P&O Cruises

Overview

P&O Cruises (originally the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company), boasts an illustrious history in passenger shipping since 1837. While the company's suggestion that they invented cruising may not be entirely accurate, P&O is assuredly a pioneer of modern cruising. Having set aside such throwbacks as passenger classes, the company acquired Princess Cruises in 1974. P&O then purchased Sitmar Cruises and merged it with Princess in 1988, and the passenger-cruise business -- known as P&O Princess -- was spun off in 2000.

P&O Cruises remains Britain's leading cruise line, sailing the U.K.'s largest and most modern fleet. The ships are equipped with every modern facility you could think of, from swimming pools to stylish restaurants, spas, bars, casinos, theaters, and showrooms. An abundance of balcony and outside cabins ensures that a view to the sea is never far away. P&O ships, with accommodation from inside cabins to lavish suites, cater to a wide cross-section of budgets and tastes.

To offer passengers a variety of choices, P&O has adapted their fleet to match their preferences. While most of the fleet caters to families as well as couples and singles of all ages, Arcadia and Artemis are adults-only ships.

Richmond House, Terminus Terrace, Southampton, UK, SO15 3BF. 0845/678-0014. www.pocruises.com. Cruise Style: Mainstream.