P&O Cruises Launches Thrilling Summer 2023 Programme

With cruises from April to September departing from Southampton and from the Maltese capital Valletta, P&O Cruises summer 2023 programme looks bigger and better than ever, whether you’re a newcomer to cruises who is keen to find out what a big-ship experience has to tempt you, or whether you’re intrigued by the discovery-orientated offerings of the mid-sized ships designed for cruise veterans looking to try new places and experiences. If the cruise starts in Valletta, you have the option of booking a pre-cruise city stay to make the most of Malta.

Summer 2023 will be the first full season for P&O’s second XL class vessel, Arvia, which will operate a programme of 14-night Western Mediterranean itineraries. The programme features three different itinerary types, all with six port days in 14 nights: Outside peak season is Italy, Spain and France, including calls at La Spezia (for Florence and Pisa) and Barcelona Spain and France, with an extended two-day overnight call in Barcelona, and peak season is Spain and France, with six unique ports including a call in Barcelona.

Iona will continue to ply the waters of the Norwegian Fjords, with spectacular scenic cruising in store along with calls at Stavanger, Olden and either the architectural town of Alesund or the UNESCO World Heritage listed port of Geiranger over the course of its 7 nights.

Azura will operate her third season of Europe Fly in 2023, with a mixture of Western, Central and Eastern Med itineraries from Malta. Some Central Med itineraries will include calls at Trieste to enable shore visits to Venice, and some Eastern Med cruises will include calls at Ephesus from Kusadasi. The Western Med cruises feature shore experiences in Monte Carlo from Villefranche.

Britannia will be making 7-night Norway Fjords and 14-night Baltic cruises, as well as three 14-night Western Mediterranean Island cruises in the peak summer season. The 7-night Norway Fjords cruises feature calls at Flaam on every cruise and Nordfjordeid on selected cruises. The 14-night Baltic cruises include a 2-day call in St Petersburg and a selection of headline ports in the region (such as Stockholm, Helsinki, Tallinn and Copenhagen).  The three Western Mediterranean Island itineraries primarily focus on the Balearics, with calls at Palma and Ibiza. Two of the itineraries feature an overnight call in Palma, while the third itinerary heads across to Cagliari in Sardinia.

Ventura will continue to focus primarily on the Canary Islands and Iberia, with 14-night Canary Island cruises, 7- and 10-night Southern Cruise Breaks, and short breaks to Amsterdam.

The mid-size ships, Arcadia and Aurora, designed to appeal to more experienced cruise lovers, will visit destinations ranging from the northernmost point of Norway to Russia, New York and the Greek Islands.  Itineraries have been specifically designed to include lesser-frequented destinations, such as Grundafjordur in Iceland, Palermo in Sicily and Klaipeda in Lithuania. Headliner cruises include an Iceland and North Cape cruise on Arcadia, with an overnight call at Reykjavik and scenic cruising of the North Cape, and a 30-night Canada & USA cruise on Aurora, with overnight calls in both Boston and New York.

To book your 2023 sailing with P&O Cruises, contact your Travel Counsellor today and take advantage of exclusive benefits including our 24-hour duty office ready to assist you before, during and after your stay

Best city breaks for a weekend stay

26 April 2024

With a cleverly planned city break, you can really make the most of your weekend. There are so many amazing European destinations, with more than enough sights and attractions to fill two, three, or even four days.

Best of New Zealand – Self Drive

24 April 2024

Embark on the ultimate adventure with our Best of New Zealand - Self Drive holiday, spanning 17 days and 16 nights from Auckland to Christchurch.