P&O makes a play for the School half-terms to capture the Family Market.

P&O Britannia sitting pretty in the Caribbean photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr account)

P&O Cruises has bolstered its autumn half-term offering for 2025 in an effort to entice more families onboard its ships. 

The line will operate three seven-night ex-Southampton sailings specifically aimed at families whose children go to schools in different countries within the UK.

The voyages depart on 18 October, 25 October and 1 November 2025. Each sailing covers a different October half-term either in Scotland, Northern Ireland or England. 

A P&O Cruises spokesperson said: “Consequently, there will be a much larger number of holidays departing during this period.”

P&O Cruises sales director Ruth Venn said: “We’ve tried to put three consecutive sailings to cover each of three half terms. It’s great to have broad appeal.” 

P&O Cruises will return to 12 ports, including Los Angeles, Melbourne, Bali, Bodo and Dunedin, for the first time in five or more years during 2025/26. 

The programme also features two new itineraries for Britannia. Prices for the sailings, which include calls to Jamaica, Turks and Caicos and Dominican Republic, start from £1,399pp.

From January 2026, Arcadia will operate a 100-night Eastern Circumnavigation World Cruise for the first time in nine years. 

The ship will call into 28 destinations including Dubai, Singapore, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Dunedin, Auckland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Prices start from £9,599pp. 

The line will visit Tangier, Morocco, for the first time when Azura calls there during its sailing from Valetta, Malta. 

Cruises booked by 4 December will include a 10% saving. Past guests, who have cruised with P&O Cruises for 15 nights or more, can access a further 5% discount on selected sailings. 

Next Royal Caribbean Ship Named Star of the Seas

The second Icon-class ship will carry the name Star of the Seas for Royal Caribbean International when it debuts in the summer of 2025.

“The idea of combining the best of every type of vacation into one ultimate adventure has created more excitement than ever anticipated, and Star of the Seas will be the next bold answer to the record-breaking consumer demand we’ve seen for nearly a year and counting with Icon of the Seas,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.

The first look at Icon and Icon Class set the tone in October 2022 when it led to the cruise line’s single largest booking day and highest volume booking week in the brand’s then 53-year history, the company said in a press release.

The demand sparked Royal Caribbean to release 2025-26 cruises on Icon three months ahead of schedule and now Star’s name and debut season. Royal Caribbean said more details on the ship’s features and deployment will follow soon.

Cunard Reveals Queen Anne’s Wellness Offering

Cunard has revealed a glimpse of the wellness offering onboard its upcoming ship, the Queen Anne.

Cunard invited a group of travel agent partners for an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of the ship which is currently under construction at the Fincantieri Marghera shipyard in Venice. The tour was hosted by Captain Inger Thorhauge, who will be at the helm for Queen Anne’s inaugural sailing from Southampton to Lisbon on May 3, 2024.

The Queen Anne will introduce a selection of fitness, beauty, thermal and spa facilities with its reimagined Mareel Wellness & Beauty concept. From cryotherapy treatments to a Himalayan salt sauna and cold room, guests will be able to enjoy a range of crafted experiences designed for the body and soul.

The ship’s wellness spaces include The Pavilion, located on the top deck with a glass dome roof that retracts in warmer areas. The multi-purpose space will encompass the top deck Wellness Studio, which will be open from sunrise to sunset, as well as the Wellness Café, where guests can enjoy seasonal dishes.

The Queen Anne’s Wellness Club will also boast a tailormade program for solo travellers, where, on embarkation night, they can relax and unwind together at a meet-and-greet.

Katie McAlister, president of Cunard, said: “For more than 180 years, Cunard has constantly refined the definitive experience of luxury ocean travel and I am incredibly excited that we are now just six months away from beginning the next chapter of our remarkable story. It is both incredible and inspiring to see the progress that has been made by the craftsman, engineers, and workforce here at Fincantieri shipyard and as we start to see Queen Anne’s interiors take shape, we can all see what a truly magnificent Queen she will become. I know that guests around the world are looking forward to sailing with our new Queen and we are counting down the days until we can welcome them aboard.”