Tag Archives: P&O Cruises

Carnival Corporation chief backs UK trade push

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The chief executive of Carnival Corporation has backed his UK team to develop relations with the trade, but urged agents to speak out if they were unhappy with the cruise giant’s strategy.

Speaking at the 10th annual Clia conference in Southampton, Arnold Donald said he had “every confidence” in the Carnival UK team, who he said would “talk to the trade, listen and learn”.

His comments came after Carnival UK’s vice president for sales Alex White vowed to have “agents at the heart” of the P&O Cruises and Cunard business in the future, following a mixed history with the trade which included a swathe of commission cuts in 2011.

Donald said: “We have increased our team by 30% under the leadership of Alex White, we have our Cunard and P&O Cruises Partnership Team that we’ve implemented and we have our training academy which we are refining and revamping.

“You (the trade) told us that we were on the right track and we absolutely want to keep listening and figuring out how we can continue enhancing.

“I have every confidence in David Noyes, who leads Carnival UK, and Alex and his expanded team to make sure we have enough people contact (with the trade) and make sure we’re talking to you and listening and learning so we can deliver what you need to build your business and in turn build our business and I think we’re on the track.

“You tell us, and if we’re not we’ll correct it and make sure we get on the right track.”

P&O Cruises ship ‘fails US health check’

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P&O Oriana
US inspections reportedly found potentially hazardous food, unhygienic pool water and cockroaches on board two P&O Cruises’ ships.
 

Hygiene problems were discovered when Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) inspectors spot-checked Oriana and Oceana (pictured).

Oceana failed a health check in January while in the US, while Oriana passed an inspection in February despite cockroaches being found in a grill, ITV News reported.

P&O Cruises said issues on the ships were “rectified immediately”.

Swimming and spa pools were closed on Oceana after inspectors found the water had not been disinfected and contained inadequate levels of chlorine and bromine.

Sandwiches were left to sit in “potentially hazardous” temperatures and one member of staff who was suffering from acute gastroenteritis, which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea, worked with food for three hours, the report found.

Inspectors also told the cruise company to “effectively control the presence of insects” after three live cockroaches were found underneath grills on Oriana.

A P&O Cruises spokesman said: ‘We are extremely disappointed in the result of this inspection and we immediately rectified the areas identified as needing attention.”

Princess Cruises reveals new fleet livery

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A new livery is to be introduced across the Princess Cruises fleet in a move which reflects UK-based sister line P&O Cruises.

The ‘ocean waves’ design will feature on the bow of the ships, with the first to feature on new vessel Majestic Princess which was floated out in its building dock at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy yesterday.

The design, featuring the company’s iconic logo, will be introduced across the fleet over the next few years. This follows P&O Cruises introducing the union flag to the front of its ships.

The 3,560-passenger Majestic Princess, designed specifically to sail from China, is due to enter service next year.

The line’s president, Jan Swartz, said: “For nearly half a century our Princess logo has represented the adventure of cruise travel around the globe.

“Now our ships sail to more than 360 ports of call worldwide and will be instantly recognised from afar.

“As the very first cruise ship built for China, we take great pride that Majestic Princess is our first ship to proudly display our new livery design.”

Majestic Princess will offer many of the same features as Royal Princess and Regal Princess but will include a number of new venues and experiences created for Chinese passengers. Details will be revealed in the coming months, according to the company.