover first appeared on Stray Nomad Travel News.
P&O Cruises reports record booking for beginning of Wave Period
P&O Cruises has reported its strongest January ever, with record-breaking sales volume during the month. The most popular destinations booked were the Caribbean, the Norwegian fjords and the Atlantic Islands, while P&O Cruises Iona, has seen the most interest. In addition, P&O Cruises has seen a longer average booking lead time during this period. P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “The beginning of this year’s Wave has once again surpassed all expectations with record-breaking sales indicating a renewed confidence in the holiday market and the excellent value for money that you get with a P&O Cruises holiday. We entered 2024 better booked so we have less reliance on the lates market which is better for us and better for agents in terms of earnings potential.” With the Wave season running through until early March, there is still time for agents to enhance their sales and make the most of P&O Cruises current booking offers. Anyone booking an applicable Select Price or Early Saver P&O Cruises holiday with a 10% deposit by 4 March 2024 can enjoy 20% off a Classic drinks package (excludes inside cabins on cruises under seven nights). In addition, even more kids’ places are available on summer 2024 holidays on Arvia and Iona.
P&O Cruises Unveils Winter 2025/26 Collection
P&O Cruises’ new winter 2025/26 holiday collection is on sale from 18 October 2023. It will include new ports of call and itineraries alongside introductory offers, such as a 10% saving and 10% deposit offer. In winter 2025/2026, P&O Cruises will return to 12 ports for the first time in five or more years. These include cities such as Los Angeles, Melbourne, and Bali, as well as awe-inspiring Bodø in Norway and Dunedin in New Zealand. Holidays will also have extended stays in port to experience more of the activities and culture in a destination. Holidays booked by 4 December 2023 will include a 10% introductory saving. Guests can save 10% on applicable winter 2025/26 Select Price holidays. Available on applicable Select Price or Early Saver holidays departing between October 2025 and March 2026. P&O Cruises loyalty programme members can enjoy a further 5% exclusive discount on selected holidays. New holiday highlights • Britannia will offer new Caribbean fly-cruise holidays in winter 2025/26. The two exciting new itineraries feature calls in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk. Ports of call are Barbados, Grenada, Curaçao, Aruba, Ocho Rios, Jamaica, Grand Turk, Tortola, and Dominica. • In December 2025, Aurora will go on an extended 14-night northern lights cruise to search for the natural phenomenon, as well as calling at medieval towns set against spectacular landscapes. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Åndalsnes, Bodø, Narvik, Tromsø and Haugesund. • In January 2026, Aurora will embark on a 75-night Grand Tour around South America, adding ten additional days compared to previous years to explore the continent, including returning to São Paulo (from Santos) for the first time in 10 years. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Gran Canaria, St Vincent, Recife, Salvador, Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo (from Santos), Montevideo, Port Stanley, Punta Arenas, Santiago (from San Antonio), Coquimbo, Arica, Lima (from Callao), Manta, Fuerte Amador, transit Panama Canal, Cartagena, Aruba, Grenada, Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, St Maarten, Ponta Delgada and Azores. • In January 2026, for the first time in nine years, Arcadia will embark on a 100-night Eastern Circumnavigation World Cruise calling at 28 destinations, including Dubai, Singapore, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Dunedin, Auckland, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Seville (from Cádiz), Valletta, transit Suez Canal, Sharm el Sheikh, Muscat, Dubai, Colombo, Penang, Kuala Lumpur (from Port Kelang), Singapore, Bali, Perth (from Fremantle), Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Dunedin, Wellington, Napier, Auckland, Tauranga, Lautoka, Fiji, Suva, Fiji, cross international date line, Honolulu, Oahu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Manzanillo, transit Panama Canal, Curaçao, Barbados, Ponta Delgada and Azores. • In December 2025, Arcadia will go on a unique Christmas markets cruise with overnight calls to Hamburg, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Amsterdam. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call are Hamburg, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Amsterdam. • Azura will visit its maiden port of call, Tangier, Morocco, on its Canary Islands fly-cruise itinerary. Departing from Valetta, Malta, ports of call are Cartagena, Tangier, Lanzarote, and Tenerife. • P&O Cruises’ newest ship, Arvia, will continue with its popular 14-night Caribbean fly-cruise itinerary from Barbados or Antigua. Iona will continue to offer guests a programme of Spain, Portugal, and Canary Islands holidays.
P&O Ferries leads summer surge in UK trade and tourism
Reporting strong increases in summer passenger and freight traffic, P&O Ferries cemented its position as market leader on Europe’s busiest ferry route between Dover and Calais and saw rises across its network. From June to August 2023, P&O Ferries saw a 71 per cent increase in freight volumes on the Dover-Calais route compared to the summer of 2022. The ferry operator has been able to meet the rise in freight traffic and boost its market share on the Dover-Calais ferry route to 46 per cent, matching capacity to demand and focussing on offering customers regular sailings, a quality service and the best possible value. The return to strength of UK-EU trade can also be seen throughout P&O Ferries’ network with an overall 35 per cent growth in freight volumes across all routes. As well as the increases in freight, P&O Ferries also received a major boost in passenger numbers, as the public looks to make more sustainable travel choices. Summer holiday passengers flocked to the new P&O Pioneer as the Dover-Calais route saw a 48 per cent increase in passengers compared to the previous year, with 1.3 million passengers travelling across the Channel with P&O Ferries from June to August. Since entering into service in mid-June, 265,000 passengers travelled on the hybrid P&O Pioneer in the course of the summer, experiencing the comfort and exceptional facilities of the first of two brand new vessels being introduced on the route. Around the UK, P&O Ferries’ routes overall saw a 39 per cent increase in total passenger volume on the previous year. P&O Ferries CEO, Peter Hebblethwaite said “We are delighted by the trust that our customers have put into us to deliver a best-in-class offering on important trade and tourist routes between the UK and the EU. We are serving our customers better than ever and seeing P&O Ferries surging ahead again as the market leader on the Dover-Calais route. “We are excited that more customers are choosing us on our journey to the sustainable future of travel, and we look forward to welcoming millions more for the exceptional and unique experience of sailing on our new hybrid ships in the months ahead.” June saw the introduction of P&O Pioneer, the world’s largest double-ended hybrid ferry, which has the capacity to carry over half a million goods units a year between the UK and the EU. In early 2024, P&O Ferries’ second hybrid vessel, P&O Liberté, will enter service on the Dover-Calais route, as P&O Ferries launches a new era of cross-Channel ferry travel as the first operator to service the route only using hybrid Fusion Class ships. These advanced vessels, specifically designed to serve the busy Dover-Calais crossing, enable more passengers to make sustainable choices and support reduced emissions in the supply chain, helping industries across the economy to meet their emissions targets.
P&O Takes Delivery Of Next LNG-Powered Cruise Ship
Carnival Corporation took delivery of its eighth LNG-powered cruise ship, the last of which was delivered four years ago. It was also the thirteenth cruise ship to be delivered with LNG as the cruise industry continues to embrace LNG. DNV estimates that by 2028, as many as 27 more LNG-powered cruise ships will have been delivered. There has been a rapid transition to using LNG as a power source in the cruise sector. Several cruise lines have either introduced or are planning to introduce LNG-fuelled vessels. These include Carnival’s AIDA brand, Costa, P&O, Carnival, Disney Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and now Royal Caribbean Group, which has its first LNG-fuelled ships under construction. Havila and Ponant have both implemented LNG on their smaller vessels. The 185,000-gross-ton Arvia was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany, as part of the Excel platform developed by the shipyard and Carnival Corporation and was the most recent LNG cruise ship to be delivered. Meyer Werft, which also constructs vessels for the lines AIDA and P&O, has now delivered its fourth LNG-powered cruise ship from Papenburg. Another vessel, Carnival Jubilee, is being built on the same platform and is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. Four LNG-powered cruise ships for Carnival Corporation’s Carnival Cruise Line and Costa Cruises have been built at the group’s sister shipyard in Turku, Finland. The Arvia, which will make its debut voyage for P&O on 23 December from England to the Canary Islands, is the sister ship of P&O’s Iona, which debuted in 2021; combined, the two vessels are the largest in the United Kingdom. The Arvia can carry almost 5,200 passengers in its 2,659 staterooms, despite being just 1,132 feet long. It has a variety of amenities, including huge sports and entertainment areas and 30 onboard dining and drinking choices. “Arvia, as the latest evolution in the P&O Cruises experience, embodies the newest trends in travel, dining, and entertainment and is the epitome of a sunshine resort sailing year-round to the warmest climates,” said Paul Ludlow, president of P&O Cruises, during the handover event on 15 December in Bremerhaven. “Arvia is a clear symbol of hope for the future of the cruise industry.” The Papenburg building hall was the site of the cruise ship’s construction once the first steel was cut in February 2021. In August of 2022, the cruise liner was floated from the construction hall and transported on the Ems to the port of Bremerhaven for sea testing and final fittings. “Jan Meyer, the shipyard’s managing director, has said that supply constraints and material shortages in light of the current severe global scenario present obstacles to the construction of such sophisticated cruise ships. But the team’s efforts paid off, and we can hand over a ship up to Meyer’s usual high standards today.” Construction of several vessels now in the cruise industry has been slowed by these problems. Although the first voyage of the Arvia had been planned for 9 December, P&O indicated in the summer that it would be postponed owing to supply chain issues. Recently, Meyer told Carnival Cruise Line that the delivery of their next major cruise ship, the Carnival Jubilee, would be delayed. The new Carnival ship was scheduled to make its first voyage on 23 October 2023. On 16 March 2023, P&O will host a historic naming ceremony for the Arvia on the beach in Barbados, the first of its kind.
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