A target of raising more than £50,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust by staff and passengers of P&O Cruises has been achieved five months early.
Crew and passengers on board its three large family-friendly ships, Azura, Britannia and Ventura, have been hosting summer fetes on selected cruises to support the charity.
Staff at Carnival House in Southampton also joined in by holding a dress down day, throwing sponges at David Noyes, chief executive of parent company Carnival UK, plus marathon and ironman events as well as sky diving.
P&O Cruises has a three-year partnership with Teenage Cancer Trust to support young people with cancer across the UK.
The money raised goes towards funding specialist nurses and youth support co-ordinators as well as 28 dedicated units in NHS hospitals for young people with cancer.
Noyes said: “We set ourselves a target of £50,000 for the first year, so we are absolutely thrilled and incredibly proud to have exceeded this amount five months early.
“Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life and chances of survival for young people with cancer aged between 13 and 24.
“As we take thousands of British families and children on holiday each year, this charity has huge relevance and we want to help as much as we can.”
Teenage Cancer Trust lead account manager, Laura Martin, said: “We are delighted that our partnership with P&O Cruises has already raised £50,000. These fantastic fundraising efforts from staff, crew and passengers could fund over 1,600 hours of specialist care so that young people don’t have to face cancer alone.
“Thank you to all those who have supported Teenage Cancer Trust so far. Right now for every young person we reach there’s another we can’t and our partnership will help us take a big step towards changing this.”