Cruise holidays featuring world-famous events

Experience even more excitement and local colour on your cruise holiday. We have a selection of experiences that are timed to perfection with world-famous events

We work hard to bring you unforgettable experiences and memories that you’ll treasure forever. To get the most out of the places you visit on a P&O Cruises holiday, our programme of perfectly timed itineraries feature special events in Scandinavia and Mediterranean, allowing you to experience as much local colour as possible.

Spring comes alive on the ‘island of flowers’

What better way to experience the vivid colours and scents of spring than at Madeira’s world-renowned Flower Festival. The island’s capital Funchal is a colourful floral sight year-round. However, the four-day Festa da Flor is the highlight of the year, and demonstrates the floral species of the island at their best. Flower parades, huge floral floats and flower dancers make this an enchanting event not to be missed.

The most difficult race of them all

Did you know that Monaco's notorious hairpin is the slowest, tightest corner on the Formula One calendar? Or that 33 kilometres of safety rails, 20,000 square metres of wire catch fencing, 3,600 tyres for tyre barriers, 1,100 tonnes of grandstand seating for spectators, plus around 650 marshals are all needed to turn Monaco’s day-to-day roads into the famous F1 circuit? It’s a high-octane, adrenalin-fuelled experience not to be missed.

Sails up

Each year at the end of June, around 5,000 sailors, 2,000 ships, and three million visitors descend on Kiel in Germany for the annual Kiel Week, the world’s largest sailing event. What once began in 1882 as a small competition between naval officers and merchants is today a huge public festival. Sailing is celebrated in all its forms, from classic yachts and cutter regattas to a grand parade of tall ships. The event is even more fun thanks to all the trimmings of a popular German festival such as music, amusements, fireworks and food.

Smooth notes

During the 1950s and 60s, Copenhagen became a creative base for many leading American jazz icons including Dexter Gordon, Stan Getz and Ben Webster. The city’s legendary status as one of the jazz capitals of Europe continued to grow, and now, every summer since 1979, the Danish capital hosts the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, one of Europe’s most important international music events. With more than 250,000 visitors, the city comes alive with jazz played in the streets, city squares, jazz clubs and unique concert halls.

Blazing talent

Combining music and incredible pyrotechnic displays, the Monaco International Firework contest in Monte Carlo is a feast for the senses. Held since 1966, this free event happens across four dates in July and August and attracts thousands to view some of the most beautiful and original fireworks around as pyrotechnic experts from all over the world go head-to-head to create the most spectacular displays across the port.

Pizza lovers unite

According to legend, in 1889 Queen Margherita of Savoy visited Naples and was presented with a pizza made to resemble the colours of the Italian flag: red (tomato), white (mozzarella) and green (basil). It was named the Margherita pizza. Whether true or not, it’s a well-known fact that one of Italy’s oldest cities is also one the country’s most delicious. Naples is the birthplace of pizza, and the annual Pizzafest fair is the city’s celebration of its most famous food. Every September, the most famous pizzerie (pizzerias) from all over the world compete against renowned local pizzaioli (pizza makers) to be proclaimed the best pizzaiolo in the world.