Oriana Returns After Major Refit

P&O Cruises welcomed Oriana back into Southampton recently after a month-long dry-dock refurbishment which transformed the ship so it is exclusively for adults. The refit saw the addition of 27 new cabins and the introduction of an Ocean Grill restaurant by Marco Pierre White, now proving very popular on P&O's Adonia.

The multi-million pound overhaul to the ship named by HM The Queen in 1995, also includes the addition of Sorrento, the new Italian restaurant concept also launched on Adonia, but this time with an outdoor dining area; a newly designed aft deck with bar; refreshed decoration in the public areas and Oasis Spa, which also now features thermal loungers and a dedicated aerobics floor; and a new look to the Al Fresco Mediterranean cafe. Oriana departed on her latest 97-night world cruise yesterday (January 5).

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Strictly Goes To Sea With P&O

P&O Cruises will have top names from the highly-rated BBC programme Strictly Come Dancing on two Oriana cruises in 2012 to entertain and inform passengers - and fans of the lavish ballroom dance spectacular.

Guest can choose from a 12-night Canary Islands cruise on May 28 and a 14-night Norwegian Fjords cruise on July 14, when they can learn how to jive, foxtrot, rumba, quickstep and more from the professionals and join acerbic judge Craig Revel-Horwood for a night in the theatre.

As some of Strictly’s most loved professionals show off their award-winning routines, passengers will also be able to see a collection of the exquisitely intricate costumes worn by the celebrities and stars in this series.

Prices for Oriana’s Canaries cruise start at £1,349 per person. It sails round-trip from Southampton and calls at Ponta Delgada, Horta, Madeira, Gran Canaria, Lisbon and Vigo. The 14-night fjords cruise starts from £1,599 per person, again round-trip from Southampton, calling at Stavanger, Alesund, Trondheim, Ny Alesund, Tromso, Bergen, Eidfjord and Hardangerfjord.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Southampton's £10million World Cruise Windfall

P&O Cruises will boost the local Southampton economy by some £10million in January as around 6,000 people depart on four world cruises from the South Coast port for the first time.
 
Collectively, the four cruises will visit 148 ports of call and highlights include overnight stays in Buenos Aires, New Orleans, Sydney and Cape Town, as well as scenic cruising in the Amazon, Cape Horn, Beagle Channel and the Amalia Glacier in Patagonia.
 
All four ships will be flying the 175th Anniversary flag as P&O kicks off a full year of celebrations to mark the 175th anniversary of the formation of the famous Peninsular Steam Navigation Company.
 
World cruises offer unrivalled value for money with prices for the 2012 itineraries starting at £82 per person per night, including all meals, entertainment and accommodation on board. They are also increasingly seen as the ideal way to travel the world in comfort and style.

The record quartet of 2012 world cruises are:

·        Aurora (pictured, above), 98-night westabout full world circumnavigation, departing January 4
·        Oriana, 97-night eastabout full world circumnavigation, departing January 5
·        Arcadia, 109-night Grand Odyssey, departing January 9

·        Adonia, 87-night South America Grand Adventure, departing January 13
 
A number of cabins are also still available on the full Aurora world cruise, with prices from £8,799 for the 98-night voyage.  A range of shorter sectors of the world cruises are also available and priced from £1,349 for a 17-night voyage from Southampton to Dubai on board Oriana.

For booking details, be sure to check with the UK's leading cruise agent specialist of The Cruise Line Ltd on this link.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Hello everyone and just a few lines to thank you for all your support during the year. Steve has to go in to “Dry dock for refurbishment” over the holiday period and will be back in service on January 2nd.

However, there are loads of goodies already lined up, among which are a stunning safari/wildlife river cruise in East Africa from AMA Waterways, “Strictly Dancing” with P&O and new cruises in Antarctica and The Galapagos.

In the meantime, there are FREE copies of World of Cruising magazine on offer through the The Cruise Line’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TheCruiseLine. All you have to do is ‘like’ the Facebook page and then send your postal address to info@cruiseline.co.uk and they’ll send one out in the post to you. Hurry whilst stocks last!

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year to you all.

P&O's 175th Anniversary Sale

P&O Cruises is offering a special 175th anniversary discount of up to 10% on its cruise holidays during the peak “wave” period of December, January and February. Prices will start from just £599 for a seven-night voyage, such as Ventura’s March 25 itinerary to Spain and France, and £949 for a 14-night cruise such as Azura’s November 5 cruise to Gibraltar, Spain, France, Italy and Portugal.

World cruises are also included in the anniversary sale, with onboard credit of up to £1100 available on bookings. Other destinations include the Norwegian Fjords, Caribbean, Canary Islands, Iceland and Mediterranean. Wave prices also start from £349 for a three-night cruise break to Bruges and Le Havre, up to to £3,059 for a 35-night Caribbean cruise.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise specialist agents, The Cruise Line Ltd.

P&O To Feature More 'Sampler' Cruises In 2012

P&O Cruises has pioneered a series of two, three and four-night voyages in recent years, and will offer more of these 'sampler' cruises than ever before in 2012.

With 13 sailings of four nights or less, these breaks provide unbeatable value for money, with prices from just £239 per person. The cruises also enable passengers to visit up to three European cities in one short break.

Each morning provides a new destination and, after a busy day exploring, passengers can enjoy P&O's stylish silver-service dining, West End-style shows and a world class spa, as well as a number of bars, pools, lounges, restaurants and casino. For families, children are also well looked after by the fully-inclusive childcare programme.

A two-night cruise on board Azura departing December 2, 2012, is priced from £249. It departs from Southampton and calls at Bruges (from Zeebrugge). A three-night cruise departing September 15 is priced from £349 and takes in Bruges and Le Havre, while a similar voyage on Oriana (exclusively for adults), departing June 16, is priced from £359.

All prices are per person and based on two adults sharing an inside cabin on a full board basis.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with specialist cruise agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

Now THAT'S How Cruise Awards Should Be Done

Having given the so-called British Travel Awards a major kicking recently for their laughable selection of Cruise Awards, it was refreshing to see the Cruise Critic UK Awards come out this week with a sane, sensible and highly credible approach to pretty much the same thing.

Using their own in-house editorial experts, led by extremely knowledgeable editor-in-chief Carolyn Spencer-Brown, they have 25 individual awards - from the obvious things of Best New Ship and Best For Kids to Best Itineraries and Best Buffet - and all have the ring of authenticity and genuine cruise know-how.

In full, the 2011 award winners are:

Best New Ship - Carnival Magic
Best New River Ship - SS Antoinette (Uniworld)
Best For Luxury - Seabourn Cruise Line
Best for First Timers - Ventura (P&O Cruises)
Best Line for Kids - Royal Caribbean
Best Itineraries - Cunard Line
Best for Adventure - Star Clippers
Best River Cruise Line - Viking River Cruises
Best Value for Money - Voyages of Discovery
Best for Fly-Cruises - Thomson Cruises
Best for Dining - Oceania Cruises
Best Buffet - Marina (Oceania Cruises)
Best Alternative Restaurant - The Verandah (Cunard's Queen Elizabeth)
Best for Entertainment - Cunard Line
Best for Healthy Cruising - Celebrity Cruises
Best Suites - Marina (Oceania Cruises)
Best Cabins - Holland America Line
Best Shore Excursions - Noble Caledonia
Best Guest Speakers - Voyages to Antiquity
Best for Honeymooners - Princess Cruises
Best for Wine Lovers - Celebrity's Solstice-Class
Best Cruise Ship Bar - The Glass House (P&O's Azura)
Best UK Port of Call - Newcastle
Best UK Departure Port - Southampton

All the category winners come fully explained with the 'why' of their choice and some useful info on the award-winner, and categories like Best Value and Best Suites are extremely relevant to today's cruisers (are you taking note, BTA?).

The categories like Best Bar and Best for Wine-Lovers are just plain fun, and the choice of Newcastle as best UK port of call is sure to start some earnest debate on the subject (as well as rewarding a go-ahead port authority - for my money, Lerwick in the Shetlands would be hard to beat as they simply work so hard to attract ships and provide a unique port experience, but that's a very minor quibble).

Do I agree with all the selections? No, but then you probably would struggle to get any two major cruise experts to agree anyway as there is so much that's subjective about these types of awards (as well as so much choice these days).

I probably wouldn't have given Cunard Best Itineraries as their ships are all so big there are many ports they CAN'T visit (unlike, say, Crystal, Silversea or even someone like Orion Expedition Cruises, whose itineraries are truly eye-catching), while I also think there are many other better contenders for Best Alternative Restaurant than QE's Verandah.

Ideally, I'd also like to see more categories to highlight the major differentiation these days between the large mega-ships and the smaller, more boutique types (for instance, how do you compare a new ship like Carnival Magic against the tiny-by-comparison Seabourn Quest?).

But that is really just nit-picking as against the big beefs I have with the comparable cruise section of the BTA. All in all, the Cruise Critic UK awards are a laudable and highly worthwhile exercise, and all the winners are to be congratulated.

For the full story, go to this page on Cruise Critic UK and click on the necessary link to see the Winners.

P&O'S Green World Tours Expansion

Following on from a successful first season, P&O Cruises is adding a number of new options to its Green World Tours programme for 2012. This also comes after the programme received an Environmental Initiative Award for its notable contribution to advancing the environmental aspect of cruising.

Green World Tours are a range of charitable and responsible tourism-based shore experiences designed to support the towns and communities visited on longer itineraries, as well as giving the passenger a unique experience ashore.

The first Green World Tour was in November 2009 and tours are now operated by P&O in 16 destinations worldwide. The tours vary in price and are non-profit making. Some include a donation while others just cover costs, and passengers are free to donate as they choose.

Tours are offered on some longer itineraries, such as Oceana’s 24-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise departing February 26 (including a call in Ashdod), and all world cruises. In 2012, Arcadia, Aurora, Oriana and Adonia are offering world voyages of between 87 and 109 nights in duration, with shorter sectors available. Tours are offered in ports of call including Limon, Bali, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur), Phuket and Port Elizabeth.

Green World Tours are also offered to various wildlife centres and charitable projects, such as the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre in Laem Chabang and the Cats and Dogs Rescue Centre in Koh Samui.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading specialist cruise agents, The Cruise Line Ltd.

British Travel Awards? Baseless Travel Awards, More Like

The British Travel Awards were announced this week, with the usual cruise section being among the many categories to be honoured.

Great, I thought, another chance for the cruise industry to spread its message and for some worthy winners to be acknowledged. And, sure enough, there were FOUR wins for P&O Cruises, one for Cunard (as Cruise Line of the Year), and one each for Voyages of Discovery, Viking River Cruises and Thomson Cruises (the latter for Best Cruise Holiday Retailer; but, er, Thomson Cruises only sell Thomson Cruises).

Having started off fairly enthusiastic about the whole idea, I started to look a bit closer. And then the whole premise totally fell apart. The British Travel Awards? The Baseless Travel Awards would be a better title.

Irrespective of the fact that all the winners were mostly just the BIGGEST operator in their category (while Voyages of Discovery, as good as they are as a 'niche' Cruise Line, were actually one of the sponsors of the awards. Like, they weren't going to get an award?).

You can almost make out an argument for Cunard as Cruise Line of the Year; after all, they have all of three ships, so they just about constitute a fleet. They also sail to large parts of the world. Almost 50% of their passengers are British, so they just about qualify there, too. But when the likes of Disney, Seabourn, Oceania, Carnival, Costa and Celebrity have all debuted brand new ships (whole new designs for Disney and Oceania in particular), and Celebrity have been universally lauded for the continued development of their Solstice-class vessels, you have to think Cunard might struggle realistically to figure in the top three. Heck, I doubt if they would be in the top 10 for most cruise aficianados.

I could almost be happy with P&O as Mainstream Cruise Line of the Year, if the likes of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and NCL hadn't offered newer and more innovative ships and onboard features this year. Oh wait; Royal Caribbean did actually place second in this category. But then Thomson Cruises (another mass-market operator) came in third. Ahead of NCL and Celebrity; and Holland America, Costa, MSC Cruises, Princess, Oceania and Fred Olsen, too, all of whom would have a greater claim here.

P&O also claimed Best Family Line, which is a worthy award as they do provide great kids' facilities and activity programmes. But Disney are pretty darn spectacular, as are NCL, Carnival, Celebrity and Princess, but none of them even merited a mention (although Thomson - again - did get third place. Thomson - for a family cruise line? Give me a break. Oh, hang on - they were another one of the sponsors, too).

But it was P&O as 'Best Luxury Cruise Line' that really set me off. Luxury cruise line? What, better than Seabourn or Silversea; or Regent or Crystal? Better than Oceania or SeaDream, Azamara or Windstar? I would consider all of Celebrity, Holland America, Princess, NCL, Cunard AND Star Clippers in in any debate about 'luxury line.' Hell's teeth, P&O might struggle to make the top 20!

Does anyone at the British Travel Awards even know what 'luxury' actually means? But then when Titan Travel gets third place in the Best River Cruise Line, you know these awards truly are utterly pointless, an exercise only in acknowledging the big players (and, presumably, getting a lot of money out of them for attending and promotion).

Memo to British Travel Awards: Titan Travel, while they are an excellent tour operator, are not a 'line' of any kind. They have zero ships and only a small river-cruise portfolio (compared to any one of 20 genuine river-cruise lines). It really boggles the mind that anyone swallows this preposterous tosh.

And, if I can debunk the Cruise awards this easily, what credibility do ANY of the BTA's highly-touted honours have? They have 11 different sections and multiple winners in most of them.

So, if anyone actually points out these awards to you and says "They must be good, they are Best Small Niche Tour Operator Mainstream Cruise Line Provider Of The year," you can yawn and say, "Yes, and I'm up for a Nobel Peace prize, too."

P&O Cruises' New Ship-to-Home Service

P&O Cruises is offering free return travel from home to ship and discounts of up to 20% on 2012 and 2013 bookings made by November 30.

This ‘Early Booking Spectacular’ offers passengers a more inclusive holiday option with no additional travel costs, as domestic flights, coach travel or valet parking (Cruise Connections) will be complimentary on bookings made during this two-month period.

The discounts, of up to 20%, are available on all cruises from the 2012/13 brochure on all seven ships in the P&O fleet. 

To see more, P&O have created a special video, which you can see at

www.dailymotion.com/video/xl4gd6_p-o-cruises-early-booking-spectacular_travel

For more information, see www.pocruises.com or the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

P&O Cruises 'Early Booking Spectacular'

P&O Cruises is offering free return travel from home to ship and discounts of up to 20% on 2012 and 2013 bookings made by November 30.

This ‘Early Booking Spectacular’ offers passengers a more inclusive holiday option with no additional travel costs, as domestic flights, coach travel or valet parking (Cruise Connections) will be complimentary on bookings made during this three-month period. The discounts, of up to 20%, are available on cruises from the 2012/13 brochure on all seven ships in the P&O Cruises fleet.

The free Cruise Connections are offered on cruises of seven nights and more, enabling passengers to receive a discount of up to 20% PLUS a choice of one of the following:

Free valet car parking in Southampton (saving up to £311 per car); Free return coach transfers to/from Southampton; free return domestic flights to/from Southampton (including coach transfers in Southampton) from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester or Leeds Bradford; free return flights for Adonia Mediterranean fly-cruises from London Gatwick or Manchester airport; free airport parking on Adonia Mediterranean fly-cruises and Ventura Caribbean fly-cruises; OR free one-way airport coach transfer to or from Southampton on selected fly-cruises.

A 14-night Mediterranean cruise holiday on board Azura departing April 15, 2012, is now priced from £1,099 with total savings of £425 per person, including:

- A 20% cruise discount of £275 per person

- Free flights from Glasgow, worth £150 per person

This cruise departs from and returns to Southampton, calling in Cadiz, Cartagena, Rome (from Civitavecchia), Florence/Pisa (from Livorno), Villefranche, Barcelona and Gibraltar.

A family of four travelling on a 9-night Atlantic Coast cruise on board Ventura, departing August 12, 2012, will pay £3,196 with total savings of £2,296, including:

- A 20% cruise discount of £250 per person

- An additional 40% cruise discount for third and fourth passengers aged 16 and under sharing a four-berth cabin, of £400 per child

- Free return coach transfers for four passengers from Glasgow, worth £124 per person

This cruise departs from and returns to Southampton, calling in Gibraltar, Casablanca, Cadiz, Lisbon and Vigo.

For more info, see www.pocruises.co.uk or for bookings, see the special cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Gareth Gates To Star For P&O

Pop Idol star and number one artist, Gareth Gates, will perform on a two-night cruise aboard P&O Cruises Oceana this September.



Gates will perform three shows in the 500-seat Footlights Theatre and will include his hit singles such as Spirit in the Sky, Anyone of Us and his version of Unchained Melody, the second biggest-selling single of the last decade. There will also be opportunities after the shows for photos and autographs.



The cruise departs from Southampton on September 3 and calls at Zeebrugge (for Bruges). A handful of balcony cabins are still available and priced from £406 per person based on two sharing on a full-board basis, including all main meals and entertainment.



Gates said: "I'm really excited about performing on board Oceana. I've never been on a cruise ship before but I've always wanted to and so this is going to be a fantastic experience for me."



For more info, visit www.pocruises.co.uk or the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Think Exotic With P&O

P&O Cruises is offering a new collection of exotic fly-cruise holidays on four ships in early 2013, with an array of 50 new holidays on offer on the Adonia, Arcadia, Aurora and Azura.

These exotic cruises are presented in a new Winter Holidays brochure, combined with cruises on the other three ships in the P&O Cruises fleet – Oceana, Oriana and Ventura – featuring holidays throughout the winter to the Caribbean, Canary Islands and Mediterranean.

All cruises in the Winter Holidays brochure can be viewed online at www.pocruises.co.uk. Cruises on Oceana, Oriana and Ventura are on sale now and the new exotic cruises can be booked from July 15.

The new exotic fly-cruise holidays combine iconic, far-flung destinations and start from just 13 nights in duration and £989 per person, based on Azura’s Mumbai to Singapore voyage, calling in Colombo, Langkawi, Bangkok (from Laem Chabang) and Singapore.

Free onboard spending money, which increases per person depending on the grade of cabin booked, and Early Booking savings are available for bookings made before November 30. In addition, an extra 10% discount is available for bookings made by August 31.

For more info, seet www.pocruises.co.uk or, to book, contact the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

P&O Cruises ‘Getaway’ Fares For Adonia

P&O Cruises is now offering ‘Getaway’ prices and inclusive flights on selected Adonia Mediterranean fly-cruises.

The ‘Fly Med Getaway’ promotion applies to cruises from 10-14 nights in duration that depart between October 29, 2011, and January 3, 2012. Prices are inclusive of flights and fuel supplement. Bookings must be made by in June or July.

Named last month by global singing star, Dame Shirley Basey, Adonia is exclusively for adults and carries just 710 passengers. On board there are eight bars, including P&O Cruises signature ‘Crow’s Nest’, a library, Oasis Spa and gym, classic dining room and two speciality restaurants: Sorrento Italian and Ocean Grill by Marco Pierre White.

Sample Cruise:

D114. 3 -13 January 2012, seven nights.

Ports of call include Trieste, Venice, Koper, Hvar, Bari, Katakolon, Nauplia, Istanbul, Mytilene, Ephesus (from Kusadasi), Rhodes, Santorini, and Athens (from Piraeus).

‘Getaway’ fares from £1,452 (based on two adults sharing an inside cabin). This includes return flights, all accommodation, main meals and entertainment.

Bookings must be made by July 31, 2011. For more info, see www.pocruises.co.uk or the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

P&O Go From Small to Large!

After welcoming the smallest ship in their fleet - Adonia, last month - P&O Cruises have revealed plans to build their LARGEST-ever ship, a whopping 141,000-tonner (artist's impression, above) for service in 2015. It is quite a contrast after the small-scale of their boutique newcomer but it promises to being in a whole raft of innovation and new features. Here is today's full press release:

P&O Cruises today announced that it will expand its fleet with a 141,000-tonne cruise ship, built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, scheduled to enter service in March 2015.

The as-yet-unnamed 3,611-passenger vessel will be the largest in the P&O fleet, as well as the largest cruise ship built specifically for the British market. To be built at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard, the all-in cost is approximately €155,000 per lower berth. Ushering in an exciting era for P&O, the ship will offer a stylish and innovative new design and an unprecedented number of passenger facilities, along with many of the brand’s classic and iconic features. Specifications and new product innovations will be announced at a later date.

Carnival Corporation & plc’s chairman and CEO Mickey Arison said: “P&O Cruises is Britain’s number one cruise operator, and is synonymous with high quality holidays that celebrate its rich British heritage. The UK continues to be a key growth market and innovative vessels such as this new ship – targeted specifically to British clientele – underscore our commitment to leading the expansion of this important cruise region.

"With a progression of highly successful new ships introduced over the last 15 years, P&O is uniquely experienced in designing vessels to meet the specific needs and aspirations of British passengers. This newly ordered ship will underline its position as Britain’s favourite cruise line.”

P&O Managing Director Carol Marlow added: “This next-generation ship will deliver the ultimate P&O Cruises experience, with ‘sophisticated wows’ and new features to attract thousands of newcomers to our brand, and equally to resonate with existing P&O Cruises passengers by giving them the ‘P&O-ness’ they recognise and love. She will offer ‘the best of the best,’ combining the favourite classic features of Oriana and Aurora, the choice and variety of Azura and Ventura, and a host of new ideas and concepts which together will deliver to our passengers the holiday of a lifetime, every time they travel with us.”

Enter, Adonia!

I thought it was worth posting this first-look photo of P&O Cruises' new ship Adonia, which arrived in her home port of Southampton for the first time today.

The former Royal Princess of Princess Cruises (and the ex-R Eight of failed Renaissance Cruises), she boasts a smart new paint job and a variety of internal modifications to make her suitable for P&O passengers.

Now on to the naming ceremony with Dame Shirley Bassey tomorrow...!

Azura Celebrates First Birthday

April 10 marked the first full year in service for P&O Cruises Azura. To celebrate, Godmother Darcey Bussell sent a specially signed birthday card to the ship, Captain and crew.

The card, signed, read as follows: "Happy 1st Birthday Azura! I wish I could be with you all. Have a wonderful celebration. Love Darcey." It will be displayed on board in the atrium for passengers to see.

Azura is currently on a 14-night Mediterranean cruise that will see birthday celebrations including a gala night with special birthday theme and a 'reveal' of the framed card to passengers on board.

Here's a look back at Azura's first year in numbers:

* 3,400 Wine Flights sampled in the Glasshouse

* 507 bottles of Veuve Cliquot enjoyed

* 154 Champagne breakfasts in bed served

* 40 renewal of vows ceremonies conducted

* 65,000 passengers entertained at the Captain's Welcome on Board parties

* 515 massages enjoyed in The Retreat

* 3,573 portions sold of the most popular starter in XVII, the Crayfish and Lobster Cocktail

* 2,200 portions sold of the most popular main course in XVII, the Beef Fillet Rossini

* 2,477 portions sold of the most popular dessert in XVII, the Crepe Suzette Flambee

* 219,127 hands of Blackjack dealt

* 103,469 nautical miles sailed, the equivalent to almost five times around the world or 653 trips between London and Manchester.

For more information, visit www.pocruises.com or The Cruise Line Ltd.

Dame Shirley Bassey To Name P&O's Adonia

Dame Shirley Bassey is to be Godmother to Adonia, the latest addition to the P&O Cruises fleet. Dame Shirley will name the stylish ship in a glittering ceremony in Southampton on Saturday May 21.

Adonia is considerably smaller than the larger ships of today. Carrying just 710 passengers, the ship will be able to reach off-the-beaten-track ports of call, yet is big enough to provide an extensive range of onboard facilities. Exclusively for adults, she will offer an atmosphere that is intimate and refined.

The main restaurant will be the Pacific Restaurant and there will be two further Select dining venues, Italian-styled Sorrento and a steakhouse and grill. There will also be a buffet restaurant, with some al fresco dining, and a barbecue area out on the Lido deck.

For entertainment, Adonia will have eight bars, including P&O Cruises signature Crow’s Nest observation lounge; Anderson's, the familiar club-style lounge bar; and Raffles, which will also offer a coffee shop menu throughout the day with pastries, chocolates, hot drinks and afternoon tea. There is also a traditional library with fireplace and views on three sides.

Another feature will be The Curzon Lounge, where passengers can enjoy a drink with a sea view during the day and, by night, enjoy a performance by the Headliners theatre company, concerts, dancing or after-dinner speakers.

There will be the signature Oasis Spa, offering a range of treatments and therapies such as hot stone massages and body scrubs, Aromatherapy, and reflexology. There is also a well-equipped gym with panoramic sea views.

Adonia’s well appointed cabins will feature Egyptian cotton linen and tea and coffee-making facilities (so popular with British passengers), while more than 75 per cent of the cabins will have a private balcony.

For more information, visit P&O Cruises or, for great deals, check with the UK's leading specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd

P&O Cruises Introduces New Loyalty Scheme

P&O Cruises is to introduce a new loyalty scheme, the P&O Cruises Peninsular Club, from April 2012 that will replace its current scheme, The Portunus Club. The new club will have six tiers and significant new benefits. The decision was taken to replace The Portunus Club having received feedback from passengers, says managing director Carol Marlow.

She explained: “Since its creation, The Portunus Club has seen both the numbers of members within the scheme, and the average number of points held per member, increase significantly. The review of the existing scheme and introduction of the P&O Cruises Peninsular Club has been shaped by our customers’ experiences and their comments, which demanded a more exclusive club, so we have kept the popular elements from The Portunus Club, and added new ideas, many of which came from our passengers.”

The previous scheme had three “tiers” - ruby, sapphire and gold categories - while the new Peninsular Club will have six distinct tiers, Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Baltic and Ligurian. The new club and tier names endorse the brand’s heritage and its world-wide footprint.

The Peninsular Steam Navigation Company was founded in 1837 from which P&O Cruises can trace its roots. The tier names come from oceans and seas of the world - all sailed countless times by P&O ships. These are arranged in order of size with the smallest in the club being Ligurian. This tier is reserved exclusively for P&O's most loyal and frequent cruisers.

The wide range of benefits of the club include an on board discount ranging from 5-0%, a complimentary celebratory drink as the ship sets sail, a pressing service and discounted laundry as well as early embarkation, an exclusive travel insurance offer, early booking offers and early cabin access.

During the next year, passengers will continue to earn 10 points for every night spent aboard any P&O ship and these will contribute towards their tier status in April 2012, when the total points will be transferred to the new Peninsular Club.

In the new scheme, the Baltic and Ligurian tiers will be exclusive to the most loyal passengers who have a total points value of more than 2,500. Entry to these tiers is not reliant only on points but also on a requirement for the passenger to have spent more than 80 nights on board any P&O ship within the three years prior to the start of their cruise.

Marlow added: “The top two tiers offer benefits only open to an exclusive group of our most loyal and regular passengers, and membership will only be granted on a cruise by cruise basis. This is a new loyalty club for a new era of cruising.”

Spring selection from P&O Cruises

Free car parking, free coach travel, free flights, savings of up to £880 and free on board spending money of almost £1,000 per couple is being offered in this Spring’s promotion from P&O Cruises.

The P&O Cruises spring selection includes a range of holidays from two-night party cruises to 34-night no-fly Caribbean & USA cruises. Destinations include the Mediterranean, Baltic, Norwegian Fjords and the Caribbean. The Spring Selection applies to holidays booked before March 31, and offers include:

· Free flights and transfers on Adonia Mediterranean fly cruises
· Free car parking on selected cruises, saving up to £284 per car (based on cruise R118)
· Free coach travel on selected cruises, saving up to £120 per person (based on travel between Glasgow and Southampton)
· Up to £960 per couple free on boarding spending money (based on cabin R118)
· Savings of up to £880 per couple (based on cruise E131)

Lead in fares for the Spring Selection savers are:

· Seven nights from £699, including a £50 per person discount. Departing from and returning to Southampton and calling in La Coruna, Bilbao, La Rochelle and Brest. Based on Ventura’s (above) April 22 departure (N110). Plus up to £120 per person onboard spending money.
· 10-night Mediterranean fly-cruise from £799, including a £150 per person discount. Departing from Naples and calling at Civitavecchia, Palma, Valencia, Almeria, Cadiz, Lisbon and Southampton. Based on Adonia’s January 3, 2012, departure (D201).
· 14-night Mediterranean holiday from £1,249, including a £200 per person discount. Departing from and returning to Southampton and calling at Oporto, Lisbon, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Villefranche, Barcelona and Gibraltar. Based on March 21, 2012, departure (E204).

All prices are per person and based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin on a full board basis, including all main meals, accommodation and most facilities.

For more information, visit http://www.pocruises.co.uk/ or check with the leading specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.