Tag Archives: P&O Britannia

P&O Announces UK Coastal Cruise Details, Sailing in June

Posted on by
Reply

P&O’s brand New ship Iona.

P&O Cruises is now offering a series of short breaks on the flagship Britannia in summer 2021 and week-long cruises on the new ship Iona. This was announced in a press release.

The cruises will depart from Southampton between June and September, sailing around the UK coast, “where the sun shines brightest,” the cruise line said. The guests will have to be fully-vaccinated UK residents.

“Given recent announcements, we have every hope that our guests will be able to enjoy a holiday this summer. After the stresses and challenges of the past year, everyone certainly deserves a treat and this series of cruises will provide memorable and much-needed UK getaways,” said P&O Cruises President Paul Ludlow.

“Whilst there is still uncertainty about holidays abroad this summer, we are delighted to be able to offer our guests the ultimate escape here in the UK with the reassurance that we will take care of everything. Also, we really will look at the weather forecast for each cruise and aim to take our ships where it is warm and sunny,” he added.

According to Ludlow, at the start of Iona’s maiden seas, the Ultimate Escape series of holidays will include a seven-night maiden voyage sailing around the Scottish islands

“The Iona will anchor off Iona, the island after which she was named, with a celebratory extended stay until sunset for magical views of the historic shores,” Ludlow said.

P&O Cruises extends pause in operations because of European travel uncertainty | Crew Center
P&O Britannia

The sailings will sail from Southampton. Guests will be offered gourmet dining and poolside bites, cocktails and coffees, shopping, spas, shows and endless sea views, P&O said.
P&O Brittania.

The Britannia will offer three- and four-night breaks and one six-night holiday running from June 27, 2021, through to Sept. 19, 2021. Prices start from £449 per person.

The Iona offers seven-night itineraries running from Aug. 7, 2021, to Sept. 18, 2021. The Iona’s seven-night maiden voyage starts from £1,199 per person.

The cruise line said that given the advanced progress of the UK vaccination program and strongly expressed a preference on the part of its guests for this series of UK coastal cruises, these sailings on the Britannia and the Iona will be for the UK resident COVID-19 vaccinated guests only. Travel insurance will also be mandatory for all guests.

All guests and crew will be required to follow enhanced health and wellbeing measures to protect everyone on board on these cruises.

“As we have spent the majority of the last year at home, to be able to have a restorative and relaxing break, sit on the deck with a sea view in the summer sunshine and then enjoy an indulgent dinner and show – it’s certainly what we all need this year and we cannot wait to have our guests back on board,” Ludlow said.

P&O Cruises still planning Iona celebration in Southampton

Posted on by
Reply

P&O Cruises is still planning a celebration for when new ship Iona arrives in Southampton to begin her maiden sailings but said it would “judge the mood of the nation” first.
President Paul Ludlow said the new ship was looking “stunning” and would be “unlike anything ever seen before for the British market”.
He said: “It’s our intention to keep her in Europe when she comes to Southampton and we will absolutely celebrate her arrival into the UK. It will be such a feel-good moment that it would be remiss of us not to. But we will have to judge the mood of the nation.
“It’s difficult to predict the future at the moment, so until things are more certain, we will hold back with details of this event.”
Speaking as he launched the line’s summer 2022 programme, Ludlow said Iona’s sister ship was still on track for delivery in December 2022 and that steel-cutting for this vessel was due to take place in Germany before the end of this year.
He said bookings for the second half of 2021 were at the “upper end of historic levels”, those for spring 2022 had “surpassed the upper end of historic levels” and that summer 2022 pre-registrations were “akin to previous years”.

Ludlow said some bookings for 2022 were by customers whose 2020 cruises had been cancelled and who were redeeming their Future Cruise Credits.
“The majority of people took FCCs over a refund when their cruises were cancelled,” he said. “And of those who took an FCC, 50% have utilised it already. So that leaves 50% who are still waiting to utilise it. There were some who had bookings for 2020 and 2021, so they have been waiting to use the 2020 FCC in 2022.”
Ludlow also said that not all bookings were by loyal guests and that the “new to cruise market hasn’t completely gone away”.
“In the first, three or four months, new to cruise volumes actually exceeded my expectations,” he said. “That’s slowed down a little bit but even so, it’s exceeded my expectations as to how many new-to-cruise people wanted to book.”
Ludlow added: “For people taking their first cruise, the consideration period is lengthy. By the time they had invested all that time, [the pandemic] has not been enough for them to say ‘it’s no longer for me’.”

P&O Cruises extends cancellation of sailings into 2021

Posted on by
Reply

All P&O Cruises sailings have been cancelled until early 2021, the line confirmed today.
All Caribbean cruises are cancelled until the end of January 2021 and departures from and to Southampton will not operate until February.
The ships Arcadia and Aurora have already seen cancellations through to the end of their spring world cruises.
Passengers with bookings on a cancelled cruise will be notified and automatically receive an enhanced 125% future cruise credit or a 100% refund by filling out a web form, according to the line.
P&O Cruises had extended its pause in operations until November 12 and cancelled two extended itineraries due to depart in January 2021.
The line’s previous pause was in June until October 15 due to Covid-19 restrictions on cruise operations.
P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “With evolving restrictions on travel from the UK, unfortunately, it is necessary to cancel these itineraries.
“These further cancellations vary according to ship as well as complexity and length of itineraries, advice and guidance regarding ports of call and current air availability for fly/cruises.
“We are continuing to monitor the overall situation closely and will certainly reintroduce cruises should the opportunity arise and it is feasible to do so.”
Ludlow confirmed that the Carnival Corporation company is working with several of the “most brilliant minds in science as well as government at the highest level” on approved and enhanced health protocols, which will be in place once the company resumes sailing.
He added: “Whilst adherence to the protocols on board and ongoing vigilance will be critical, this will always be coupled with providing the well-deserved and memorable holidays for which we are known, with all the standout moments on board and experiences onshore. This is what we have always done and will continue to do.
“We cannot wait for restrictions to ease, borders to open and for us to once again be able to set sail for a new beginning.”