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.
MV Arcadia |
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Launched: |
26th June 2004 |
Call Sign: |
ZCDN2 |
Draught: |
8 m | |
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Built: |
Fincantieri |
Class: |
Vista |
Speed: |
22 Knots | |
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City: |
Marghera |
Tonnage |
83,781 GT |
Decks: |
11 | |
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Country: |
Italy |
Length: |
289.90 m |
Passengers: |
2388 | |
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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 |
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Launched: |
1st February 2001 |
Call Sign: |
Draught: |
6 m | ||
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Built: |
Chantiers de l’Atlantique |
Class: |
R |
Speed: |
18 Knots | |
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City: |
St. Nazaire |
Tonnage |
30277 GT |
Decks: |
11 | |
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Country: |
France |
Length: |
180 m |
Passengers: |
826 | |
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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 |
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Launched: |
20/2/2000 |
Call Sign: |
ZCDN9 |
Draught: |
8 m | |
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Built: |
Fincantieri |
Class: |
Sun |
Speed: |
21 knots | |
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City: |
Monfalcone |
Tonnage |
77499 |
Decks: |
11 | |
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Country: |
Italy |
Length: |
261 m |
Passengers: |
2272 | |
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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. | |||||
MV Oriana |
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Launched: |
30/06/1994 |
Call Sign: |
ZCDU9 |
Draught: |
7.9m | |
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Built: |
Meyer Werft |
Class: |
Speed: |
24 knots | ||
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City: |
Papenburg |
Tonnage |
69,153 GT |
Decks: |
10 | |
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Country: |
Germany |
Length: |
260m |
Passengers: |
1928 | |
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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. | |||||
MV Aurora |
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Launched: |
18th January 2000 |
Call Sign: |
ZCDW9 |
Draught: |
8 m | |
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Built: |
Meyer Werft |
Class: |
Speed: |
24 Knots | ||
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City: |
Papenburg |
Tonnage |
76,152 GT |
Decks: |
10 | |
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Country: |
Germany |
Length: |
270 m |
Passengers: |
1950 | |
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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 | |||||
MV Ventura |
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Launched: |
8/6/2007 |
Call Sign: |
ZCDT2 |
Draught: |
8 m | |
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Built: |
Fincantieri |
Class: |
Grand |
Speed: |
21 knots | |
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City: |
Monfalcone |
Tonnage |
116017 GT |
Decks: |
19 | |
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Country: |
Italy |
Length: |
291 m |
Passengers: |
3192 | |
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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’. | |||||
MV Azura |
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Launched: |
26/6/2009 |
Call Sign: |
ZCEE2 |
Draught: |
8 m | |
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Built: |
Fincantieri |
Class: |
Grand |
Speed: |
22 knots | |
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City: |
Monfalcone |
Tonnage |
115056 |
Decks: |
19 | |
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Country: |
Italy |
Length: |
290 m |
Passengers: |
3096 | |
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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 |
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Launched: |
March 2015 |
Call Sign: |
Draught: |
8.3 m | ||
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Built: |
Fincantieri |
Class: |
Grand |
Speed: |
22 knots | |
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City: |
Monfalcone |
Tonnage |
141250 |
Decks: |
19 (15 public) | |
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Country: |
Italy |
Length: |
330 m |
Passengers: |
4372 | |
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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. |
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| 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