Cruise Ships – P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises, founded in 1837 by Brodie McGhie Willcox, a London ship broker, and Arthur Anderson, a sailor from the Shetland Isles is regarded as the oldest cruise line company in the world. Today, P&O Cruises is still a major cruise ship brand part of the UK based Carnival UK company, a subsidiary of the Carnival Corporation based in Miami USA. P&O celebrated its 175th anniversary in 2012. P&O Cruises home port is Southampton and all of its ships are regular visitors to the Solent.

PO Arcadia at Stokes Bay 19 July 2016

MV Arcadia
 

Launched:

 26th June 2004

Call Sign:

 ZCDN2

Draught:

 8 m

Built:

 Fincantieri

Class:

 Vista

Speed:

 22 Knots

City:

 Marghera

Tonnage

 83,781 GT

Decks:

 11

Country:

 Italy

Length:

 289.90 m

Passengers:

 2388

Cost:

 $400,000

Beam:

 32 m

Crew:

 967
The MV Arcadia is a cruise ship in the P&O Cruises fleet. The ship was built by Fincantieri at their shipyard in Marghera, Italy. At 86,799 tonnes, Arcadia is the third largest of seven ships currently in service with P&O Cruises. The ship officially entered service with the company in April 2005 and was named by Dame Kelly Holmes.
Recognition features: As a Vista class cruise ship, she has many sisters. Visiting the Solent, are the Cunard ships Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Around the world, there are many from the Holland America brand (also a carnival company) Arcadia silhouette is very similar but note that she is the only all white ship with a yellow funnel and if that is not enough, she has no aft satellite dome!

MV Adonia
 

Launched:

 1st February 2001

Call Sign:

Draught:

 6 m

Built:

 Chantiers de l’Atlantique

Class:

 R

Speed:

 18 Knots

City:

 St. Nazaire

Tonnage

 30277 GT

Decks:

 11

Country:

 France

Length:

 180 m

Passengers:

 826

Cost:

 $150,000

Beam:

 25 m

Crew:

 450
MV Adonia (previously Minerva II and Royal Princess) was built for the french Renaissance Cruise line company as R-8, the last in the R-Class series. She was acquired by P&O and sailed as the Minerva under the Swann Hellenic brand for a while. Later transferred to sister company Princess Cruises and then returning later to P&O as a niche market explorer cruise ship. Built by Chantiers de l’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France. At 30,000 tonnes, Adonia is the smallest of the P&O fleet. She officially entered service with the company in May 2011 and was named by Dame Shirley Bassey. As with the other P&O vessels Arcadia and Oriana, she is currently an adult only ship.
Recognition features: Number 8 in the class of ships. Other ships are with: The Azamara Club Cruises (Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest), Hapag-Lloyd (Columbus 2), Oceania Cruises (Regatta and Nautica) and Princess Cruises (Pacific Princess and Ocean Princess). The Azamara ships are also visitors to the Solent.

MV Oceana
 

Launched:

 20/2/2000

Call Sign:

 ZCDN9

Draught:

 8 m

Built:

 Fincantieri

Class:

 Sun

Speed:

 21 knots

City:

 Monfalcone

Tonnage

 77499

Decks:

 11

Country:

 Italy

Length:

 261 m

Passengers:

 2272

Cost:

 $300,000

Beam:

 32 m

Crew:

 889
MV Oceana is the 4th and final ship of the sun class cruise ships designed for Princess Cruises. She entered service as the Ocean Princess and regularly operated in Alaska in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter. She officially entered service with P&O Cruises and was named by the HRH the Princess Royal in November 2002.
Recognition features: In P&O Cruises today, she is unique, in recent times, she did have a sister ship in the name of the MV Adonia (ex Sea Princess) who later returned to her Sea princess position. Oceana has a prominent terraced aft over a high counter stern and a rounded funnel.

P&O Oriana

P&O Oriana at Stokes Bay 17 July 2016

MV Oriana
 

Launched:

 30/06/1994

Call Sign:

 ZCDU9

Draught:

 7.9m

Built:

 Meyer Werft

Class:

Speed:

 24 knots

City:

 Papenburg

Tonnage

 69,153 GT

Decks:

 10

Country:

 Germany

Length:

 260m

Passengers:

 1928

Cost:

 $162K

Beam:

 32m

Crew:

 794
MV Oriana officially entered service with the company in April 1995 and was named by HM Queen Elizabeth II. Officially the flagship of the P&O Cruises fleet, she also holds the Golden Cockerel as the fastest ship in the fleet. Currently P&O Cruises longest serving and oldest ship.
Recognition features: Oriana trademark is the elegant stepped, curved terraces from the sun deck all the way down to just above the promenade deck. A feature copied to the MV Aurora. A recent addition is the ‘Duck tail’ required to control the wash and improve the ships stability.
PO Aurora

PO Aurora at Stokes Bay July 2016

MV Aurora
 

Launched:

 18th January 2000

Call Sign:

 ZCDW9

Draught:

 8 m

Built:

 Meyer Werft

Class:

Speed:

 24 Knots

City:

 Papenburg

Tonnage

 76,152 GT

Decks:

 10

Country:

 Germany

Length:

 270 m

Passengers:

 1950

Cost:

 $375,000

Beam:

 32 m

Crew:

 850
The MV Aurora is a cruise ship of the P&O Cruises fleet. The ship was built by Meyer Werft at their shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. At 76,000 tonnes, Aurora is the sixth largest of seven ships currently in service with P&O Cruises. She officially entered service with the company in April 2000 and was christened by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal in Southampton, United Kingdom.
Recognition features: Very similar to Oriana. Aft end is concave by comparison

PO Ventura at Stokes Bay July 2016

MV Ventura
 

Launched:

 8/6/2007

Call Sign:

 ZCDT2

Draught:

 8 m

Built:

 Fincantieri

Class:

 Grand

Speed:

 21 knots

City:

 Monfalcone

Tonnage

 116017 GT

Decks:

 19

Country:

 Italy

Length:

 291 m

Passengers:

 3192

Cost:

 $700,000

Beam:

 36 m

Crew:

 1226
MV Ventura is one the second largest of the P&O Cruises fleet, and one of the largest operating in European waters. She officially entered service with the company in April 2008 and was named by the actress Helen Mirren.
Recognition features: Twinned with the more recent MS Azura, both are almost identical to look at. Ventura sports an open air swimming pool with a sliding roof. Azura has a giant TV screen for ‘movies under the stars’.

P&O Azura

P&O Azura at Stokes Bay on 3rd July 2016

MV Azura
 

Launched:

 26/6/2009

Call Sign:

 ZCEE2

Draught:

 8 m

Built:

 Fincantieri

Class:

 Grand

Speed:

 22 knots

City:

 Monfalcone

Tonnage

 115056

Decks:

 19

Country:

 Italy

Length:

 290 m

Passengers:

 3096

Cost:

 $700,000

Beam:

 36 m

Crew:

 1126
MV Azura is the sister to the MV Ventura. She officially entered service with the company in April 2010 and was named by the ballerina Darcey Bussell.
Recognition features: Twinned with the slightly older MV Ventura, both are almost identical to look at. Azura sports an open air cinema on the top deck where ‘movies under the stars’ are available. Ventura has a swimming pool with a sliding roof.

MV Britannia
 

Launched:

 March 2015

Call Sign:

Draught:

 8.3 m

Built:

 Fincantieri

Class:

 Grand

Speed:

 22 knots

City:

 Monfalcone

Tonnage

 141250

Decks:

 19 (15 public)

Country:

 Italy

Length:

 330 m

Passengers:

 4372

Cost:

 $750m

Beam:

 43.2 m

Crew:

 1400
MV Britannia is P&O Cruises brand new ship which was delivered into service in March 2015. She has taken her place as the largest ship and flagship in the P&O fleet. She boasts £1 million worth of art, nine entertainment places, including a 936-seat theatre, four pools, and 13 places to eat. She is the largest cruise ship to be built for the UK market.
Recognition features: She is twinned with the two recent Princess ships Royal and Ruby Princesses but retaining the distinctive P&O buff funnels.

Southampton Cruise Ship Schedule

More photographs of Cruise Ships at Stokes Bay in our Ships Gallery