P&O Christmas Cruises – Festive Holidays at Sea

P&O Christmas Cruises 2026: Where Can You Go?

P&O Cruises offers a broader spread of Christmas sailing options than almost any other British line — from short festive breaks to three-week escapes, all departing between mid and late December 2026. The Canary Islands dominate the calendar and make up the largest share of departures, with the Southern Caribbean a popular longer option. A handful of sailings stay closer to home around England, and a small number explore the Western Mediterranean. Wherever you want to spend the festive season, there is likely a P&O departure that fits.

Which Destinations Can You Sail to at Christmas?

The three broad directions below reflect where P&O concentrates its Christmas 2026 programme — we have given the most space to the Canary Islands because that is where the majority of sailings are focused.

The Canary Islands — the Most Popular Christmas Choice

The Canary Islands account for the largest share of P&O’s Christmas 2026 programme, and it is easy to see why they suit the season so well. Sailings to this region depart from both Southampton and from ports in Spain — including Málaga — making it a versatile option whether you want a no-fly departure or prefer to fly out and join the ship further along the route. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is among the most common disembarkation ports, and several sailings are one-way, so you would need to arrange a flight home from the end point. Our team can include that return flight, plus any hotel nights either side, as part of a single booking. For a deeper look at P&O’s year-round programme in this region, see our P&O Canary Islands Cruises page.

The Southern Caribbean — for a Longer Festive Escape

If you want to make Christmas genuinely feel like a holiday rather than a change of scenery, the Southern Caribbean sailings are worth a close look. These run longer — typically a couple of weeks or more — and disembark at ports including Barbados and Antigua. The Caribbean departures in this programme leave from Southampton and are mostly one-way, ending in the Caribbean, so a flight home is part of the picture. Cruise1st can bundle that flight, any pre- or post-cruise hotel nights, and transfers into one package — so you are not left piecing it together yourself. If a Caribbean Christmas appeals, also take a look at our Caribbean Christmas Cruises page for the broader range of options across lines and years.

England and the Western Mediterranean

A small number of sailings stay much closer to home, cruising around England for a shorter festive break — these are a good fit if you want the atmosphere of a Christmas cruise without a long voyage. The Western Mediterranean offers a middle-ground option, with Málaga featuring as both a departure and arrival port on several itineraries. If you are based in the south of England, joining a sailing in Spain can actually shorten your travel time considerably — and we can arrange the flight and transfer to get you there. For short festive breaks sailing from the south coast, our Christmas mini cruise from Southampton page covers compact options worth considering alongside these.

Which Ships Sail P&O Christmas Cruises?

P&O’s Christmas 2026 programme is spread across several ships, each with a distinct personality. Here is what you can expect on board the vessels you are most likely to find at this time of year.

Azura

Azura carries the most Christmas 2026 departures in this programme and emerged from a thorough bow-to-stern refresh in 2025 — new restaurants, bars, updated cabin décor and refreshed interiors throughout, so she feels closer to a new ship than a refurbished one. On the dining front, Sindhu delivers modern Indian cuisine and the Glass House, curated by TV wine expert Olly Smith, is a highlight for anyone who takes their wine seriously. For evenings, the 800-seat Playhouse theatre stages West End-quality aerial acrobatics and productions, and the SeaScreen open-air cinema on deck is a genuinely enjoyable way to spend a sea day evening.

Cabin grades on Azura run from interior to full suite. If you are considering your options, the Azura cabins and deck plans page has the full layout.

• Larger Inside Cabin OB — 15 m², located exclusively on Riviera Deck, making it easy to find your bearings from the moment you board
• Sea View Cabin LB — 15 m², adds natural light and an unobstructed sea view over an inside cabin
• Superior Deluxe Balcony Cabin DA — 29 m², private balcony with personal outdoor space and open sea views
• Penthouse Suite A1 — 69 m², the largest suite on board with a full separate lounge area

Arvia

Launched in 2022, Arvia is P&O’s newest ship and the largest ever built for the British market. The SkyDome — a retractable performance stage beneath 970 m² of glass above a swimming pool — is a venue genuinely unlike anything else at sea, and at Christmas it gives the ship an extraordinary centrepiece. With more than 30 dining and bar venues, including Sindhu, The Epicurean, The Glass House and the Keel & Cow gastropub, there is rarely a dull meal. For cabin options, see the Arvia cabins and deck plans page.

• Larger Inside Cabin OA — 15 m², noticeably more floor space than standard inside grades
• Suite B4 — approximately 40 m², dramatically more living space than any standard cabin
• Family Sea View Suite BA — 40.3 m², private balcony included
• Deluxe Balcony Cabin EA — 20 m², private balcony with your own space away from the shared decks

Britannia

Named by Queen Elizabeth II in 2015, Britannia is the most quintessentially British ship afloat and sails year-round from Southampton. At Christmas, her 13 restaurants and cafés — with menus contributed by Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar and James Martin — make dining one of the highlights of the voyage. Evenings centre on the Headliners Theatre with its LED immersive technology, the Limelight Club cabaret, and the Crystal Room. The Britannia cabins and deck plans page covers the full range of grades.

• Inside Cabin OA — 15.8 m², roomier than standard inside grades and a solid base for a longer voyage
• Superior Deluxe Balcony Cabin DA — 26.1 m², separate seating area with sofa, chair and table
• Owner’s Suite B4 — 44 m², the largest suite grade on Britannia, sleeping up to 3

Aurora

Aurora is a mid-sized, classic ship with a distinctly British character. She suits guests who prefer a more traditional cruising pace, and her Southampton base means you can board and be at sea the same afternoon without a flight. The Aurora cabins and deck plans page has everything you need if you are comparing grades.

Iona

Iona is P&O’s flagship and the largest ship sailing year-round from Southampton, accommodating up to 5,200 guests. She shares the SkyDome concept with Arvia — 970 m² of retractable glass above a swimming pool — and her eighteen venues include Anderson’s gin bar, Sindhu, The Epicurean and The Chef’s Table, all built around British tastes. The Iona cabins and deck plans page is the place to start if you are weighing up grades and locations on board.

Arcadia

Arcadia brings a more intimate feel to the P&O fleet. The Palladium is an impressive 3-tier theatre, Marco Pierre White’s Ocean Grill is a standout dining venue, and the onboard hydrotherapy pool adds a restorative option on sea days. See the Arcadia cabins and deck plans for the full picture on grades and layout.

How Much Do P&O Christmas Cruises Cost?

Prices start from £427 pp* for the shortest departures. Most sailings in the programme carry a reduction from their previously listed cabin price — across all departures, discounts run up to 24% on one sailing, with most reduced sailings sitting around 11% off that cabin grade’s previous price. The typical sailing in this programme runs around 14 nights, though options range from 4 nights up to 21 nights. Cruise1st’s experts can walk you through the fare inclusions on each sailing — what is covered, what can be added, and which cabin grade gives you the most for your budget — so call us before you book.

Sailing from Southampton — Do You Need a Flight?

Around a quarter of the sailings in this programme depart from Southampton, meaning no flight is needed at either end. Most of Britain can reach Southampton by road or rail, and Cruise1st can arrange a pre-cruise hotel night, parking or a rail transfer to the terminal as part of your booking. For a full view of what departs from the south coast this festive season, the Christmas cruises from Southampton page covers options across lines and durations. For shorter trips specifically, the 3-day mini cruise from Southampton page is worth a browse.

The majority of sailings in this programme depart from ports in Spain or the Caribbean — for these, a flight out is part of the trip. Our team can include that flight, any hotel nights either side, and transfers to and from the port as a single Cruise1st Package, so nothing falls through the cracks.

What Is Typically Included on a P&O Christmas Cruise?

P&O fares typically include your cabin, all main meals in the buffet and main dining rooms, and onboard entertainment. Specialty dining at venues such as Sindhu or The Epicurean usually carries a supplement. Shore excursions, drinks packages and spa treatments are generally bookable extras. Fare types vary — some include extras such as drinks or gratuities — and our team can explain exactly what each option covers before you commit. There are no all-inclusive sailings in this particular programme, so it is worth knowing what your fare does and does not include from the start.

Why Book P&O Christmas Cruises with Cruise1st?

Cruise1st is one of the UK’s leading cruise specialists, and P&O Cruises is a line we know in real depth — across ships, routes and fare types. Our cruise experts are available by phone before you book, and they can match you to the right ship and cabin grade for your group rather than leaving you to navigate it alone. We are also ABTA and ATOL protected, and rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot from over 7,000 reviews.

For a Christmas sailing that ends abroad, we can arrange the flight home, a night’s hotel either side, and any transfers — all on one booking. Cruise1st Packages bring the whole holiday together, so you are not juggling separate bookings for different parts of the trip. Browse our broader cruise holidays or head to the 2026 Christmas cruises hub to see what else is on sale this December.

If you are also thinking about sailing over New Year, our New Year’s Eve cruises page covers festive options running straight through the turn of the year, and the New Year’s Eve mini cruises from Southampton page is a good starting point for shorter departures from the south coast.

Looking Beyond Christmas 2026?

If you want to compare what is available across a broader date range, our Christmas and New Year cruises 2027 all-inclusive page covers the next festive season, and Christmas and New Year cruises 2026 all-inclusive sits alongside this page for those who want to filter by fare type. For sailings running into the following year, the 2027 Christmas cruises page and our 2028 Christmas cruises page let you plan well ahead. You can also browse Christmas cruises from the UK for all lines and all durations, or explore the full Christmas cruises listing. For New Year cruises 2026 from Southampton, the options run on naturally from this programme.

*Prices are per person based on 2 people sharing, and are subject to change. This price is not kept up to date and therefore does not reflect live pricing and availability. Prices and any discounts shown were checked on 14 October 2026.

Where a discount is shown, it is a reduction from the price previously listed for that cabin grade on that sailing, not a comparison between cabin grades or against a brochure rate. Discounts and prices shown are not kept up to date: the reduction available now may be smaller, or may have ended, and prices may have changed.