Last year P&O announced they were going to invest in a multi-million pound refurbishment project on three of their ships Ventura, Oceana and Arcadia. Due to findings from customer research, the upgrades are being carried out to include features which have proved popular on sister ship, Azura.

One of the main attractions is the addition of The Glasshouse concept and menu. This restaurant was first introduced on Azura and was created in partnership with TV’s Olly Smith. It has proved to be so popular that P&O wanted to add it to Ventura. The installation of an advanced wine system that allows guests to buy premium wines by the glass selected by Olly Smith, which has already been a huge hit for many cruisers.

Other dining upgrades include the new Thai/Indonesian menu at East, designed by celebrity chef Atul Kochhar.

An exciting change for single cruisers is the addition of 18 new single cabins. These are located on Deck six, in the same place as they are on Azura. They are perfect for a cost effective option for people cruising alone.

The Retreat is an open-air sun terrace exclusive for adults only, located all the way forward on Deck 16. A tranquil area with stunning sea views, this is a perfect addition to Ventura.

All the cabins have undergone an attractive upgrade including the replacement of carpets, cushions, curtains and mattresses.

Other changes guests can look forward to seeing include a new dance floor in the atrium, ship wide Wi-Fi, a new perfumery and a new library with digital functions.

P&O Cruises Managing Director said, “We are committed to ongoing and continuous improvement and refurbishment of our ships so that there is a consistent standard of decor across the fleet. The Glasshouse and Retreat areas on board Azura have proved very popular and so we are taking this opportunity to add these innovations to sister ship Ventura. The addition of a dance floor in the atrium on board Ventura will make it the heart of the ship for afternoon and after dinner dancing, which is so popular on Azura.”

Ventura is perfect for family cruises, singles cruises, mini cruises and no-fly cruises. This summer it will sail from Southampton on a range of exciting European itineraries.

The legendary judge will be joined by two dancers on each of the Strictly Come Dancing themed cruises, which will take place onboard Arcadia, Aurora, Azura, Oceana and Ventura between May and October 2013. The cruises offer a variety of options to the Med or Caribbean and vary from 12 to 17 nights long. Below is a list of cruises with the accompanying dancers.

• Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe — Azura 11th May 2013
• James Jordan and Ola Jordan — Azura 31st May 2013
• Pasha Kovalev and Katya Virshilas — Aurora 18th June 2013
• Kristina Rihanoff and Robin Windsor — Ventura 1st July 2013
• Ian Waite and Camilla Dallerup — Arcadia 4th August 2013
• Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova — Oceana 1st September 2013
• Darren Bennett and Lilia Kopylova — Azura 1st October 2013

The BBC's top dancers will be showing off their routines and costumes from the show, during these fun-filled cruises. Just remember to pack your dancing shoes and don't be afraid to ask for some tips!

Written by Charlie Hamilton Beaufort
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Both Azura and Aurora will play host to the world famous tenor, who will be entertaining guests onboard three and four night sailings. The self titled "People's Tenor" and former Salford factory worker, released his first album in 2001 and boasts seven albums in total — three of which went platinum.

The two cruises will both depart from Southampton, visiting Zeebrugge, Belgium and St Peter Port, Guernsey. Aurora will offer a three night cruise in May next year, while Azura — P&O Cruises' flagship — will offer a four night cruise in June of next year.

Passengers can enjoy the cultural delights of Bruges, Brussels and Ghent, with shore excursions and coach tours from Zeebrugge, as well as Guernsey's stunning scenery and Channel Islands charm. Along with Watson providing a wonderfully cultural level of entertainment onboard the ship to top off the experience.

The Russell Watson cruise itineraries are now available for pre-registration and will go on sale from 1st November.

• Three-night Aurora cruise, departing 18 May 2013. Prices from £299 per person.
• Four-night Azura cruise, departing 5 July 2013. Prices from £399 per person.

Passengers on Azura can book pre or post-show dinner in celebrity chef Atul Kochhar’s Sindhu restaurant, while passengers onboard Aurora can dine in Marco Pierre White’s Cafe Bordeaux, to round off the perfect evening.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
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Photo: © Paula Funnell

P&O Cruises Managing Director, Carol Marlow said: "The cutting of the steel marks the moment the ship goes into production so for us it is a very exciting time as we go from the drawing board to reality."

There is still little details of exactly what the new ship will feature, though P&O will be using a British design company, Richmond, for the very first time.

Marlow continued, "Richmond’s design will make a stunning statement across the entire ship’s interiors. Through their ideas they will imbue the ship with a cohesive personality which works across all the public areas including the cabins, cafes, bars, restaurants and lounges. Richmond’s designs will add an elegant and timeless British-ness to appeal to everyone who steps on board and will facilitate an excellent evolution of the P&On-ess our passengers know and love."

With Richmond onboard, the latest ship should have a real feel of Britishness onboard. Richmond boast the Langham London, Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park and The Intercontinental London, among their portfolio, so we can expect another exquisite ship to hit the high seas.

With the name yet to be announced, we're very curious to see what P&O come up with.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
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Oceana will be the first ship into dry-dock between 5th and 20th December 2012. P&O Cruises has announced that she will benefit from a £1 million upgrade to the cabins, giving them a stylish and comfortable remake, though the biggest makeover is happening in Le Club — the ships nightclub and late venue. Le Club is being completely redesigned and revamped with new seating, a snug, new sound system, flat screen TVs and a subtle colour palette. Oceana will also be offering a new Marco Pierre White menu in Cafe Jardin during the evenings. There will also be touch-ups to the ship's upholstery, to The Plaza, Oasis Spa and Horizon Grill.

Next up is Ventura — which may come as a surprise as one of P&O Cruises most modern ships. The four year old ship will head to dry dock 22nd March 2013, leaving 7th April 2013 with a host of updates including the addition of 18 new single staterooms. As announced by Olly Smith earlier this week Azura's popular venue, The Glass House, will be opening onboard Ventura. Another addition from sister ship, Azura, is The Retreat — an open air spa area. There will also be a new dance floor in the atrium as well as a new library and chic, new perfumery.

Delighted to share news of my second Glass House wine bar on board @pandocruises Ventura in March 2013. Hope to pour you a glass on board!

— Olly Smith (@jollyolly) August 29, 2012

Arcadia will be the last of P&O Cruises' ships to get a facelift, heading to dry dock in December 2013 and leaving just in time for her 2014 World Cruise. Arcadia will also benefit from new single staterooms, as well as upgrades to Marco Pierre White's Ocean Grill, the Crow's Nest bar and the boutiques. The Electra nightclub will become The Globe, which will boast a refit including a new glass wall designed to reduce the sound escaping the venue as well as improving the sound quality within the late night bar. Plans are also in place for a refresh of the cabins, though specifics are yet to be confirmed — I should imagine they will follow suit of the £1 million invested in Oceana if it proves a success.

Having seen the likes of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, as well as sister line Princess Cruises, investing in their fleets, it's about time P&O Cruises followed suit and I'm confident they will do a great job. If the refurbishment of Grand Princess is anything to go by, Arcadia, Oceana and Ventura are all in good hands.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
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The Vantage Fare offers early bookers — those booking sailings departing from 1st April 2013 — a selection of benefits to chose from that include onboard credit, free parking at Southampton, free coach transfers or free airport parking for Caribbean fly cruises. Though, the biggest benefit of the Vantage Fare is the new price promise.

The P&O Price Promise, and Cunard Price Promise, has been implemented so passengers making early bookings — for the best choice in cabins, dining options etc — will not be penalised further down the line. The price promise means that if the Vantage Fare is lower than the price paid, passengers will be automatically given retrospective benefits to make up for this. These benefits will typically be an equivalent value of onboard spend, though cabin upgrades and in some rare cases, remuneration will be offered.

This is a brave move from the cruise lines to encourage bookers to take advantage of the early 10% deposits, as opposed to the usual 15% deposits on next year's sailings and to ensure customers are receiving the best value for their cruise whenever they book. If the new pricing scheme works, there will be no more hearing that other people on your table paid much, much less for their cruise.

There will be some exclusions to the price promise. If either cruise line offer their 'Getaway Fares' then passenger will not receive the benefits. This is partly down to the Getaway Fares being a last minute offering where passengers will be paying 100% of the cruise up front, they will be booking a guaranteed cabin — meaning they are only guaranteed a minimum cabin type and have no choice on grade, location or cabin number — and will also have other less flexible restraints on their booking.

Here's a sneak peak of the first Vantage Fares to hit the shelf this morning:

• Ventura, 7 night Fjord cruise from £569pp
• Oceana, 12 night Med cruise from £799pp
• Oceana, 12 night Canary Islands cruise from £849pp
• Queen Victoria, 7 night Fjords now £799
• Queen Victoria, 12 night Med now £999

More information on the P&O Cruises Price Promise & P&O Vantage Fares, Cunard Price Promise & Cunard Vantage Fares or how to book P&O Vantage Fare deals or Cunard Vantage Fare dealswith Iglucruise.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
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The cruise company which boasts Britain's favourite cruise lines has tied down a deal to screen the entire tournament onboard all 11 of their ships, meaning you won't miss a minute of the football. The games will be shown in the ships' sports bars as well as on the in-cabin entertainment, though there will also be plenty of non-football venues onboard, for those looking to avoid the games.

This is great news for football fans planning to cruise with any of their cruise lines and follows on from Royal Caribbean's announcement to show the games throughout their European based ships. Carnival Corp, the parent company of Carnival UK, are also expected to announce that they have purchased the rights to show the games onboard their other cruise lines, including Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Costa Cruises and Carnival.

Carnival UK boast one of the newest fleets in the world and a variety of ship sizes offering itineraries to every corner of the globe, all with their renowned British service and understated glamour. Whether onboard a 4* P&O Cruise or a luxurious 5* Cunard Line holiday, you won't have to worry about missing a minute of the football.

For those who aren't keen on football, but will be travelling with a footie fan, rest assured that you can enjoy at least 90 minutes of peace and quiet each day on your cruise. Maybe pop to the spa for a pampering, head to the pool for a cocktail or swim, or get revenge with some boutique shopping!

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
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The Grand Event is part of P&O Cruises' celebrations to mark their 175 year heritage, with the visit from Her Royal Highness the pinnacle of the event. Princess Anne will visit the Oriana — the ship named by HM The Queen in 1995 — before boarding THV Patricia, a tender boat, to conduct her fleet review as Master of the Corporation of Trinity House.

Following on from the review by Her Royal Highness, all seven ships will depart Southampton in procession, with each ship hosting a deck party filled with flag-waving and flutterfetti, along with daytime pyrotechnics from the quay side. The fleet will then move into formation and salute the THV Patricia and HRH the Princess Royal as they depart the Solent.

P&O Cruises Managing Director, Carol Marlow, said: "We are honoured to have HRH The Princess Royal visit us on this, one of the most significant days in our history, as all our seven ships gather in their home port on the same day for the first time ever to celebrate 175 years of heritage. As one of our esteemed godmothers she is intrinsically linked with P&O Cruises and we are privileged that she has agreed to conduct our Fleet Review.

I am sure that this magnificent Fleet Review with Her Royal Highness in celebration of 175 years of heritage will go down in British maritime history, providing long lasting memories as we look forward to the next stage in our company’s history, with a new ship being launched in 2015"

P&O Cruises are certainly celebrating their history and continued success in a truly British fashion and tens of thousand are expected the line the Solent and the docks to watch the celebrations take place.

Written by Charlie Beaufort
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The cruise line said: "We’ve always been a company both proud of and dedicated to providing our passengers with excellent customer service. Our reputation demands it and we are all passionate about delivering it. Our crew work extremely hard to deliver the high level of service that our passengers rightly expect of us. More recently many of our passengers have told us that tipping on board can be a source of confusion and embarrassment, not least for those who are trying cruising for the first time... We have looked at how we can make it easier and fairer for both our passengers and crew and, as a result, have developed a new arrangement for tipping that will apply to all P&O Cruises holidays sailing from April 2012 onwards."

Passengers who have booked into Freedom Dining on Azura, Ventura and Oceana will be familiar with the scheme and due to its success P&O Cruises have deemed it sensible to extend it to cover restaurant and cabin staff tipping across their ships.

Passengers are free to amend their rate of tipping at any stage of the cruise, as the £3.10 is only a recommendation. Those who feel the need to increase or lower the amount they tip the staff will be able to change this with the reception staff — though the recommended amount is among the lowest at sea, and has not changed for years.

This new scheme brings P&O Cruises in line with most cruises by removing the envelope scheme and adding it to passenger's onboard accounts, making paying your end of week bill much easier and removing the need for cash onboard your cruise, unless heading to the casino.

The new scheme is effective from the below cruises:

• Ventura, 23 March 2012 — cruise ID: 54727
• Oceana, 21 March 2012 — cruise ID: 47346
• Azura, 30 March 2012 — cruise ID: 54619
• Adonia, 9 April 2012 — cruise ID: 54490
• Oriana, 10 April 2012 — cruise ID: 54645
• Aurora, 12 April 2012 — cruise ID: 54694
• Arcadia, 27 April 2012 — cruise ID: 54529

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
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The new vessel is being built by the same shipyard as Azura and Ventura and will be decked out specifically with British cruisers in mind, offering a stylish and innovative new design and an unprecedented number of passenger facilities. The ship is ushering in an exciting new era for P&O Cruises, though we can still expect the ship to bear many of the line's classic and iconic features. The cost is approximately €155,000 per lower birth, with the ship's specific details and innovations expected at a later date.

P&O Cruises' Managing Director Carol Marlow said, "This next-generation ship will deliver the ultimate P&O Cruises experience, with 'sophisticated wows' and new features to attract thousands of newcomers to our brand, and equally to resonate with existing P&O Cruises passengers by giving them the 'P&O-ness' they recognise and love. She will offer 'the best of the best,' combining the favourite classic features of Oriana and Aurora, the choice and variety of Azura and Ventura, and a host of new ideas and concepts which together will deliver to our passengers the holiday of a lifetime, every time they travel with us."

Micky Arison, Carnival Corporation & plc's Chairman and CEO commented, "P&O Cruises is Britain's number one cruise operator, and is synonymous with high quality holidays that celebrate its rich British heritage. The UK continues to be a key growth market and innovative vessels such as this new P&O Cruises ship — targeted specifically to British clientele — underscore our commitment to leading the expansion of this important cruise region. With a progression of highly successful new ships introduced over the last 15 years, P&O Cruises is uniquely experienced in designing vessels to meet the specific needs and aspirations of British passengers. This newly ordered ship will underline P&O Cruises' position as Britain's favourite cruise line."

Could this be the new Canberra?

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
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