P&O Cruises Reviews 11,528

Nice modern ships

This was our first cruise and as a family of four we had a great time. The ship was beautiful and was so much more than we expected. The staff were very friendly and attentive. The food had great choice and was always a great choice. I only want to cruise from now on it was a definite game changer for how we holiday as a family.

I booked a cruise 2 days ago for my 82-year-old, disabled Dad. As he needs wheelchair access, I had to book over the phone. On the phone, I was upsold to the Select Fare as I was told coaches were included, which I thought meant excursions. This is not the case. None of the other upgrades applies to him. The main benefit is that you can select your room, which he can't because he has to have the accessible room. So I called and asked if they would move him to save the price due to the misunderstanding. They completely refused. I'm not asking for a refund as I've only paid the deposit. Simply shift it to the saver fare. It was booked only 2 days ago with a misunderstanding, and they refused to make a simple change. It does not bode well for the customer service you'll get on board if this is how they treat you beforehand. Now looking for alternatives,

The two week trip was brilliant. The ship and crew were amazing.
Check the tours though. They are not very detailed.

I love to cruise and find that the cleanliness and quality of food to be brilliant. You can't go into a public toilet in the uk and feel like they are clean compared to on a ship. Everyone is so lovely and I absolutely love being on a ship visiting different destinations.

Enjoyed the cruise and all crew members were polite and helpful. Food was generally of a very high standard.

Just returned from a cruise on P&O Brittania to the Canaries, Madeira, Spain and Portugal the weather was not a hot and sunny as we would expect for this time of year but overall the cruise was excellent. The highlights of the cruise were definitely the evening entertainment by the theatre company and the overall staff who were there for our every need. The food was served promptly and hot and was varied every day. The ship is well maintained throughout and there was a good mix of passengers onboard from families with young children to teenagers and the usual older passengers. My wife and I have cruised with several companies now and I would say that in our opinion P&O is the most consistent.

Just completed our 17th cruise with P&O and again a fantastic experience. Staff can not do enough for you, great food, drinks and entertainment, the only thing that let's down our holidays is grumpy other passengers.

Excellent staff, ship, entertainment and choice of shore excursions. Beautiful cuisine.

After spending 15 weeks aboard Arcadia I just wanted to give you my opinion, we stayed in a balcony deluxe suite, the balcony was big enough to have 2 chairs, table and be able to move about. The cabin was nicely decorated with plenty of storage. The bathroom was basic and had a shower over the bath. The TV could do with being updated as the picture quality was poor. The ship is getting old and has a few leaks from the air conditioning but it handles the high winds and 5 meter waves with ease. The ship is clean and hygiene is high, it’s easy to get around and is nicely decorated with plenty of bars and public areas to sit and read or have a drink which are priced similar to pub prices at home. There is plenty of choice for eating and food is very nice with plenty of curry on offer for those that like it. The entertainment is good with plenty of choice in the different bars and shows in the palladium. The staff are amazing, they were friendly helpful and nothing was too much trouble. We had captain Chris and Yullian who were both very informative keeping us up to date with everything. Captain Chris was often seen walking around the ship spending time talking to guests and was happy to answer questions or just chitchat. I would definitely sail Arcadia again but only on adult only voyages, I understand they aim to open it to families. In my opinion there is nothing for children to do, no special areas for activities, the pool is small and basic. Railings around the decks which can be dangerous for small children. P&O should concentrate on the family friendly ships they already have and leave acardia for the adults

The whole thing was awesome, 100 nights of top quality entertainment, delicious food, amazing trips, great staff and lovely people.

Some people moan a lot but this is a positive review.
I travelled for a week on Azura from Malta to Croatia.
Thoroughly enjoyed my time ,good food and good entertainment.
The weather was mixed in April but all the passengers that I spoke to had a good time on the cruise.

First time, won't be the last.
We had a fantastic time on the Azura, visiting Malta and Croatia. The ship was spotlessly clean throughout, there food was lovely, and the range of activities on board was impressive. The best thing though was the staff who were so friendly and welcoming.
Going on a cruise is a great way to visit multiple places in one trip.

Arcadia World cruise January 2026
We are a couple in our 60s and we were on board Arcadia for 100 nights in an inside cabin with a classic drinks package. We have cruised 30+ cruises with many different cruise lines this was a first with P&O and probably our last unfortunately the dislikes outweigh the likes. We did not find it overall good value. If you like lots of formal nights, Indian flavoured inspired food and being around very old,80% British,nosy,entitled, fragile people who love lots of quizzes it may suit you but to us it was very much 3*
Dislikes
Entertainment was the worst we have experienced on any ship ever
Far too many formal nights
Room TV (6 channels) and ship tracking position is very poor
Issue getting tables for 2
Early fixed dining sitting is 6.30pm and you will be finished and out in 50-60 minutes maximum!!!
Avoid Sindhu it is expensive cold uninviting and small portions Ocean Grill is better but menu hardly changed for 100 days
Room steward very poor forgetting things on a number of occasions
WiFi which costs £20 for 24 hours
Ships APP is very poor even daily newspapers not loaded until late morning or early evening and menus not available online ever
No free ice cream available
Classic drinks package excluded the special drinks of the day
Costa coffee is very poor quality and you cannot takeaway
No compensation offered for missed ports
All menus/dishes very much Indian inspired and always available items on menu poor/limited also in Meridian there are no extras offered or deviation from menu
Food in Lido very poor/tasteless
No pizza EVER only if you order room service with a cost
Very small washing machine room 3 washers and 3 dryers and one ironing board for a world cruise!!
Buffet closed with no food everyday between 11am -12 midday and 9pm-10.30pm
Far too many annoying very old fragile passengers who have only ever cruised with P&O
Likes
Check in efficient at Southampton
Food good basic most nights in Meridian restaurant albeit small portions but rushed in and out !!!
Bigger cabin with lots of storage
Meridian Restaurant open almost every day for lunch with different menu albeit it had a lot of Indian inspired dishes
Wine/prosecco is good quality They gave options for people to buy alcohol for their cabins
Steak everyday available albeit it is very small and thin cut steak
Hour changes done midday not at night which is much better
Free shuttle buses into centres but at a cost for saver fares only select fares were free

Hope this review helps just for info our favourite cruise lines are Princess, Celebrity, Holland and Azamara with a far younger more international passenger and fewer formal nights and 5* food

We have travelled on Arvia twice and she is a beautiful ship. The service has improved since we sailed in 2023, where it could be a little standoffish. Arvia has a huge range of entertainment, kids clubs and day activities to do. We have done a couple of excursions and they are always well run.

The entertainment is fantastic; the Limelight Club is a must. Even if it's someone you've never heard of, the stories and the intimacy is well worth it. The included (free) food is not the best, but if you're willing to pay for the premium options they are excellent.

Arvia is a wonderful ship and if you're looking for a big ship with plenty to offer, I would really recommend her.

Just completed the 2026 world cruise on Arcadia and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was my first solo cruise and found it safe and friendly

We had a fantastic world cruise onboard Arcadia and loved every minute of it. The destinations were incredible and the people that we met helped make it such a great experience.
We loved the food and entertainment, including the varied talks throughout the days. There was always plenty to do.
We’ve booked another cruise for next year on a different P&O ship and very much looking forward to it.

Cruise ship great, great accommodation, food and entertainment. Research shore excursions before had as some are better than others.

Excellent customer service from Yujun, who assisted me with multiple bookings efficiently and professionally.