P & O Cruises

P & O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world. Based in Southampton, in the UK, they are a part of Carnival UK. They began offering passenger cruises in 1844, sailing out of Southampton to places like Athens, Greece or Malta. Interestingly enough, these first cruises were more adventure tours than anything else, as passengers shared the ship with the Royal Mail (the cruise & delivery routes were one and the same).

P & O Cruises is no different from any other cruise line when it comes to a turbulent infancy. However, unlike many other potential cruise lines, P & O went on to establish itself. For instance, in its early days, a Scottish newspaper needed space filled, so the heads of P & O obliged, advertising an “imaginary trip” to Scotland from England. People thought the whole thing was a bit crazy, but the passage of time has borne out the forward-thinking shrewdness of that early business deal after the London Times featured the same advert a few years later, cementing P & O Cruises’ place as England’s premier cruise line.

Looking forward to modern times, P & O (in addition to its British & American footholds) are the main cruise line of Australia & New Zealand. Their local fleet consists of 3 ships, and offers everything one might expect from a major cruise line: Comfort and fun for the guests, a wide selection of itineraries and cruising packages, fine & varied dining, top-notch safety while at sea.... and even their own floating circus!

In addition to being one of the “Who’s Who” in the cruising industry, P & O Cruises also has a philanthropic side. While their guests lie on the deck, sunning themselves, P & O Cruises is tireless in its efforts to help the community at large. Charities which are of special importance to the cruise line include the Make-a-Wish Foundation, which helps make the wishes of terminally ill children come true, Lifeline Australia, which helps with the education of the indigenous people of Australia, and the Catherine Freeman Foundation, which helps the mentally-ill.