P&O Cruises is part of Carnival Corporation & plc – the world’s largest leisure company – and has been for over 20 years. Carnival is based in the USA and its combined fleet includes over 100 ships across several cruise lines including Cunard, Princess and Carnival Cruise Line.

The initials P and O stand for ‘Peninsular and Oriental’, an abbreviation of The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which became the company’s full name in 1840 (although our roots trace back further). These days, we’re happy to be known simply as P&O Cruises, a name we’re proud to have made synonymous with amazing holidays.

As a company, we stand for many things. Our highest responsibilities and top priorities are compliance, environmental protection and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, the people in the communities we touch and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside employees. You can find out more about our vision and culture here.

Yes, for over 20 years, P&O Cruises has been part of Carnival Corporation & plc – the world’s largest leisure company. You may have heard of some of the other cruise lines within the Carnival Corporation, such as Cunard, Carnival Cruise Line, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess, Seabourn and P&O Cruises Australia.

We’re Britain’s biggest cruise line and our home port is Southampton, England. Many of our holidays depart from here but we also offer fly-cruises to destinations all over the world. Our guests can fly directly from the UK to amazing places such as Barbados, Sydney, Auckland, Antigua, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai to meet their ship in the sunshine and begin their adventure. 

We sail to approximately 300 destinations around the world. Whether you want to explore iconic cities such as Sydney or San Francisco, sun-kissed islands like Barbados or Ibiza, or lesser-known gems like Visby in Sweden or Trieste on Italy’s Adriatic coast, we have a holiday that’s perfect for you.

So, which region of the world would you like to explore?

• Norway and Iceland
• Mediterranean
• Caribbean
• Canary Islands
• Spain and Portugal
• Short break destinations
• Northern Europe and Scandinavia
• North America and Canada
• British Isles
• South America
• Southern hemisphere
• World Cruises

We’re part of Carnival Corporation & plc, an American-owned company, but we’re still very much a British brand. Our offices are right by the Ocean Cruise Terminal in our home port of Southampton and, whether you’re exploring Asia, South America, Australasia, Northern Europe or anywhere else, you’ll enjoy all the comforts of home on board our ships. For example, all prices are in pounds sterling, all plug sockets are standard UK style and you’ll always have the chance to enjoy a lovely cup of English breakfast tea!

There are seven stunning ships in our fleet, each with its own appeal, unique features and itineraries to take you to a variety of exciting destinations. Whether it’s a family-friendly ship or one exclusively for adults, larger or a little more modest, we’ll help you find your perfect match.

Arvia, Iona, Britannia, Azura and Ventura are our family-friendly ships. Each one is packed with a huge variety of dining, entertainment, activities and relaxation options for all ages.

Arcadia and Aurora are our two ships that are exclusively for adults.

You can find out more about each ship and what it’s like on board by clicking ‘Our Ships’ at the top of this page.