P&O Cruises has revealed details of its biggest ever programme in 2011 claiming it will add variety to underline its status as “the UK’s favourite cruise line”. The UK’s market leader has chosen to unveil its programme, which features a return to summer fly-cruise in the Mediterranean and winter ex-Southampton cruises, more than a month before it goes on sale. It will start to go on sale on April 27, phased in over four days with blocks of three months becoming available to book to spread demand for what it expected to be a popular launch. The 2011 programme features the first full season of new 3,100-passenger superliner Azura and P&O cruises’ new adult-only small-ship Adonia for the first time. The introduction of Adonia in May 2011, which is currently operating as Regal Princess for Princess Cruises, will see the line return to summer fly-cruise for the first time since 2000. And in a first ever, family-friendly ship Oceana will offer winter cruises from Southampton from October to April, to the western and eastern Mediterranean, Atlantic Islands and the Caribbean and US. The move follows rival Royal Caribbean’s decision to position Independence of the Seas in Southampton year-round. Carol Marlow, P&O Cruises’ managing director, said over the next few weeks agents will start to receive marketing and sales-support materials in preparation for the launch. “This is an exciting programme for us because it’s bigger than ever before. If you are the biggest cruise operator in the UK you need to offer this sort of variety and choice,” Marlow said. “The key thing is we offer a great product for British cruiser and it’s very much a British style. It’s very much looking at creating special occasions and memorable occasions, so there is more a sense of formality and we do not forget we are on a ship.” The programme includes 156 cruise holidays to 270 destinations in 90 countries, nine new ports of call and a return to 20 ports not visited for several years. The 2011/12 programme will launch with with double early bird savings valid to the end of June. There are 20 seasonal saver cruises with double early bird discounts and savings for balcony suites. The brochure’s headline saving is £1,000 per couple. Free car parking on seven nights or more ex-Southampton cruises and onboard credit are available as incentives. Managing director Carol Marlow said: “There is a whole host of different options to make savings if you book early.” She said releasing the programme gradually in time blocks was considered to be the best option having experimented with launching ship by ship in the past. Launch dates: April 24: Special pre-launch day for past passengers April 27: March, April, May 2011 goes on sale April 28: June, July, August, goes on sale April 29: September, October, November goes on sale April 30: December 2011 and January-April 2011
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