P&O Cruises have always been a great-value holiday option compared to popular alternative land-based holiday types. Now that’s even truer than ever thanks to all the amazing things as part of your fare as standard, discounted add-ons, extra perks and even tips included.
Here we’ve broken down the price of a typical P&O Cruises holiday and what you get for your money when it comes to accommodation, dining, entertainment and other experiences versus a typical land-based equivalent.
Accommodation
A holiday with P&O Cruises has all the benefits of a luxury hotel resort with swimming pools, spas, room service and fantastic dining but with the added bonus of a new port of call to explore most days. With value for money staterooms to family cabins and luxurious suites, there’s truly something for all needs and budgets, however, whichever accommodation you pick, compared to the local hotels’ rates, you’re sure to have booked a bargain.
| Facility | P&O Cruises | Land-Based Holiday |
|---|---|---|
|
5-star hotel with swimming pool, balcony and full board |
£71pppn for an average 7 day holiday (to the Canary Islands). |
From £150pppn – Oslo From £60pppn – Santa Cruz Tenerife From £115pppn – Barcelonal |
| Room service / food delivery |
From £7
|
From £20 |
| Swimming pool |
included
|
From £4pp |
Dining
The incredible food has always been a staple of what makes cruising such a popular holiday experience; Here P&O Cruises are true trendsetters with their Food Heroes’ unique takes on popular British cuisine with a modern twist mixed with international options.
As well as your classic main dining room and breakfast buffet, P&O Cruises also serve up speciality dining venues perfect to celebrate a special occasion which rival many Michelin-starred restaurants, such as original TV chef Marco Pierre-White’s Ocean Grill serving a vast array of steaks and seafood exclusively on Arcadia to Olly Smith’s The Glass House’s amazing wine selections, and, of course, the famous Indian fusion restaurant Sindhu found across the fleet. In addition to this, you’ll also find relaxed cafes for a coffee and poolside bars, a special children’s tea for the little ones, classic afternoon teas and room service if feeling lazy.
| Dinner Out | Included | From £40pp |
| Posh dinner out |
Glass House from £25 supplement Beach House from £7.50 supplement Every holiday also includes a five-course Celebration Night Dinner designed by Marco Pierre White. |
From £80pp |
| Indian meal | Sindhu from £20 supplement | From £30 |
| Beer | Alcoholic drinks packages from 39.95pppd or from 4.50 per drink. | From £4.50 |
| Wine | Drinks package / included with meals or from £5 | From £6.00 |
| Afternoon Tea | Included | From £25pp |
| Coffee | Included. Can get premium beverages with hot drinks package | From £3.50 |
Entertainment
Whichever P&O Cruises ship you sail aboard you’re guaranteed to never be lost for something to do day or night. From a luxurious pampering session at the spa to a talk on wine tasting, history by a well-known expert to theatre shows of an evening that rival any West End theatre and intimate live music shows, you’ll find it all as well as many themed cruises for specific interests to meet like-minded people.
| Live music event | Included | From £20pp |
| Theatre Show | Included | From £106pp |
| Gym day pass | Included | From £8pp |
| Spa pass | From £25 | From £100 |
| Massage | From £80 | From £40 |
| Yoga session/spin/gym class | From £9 | From £12 |
| Lecture | Included | From £35 |
| Golf driving net | Included | From £10pp |
Family
On P&O Cruises ships catering to families you’ll find all you need for sea days and evenings after a long day sightseeing to keep all the gang entertained, from kids clubs and babysitter services giving you some much-needed “you time” to action-packed activities. On the newer Excel Class ships, Iona and Arvia, you’ll even find cinemas, ropes courses, lots of pools and even escape rooms too!
| Kids soft play area | Included | From £7 |
| Babysitter | Included | From £30 |
| Escape room | TBC on new ship Arvia | From £35 |
| Mini golf | Included | From £10pp |
| Ropes course | Included | From £20pp |
| Cinema | Included | From £12.50pp |
| Sport court session | Included | From £10 |
Transportation
How to get from A to B is always one of the most stressful, and often costly, aspects of holidays. With P&O Cruises you’ll find both convenience and value for money for a stress-free connection, With many cruises being no-fly from Southampton you don’t even need to fly and have the hassle of airport parking, luggage weight limits and long check-ins (ideal for young families!), with well-priced (if not included) parking or transfers. Then, once you’re at sea, you wake up in a new destination each day or have fun enjoying all the fantastic activities, entertainment, food and drink on a sea day as you head to your next destination in style and comfort.
| Flights (from London airports | Included | From £120 – Oslo From £140 – Santa Cruz Tenerife From £70 – Barcelona |
| Parking | From £6 per day. Can be included depending what fare option you pick. | From £6.50 a day |
| Coach Transfer | Can be included depending what fare option you pick. | From £20 |
As we can see, even most of the extras such as specialty dining and fitness classes are still cheaper than their land-based alternatives while with P&O Cruises many other services such as childcare and gratuities are included as standard which is not the case across all cruise lines.
What’s more, many of these extras can be even further discounted, included or simply covered with your Onboard Credit, of which a certain amount can often be included as part of your package depending on the offer on the sailing you choose. For more information on what you can use your onboard spending money on aboard P&O Cruises ships, see our handy guide here
Meanwhile, if you choose a no-fly P&O Cruises holiday from Southampton or a P&O Cruises short break, even one of the typically most expensive parts of travel in your holiday budget is taken care of as you wake up each day in a different stunning destination. Coach transfers and port parking can even be included with a Select fare too or even possibly included or discounted depending on your offer.
To see an example P&O Cruises itinerary and all the amazing things you can enjoy both ashore and aboard as part of a fantastic all-round holiday experience, check out our breakdown of P&O Cruises Arvia Christmas cruise and a day onboard a P&O Cruises ship.
