How do I check in online?

Online check-in

Last updated: 12/06/2026

Please note: This process is for checking in for your cruise only. If you’re on a fly-cruise holiday, you must check in for your flight separately. See our article ‘How do I check in for my flight?’  for guidance on how to do this.

Step one: Log in to my P&O Cruises to 'manage your holiday'

Log in to My P&O Cruises using your name, date of birth and booking reference.

You can find your booking reference on your booking confirmation or any emails from us relating to your holiday. Please see  ‘Where is my P&O Cruises booking confirmation?’ if you need help.

Once logged in, scroll to the 'Before you sail' section. Click the ‘Check in’ link. You’ll be taken to the online check-in page.

Please note: online check-in is available from 21 days before your cruise departs until the day before your holiday.

Step two: enter your passport details

On the online check-in page, you’ll see a list of actions to complete with a red alert icon to the left of each outstanding action. 

Click on ‘Travel documentation’. The names of each guest in your cabin will appear on the screen along with instructions to either ‘Edit’ or ‘Update’ passport information. 

Once you’ve completed this section, click ‘Save’. This will take you back to the check-in page. 

Please note: an accompanying adult must complete online check-in for minors (guests aged under 18 years) on the booking. 

Step three: Link a payment card to your on-board account

As our ships are cashless environments, we ask you to upload a payment card so you can purchase things, such as drinks, on board. See ‘What is an on-board account?’ for more information. 

To register a payment card, click on 'Payment details' and ‘Add card’, next to your name. Once you’ve entered your card details, click ‘submit card details’.

Please note: this is purely for verification purposes. No funds will be taken from your payment card at this stage.

Once you’ve entered your details, click ‘submit card details’. 

After submitting, you may be asked to authenticate the transaction via online banking. Don’t worry if you can’t verify your card this way, you can verify it at the cruise terminal instead.

If there’s more than one guest on the booking, a screen will appear (like the one below) asking if you’d like to link the payment card to everyone on the booking. To register a separate payment card, a guest will need to log in as themselves and upload their own card details.  

Please note: a guest can only add a payment card if they aren't already registered to another guest's payment card.

All children must be linked to an adult's payment card.

Step four: upload a photo of yourself (optional)

At this stage you’ll have the option to add a photo of yourself. This will be used to verify your identity when you get on and off the ship in your destinations. Please don’t worry if you can’t upload your photo online; we will take one for you at the cruise terminal.

How to upload your photo

Click 'Upload photo'. You’ll see your name and date of birth next to a space where your photo should be. Click on ‘Upload photo’ in the box.

Choose a photo that captures your whole head and shows your face clearly.

You can upload a photo for another guest on your booking, but (with the exception of adults managing photos on behalf of children) only the named guest can change the photo once it has been uploaded. They’ll need to log in to their own account to do this.

As we’ve said previously, uploading a photo isn’t necessary to check in online, so you can skip this step, should you want to. 

Step five: download your boarding pass and luggage labels.

Once you’ve completed online check-in, your boarding pass(es) and luggage labels should be available to download. If they aren’t, this may be because your cabin or your cruise terminal hasn’t been assigned yet. Don’t worry, just check back closer to sailing.

You need your boarding pass to board your ship at the start of your cruise. You can either print it out or show a digital copy on your smartphone. 

Your luggage labels should be printed out and attached to each piece of luggage you’re bringing on board. They include instructions showing you how to fold and attach them. If you can’t print your luggage labels at home, we can print them for you at the terminal.

You can download your boarding passes and luggage labels as many times as you need.

For more information or troubleshooting, see: ‘How do I find and download my boarding passes?’ And ‘What do I need to know about luggage labels?’

Step six: print luggage labels

Luggage labels will be available to print when: 

• you’ve completed your personal details, and
• your cabin has been assigned. 

To complete your personal details, please click the ‘Complete personal details’ link when logging in to your My P&O Cruises account. 

Please note: cabins can be assigned right up to the day of departure, although most are assigned at least two weeks before sailing. If this hasn’t happened on your booking, don’t worry; please arrive at the terminal as planned on the embarkation day.

On the online check-in page, click ‘Print luggage labels’ in the left-hand list of tasks to complete. Note, you are only able to do this once your cabin number has been assigned. 

Your luggage labels will be downloaded directly to your computer or mobile via your website browser in Portable Document Format (PDF). You’ll find them in the Downloads folder on your computer or mobile device. 

Struggling to download your luggage labels? 

Remember to enable pop-ups on your browser. Try checking your device's or your browser's downloads folder. If you're still having trouble, please try again later or use a different internet browser.

In the event that you are unable to print your luggage labels yourself, we can print them for you at the terminal. Please note, this may involve a slightly longer waiting time during boarding.

Check-in complete 

With all the steps complete, you can now relax knowing you are checked in for your P&O Cruises holiday.  

Still need help?

Still have questions? Our friendly Customer Contact Centre is always happy to help! Contact us today on 0344 338 8003. 

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