P&O Cruises Reviews 

Buyers beware - I discovered today that a cruise that I booked in July is now being sold £700 cheaper for the same class of cabin through P&O's Black Friday sale.

I spoke to P&O who told me that they operate a flexible pricing policy so prices can go up or down. This was not mentioned at the time of booking, or in the confirmation. However I did find it on the Ts&Cs at the very bottom of the home page, buried amongst the legal stuff on their website.

I then noticed the Black Friday promotion states 'Should the price of your holiday drop during our Supersized Black Friday Sale, we'll automatically adjust your balance to match the lower price'. I took this to mean my holiday will be reduced but apparently not. Only customers who book via the Black Friday offer are given a guarantee which protects them against any price drop.

I've booked a cruise in June at £779pp. I paid and booked it on November 1st... They announced a black friday sale today (November 5th) that reduced the price of the holiday by £150.

I had to wait on the phone with customer service for 1 hour and 40 minutes only to be told that "Due to you not booking during the black friday window, you are not entitled to any discount"

Just genuinely an appalling customer service and approach to business. I cannot cancel and rebook as I would lose my deposit of £156...

All this despite getting an email about the black friday sales saying "Should the price of your holiday drop during our Supersized Black Friday Sale, we'll automatically adjust your balance to match the lower price."

Just honestly ridiculous. Makes me unsure about going ahead with my current cruise or cruising with them again!

From the easy booking, to smooth embarkation, different ports to visit, beautiful ships and easy disembarkation, and last but not least the absolutely incredible crew!!

Our second cruise on Iona. The ship was immaculate, the service excellent and we loved our holiday. Already booked again.

My cruise on the ship Arcadia J614 was completely full. There was literally nowhere to sit and only one area with a sofa. This area was always full. The Crows Nest was equally very busy with no seats or only the odd one available.
I booked a 2 hour session in The Retreat at a cost of approx £35 - this was also full and the thermo pool was also full. There were no free seats around the thermal pool despite paying for this service, and also no seats on the heated beds . we had to give up and come out! hardly relaxing. I told the Spa manager who just said 'Oh dear' and walked off. a very bad experience.
Sadly many of the staff, particularly in the bars and restaurant were tired and short staffed! and though some remined very pleasant, some were very off hand and grumpy.
I must say our Cabin Steward was very nice and our room was also pleasant although many of the small luxuries you expect from P&O [we have cruised with P&O for at least 25 years] had vanished, eg no body cream or shower cap.
Staff in the shops were good and helpful.
All in all I was very disappointed and my husband and I decided we would not be cruising with P&O again! They appear to have become second rate holidays and we are very sad

Fortnight on Aurora - the ship is smaller than others in P&O fleet but I found the layout more difficult to navigate as you have to use corridors for cabins to get through to front or back of ship.

Exceptionally clean, with excellent staff who were so hardworking and really took pride in their roles. Very impressed by the hand hygiene and disinfection measures on board, and most people complied with these.

Embarkation and disembarkation very smooth, takes minutes if that and then you’re on board.

I found the food excellent - variety of cuisine from around the world which I appreciate! The hot speciality station in buffet at dinner was always very good. The usual complaint about the buffet is awkward layout and difficulty with finding a seat, the water stations being elsewhere and having to zig zag around the place to get though a meal. I often didn’t go for breakfast as it was such a busy environment, especially on sea days!

Ate in Medina restaurant where service and quality was excellent, nice range of vegan and vegetarian options and some very clever dishes. Also ate at speciality restaurants - Sindhu was good but not as exceptional as it used to be, it used to feel like a real treat to spend £25 per person cover charge to eat an amazing meal but now it lacks the wow factor for the additional charge. Still tasty but would not consider it a must do anymore. The Beach House was very good, the lava steak was delicious and the service was attentive and friendly without being stuffy.

Enjoyed our port days but would prefer information about which gangway the night before rather than the morning of. If you miss the tannoy announcement it is very challenging to find out.

I found this ship to be a bit more formal in its seating style, lots of tables and chairs in the cafes and bars and I would prefer comfy sofa style seats where you can relax.

The musical entertainment on the ship was fantastic, piano duo and violinist were stand out. Also saw an illusion show which was fun but not as polished as the musical performances.

Overall a great trip, excellent value for money with plentiful varied food. The only minor downside was the ongoing refurbishment works which meant deck 7 was often closed at certain sections, there was banging and clanging so it wasn’t quiet and peaceful sat outside, and then the paint fumes over the last 2 days as the metalwork was being painted were very strong and seeped into the ship. We were warned there would be works but were not given specifics of what it would entail or on which days.

Just finished 14 day cruise to Norway on Aurora.
Amazing service and experience. 5 stars well deserved.

We recently sailed on P&O Arvia, and unfortunately this was the most disappointing cruise holiday we have experienced. They should call it P&O Queuses, because that's all you do from day one.
The ship itself is impressive, but issues significantly affected our enjoyment. These included poor customer service, unresolved concerns and a lack of communication when problems arose.
"During the cruise I became extremely unwell with symptoms consistent with food poisoning, which further affected our holiday."
Despite raising complaints both during and after the cruise, the responses received were slow and unsatisfactory. As a result, I would think very carefully before booking another cruise with P&O and cannot recommend this experience to others.
At the end of the cruise, we were removed from the ship like criminals due to an illness I contracted through no fault of my own. However, my greatest disappointment was the way our concerns were handled afterwards. Despite submitting a formal complaint and sending a follow-up email, I have received no response to date.
I later sent a further email requesting an update. Despite this, I HAVE STILL NOT received a response.
What disappointed me most was not only the original incident but the complete lack of communication afterwards. I am a reasonable person and understand that problems can occur on any holiday. However, customers deserve fair treatment and acknowledgement of their concerns. Unfortunately, that was not my experience with P&O on this occasion. Oh yes, nearly forgot. Don't let them fob you off with P&O guest relations. They are the ones who don't bother replying. Never again.

Everything went perfectly smoothly from arrival to departure. Ship staff attention to detail was remarkable, rarely asked who had ordered what. Generally quick service. Staff in Southampton terminal were a pleasure to meet, completely put us at ease. Entertainment mostly good to terrific. Lectures very interesting. Not much we wanted on cabin TV but little time to watch, too many other things. Excessive wait to speak to someone on booking site.

Had a fabulous holiday on Azura, the staff were very attentive and made us feel welcome and well looked after. Loved the atmosphere and live entertainment by the pool, everybody was enjoying themselves. There is something for everyone on board, my daughter loved the cruise and the things she was able to experience on excusions.

We enjoyed our first holiday with P&O. Iona was amazing, staff was friendly and helpful and entertainment incredible. Thank you, all!

My friend and I have just returned from a 5 night cruise to Rotterdam and Zeebruge from Southampton with the Arcadia P&O ship. From start to finish everything ran extremely smoothly and like clockwork. The staff on board are all very dedicated to their work and always happy to help. We particularly enjoyed the dining experience of the Meridian restaurant. All the food was to a very high standard. Our cabin which was a deluxe balcony was extremely comfortable and was cleaned each day by a very efficient housekeeping team. I would not hesitate to go on another P&O cruise.

Great cruise with an amazing ship, great crew.

This is my 4th Adventure on Iona. Staff work very hard. Sorry Iona I am going on your sister Arvia next September back to Norway 🇳🇴 Thank you P&O 🛳

Amazing 1st Cruise on Ventura. Amazing Crew & Staff. Would of been 5 star but for the debarkation day, my wife was in a mobility scooter and we had priority debarkation due to being in an accessible suite which was from deck 7. It took 20 minutes to wait for lift and get down from deck 14 which is understandable due to everyone leaving rooms at same time but when it was time to disembark from deck 7 lounge we were told it would be from deck 5 and they would walk us down the stairs which we couldn't do due to mobility scooter so we had to wait again 10 minutes to get the lift again. Just wish a staff member could of said that it was from deck 5, I could of took wife straight down to deck 5 and myself & 14yo daughter could of come back up to deck 7 until it was our time.to disembark.

we are just back from having spent a week aboard the Iona visiting Spain and France. The ship is amazing, the sheer size and grandeur is mind blowing. Unfortunately the weather meant we couldn't visit Getxo but we did get a few extra hours in La Coruna. The staff all around the ship are mainly pleasant and attentive. food is in our opinion 5* especially Sindu and keel and cow. The bars were busy but always found some seating. rooms are adequate for what you need plenty of storage space, clean and comfy. overall a magnificent experience where you are made to feel very special.

Just back from a trip on Ventura to Spain and Portugal. Originally 7 nights with a stop in France, but inclement weather meant we delayed embarkation by a day and missed France. Although disappointing, I am so impressed by how easily things were moved around to accommodate the plan change. Our coach transfer was swiftly rearranged for the following day and embarkation was smooth from then on. The Captain and the bridge team kept us informed once on board regarding weather etc. A little rocky sailing but I never felt unsafe at all. Every crew member encountered were lovely, friendly and accommodating, they really couldnt do more for us. The shore excursions were so well organised and really interesting. Great local guides. We were late into Oporto and the shore excursion was promptly rearranged to match our revised port times. I was so impressed with how easy everything felt. Food was lovely and plentiful, as were the drinks. We had a wonderful time and cant wait to get the next one booked.

First cruise, amazed at size of ship and all that is crammed in. Fantastic holiday and experience, great trip for all the family. Will be back again in the future.

One of the best reasons to go on a cruise. The team were amazing and always ready to help if you needed it. Food fantastic, cabins super clean, entertainment brilliant and varied. Excursions well organised and interesting places to see. Shout out to Iwan our steward where he was always attentative and out rooms were always clean and tidy. So much to keep you busy if you wanted and places to go if you wanted a little quiet. If you haven’t done a cruise before, would completely recommend

Just returned from a brilliant trip on Iona. Food, entertainment, day excursions really good. Would definitely cruise with P&O again.