Leaving The White Cliffs of… Southampton? A Cruise Case Study
24/07/2015Airfare may be becoming cheaper and cheaper, and for many families, the airport is the first stop on any holiday. However, according to the Telegraph, more than 1.7 million Brits book cruise holidays as their choice or summer getaway, and it’s easy to see why.
With many different liners and destinations available, it is easy to find a reason for this surge in popularity – there really is a cruise for everyone.
One of the best and most commonly cited reasons for going on cruise holidays is simple: everything is done for you. After you’ve chosen your route, booked a date, and packed your suitcase, everything else is taken care of by the liner staff. You can enjoy impeccable fine dining, a variety of entertainments, work out, or send the kids off to play all in one place. You have all the benefits of a resort holiday while being able to stop off and see an array of destinations.
P&O Cruises are one company who have been in the game for quite some time. Originally founded in 1837, as a shipping and postal service, the company began taking passengers in 1844, offering tours by sea from Southampton to exotic destinations such as Malta and Athens. As the 19th century went on, these cruises toured more destinations and the ships become larger and more luxurious, as we now recognise them today.
Nowadays, the company have a fleet of eight ships, with the three smallest ships exclusively for adult passengers, and offer a staggering range of destinations; bookings can be made through high quality specialist cruise providers. If you want to venture further out than Malta, why not try around Europe, Canada, the Arctic, Australasia, Africa, or Mexico? Onboard, while children’s entertainment and fine dining are a typical feature of cruise ships, P&O offer Egyptian cotton bedding and pamper packs in rooms, afternoon tea as an inclusive meal, and four of the ships boast restaurants created by Michelin starred chef Marco Pierre White.
The company continue, after all these years, to innovate and meet the needs of all potential passengers. The latest addition to the fleet, the Britannia, is the largest cruise ship to be built for the UK market, and recently completed her maiden voyage around the British Isles. The ship was a celebration of all things British, from independently brewed Yorkshire ale being served at the on-board pubs to the demonstrations by national treasures and celebrity chefs, James Martin and Mary Berry.
