YEAR 2008-09

The most extensive and innovative
range of holidays to date

April 18, 2007 - P&O Cruises' most extensive and innovative range of holidays will be on offer in 2008 with itineraries on all six ships in the fleet, including the new Ventura.

Itineraries cover the Mediterranean, Baltic, Atlantic Isles, Caribbean, USA and South America, departing between January 2008 and March 2009.

Free car parking is available on all Southampton roundtrip itineraries, offering passengers up to an additional £115 saving on an average two-week cruise.

Popular school holiday cruises are highlighted so that families wishing to travel in these peak times can take advantage of family cabins and discounted child places. A number of cruises outside the traditional school holiday period also offer free child places.

Says commercial director Nigel Esdale: "P&O Cruises has more ex-UK departures than any other cruise line and the 2008 programme will offer diverse itineraries to appeal to both new and experienced cruise passengers alike."

More seven-night cruise breaks to Northern Europe, the Iberian Peninsula, Channel Islands and Ireland are featured, along with in depth explorative itineraries of up to 36 nights in duration. There are also an increased number of overnight stays in ports of call such as Istanbul, Barbados, Madeira, Acapulco and New Orleans, along with stays of two days in Barcelona, Venice and St. Petersburg.

With the addition of Ventura to offer a winter Caribbean fly-cruise season popular with newcomers and families, the adult-only ships in the fleet, Arcadia and Artemis, will be deployed to offer a programme for experienced cruisers.

Arcadia will sail from Southampton until January 2009 and Artemis will - for the first time since joining the fleet - be offering a fly-cruise season. With departure points from Montego Bay in Jamaica, New Orleans in the USA and Manaus in Brazil, she will offer 'off the beaten track' two-week Caribbean connoisseur itineraries, featuring calls in Mexico, South America and the USA, as well as the Caribbean itself.

New destinations include Molde in Norway, Puerto Chiapas in Mexico, Qaqortoq in Greenland, Roatan in Honduras, Santa Marta in Colombia, Skjolden in Norway, Santo Tomas de Castilla in Guatemala, Jacksonville in the USA and Lerwick in Scotland.

Esdale continues: "The brochure and accompanying DVD will help passengers choose the right ship and itinerary for their needs, with 151 cruises, to 225 destinations in 90 countries. When Ventura launches in April 2008 with Noddy on board every itinerary, digital Scalextric, 3D cinema, circus skills training and a Rock School for teenagers, we will be offering the most family friendly superliner sailing from the UK."

There are several special interest cruises on board the most traditional ship in the fleet, Artemis. Along with the increasingly popular Music Festivals at Sea, topics include wine and spirits appreciation, art and architecture, literature and jazz. Arcadia will also host a 'celebrity' cruise and Ventura a series of Tate Talks, an enriching programme of talks, interviews and creative workshops presented by experts from Tate Modern, which bring the world of modern art to life.

The programme also contains details of on board enhancements to be introduced by May 2008, as part of the multi-million pound Elevation initiative. These are categorised into accommodation, dining, well-being, entertainment, shore excursions and embarkation.

Product enhancements include: new eight inch Slumberland Gold Seal mattresses in all cabins, wine stewards newly trained by Master of Wine Conal Gregory, matinee shows and family and teen-only shore excursions.

For more information call P&O Cruises on 08453 584444 or visit www.pocruises.co.uk.