Alaskan adventure
P&O Cruises is set to sail to Alaska for the first time in 40 years. The 72-night Grand Alaska Voyage will depart on 12 April 2011 from Southampton.
Arcadia’s voyage, the only Alaskan cruise departing from the UK, offers three holiday options:
- A full 72-night voyage sailing from and to Southampton
- A 44-night cruise sailing from Southampton to Los Angeles
- A 45-night cruise from San Francisco to Southampton
Prices start from £6,999 per person for the 72-night trip, £4,599 per person for the 45-night trip and £4,399 per person for the 44-night trip.
Not only will Arcadia be stopping at the key Alaskan ports, but it will also call at some of the lesser-known ones – such as Skagway and Yakutat Bay – giving passengers an opportunity to get under the skin of this magnificent state, often described as one of life's must-see destinations.
As well as visiting the wilds of Alaska, the cruise will combine the excitement and vibrancy of great cities such as New York, LA and Vancouver with exotic ports such as Madeira, St. Lucia and Acapulco.
For more information visit our USA & Canada page.
CELEB CHEF DATES
P&O Cruises is renowned for the fine dining options offered on all our ships, including restaurants created by Michelin-starred chefs Marco Pierre White, Gary Rhodes and Atul Kochhar.
Gary Rhodes’ restaurants, Arcadian Rhodes and Oriana Rhodes, can be found on board Arcadia and Oriana respectively, while Marco Pierre White lends his expertise to The White Room on Ventura, Café Bordeaux on Aurora and Café Jardin on Oceana. Atul Kochhar’s Indian-inspired restaurant, Sindhu, will be found on board our newest addition to the fleet, Azura, when she arrives in April.
We are thrilled to have all three chefs travelling on board during 2010, working and meeting passengers. They will be travelling on the following dates:
Gary Rhodes
- Arcadia – 21 to 24 June (J008) and 9 to 12 November (J019)
- Oriana – 13 to 16 July (X011) and 27 to 30 August (X015)
Marco Pierre White
- Aurora – 29 April to 1 May (cruise R002X)
- Oceana – 24 to 26 May (E011) and 13 to 16 October (E021)
- Ventura – 10 to 12 June (N014), 10 to 12 July (N017) and 22 to 26
October (N027)
Atul Kochhar
- Azura – 12 to 15 April (A002), 23 to 26 July (A010), 15 to 18 August (A011), 21 to 24 September (A014) and 12 to 15 February 2011
(A103)
For more information visit our dining page.
Where in the world...
Travel buffs can put their geographical knowledge to the test in our quickfire online quiz, Where in the World. Race against the clock to identify local landmarks and pinpoint cities, countries and islands around the globe. All questions are related to the destinations found on our four unique world voyage itineraries on board Arcadia, Artemis, Aurora and Oriana. Click here to begin – www.pocruises.co.uk/whereintheworld
In brief
Olly on board
Saturday Kitchen star Olly Smith’s personally chosen selection of wines will be available for passengers to enjoy on board Azura when she launches in April 2010. The TV wine expert is co-creator of wine bar The Glass House on board the newest addition to the P&O Cruises fleet. Olly also writes a column for The Portunus Club Magazine as well as a weekly wine column in The Mail on Sunday.
Galleries galore
Art lovers will be excited to hear that they will soon be able to enjoy the art of Whitewall Galleries on board Arcadia and Oceana, in addition to the gallery already on board Ventura. Whitewall Galleries, which represents an extensive portfolio of fine artists, from top international names to exceptional new talent, joined forces with P&O Cruises in 2008.
On with the show
Passengers and theatre fans alike will be thrilled to hear that P&O Cruises very own theatre company, Headliners, is set to enter its second year of performances on board our ships. Headliners produces a wide variety of entertainment - from traditional musicals to more contemporary shows. Passengers can expect new shows on board Oceana this winter and six all-new production shows for Azura from the maiden cruise on 12 April 2010.
P&O Cruises latest superliner, Azura, will be introduced with a sparkling naming ceremony on 10 April. Ceremoniously blessing a ship before it sails out to sea is a time-honoured tradition and ballerina Darcey Bussell will follow in the footsteps of Her Majesty the Queen, Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Kelly Holmes and Princess Anne by acting as godmother.
The former Royal Ballet dancer is planning to include a dance sequence as part of a special twist to the inaugural celebrations. She will then smash the champagne bottle in her role as godmother as she names Azura in the official ceremony. Exact details of the occasion are being kept a closely guarded secret until the day.
“I am so excited, honoured and, at the same time, somewhat filled with trepidation to be godmother to Azura, as I know how significant the ceremony is for the ship’s captain and crew,” said Darcey. “It was the quality and history of the company that attracted me to P&O Cruises, as well as the fact that their cruises embody romance. If you were going to choose a holiday, a cruise is probably the most pleasurable way you could travel, especially on a ship like Azura where basically everything is at your fingertips.”
“Darcey epitomises glamour, sophistication and elegance, all qualities we have strived to achieve in Azura,” commented P&O Cruises Managing Director, Carol Marlow. “Azura will offer the service, quality and entertainment associated with cruising at its very best and, as dance will play a key part in this, it is entirely fitting for Darcey to give her ship her best possible start in life.”