P&O Cruises

Fantastic experience: Brilliant is the only word

Fantastic experience: Brilliant! Great food, perfect service from lovely staff, clean and smart surroundings.

Negative experience: The staff were so rude and me and my nan felt awful the entire time, would not recommend EVER!!! Thank you for screwing up an 80th birthday

Positive experience: It was an experience I'm glad I had, the issues I had were that the air con on the cabin was not fit for purpose and the food was rather lack lustre.

Fantastic experience: Fabulous food and service in the Aqua restaurant on the Iona.

Fantastic experience: Had a great experience on ventura. Really enjoyed the cruise

Fantastic experience: Fantastic ship, food was great, the service was great, the shows and activities were amazing, lots to do on board, I would recommend getting the drinks package.

Negative experience: If you are over 60 years old from the north of England you like under seasoned food and complaining this is the perfect cruise line for you. If not look elsewhere!

Negative experience: We booked a cruise with P&O, and my parents wanted to surprise my dad with a special package. They paid £404.20 for the Ultimate Celebration Package, but due to an error on P&O’s end, the payment was taken but not confirmed. After weeks of back and forth, P&O finally admitted the mistake and promised to honor the package or provide compensation. But when my parents got on board nothing was honored. The staff refused to acknowledge the emails confirming the agreement, were dismissive and rude, and said they had no record of the arrangement. My parents even showed the email proof, yet Guest Services refused to help. P&O Cruises made a clear promise in writing, then completely ignored it once my parents were on board. After all the stress they put us through, they did nothing to make it right. If you’re thinking of booking with P&O, be warned—if they make a mistake, they will blame you, ignore their promises, and leave you stranded. Customer service is awful, and the moment you board the ship, you’re on your own.

Fantastic experience: Can't fault went in signature lounge happy days great staff in there ferry on time all good

Negative experience: Currently on Arvia. I just can't believe how bad this boat is. Only one week left thank goodness. They have now started overcharging us too it just keeps getting worse. This is my first cruise and the experience has been so bad it has now put me off ever going on another one, suffice to say it wouldn't be P&O if I changed my mind! Staff are so miserable and downtrodden and after 6 days I can see why starting to feel their pain

Negative experience: If you want rubbish service and a dirty cruise ship choose the Iona. A bit of sickness and diarrhea is thrown in free of charge. No compensation given. I will stick to Princess cruises from now on.

Negative experience: January 11 to 24 great flight in premium for my wife and disabled son Nord Air well done. P and O cruise around the Caribbean on the Britannia. Balcony cabins, tired dirty shower sand paper towels scruffy balcony cabin. Dreadful food, rubbish entertainment. The premium food is good, pay extra. Every thing is extra and expensive. We are seasoned cruisers with p and o and others. The ship was packed and uncomfortable, no chance of a pool seat and a mad rush for any entertainment, like a herd of wilder beasts over the Serengeti. This cost me £10,000. Worst experience of our lives. Please think carefully about a trip with P and O cruises Read the reviews. Good Luck. Oh

Fantastic experience: Fantastic from start to finish

Fantastic experience: First time cruise and aboard Arvia, too which is a beautiful ship. Plenty of room onboard for everyone with a wide range of activities for all the family. The food options included are amazing, whether it's the buffet or one of the many sit down options. Plenty of toilets on all decks if you're caught short! Plenty of sun beds too but it could get busy quick on a hotter holiday. The formal nights are well organised and the entertainment was brilliant, the theatre was amazing! WiFi and drinks packages should be purchased before you go to avoid onboard charges which add up. All the staff onboard are the most kind and respectful people you could meet, with attention to detail and the cleaners doing the most remarkable job. Went on several well organised and interesting excursions throughout which were great. For a relaxing, chilled out and interesting holiday - I cannot recommend this enough.

Fantastic experience: good

Fantastic experience: Directions to embarkation port good. Southampton and the amount of ports can be overwhelming. Directions put me at ease.

Negative experience: I've been on many P&O Cruises over the years without any problems! Unfortunately, my New Year Cruise on the Britannia was disappointing. All sea days on my 14-night cruise, I struggled to get a sun bed at 7.30 am . The ship was jam-packed, and I've never seen anything like it, no space on decks anywhere. Long waits for drinks in bars and not enough staff on board to take orders. For a full capacity cruise and only one half of the buffet open seemed very odd at lunch times.. More issues occurred as the cruise went on and put me off going with P&O again.

Positive experience: Our first cruise and it was on the Britannia, one of the best ships out there. Should have been a perfect trip but let down by a couple of issues. We spent two weeks chasing waiters around, they're not pro active at all and hung around the bar areas. If you have to go to the bar for a waiter you don't need one do you!! Accounts are terrible at P&O, three times we had to go stand in a long line at reception because our ships card was blocked meaning we couldn't order drinks on our package. Also, at the end of the cruise they billed us for services that we were entitled to for free! Good was fantastic though and so was our cabin

Negative experience: P&O Britannia left us in a smoke filled room above the smoking area for three days before relocating us, then our WiFi package locked out, they fixed this and charged £119 for the privilege. Spurious charges in the spa. Paid for. 45 min wet cut and dry, was in and out (no water) within 25 min then they charged me an additional £9.50 twice and at different times. Cancelled two trips on me, then kept us up half the night on a phantom man overboard and then wouldn’t let us cancel a shore excursion early next morning telling us we didn’t give enough notice when you can’t ring them and they’re not physically available until 8 am! P&O company policy is Pirate, take what you can, give nothing back! Thanks for a great Christmas experience P&O! MSC here we come…

Fantastic experience: Always amazing would recommend

Fantastic experience: Trip to norway

Fantastic experience: Great ships, awsome destinations

Fantastic experience: Grate cruise to Spain and Portugal. Meridian restaurant was exceptional food snd service . Brodies excellent bar table servicecwas good. Main atrium on deck 6,7,8 gerorgrous ares to sit but almost no table service . Overall great entertainment was poor except quiz time.

Fantastic experience: Fjord cruise. A spectacle of nature and a dream ship. Perfect navigation. Ship always clean and precise. Staff always active, present and welcoming. International food and something different every day. Shows and attractions for everyone. Stops at each port and we can also book excursions on the ship. A cruise to take, at least once in your life. Waking up, opening the tent and seeing sailing in the middle of the fjords is beyond spectacular. A place where the sun never sets.

Fantastic experience: First time cruises we did Ventura to Amsterdam it was so much fun, yes ship a bit dated but everything was perfect entertainment for everyone the food was good, especially the ones you pay for the Sindhu & beach house was amazing can’t fault. The only issue we found is we couldn’t hardly use the buffet until it was about to close since it was constantly full up and could not find a seat.

Fantastic experience: We did the 7 day cruise to Spain on the Ventura for my mom's 80th birthday. Special mention here for our waiter Sunil in the Cinnamon restaurant. He treated us like royalty and made special effort for us, as well as having a great sense of humour. It made us come back each night, and that the food was amazing too! Beds are comfortable, balcony is a good choice. Gym is adequate. The service staff keep things tidy and clean. If you like to eat, you will not go hungry. The launderette is a gem - especially quick and helpful as we were flying elsewhere the next day. Well planned trip with great ports to visit. We did bus trips with my mom. In Vigo and Guernsey, we rented eBikes for my husband and I. Highly recommended to go on your own exploration. Do try the fried baby squid in Vigo at the Cocodero Bar la Piedra!

Fantastic experience: I enjoyed it well

Fantastic experience: Superb cruise from Southampton to hamburg.

Positive experience: Went on Aurora to Norway. The ship was great but she is starting to show her age. Staff were great, the food was amazing and the entertainment was brilliant. The cabin had everything you needed and the balcony was a must for the views. Would recommend to anyone and hopefully go again ourselves soon

Fantastic experience: Went on Iona from Southampton2norway, absolutely fabulous, was a apprehensive about a cruise, but lapped it upalready finking of booking another one, the staff and ship were fantastic. Well done P&O.

Negative experience: On the Arvia just now, July 2024, and to say it’s a disappointment is an understatement. P and O used to be great to be on, but they’ve now compromised passenger enjoyment for cash flow. 4 tiny pools and one of them is adult only!! The pools are the busiest I’ve ever seen and it’s like having a bath with 49 other guests. And it isn’t even the English school holidays yet. The best time to go to them on port days as most people are off the ship. Or get up at 8 in the morning to get a great picture.See pic. Don’t think I’m a first time cruiser, we’ve been on Brittania (twice) and Ventura (thrice) and they are much more hospitable. Food is very good with a varied choice and the Restraunt’s, with a surcharge, are excellent. Morreti is £5.35- £5.95 a pint, depending on which bar you go to?? And other pints are similarly priced. Bottles (330ml) are £5.35. Spirits are £5 and a dash mixer is £1. I started drinking the bottles of Damm on the last few days, and wish I’d done it previously as I now realise the Morreti isn’t as “strong” as it should be. If you plan to bring kids, you have to book the kids club via the app…..if there’s space. The sports court is tiny and laughable……about 1/5th the size of a five a side pitch. See pic. I’m really struggling to say something positive, but I will add the staff are helpful and friendly. If you’re into the gym, the maximum dumbbell weight is 22kg, though there are free weights. We won’t be back on a cruise probably ever again, partly because of this cruise ship and partly because our kids are getting older. Just to add, 2 of the pools got shut down on the 14 days we were there, because of “foreign objects”. Seems to be a game where kids can see if they can get pools closed by not going to the toilets which are located nearby. All in all for Flagship, I’m afraid the Arvia doesn’t cut it.

Fantastic experience: First time cruising well pleased with the whole experience around the Mediterranean France Spain and Italy definitely will go again sometime

Fantastic experience: 2024,: Great trip on Iona to Norway 2019: Wide range of good and bad comments in WWW but our trip was good on Britannia. It was a nice cruise, friendly staffs, good food, relax holiday...

Fantastic experience: What an amazing week we’ve had. First time cruisers staying in 10411 and our son in inside cabin 10415 both cabins were plenty spacious and spotlessly clean. Plenty of storage spaces and hangers for clothes. Plenty of storage space for toiletries in the bathroom. Hairdryer was really good definitely don’t need to bring one from home. Tea/coffee/uht milk/ sugar sweeteners facilities with biscuits each day in the drawer under your cups and glasses. If you don’t like UHT milk ask the steward for a jug of fresh milk. Fridge is great I had seen reviews saying it was just a cooler not at all works just like a proper fridge. We would fill our insulated bottles with water from our tap and place the bottle (without the lid on) in the fridge overnight so that the water was lovely and cold for our next days trips. Plenty of plugs for charging devices. TV is really good this is where you get a large amount of information about the ship including a map! Plenty of tv shows and films too. The bow camera is great for those that are on an inside cabin and son said it can be weird without natural light knowing what time of day you’re on. Lights near the bed and especially the reading lights are great. The bed was so comfy slept so well on board. Curtains block out most of the light, there is a nightlight on the wall near the floor by the bathroom so great for finding your way to the toilet at night. Also the light in the shower stays on all night - nice dim light to see what you’re doing in the bathroom, no need to turn main light on. If like me your a lady that gets very hot in bed ask your steward for a duvet cover to use instead of the duvet. Slept like a baby all weeking with the gentle movement. Our cabin steward Isian was so friendly and couldn’t do enough for us. Did have an issue with our sink one night and our balcony door not locking properly. Reported to reception and were both sorted within 30 minutes. No noise or vibrations as some have said. Yes the lifts get busy. We used the stairs as much as possible.

Fantastic experience: It was a five-star experience on p and o cruises it was up the frauds of Norway. Beautiful pictures. Beautiful cruise liner. Absolute value for money 7 days away. Depart from Southampton. Such a relaxing time to see the world go by. Highly recommend it for a treat yourself holiday

Positive experience: This was our first cruise with Iona (P&O), group of six friends. A P&O Cruises holiday offers incredible value for money: luxury accommodation, delicious food, pools and whirlpool spas, gyms and sports courts, theatre shows, live music, comedy and films. A beautiful ship with excellent staff. Spotlessly clean at all times. The food (not in the buffet area) was good. On our 2nd evening had dinner @ Sindhu restaurant -food and service was very poor. We then had dinner at Pearl restaurant and the food and service were excellent. All of us were vegetarians and they tried their best to meet our expectations. The staff were friendly and polite. It was service with smile throughout.

Fantastic experience: Amazing cruise line Love it! It’s like floating paradise

Fantastic experience: Embarking and disembarking is quick and smooth. Airports could learn a thing or too. Went on Iona, first-time on a cruise. It's massive, it's clean, it's impressive, it's beautiful. There's always something to do, see, eat or drink.

Fantastic experience: I’ve been on two cruises now with P&O, and both times had a fantastic experience. The first was on Iona to the Norwegian Fjords, second on Ventura to Spain & Portugal. For both experiences, we found the staff very friendly and the service excellent. Entertainment was fabulous. Food was delicious - we are vegetarian and there was always plenty of options in the main dining room, had some really wonderful food. Iona in particular is a beautiful ship, which never felt crowded, lots of natural light and great for wondering on deck. We’ve now booked our third P&O cruise.

Negative experience: First time cruiser, was so excited however excitement didn't last long, took over 2 hours to embark, for the majority of this we were stood outside in the cold. Once on board couldn't even get a drink, the crew had no idea, on how to serve everyone, so I actually gave up on this occasion thinking it might be because of embarkation, however alas this was not the case and on most occasions had to wait for half an hour to be served a drink, service in the bars was an issue for the whole cruise! In respect of the food I was expecting fine dining......well no ...portion sizes minute and quality not good, the horizon buffet was dire too!!! Jayson my steward cabin was lovely and gets 5 star's from me so do the cleaning staff in the ship, as everywhere was pristine. As I say first time for me however the people I was travelling with were cruise veterans with p and o and were also not impressed. The dress code was non existent it seemed the tattier the better!!! I will never ever go on a p and o cruise again, value for money it certainly isn't, Butlins springs to mind, however you receive better service there!! This holiday wasn't cheap and I was expecting superior service! My next cruise will be with cunard as according to my friends you are treated like royalty. P and O certainly need to buck their ideas up and I shall definitely not be recommending them to anyone. In all my 40 years of holidays I have never ever complained once and always make the best out of any situation but P and O tried my patience on this !!!!

Fantastic experience: First time cruise, did one week Norway fjords and it was amazing. Great ship, wonderful staff and superb food. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Will do it again.

Negative experience: We’ve been cruising with P&O for over 10 years. We’ve been to all their ships, old and new. After last week on Ventura, we had enough. Outbreak of Norovirus, dirt everywhere, horrible food, multiple times the room toilet was overflowing just to name a few things. Horrible experience, never again!

Negative experience: Shocking that they charge for teenagers on shore excursions at adult prices. Hardly encourages families. Since when are teenagers adults!!

Fantastic experience: Excellent caribbean cruise I would definitely recommend. 2 weeks on the Azura.  P&O Cruises offers delightful Caribbean cruise holidays that allow you to immerse yourself in the vibrant colors and cultures of each captivating island. Let’s set sail and explore this tropical paradise: Breathtaking Beaches: Picture endless stretches of white or golden sands, turquoise waters, and laid-back cocktail vibes. The Caribbean’s sun-soaked beaches are truly heavenly for beach lovers. ️ Caribbean Cuisine: Get ready for a culinary adventure! From conch chowder to fried jackfish, tania fritters, soursop ice cream, and of course, rum punch, the exotic flavors of the Caribbean will tickle your taste buds. ️ Magnificent Scenery: St. Lucia boasts the iconic twin peaks—Gros Piton and Petit Piton—that dominate its landscape. Rich vegetation, geothermal fields, hot springs, coral reefs, and diverse wildlife make this area a superlative beauty. Fly to Paradise: In just around 8½ hours, you can fly to the sunshine and find yourself sipping a mojito in paradise. P&O Cruises offers seven or 14-night cruise holidays for an unforgettable Caribbean adventure. ✈️ Explore These Caribbean Island Cruise Ports: Barbados: Discover hidden gems and rejuvenate at Pebbles Beach, where racehorses even take morning swims. ️ St. Lucia: Don’t miss the rejuvenating black mud bath at the famous volcanic Sulphur Springs. Grenada: Explore spice markets and pristine beaches. ️️ Antigua: Dive into crystal-clear waters and soak up the sun. ☀️ Dominica: Experience lush rainforests and natural hot springs. Curaçao: Wander through colorful colonial architecture and vibrant streets. ️ St. Vincent: Marvel at the beauty of the Grenadines. Tobago: Enjoy serene beaches and lush landscapes. ‍♀️ St. Maarten: Explore the Dutch and French sides of this dual-nation island. Top 5 Caribbean Shore Experiences: Pool of Love: Take a dip in the hot mineral water at St. Lucia’s Sulphur Springs. Beach Bliss: Sink your toes into the sands of Barbados’ Pebbles Beach. Island Flavors: Savor local delicacies across the Caribbean. Stunning Sunsets: Witness breathtaking sunsets over the turquoise waters. Wildlife Encounters: Spot diverse wildlife on these enchanting islands. Frequently Asked Questions: Best Time to Cruise the Caribbean: The Caribbean is delightful year-round, but the dry season (December to April) is particularly popular. Time Zone: The Caribbean spans multiple time zones. Currency: Various currencies are used across different Caribbean countries. Languages: English, Spanish, French, and Dutch are commonly spoken. Sailing Duration: Cruise lengths vary, but you’ll have an unforgettable time!

Negative experience: Well not been on a cruise before this will be my first experience booked for next week , , my friend and I after a horrendous year decided to book a cruise to have a therapeutic week away, Never in my travels have I experienced such ticking boxes attitude, not the sales people fault, obviously comes from upstairs !! , well still waiting for a call back from a manager after 4 days, no interest in helping resolve the complaint of getting my details wrong, no offer for parking advice and as for the hrs I have been hanging on the phone, I will update when I add them up , seems once they have your money that's it , they even expect you to print everything of ,presuming you have a laptop and printer which I do not , Takes the excitement out before we have even boarded !! .

Negative experience: Went on a cruise for two weeks with P&O Arvia December 2023. Ship is beautiful. Destinations fantastic. 7 hour aircraft delay on the most basic aircraft they could find. No compensation or communication from their chose partner Maleth Aero. On the ship there was a lot of people getting drunk and some people fighting, throwing sun loungers at their wife. Peeing in pool and spilling drinks in the infinity pool. Waiting staff would serve food in booked restaurants and serve drinks 20 minutes after food for no clear reason. Complained about the violence to the ship crew they said to inform the company head office. Complained to the company office and they said to tell crew. Over £2b in profit Carnival made last year…certainly won’t get a penny more from me. Some individual staff were amazing: Raj and Alex in particular.

Positive experience: Just came back from a Caribbean cruise on the Arvia. Great ship, very big. Holds nearly 6000 guests BUT only has just over 500 staff, "NOT ENOUGH" P&O....... in the bar areas there should be at least 6 staff walking round taking orders for drinks, NOT 1 or 2 !! And they need to smile a bit more. The swimming areas are tiny compared to the size of the ship, the entertainment isn't great either. The food on board isn't bad but it's a bit boring. How about some Caribbean food now and again as we were in the Caribbean after all. Didn't see any Jerk chicken or pork, rice and peas, plantain, nothing. The restaurants were very nice and the food good but in one of the restaurants I asked for asparagus as a side and I got 1 spear cut length ways, really?

Negative experience: Didn't get anyone to answer phone waited too long so just hung up

Negative experience: Absolute disgrace. & night cruise without a working toilet in our cabin for entirety of cruise. Kept saying they would fix and never did during the whole cruise. Said they couldnt chnage cabins as ship was full !! Surely must be something illegal about this ? They came to manually flush toilets when we left our cabin but during the night obviously they didnt do this so you can imagine. The customer sevices / complaints have not replied to my complaint to them on their website and its been 30 days now !! absolut disgrace. Shocking company with NON existant customer services. DONT TAKE ONE OF THE P&O CRUISE SHIPS as this apparently hasnt been the first case by far. Search other review sites to see. Shocking

Negative experience: Knock knock.. who's there.... Apparently no one on P&O phone lines hours no answer at all just annoying music and no qué length idea or time indication.

Negative experience: From Southampton to Amsterdam on the Ventura in February (7th to 12th). Supposedly 4 days, became more 3 and 1/2 days (the cruise left port at 5ish pm on the Wednesday), reached Amsterdam at 5pm Thursday. What was never advertised ANYWHERE on the booking website was how long it would stay docked in Amsterdam until (11.45pm on Friday). A full day at sea on Saturday and then back in Southampton on Sunday by 7.30am (being forced out of the rooms at 8am). - freedom of movement between ship/Amsterdam city - no curfews or restrictions, apart from when the ship was due to leave. (The only negative was the lack of transparency regarding travel/arrival/departure times - the ship left at 5ish pm on a Wednesday and returned on a Sunday where they had us leave the rooms by 8am (then wait around for 1h 30m until 9.30am to leave the ship and port). - the (freedom dining) Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner at the Saffron restaurant on deck 6 was decent enough (food wise). On more than three occasions I was told I couldn't take a seat in the restaurant and start ordering my breakfast because I had to wait for my wife to join me and apparently the waiting staff wouldn't serve me until everyone was at the table - the one time we both showed up together, we were seated in a sharing table and no one would approach it for at least a good 15m after sitting down. Only when I decided to get up, did someone acknowledge me and told me to sit back down and someone would be around 'shortly'. When asking for sweetener, same story, I had to get up and get it myself as two of the waiters/runners around were 'too busy' cleaning empty tables around us and making exactly 0 eye contact with guests). Overall 'free' dining experience wasn't great at all, but compared to the school lunch style buffet on Deck 15 - had ordered a burger on by the pool and someone simply took it out warmish out of a cupboard, no sauces, the saddest looking lettuce ever, stale buns with paper stuck to it and cold fries). - hot water tubs, sauna and steam room in the Oasis Spa were in excellent condition (some of the staff at the reception desk was also quite xenophobic and rude - having an Italian name and surname doesn't warrant someone to make fun of what someone's accent may be in your opinion - if you wouldn't make fun of an elderly white English gentleman, then one would assume you probably shouldn't make fun of someone else's nationality/ethnicity/accent - especially when someone is leaving, hearing three members of staff laughing at your name behind your back wasn't exactly a service standard highlight of this holiday). - The Reception staff was absolutely useless (robotic, lack of confidence, not rude but not friendly either, no straight answers and a total lack of compassion regarding complaints/queries - having upgraded the Internet plan from 'essential' to 'ultimate experience' (£48 per person to £72 per person), requested a refund for one of them and was asked to upgrade by paying the premium instead, not the difference - still no refund and they would answer some vague 'today, tomorrow, 5to7 working days' - on Wednesday afternoon I made the refund/switch request, still no refund as of Sunday afternoon). Overall experience was for me a 2/5, would have been 1/5 if it wasn't for the 5/5 entertainment on board (Comedian Tucker and the onboard Theatre Company were absolutely amazing and extremely engaging with the audience and talented). The lack of transparency on the website regarding departure/arrival times meant that on the way back home we had to resort to purchasing last minute train tickets which came at a whooping £62 per person! Had we known weeks in advance we would be out of the ship with luggage in hand by 10am on the Sunday, we would have been able to book them for 1/3 of the price. A lot of the crew members look extremely bored, unhappy, and unmotivated half of the time, extremely sleepy and tired the other half - some reportedly having to work 14h shifts for a minimum wage, it's no wonder the service lacks sorely in the customer-facing department.

Positive experience: Our ship, Azura, was a little dated but was very well maintained. All staff on board from cabin stewards, waiting crew or officers, greeted you if they were passing by you. The food in the main dining rooms or buffet was very nice. There was plenty of choice to be had. They also took very good care if you had different needs. As, one person in our party was gluten-free, and they received 1-1 service regarding their meals. There were several swimming pools, some quieter than others, as they didn't have the entertainment crew playing music or trying to get the guest involved. You could just relax. There were several bars where you could get a drink or the bar staff would come over and ask you if you wanted something. There was always plenty to do on board from getting your nails done, the gym, attending stretching classes, listening to talk on different subjects, watching a show, playing bingo, or at the casino, joining in a quiz and plenty more things. The list went on and on. The reception staff were on hand to help if you had any problems. The celebration nights were good fun to take part in, getting dressed up. Having a professional photograph taken, if you want to, and a chance to meet the captain. In my opinion, Azura ship had lots to offer and was well worth a sail.

Negative experience: Unfortunately, I have had a bad experience with P&O Cruise Booking. My story starts as follows: In October 2022 I had a serious motorcycle accident. We had a booking in the Caribbean in January 2023 which we had to cancel. This booking was paid out by our bank insurance, with P&O retaining the money. The value of this holiday was £6,764.00. As it was my wife's 50th Birthday we decided to re-book the holiday of the cancelled Caribbean cruise. The booking was made for January 2024. Due to health issues with myself, we decided to move the booking under P&O Terms and Conditions to January 4th 2025. This was kindly done by the P&O Customer Services Team. The cost of this holiday was: Total Holiday Cost £6576.00 Deposit Paid £834.00 Going on to my my wife's 50th Birthday, we decided to make a booking for 29th January this year for 2 weeks on Azura around the Canaries for her missed birthday. The value of this booking was £4698.00. Unfortunately, we had to cut this cruise a week short due to my illness due to the motorcycle accident and we had to fly home. We could not believe that my infection in my leg had risen its head again. Major Trauma at Southmead Hospital said I needed to come home straight away. We visited Reception and requested to change flights. Reception on the boat was very good and managed to change our seats on the plane a week early. The cost of losing the weeks holiday, excluding drinks package, was £2349.00 + £140.00 (Drinks Package) Whilst on the holiday, we received a voucher through the door into the cabin. There was an offer on our cruise already previously booked for 4th January 2024 for the same cruise with Balcony for the value of £2,199.00 per person with flights equating to £4,398.00. We decided to visit the onboard booking service where we met Page. Wee told her the complete story, as detailed in this review, and she kindly sent Customer Services an email. Page kindly costed the holiday up on the basis of the offer and the difference between the two bookings was as follows: Previous Booking £6576.00 with Premium flights. Adjusted above booking, excluding premium flights removing £509.00 per person £5,558.00. The difference between the booking cost and on board ship cost £1009.00. After having to return from holiday last week I had to contact P&O Customer Services for a response from Page's email detailing the story. The response that I received from Scott today is that: P&O are standing by their Terms and Conditions and are not willing to compromise any booking conditions in any respect to my bookings. I would just like to say how disappointed I am with P&O Customer relations in respect of my bookings made and wish them well with the unused money received from me. Summary of Money in payment made to P&O cruise for 7 nights completed holiday: Cancelled Booking £6,764.00 Deposit for 2025 Booking £834.00 Azura Canary's £4698.00. Total £12,296.00 I will not be traveling with P&O in the future and this applies to our parents not making future bookings along with some other friends. You certainly do not get a better deal by booking a year in advance. Look at the cost of the holidays throughout the year and closer to the time. From an unsatisfied previous Customer. Mr Paul Ludlow (Carnival UK President), I hope you read this post.

Fantastic experience: Fabulous

Negative experience: Hotel on the water... Some good facilities (tanning space plus kiddy and corny entertainment)... Mainly overpriced services and shops, you have to use because your trapped at sea... Plus they have the nerve to charge you without notification or explanation once you've returned, and when you attempt to contact customer services you wait atleast 1hour for them to hang up before you can even say hi... Fly don't float!... Then private charter... won't use them again... £15000 plus spending money for 8 people and they sneaky try to take extra £1000 like their not satisfied....WOW

Negative experience: Be wary of ‘early saver’ fares I booked a cruise on the Arvia K427A on 16th August 2023. I booked the 'early saver', balcony cabin, with flights from Manchester at a cost of £6058 for two passengers. I was looking at the prices on 3rd December and was disappointed to see the exact same cruise would have been £5398 to book - a difference of £660. I emailed using the webform on 3rd December 2023 and didn’t receive a response. I felt this price difference was quite significant. Also, our deposit was £606 - so we could have theoretically cancelled and rebooked the cruise for cheaper. As I hadn’t received a response, I called customer services on 21st December and was given an email address to write to as the customer service agent said she was unable to help. I also contacted them via Facebook. At current prices, we could now get the exact same cruise for £5258. This is a difference of £800. I understand that there may be slight price variations covered by T&Cs, but I felt booking the 'early saver' fare we would never be disadvantaged so significantly. I would have really appreciated, given that the price change is so significant, if the cruise price could be matched or at least we could be given some on-board credit or a better cabin to compensate for the £800 difference. However, I finally received a reply from them offering nothing whatsoever and just citing terms and conditions. I would be very wary in the future of booking anything well in advance with P&O. We are now in a position where we could cancel the cruise, lose our deposit, rebook and save £200 which is just ridiculous.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic time and great food 5 ⭐

Fantastic experience: Had amazing customer experience with P&O cruises after receiving an email a few months back regarding whether I would like to request for a cabin upgrade on our Cruise. After submitting a request for a possible upgrade, I’d then forgotten all about it as the selection process was only for a 48hr period and I never heard back. Today I’ve received an email saying we’ve been successful and the cabin upgrade has been allocated. This truly has made my mum so happy as the holiday was booked for a 60th birthday present. I’m very grateful to be able to give her an even better holiday experience as she used to go with my dad previously and he is no longer with us. Thank you P&O!

Negative experience: We are seasoned travellers with P&O having already sailed 3 times this year alone, and due to sail again before the year is out, how ever as this year has gone on, we’ve noticed the quality and attention esp from the shore side team has slipped and has come very much at best like Butlin’s. The sales team is excellent and work hard on the phone, there after the service has become awful, they have an AI system on the phone which is beyond painful, no one seems to want to listen or help, the team on the phone when you eventually get through, talk over you, and actually can’t help. So much for customer service. We’ve complained, pointless, no one is bothered and you don’t get replies. We’ve recently spent a large sum of money and we are getting no service. If I could get my money back and travel elsewhere we would, forget loyalty and being a share holder, it’s stands for nothing with P&O. Based on recent experience, shop around, and consider rivals who will over time have a quality service and respond. Just an update, over a week now since our initial complaint and still no contact what so ever !! Awful.

Positive experience: We recently did a two week Caribbean cruise on Britannia. The itinerary was brilliant with very few sea days. We did a few organised tours which were also very good. The My Holiday App worked well most of the time for booking a restaurant for the evening meal. The service was hit and miss, as was the food. The portions of meat and veg were meagre and food was sometimes not as described. Honey roast root veg was actually boiled carrots! Dark chocolate mousse was actually a sponge pudding. Up in the Horizon buffet it was hectic and we had to jostle with crowds of people to get to the food. Some of the entertainment was excellent - namely ODY-C, The Vinylettes and Jack Saxer. However, the resident 'singer' in the atrium was terrible. If you just wanted to sit around that area for a quiet drink, you had to choose a time when she wasn't there, wailing like a banshee. Overall we had a good holiday experience, but you could see where P&O had cut corners to save money.

Fantastic experience: Great holiday! Delicious food.Friendly helpful staff.Amazing entertainment. Absolutely loved every minute!!!

Negative experience: Awful. Horrible treatment of guests

Negative experience: My Sister & I were constantly Seasick & not able to get out of bed, I have epilepsy and so wasn’t keeping my meds down, I paid £50 for an injection which didn’t help. I was feeling very low as had lost our Mother to cancer the month before. I phoned the Nurse saying I didn’t want to live anymore, her response was “Oh Never Mind” !! The Staff kept our passports only handing them back as we got in a taxi on the first stop to catch a flight back to the car at Southampton. We we’re unable to claim on the insurance because you had to make the claim whilst ill on the Cruise! and not once you arrived home. We we’re in contact with P&O afterwards as a complaint, but they were unhelpful and didn’t care.

Fantastic experience: Very good ship I see you lot of you this month

Fantastic experience: What an amazing experience to Norway's Fjords. First cruise ever and loved it.

Negative experience: Have never given P & 0 less than four stars, until now (Ventura cruise to Spain & Portugal, August 19th 2023). Cutbacks, and a drop in standards have been noticeable on the last three cruises I have taken with P & O in the last few years. Here are some cutbacks that I presume are to save money across the fleet: 1/ There is nowhere near enough waiting staff in the bars around the ship. Years ago, waiters were constantly patrolling the decks, even in the places well away from the actual bar to see if you wished to have a drink brought to you. 2/‘The Exchange’, which is the ‘pub’ has no facility to order a drink at the bar (you know, like a pub!), you HAVE to have waiter service from just a couple of waiting staff! 3/ Over the last few years the evening turndown service in the cabins no longer happens, chocolates on the pillow have also gone. 4/ The room service menu was always included in the price of your holiday, but now a lot of things are chargeable, and you can’t have a cooked breakfast in your cabin anymore. 5/ At breakfast in the main dining room...and I really can’t believe I’m telling you this...if you order the P&O cooked breakfast, the sausage on your plate is now NOT a sausage, it’s HALF a sausage! Yes, a sausage cut in half! and you only get one half. Ridiculous and obvious as to why). The next morning I asked for two sausages and got two half’s. The Headliners Theatre Company were fantastic on a this cruise though, as was the Theatre entertainment generally, but live music around the ship is disappointing. Every P & O ship band throughout the fleet are given the name ‘Pulse’ as a generic name. This is so boring. I understand that most of these ‘Pulse’ bands are session musicians put together for a few weeks on shore, but can’t P & 0 find some pro bands that already exist with there own style and name? This might sound snobby, but I’ll say it anyway. There are some ‘rough’ passengers coming on board recently. Shouty, badly behaved children and teenagers using bad language in the public areas (ugh!). Adults totally ignoring the dress codes and staff not challenging people on it! (Either have a dress code and adhere to it, or don’t have one at all). Fred Olsen or Celebrity next for me! P & O will become uninhabitable in a few years, sadly.

Fantastic experience: This was the highlight of all my travels I have been on went to Norway on the Britannia never had been on a cruise before got on board spacious cabin with balcony luxury beds new scenery every day you woke up stunning scenery took my breath away with its beautiful fjords went out on several coach tours to see some local areas the food was out of this world shops on board plenty to do on board has a library I went for a cruise as a birthday treat to say I came back I wanted to go again which I hope to do one day but it’s such a fantastic experience the staff made you smile and laugh the whole time a must is the gin bar different gins to try loved going here before our evening meals your luggage is looked after from the moment your in departure lounge to time you disembark I would go again in a heartbeat loved loved loved it

Fantastic experience: Two week cruise on the Arvia around the Mediterranean. Amazing holiday.

Fantastic experience: Perfect couldn't fault it. Great food and entertainment.

Negative experience: Not even on the cruise yet but trying to upgrade, been on hold for over an hour! Ended up giving up trying to give them my money and seriously considering cancelling the whole thing

Negative experience: P&O No, No No. We arrived at Southampton on the 23rd of July and joined the Arvia for a two-week Mediterranean cruise and immediately our frustration began! Why? Well, looking on the APP nearly everything was fully booked. Now bear this in mind, we had only just got into our cabin and it was only mid-afternoon, the numerous restaurants could only offer a few very early evening times or we would could each day join a virtual queue with waiting time from thirty minutes to a few hours. Unfortunately, the above did not work out as we also tried to see a few shows. So, on several occasions, we were forced to eat in the buffet and that’s not what we wanted from our cruise. On other cruise liners, we are used to fine dining and a show after without any compromises. On Sea days as all deck games were always fully booked and on the odd time, I actually got to take part in a so-called organised activity it was chaotic. This was due to the animation team not having a clue how to organise a simple shuttle board game! We could not use a Whirlpool as these were play areas for unsupervised extremely young children and teenagers. The same also applied to the majority of onboard swimming pools. My frustration extended even further in the gym. In all my life I have never seen lots of youngsters from about six years up being allowed to use free heavy weights and complex weight and exercise machines. As an OAP I can only sum up my time on the P&O Arvia as an experience I don’t want to repeat.

Fantastic experience: Great boarding experience

Fantastic experience: Britannia for two weeks. ⭐️

Negative experience: They removed 2 blind people for being blind. Disgusting p&o

Negative experience: Went on a weeks cruise, on P & O’s Azura, Wednesday 17th to Wednesday 24th May 2023. We’d done the same thing previously, same boat but different destinations, the year before and enjoyed the fact you could get to see their shows with no overcrowding. The biggest disappointment was that this time, because there were no Covid restrictions, P & O had fully booked up the ship to its passenger capacity. So how did that affect us? In order to see any show, find a table anywhere near the buffet, get a sun-lounger, or even sit at a table anywhere near a sun deck, you had to get out very, very early and, in the case of the sun-deck, reserve a place/places by laying a towel on it. All very well if you’ve already planned at 7.00am that’s how you’re going to spend your day, but surely that’s not real life? The available space between sun-beds was zero, they were that tightly packed. Shows were not pre-bookable any more so even that option was no longer available. The waiting staff were all working really hard, but there weren’t enough of them to keep up with the demands places on them by the overcrowding of the vessel. So, sad to say, I won’t be going on any more of their cruises, I don’t want to be that crowded in! For what it’s worth, the ship could really do with a refit, is comfortably tired, which in itself clearly didn’t put us off doing a cruise again.

Negative experience: 2 week cruise on Arvia. Worse than bad. P&O try to pull wool over your eyes Cruise was supposed to go to Palma de Mallorca, but 2 days after balance of holiday was paid, itinerary was changed to Alicante. Booked day trip to Florence with 48 hour cancellation policy, note posted outside of cabin 5 minutes after Shore excursions closed 2 days prior saying that 'They had just been informed that there was a marathon in Florence the day of the trip, it would mean an extra 20 mins walk on top of the 2 hour coach trip & 15 mins walk both ways & everything would be shut until 12:30' (3 hours after the coach dropped off). When complained the following morning (along with 40 others) the initial reaction was "It's less than 48 hours now & should have been cancelled the previous day", eventually got a refund. Good if you love to queue for everything (i.e. 75 metre queue 4 people wide to get a table in the main dining room if not pre-booked) or not get served by any staff. Staff are split in to 2 halves, 1st half ( mostly from East Asia) - overworked & stressed, but at least trying. Not enough time to clean cabins properly (Our cabin had sweets stuck on top of sofa from previous guests, dust on all surfaces throughout holiday, balcony not cleaned prior or during cruise Bedding not changed for 2 weeks). 2nd half (European, but mostly British) - using as an extended Club 18-30 experience or VERY demeaning to 1st half of staff. Ship has also been rushed out of dockyard & not finished properly. Already rusting where bolts, etc are. Rail around top of pool deck not even painted or welds dressed off properly. Balcony adjoining doors also rattle in slightest breeze or movement. All in all not P&O, but P&NO!!

Fantastic experience: 5Star Private Hire (Andover) enjoys dropping off and picking up clients from The P&O Cruise Port (Southampton). It is friendly, organised, and easy to access and exit.

Negative experience: Just did the Azura Malta 7 day. Buffet made a little chef look like the IVY. Luggage delay issues headed by Jackie Osborne communications officer a total joke. Drinks package basic but worth it. Very tired ship and basic compared to say Princess. Amazing places visited. Just the ship is poor. Crew nice apart from lying officers. Carnival really need to up there game now and not blame covid for clawing back services and product. This ship and P&O is suited for brits abroad Daily Mail types!!

Negative experience: We last sailed on Ventura in 2016 before it’s refurbishment in 2018. To be honest we couldn’t tell there had been any work on the ship when we sailed in June 2022. When the stern thrusters we’re used the sound was such that one could hear trim panels shaking enough to cause concern that they would fall. None did, but it was disconcerting. Headliners main singers either competing to be loudest and we’re shouty(females) or inability to hold or hit notes(males) along with weak voices. Waiters for table 102 in Bay Tree would stretch across diners, clear table while still eating(pictures available). At one point one individual was still eating, the deserts had been cleared and coffees had been served! They repeatedly started serving or taking orders then moved away to another table thus interrupting service, subsequently return to complete their task. In my vision 4 waiters consistently not wearing masks over noses EVERY sitting. This was not due to mask movement but how they wore them. Metropolis bar very/too cold on several evenings. When staff asked about temperature they stated that yes it is freezing but they do not know when it will be fixed. Yet the lift area immediately outside was in comparison HOT. Health concerns. Cabin R746 has several cracks in the shower area and mould behind the sink -photographs available. On deck 14 between trolly locker and hotel store consistently there was a trolly left throughout the day restricting ingress/egress. Despite the walkway being wider at the rear outside the cabins (photographs available). Come on P&O are better than this. The industry has been recovering since autumn 2021. Royal Caribbean were able to offer a full and competent cruise in October 2021, P&O are shambolic in comparison some 8 months later. To survive your internal standards need to at least match those of your customers and your competitors.

Positive experience: The wife and I have just got back from a five day cruise on the Ventura I think it’s the last time we go with P+O don’t get me wrong we didn’t pay a lot, but I think we were spoilt previously with a celebrity cruise ship experience The ship, was very tired and dated but the staff were excellent The food was very very ordinary everything, just lacked the wow factor

Negative experience: I have just read with amazement the CEO of P&O cruises comment about the maiden voyage of ARVIA I will be generous in saying he was lied to by his staff. 99.9% of passengers were happy??? He obviously arrived on the ship AFTER the debacle of disembarkation. The xmas dinner was a farce with some not getting their meal until 11.00pm or later, New Years Eve was a slight improvement but on both occasions the food was lukewarm at best and the vegetables were under cooked. The staff did not know where the tables were in the main restaurants resulting in them wandering around like lost souls with passengers in tow trying to find their table, sometimes finding other people already sitting there presumably because a previous staff member had given up and just sat them down anywhere. On Xmas Eve I was LUCKY!!!!! to be first sitting when I came down from what was laughingly called THE CHEFS TABLE ( In reality a corner of the Horizon Buffet Restaurant ) I was confronted on Deck 7 with the 2nd sitting waiting to go into one of the main restaurants. The queue stretched from the restaurant through the shopping area into the Main Atrium more than 100 yards ( being generous ) I was going to the Theatre and lo and behold as I entered the Casino I was confronted by another queue coming the other way from the theatre a distance of maybe 20 yards between the 2 queues. I could write a book about the failings on this cruise, such as IT patchy, Crew ( through no fault of their own ) not fully trained etc. If it was such a success why did the Captain have to publicly apologise over the tannoy for the problems and then late in the cruise give the first two passengers in every cabin £150 each to spend on their cruise card. Mr Ludlow needs to wake up to reality and see that his company ruined a lot of peoples Christmases and admit their mistakes instead of making ridiculous claims in the travel industry sites. P & J COTHAM

Fantastic experience: Są super!

Negative experience: Ship Brittania. Standard of accommodation 5 star,cleanliness 5 Star. Ships entertainment crew 1 star Food 1 star Customer service 1 star Not enough staff on board, service in restaurants very slow. Broke down in the Caribbean electrical issue no electrics for 2 hrs just left floating about!,Mickley mouse outfit charging top money for a 1 star service, Get a grip!! Had a great time but that that down to the weather in the Caribbean. Avoid this cruise company if I were you. Holland America knocks spots off it!!

Negative experience: Recently returned from a wonderful cruise on Iona however this was tarnished by the Gary Barlow and teenage cancer trust event, We are not Gary Barlow fans and as such had no desire to see him however one morning tickets were left on our bed, we thought nothing of it and didn’t go to the show. A couple of days later we noticed that we had been charged for them, I queried this with reception three times and was fobbed off, on the third occasion I was passed to the events manager who initially said I had filled out an application for them, when I asked to see this he said he would refund our account before the final bill, this never happened and I now realise that he only said this as we were due to disembark early the next morning. Once home I contacted customer service who didn’t reply, it seems that P&O are only interested whilst taking your money. Yes, it was a charity event but I reserve the right to choose when and to whom I give charity. Without P&O behaving in this manner they would have recieved 5 stars.

Negative experience: Just returned from 7 night cruise on Iona. As a nearly new ship the condition is great but after that most other parts of holiday were very poor. P &O have made so many cuts to save money this is no longer a premium brand , it has slipped to a budget brand trading on past levels. Food is extremely low quality with poor choice and service levels so poor as staff levels cut too far. Cabin service now only once a day , no evening service , towel change, bed turn down etc. Drinks package is ridiculous try to order 2 drinks at 1 time for example a wine and a water and you cannot do this even though you have paid for your drinks in advance. The buffet has slipped so low it’s similar to food served at a well known holiday camp, poor choice, low quality and poorly cooked. I feel that now there are many other cruise firms that offer better standards and value for money than P &O. Such a shame they have spoilt the brand, I would love to challenge the president to come on 2 cruses with me so I could show him why they slipped so far.

Negative experience: Let me foreground this review by saying, we have been on many P and O cruises pre-pandemic and they have been amazing. Additionally, I acknowledge this industry has had it very difficult and for this I empathise. We sailed on Arcadia 30th August- 6th September 2022 In honesty, I would never step foot on another P and O cruise based on our terrible experience. We could not fault the Cabin it was excellent we had a balcony and it was spacious but tired. One day they told us we had to have it painted between 8-12.00 I think this was terrible why not do it cross over days. The first disappointment was that the weather was two bad for us to visit our first Port, Guernsey. Whilst this cannot be helped it really went downhill from here. Breakfast and lunch in the Belvedere was horrific we could never get a table and the que for food was dyer. We tried the sit down breakfast in the Meridian one Morning but they made us sit with other people, which I did not want to do. Service at night in the Meridian was good, but it was obvious that the Waiters were very stretched and we felt very sorry for them. The pool areas were dirty with plasters and crud around. None of this instilled me with confidence in terms Covid-19. Unfortunately, three days back from the cruise I developed Covid. This was no fault of P and O of course. The port of Vigo was visited on a Sunday which was very disappointing given no where was open. In Lisbon we were told we needed a bus at £8.00 each way, the reality is from the ship it was a 10 minute walk and so did feel ripped off. Very disappointing and expensive trip, wish we had gone in a five star hotel instead. Entertainment was mixed Angie and Blake were fantastic, and Martin Jarvis as Tom Jones was great. After returning home both myself and my wife have tested positive for covid and have had to have time off work, to me this shows that P&Os covid policy isn’t working

Negative experience: Looking forward to a mini cruise to Amsterdam... unfortunately not able to go due to problems with the port over there...p & o think that offering to go to Cherbourg instead is ok...well it isn't really is it....poor management decision there....very annoyed, they could have thought of somewhere else to go...I mean...France instead of Amsterdam.....really!

Positive experience: Excellent holiday to Spain and Portugal, abit to many kids for my liking but great family holiday, spacious rooms with good views.

Fantastic experience: Myself and my wife recently came back from a week's cruise from Valetta to Taranto, Corfu, Dubrovnik and Split. We sailed on Azura and had a great time. The room was excellent and clean and the food was very tasty, especially in the Meridian and Peninsula restaurants. Entertainment in the evening was also first rate. We'd like to say a thanks to Freddie who looked after us very well in Brodie's every night!

Fantastic experience: Just got back from Norway , on iona. Lovely ship , clean very comfortable

Positive experience: Just done a short cruise on Ventura 1st April 22 ..cueing up for nearly 3 hours in the freezing cold outside to take a Covid test when all the restrictions in the UK are finished with and forced to wear a mask inside terminal is ridiculous most people including staff were not happy..once on the Ventura no need for a mask and the rest of the cruise was great lovely food friendly staff and the Ventura was a great ship so my message to P&O is to sort out the check-in side of things was going to book another cruise but will wait and see if the check-in problems improve

Negative experience: The rudest staff at the customs and immigration ever!

Fantastic experience: Great to travel with staff all happy to help out in all ways

Fantastic experience: We were on the test cruise for the Iona A beautiful ship added to the fleet.

Positive experience: First time cruiser on Britannia....superbbbb...soooo relaxing and staff were amazing. Will definitely be sailing with them again!

Fantastic experience: Lots to do, food was fabulous, entertainment was brilliant

Fantastic experience: Love a good cruise! On to the next :)

Fantastic experience: I hope P&O Cruises are Safe, Well and Happy, P&O Cruises has got it's 6th Pause till Early 2021 and hope Covid 19 Pandemic ends by Christmas, But I have lots of happy days on p&o Cruises dolphins and whales watching, sunbathing, swimming, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, lots of tasty food

Negative experience: Crooks , cancelled our cruise and told us refund would be sent within 45 days 60 days on and still nothing and now they say it's a minimum of 60 days , just look on trust pilot . They are doing this to hundreds of people