Strictly Come Cruising with P&O and latest winner Pasha

All at sea: Strictly winner Caroline Flack with professional partner  Pasha

Strictly Come Dancing professional finalists Karen Hauer, Kevin Clifton and Kristina Rihanoff - and Pasha Kovalev who partnered winner Caroline Flack - will all be travelling on P&O Cruises in 2015. They will be joined on at least two voyages by waspish judge Crain Revel Horwood.

There’s a total of four Strictly-themed cruises for fans to choose from if they want to get close to their idols and to take part in their own dance-offs. As well as giving lessons on the dance floor, the stars will take part in Question & Answer appearances on stage and there will be autograph opportunities for autograph signings and selfie sessions to make it a Strictly experience to remember.

Costumes from the TV series will be on display around the ships, and they will feature in spectacular fashion events.

The 14-night Strictly cruises, which all depart from Southampton,  are:

April 23: On Aurora to Portugal, Gibraltar and Spain with Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec, Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe, plus Craig Revel Horwood. Fares from £1,029 per person.

May 28: On Ventura to Portugal, Monaco and Italy with Iveta Lukosiute and Tristan MacManus, Karen Hauer and Kevin Clifton, plus Craig Revel Horwood. Fares are from £1,129 pp.

June 20: On Azura to the Baltic Sea with Robin Windsor and Kristina Rihanoff, Pasha Kovalev and Anya Garnis. Fares from £1,229pp.

July 25: On Britannia to the Canary Islands and Iberia with Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec, Karen Hauer and Kevin Clifton, plus guest judge Artem Chigvintsev. Fares from £1,799 pp.

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First pictures of new look for P&O Cruises' Aurora

Aurora with her new livery

P&O Cruises’ Aurora has left Hamburg bound for Southampton following a £32 million refit which included a bold new livery. She is the first ship in the P&O Cruises fleet to receive the contemporary Union Jack-inspired motif to the bow together with a blue funnel and illuminated rising sun design.

The refit works took 20 days to complete and required 1,200 contractors. Besides the new paintwork Aurora also benefits from 28,000 square metres of new carpets and over 3,000 new mattresses.

Among features added during the refurbishment is the Sindhu fine dining restaurant, with an eastern-fusion menu overseen by Michelin-star chef Atul Kochhar. Also new is the Glass House restaurant and bar, with wines selected by TV presenter Olly Smith, which has replaced Cafe Bordeaux. Both venues  are already on Azura and Ventura. 

Aurora's buffet restaurant and Sidewalk Café have been completely refurbished; they now include a Costa Coffee and "Grab and Go" counter.

The contemporary bow design was first announced for Britannia and will  be rolled out to the remainder of the fleet over the next few months.

Aurora's first voyage with the new livery will be a two night cruise from Southampton on Friday (19 December) calling at Zeebrugge (Bruges) in Belgium.

Front view of Aurora's new livery

(Photo credit to P&O Cruises)

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P&O's World In 2015

P&O Cruises is offering two amazing world cruises for 2015, collectively visiting 69 unique destinations in 38 different countries and covering some 61,470 nautical miles.  

Arcadia is sailing a 106-night full World Circumnavigation exclusively for adults with single cabins available, and Aurora is sailing a 105-night South America and Pacific Adventure for families, couples and solo travellers alike. Both sail round-trip from Southampton and are now on sale.

At 106 nights with lead-in Vantage Fares from £9,999 per person, Arcadia’s cruise is a classic world voyage, with the destination and port-rich cruise featuring five maiden calls, to Bitung (Indonesia), Darwin (Australia), Lahaina (Maui, Hawaiian Islands), Manila (Philippines) and Sanya (Hainan, China). It also features extended calls in San Francisco, Honolulu, Sydney (above), Hong Kong, Dubai, Safaga and Sokhna (Egypt) to enable passengers to enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences in these ports, from tours of ancient civilisations visiting lavish tombs, temples and palaces in Egypt to the hustle-bustle of modern city life in Hong Kong.

Aurora’s South America and Pacific Adventure is family friendly with more time spent in New Zealand, including a cruise through its famed Milford Sound. The cruise features three maiden calls for the ship, to Akaroa (New Zealand), Rarotonga (Cook Islands) and Moorea (French Polynesia). Lead-in Vantage Fares for this cruise start from £9,299 per person.

Extended calls on Aurora will be in Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Sydney and San Francisco so passengers can take in these cities’ breathtaking sights during the day as well as into the night.

P&O managing director Carol Marlow said: “A world cruise offers so much more than an extended holiday, it’s an experience of a lifetime, an adventure on an epic scale. How else can you visit so many destinations around the globe, enjoy a whole host of once-in-a-lifetime experiences and immerse yourself in new cultures, countries and sights while travelling in consistent style and comfort?

“Our two world cruises for 2015 are no exception and offer excellent value for money. With prices from £89 per person, per night for our South America and Pacific Adventure on Aurora, it’s a fantastic way to see the world without having to compromise on home comforts. Booking early also means passengers receive the best value, with our Price Promise protection, and they can enjoy all the benefits that booking early affords, such as being able to secure their preferred choice of cabin and dining option.” 

 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's World Cruise specialists.

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