Hot on the heels of our recent Blog about the amazing amount of tonnage on offer in the Med in 2011 comes the full news from P&O Cruises of their first deployment of new ship Adonia (currently the Royal Princess of Princess Cruises) next year.Their 'new' 710-passenger vessel (which will actually sail under its fourth different guise since its launch in 2000 as Renaissance 8 and then Minerva II) will also be something of a trail-blazer for P&O with a full season of ex-UK and Mediterranean fly-cruising, exclusively for adults as a replacement for the Artemis, which leaves the fleet next year.
And it looks like there will be some innovative itineraries and clever onboard programming to go with this latest offering to the big, big Med season in 2011.
Her cruises can be booked from April 27, and P&O managing director Carol Marlow said: “Adonia is an exciting introduction to our fleet and one that enables us to diversify the range of cruise destinations that we offer. She is a small ship and her size enables her to visit off the beaten track destinations and lesser known ports of call. Adonia will be our pathfinder ship, but she will, of course offer our tried and tested P&O Cruises experience,
“We know many of our passengers prefer a cruise experience exclusively for adults and also the intimate atmosphere and sense of camaraderie that comes with a smaller ship. Adonia will fit the bill perfectly and we are confident that she is going to be a much-loved addition to the P&O Cruises fleet.”
Main restaurant will be the Pacific dining room and there will be two further Select dining venues (with a cover charge), Italian ‘Sorrento’ and a steakhouse named the Ocean Grill. There will also be a buffet restaurant, with some al fresco dining and a barbecue area out on the Lido deck.
For entertainment, there will be 8 bars, including P&O Cruises signature Crow’s Nest observation lounge; Anderson's, the familiar club-style lounge bar; and Raffles, which will also offer a coffee shop menu throughout the day with pastries, chocolates, hot drinks and afternoon tea.
Adonia will also feature The Curzon Lounge, where passengers can enjoy a drink with a sea view during the day, and by night enjoy a performance by the Headliners theatre company, concerts, dancing, or after dinner speakers.
There will be the signature Oasis Spa, offering a range of treatments and therapies including Aromasoul massages and body scrubs, Aromatherapy, and reflexology. There is also a well equipped gym with panoramic sea views.
Cabins will feature Egyptian cotton linen, tea and coffee-making facilities and over 75% will have a private balcony.
“She will celebrate all those things our regular passengers love about cruising with us – a classic dance floor, Crow’s Nest observation lounge, formal nights, classical music recitals, guest speakers, silver service dining and a dedicated card room. Loyal cruisers and those new to cruising alike will be charmed by the refined P&O Cruises experience Adonia will offer,” Marlow added.
Adonia’s cruises will also feature ‘Spotlight’ – a new programme of events for passengers wanting to learn a skill, develop their knowledge or find hobbies. Talks and interactive workshops will be offered on subjects as such as history, current affairs, the natural world, dance, art and gastronomy. All are delivered by experts in their field, some including familiar TV personalities.
The ship will be based in Southampton between May and October 2011, offering cruises from seven to 26 nights in duration to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The itineraries will feature overnight calls in Athens and St. Petersburg, as well as a round-Britain cruise.
In October, Adonia will reposition to the Mediterranean and offer six open-jaw Central and Eastern Mediterranean fly-cruises, departing from Savona, Athens, Trieste and Naples. Itinerary highlights include a Christmas and New Year cruise to the Holy Land.
Prices start from £1,924 for the 16-night Western Mediterranean maiden cruise from Southampton in May 2011; £899 for a 7-night ex-Southampton Norwegian Fjords cruise; and £1,399 cruise only, for a 14-night Central Mediterranean holiday from Trieste to Athens in December. A holiday package add-on with flights is available for £99.
There are also a range of completely new ports of call:
- Bourgas, Bulgaria
- Flekkefjord, Norway
- Foynes, Ireland
- Jersey, UK
- Koper, Slovenia
- Liverpool, UK
- Sassnitz, Germany
- Savona, Italy
- Zadar, Croatia
- Alta, Norway
- Antalya, Turkey
- Ashdod, Israel
- Bodo, Norway
- Bodrum, Turkey
- Catania, Italy
- Gythion, Greece
- Haifa, Israel
- Huelva, Spain
- Izmir, Turkey
- Patmos, Greece
- Port Mahon, Spain
- Salerno, Italy
- Samos, Greece
- Tangiers, Morocco
- Trieste, Italy
- Volos, Greece
- Waterford, Ireland
Free car parking is available on all of Adonia’s cruises from Southampton, and on board spending money of between £50 and £250 per cabin is also available (amount depending on duration).
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