P&O Cruises is to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust over the next three years.
A number of staff and passenger fundraising initiatives are being planned across the line’s large family-friendly ships Britannia, Ventura and Azura.
Money raised will go towards the funding of expert nurses and youth support coordinators, as well as specialist hospital units for young people with cancer.
P&O Cruises head of entertainment, Paul Wright, visited the local Teenage Cancer Trust unit in Southampton.
He said: “Meeting young people on the unit really reinforced to me the phenomenal work Teenage Cancer Trust does on both a practical and emotional level for teenagers affected by cancer.
“As we take many thousands of families on holiday each year we wanted to recognise the incredible work carried out by the charity and go some way towards contributing to it.
“We will be doing this through fun, engaging activities which will appeal to children and teens on board our ships. I am delighted we will be working together and I hope we raise a significant amount over the next three years.”
Teenage Cancer Trust chief executive, Siobhan Dunn, said: “Despite all the hard work and progress we have made in supporting young people, we still have a long way to go.
“For every young person with cancer we help, there is another we can’t. P&O Cruises will be helping us reach these young people.
“We feel very lucky to have been chosen by them and look forward to working together.”
There are now 28 specialist Teenage Cancer Trust units in NHS hospitals across the UK and the charity wants every young person with cancer to have access to this specialist support, no matter where they live.