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• Cruise Lines , P&O Cruises

P&O: All you need to know

by - 27 Jun 2018

P&O Cruises are an all-time-favourite cruise line in the UK, offering exciting itineraries to a variety of destinations. Whether you’re new to cruising or a seasoned expert, here is a small guide on what to expect on a cruise with P&O.

Before you sail

What does P&O stand for?

P&O is an abbreviation of the company’s full name, The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. Established in 1837, the cruise line was initially used to carry mail by sea, with the ‘O’ added for Oriental in 1840 as the company extended its service to Egypt and Asia.

Can I take a solo cruise on P&O?

Yes, solo cabins are offered on Azura, Arcadia, Aurora, Britannia, Oriana and Ventura. These range from Single Inside Cabins to Single Sea View Cabins and Single Balcony Cabins.

What is included in my fare?

There are three fares to choose from when booking with P&O: Select, Early Saver and Saver. With all guests receiving:

• Full-board accommodation – Dining includes breakfast, lunch and five-course dinner, meals and snacks from 24-hour buffets and informal restaurants, as well as afternoon tea – Drinks include tea, coffee, water and juices
• Entertainment
• Sports facilities – Full use of football, tennis and basketball courts – Use of swimming pools and whirlpool spas – Fully equipped gym
• Children’s Clubs – Full access to age specific children’s clubs – Night Nursery for under 5’s
• Flights – These are offered from London, with flights from other regional airports available on selected cruises – Coach transfers between the airport and ship on embarkation and disembarkation dates are also included

Do you get better deals with P&O if you book last minute or early?

With a last minute deal, you’ll be able to take advantage of a good price, but won’t have as many options when it comes to when you want to travel, your itinerary and choice of stateroom. Booking early means you’ll have more choice and you’ll often be able to take advantage of early booking savings.

How much luggage can I bring with me?

When sailing round-trip from Southampton the luggage limit is 23kg. Fly cruises are slightly different, due to the airport restrictions. With these options, your luggage limit is between 20kg and 23kg, but you will need to confirm this with your airline beforehand.

On-board your ship

What facilities are in my cabin?

Standard facilities include:

• Daily steward service
• TV, radio and telephone
• Refrigerator
• Tea/coffee making facilities
• Air conditioning
• Vanity/writing desk and chair
• Wardrobe and drawer space
• Toiletries pack (including shampoo, conditioner, moisturising lotion, soap and shower cap)

There are ironing stations in each of the laundrettes on-board P&O and a pressing service. However, ironing and ironing boards are not permitted to be brought on-board with you.

If you’re looking to charge mobile devices on-board, standard UK three pin plug sockets are in every cabin across the P&O fleet.

What’s the difference between Freedom Dining and Fixed Dining?

Freedom Dining means that there’s no fixed seating or meal times, whereas fixed dining means that you’ll have the same table at the same time each evening.

Is there free Wi-Fi on-board P&O?

All of P&O’s ships are Wi-Fi enabled, allowing you to access the internet when sailing. Packages can be purchased pre-cruise or on-board, starting at £6.75 for the Connect Package.

How much does The Retreat cost on P&O?

Azura, Britannia and Ventura each offer spa packages, where you can also utilise the open-air facilities of The Retreat. These start at £20 per day, with access to the Thermal Suite also included.

Is there an adults-only pool on-board P&O?

There are three P&O ships which are exclusively for adults: Arcadia, Oriana and Aurora. Additional ships, which are open to children, also offer adult-only pools including Azura, Oceana and Ventura.

What is the dress code on-board P&O?

The dress code only applies to the evenings, during the day is the same as any other holiday. There are two dress codes on-board P&O:

• Evening Casual – Stylish resort or leisurewear including dresses or casual separates for ladies and open-neck polo shirts and long trousers for men. No trainers, football shirts or tracksuits.
• Black Tie – Ladies wear cocktail dresses, ball gowns or smart trouser suits, while men wear dinner jackets, tuxedos or a business suit.

As of January 2018, guests are no longer allowed to wear fancy dress, novelty items or inappropriate personalised clothing on-board. Swimsuits are not permitted in the lounges, interior bars, restaurants or reception areas, and a shirt and suitable footwear are required while indoors and using the buffet restaurants.

Destinations you reach

Does P&O offer world cruises?

Yes, Arcadia offers a 99-night circumnavigation of the globe sailing to 23 countries. Whilst, Aurora sails on a Grand Tour to South America, the USA and Caribbean.

P&O also offers exotic fly-cruises on a schedule that suits you, spanning 17-42 nights, and the cruise line also offers Classic Southern Hemisphere sailings where you’ll visit as many as 20 ports up to 61-nights long.

Where does a P&O mini cruise to Guernsey stop?

Mini cruises to Guernsey stop at the St Peter Port, a pretty town with fine architecture, terraced gardens and winding streets.

How much do excursions cost on P&O?

There are excursions for everyone’s budget on-board P&O, ranging from a paddle boarding experience in Bilbao (£55 per adult / £35 per child), golf on the slopes of Mt Etna (from £175) or exploring Dubrovnik by tuk-tuk (£49 per adult / £42 per child).

Book your cruise with P&O

When sailing on-board, P&O make it easy to enjoy every moment. Whether that’s relaxing, discovering a new hobby or rekindling an old one, tasting new culinary dishes or simply kicking-back with a good book – P&O have it covered.

Here at Cruise118.com we offer a variety of P&O cruises to choose from, with something for everyone to look forward to.

For award-winning service and assistance with your P&O booking, call our Cruise Concierge team on 0808 1234 118 .

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• Plan a Cruise Trip

Know Before You Go

Life onboard a cruise ship.

Even though you’re out to sea we make sure you don’t go without! We want you to have it all while onboard P&O Cruises. That’s why we try our very best to make our home, feel like your home.

Thanks to P&O’s Food Revolution there are a minimum of seventeen dining experiences on each ship including a number of celebrity chef dining options by Luke Mangan. Plus with plenty of bars, pubs and nightclubs you won’t be left wanting. Spend your day waking up in comfort, taking in spectacular views, soaking up the sun by the pool or choosing which onboard activity to do, with at least 60 daily you’re spoilt for choice.

Phone Reception

Want to call home? You can! Mobile reception is available on all our ships. A compatible mobile phone and service plan capable of roaming internationally is required. Make sure you check with your service provider for applicable charges, including data charges, before you depart.

It’s only good news here. While you’re on holiday with P&O we’ll make sure that you always know what’s happening onboard, so you don’t miss out on a single thing. That’s why we publish our daily newsletter Good Times. It’s our way of keeping you up to date with daily activities, Shore Tours and parties.

We want you to cruise happy. We have a range of facilities onboard so you’re comfortable all holiday long. More details

ONBOARD BASICS

Trust us, you’ll have more fun when you play by the rules! Plus we have some handy tips for the best time ever. More details

RECOGNISING YOUR CREW

Want to know who’s who? We’ve got the lowdown so you can know who to ask, who to thank or feel like part of the crew. More details

We love delicious food at P&O. With a range of cafes and restaurants the only problem is deciding where to eat! More details

You don’t have to go far to find fantastic shopping and exclusive products on board. We have a great selection of tax and duty free Watches, Jewellery, Beauty, Fashion and Liquor, from some of the world’s best known brands. More details

CASHLESS CRUISING

With cashless cruising you can leave your card at home. All onboard expenses will be charged to your personalised cruise card. More details

SHORE TOURS

Haven’t booked your Shore Tours yet? No worries. You can book your Shore Tours onboard at our Shore Tours Desk. Search Shore Tours

AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINES (ATM'S)

Want some pocket money for activities ashore? We conveniently have ATMs onboard so you can access your personal bank account.

BEVERAGE PACKAGES

Beverage packages are now available onboard all P&O Cruises' ships. More details

BOOKING YOUR EXTRAS

Focus on fun when onboard your cruise and pre-purchase packages before you go. More details

10 cruise secrets you should know about

To help you find the perfect themed cruise for you, no matter what your interest, budget or calendar, here’s a guide to the top 5 themed P&O cruises - plus some extra tips for getting the most out of your mini holiday.

• Pre-Cruise Checklist
• What to Pack for a Cruise
• Onboard Basics
• Recognising Your Crew
• Dining Options
• Cashless Cruising
• Aussie Dollar Guarantee
• Arrival & Departure
• Travel Insurance
• Book with Confidence
• Healthy Cruising with P&O
• Onboard Spending Money
• More Cruise Tips

Get a quote

Cruise Connect is a coach transfer service that provides Cunard Line, P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises passengers with a simple journey to and from their cruise ship via 50 collection and drop-off points throughout the UK. Receive a real-time, instant quote and book online or over the phone 0344 338 8690 from 08:30 am to 06:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and 09:00 am to 04:00pm on Saturdays.

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• Feb 24, 2023

P&O Cruises Iona - The Olive Grove

Updated: May 8, 2023

After 3 cruises onboard P&O Cruises Iona, we now feel qualified to decide that The Olive Grove is our favourite restaurant onboard. We've managed to squeeze in 6 visits, so we've explored a good chunk of the menu too. One of the best parts about it is that most of the items on offer are included in your cruise fare, with just a few small surcharges. There's a great range in there, from pizzas and pasta dishes, through to piri piri chicken and gyros.

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On our first Iona cruise in August 2021, we weren't sure what to expect of The Olive Grove as it was a new concept to P&O ships. This was only Iona's second ever cruise, so we'd seen menus but not very many reviews yet. The menu looked right up our street, so we made two reservations using the My Holiday system as soon as we boarded and we're very pleased that we did. We enjoyed every item that we ordered and quickly established some favourites. The venue itself also has a lovely ambience, food is cooked to order so its a slower paced meal than in the MDR which can be great for a sea day lunch.

We both have a different favourite dish onboard, Lizzy loves the piri piri chicken, and Laura is a big fan of the torta gianduia. We also both enjoy the Mediterranean trio starter, and can't visit without ordering it! We're yet to try the pizzas, but when we cruised with our family in October 2021 our dad did and he gave his a big thumbs up. There's a proper pizza oven in Iona's Olive Grove so you know the pizzas are going to be good.

The Olive Grove also features onboard Arvia. We haven't cruised on Arvia yet but from what we've seen there are differences to the menu. The main one looks to be that there are no pizzas or lasagne on Arvia. It remains to be seen if this is a limited menu whilst the crew get up to speed or if this will be the permanent menu onboard Arvia.

If you are keen to try The Olive Grove its well worth booking as soon as you are able to. Recent booking changes mean that you can now prebook online before boarding, this isn't consistent, but if you get this option we'd recommend you do it. One of the problems with staggered boarding times is that if you do end up with a later boarding time it can mean that lots of the speciality dining has been booked by the time you board. Naturally, as there are very few extra charges, The Olive Grove is a very popular option. If you do find that you can't get booked in either in advance or via My Holiday, its always worth physically visiting the restaurant to see if they can fit you in. You never know!

• P&O Cruises
• Cruise Food

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