Carnival-Owned Line Begins Year With Record-Breaking Sales

P&O Cruises has reported the best every January in the cruise line’s booking history, with record-breaking sales volume through the month across a variety of destinations. This continues to demonstrate confidence in cruise travel and demand for getaways, along with the value present in a cruise vacation.

Fantastic Sales for P&O Cruises

Many cruise travelers take advantage of wave season to book the best deals on future oceangoing getaways, and P&O Cruises, part of the Carnival Corporation & plc family, has seen that demand create its strongest-ever booking volume for the month of January.

“The beginning of this year’s Wave has once again surpassed all expectations with record-breaking sales indicating a renewed confidence in the holiday market and the excellent value for money that you get with a P&O Cruises holiday,” said Paul Ludlow, President of P&O Cruises.

Part of that value is due to the amazing offers P&O Cruises is extending to travelers. For example, the cruise line is currently offering a 20% off the Classic drinks package with any new Select Price or Early Saver deal accompanied by a 10% deposit, letting cruisers raise a glass to their vacation at a reduced rate.

Other types of deals that are often released throughout the year include savings such as reduced deposits, lowered fares, special deals on particular itineraries, and other types of options.

While P&O Cruises has not released specific numbers for recent reservations, the cruise line has noted that the most popular destinations for new bookings include sailings to the Caribbean, explorations of the Norwegian fjords, and getaways to the Atlantic islands, such as the Canary Islands.

One of the cruise line’s newest ships, Iona, has seen the greatest interest from travelers. The 184,089-gross-ton, Excel-class ship is conveniently homeported year-round from Southampton, offering a mix of the most popular itineraries, including 14-night Spain, Portugal, and Canary Islands sailings, 7-night trips to the Norwegian fjords, and 7-night “Northern European City Escape” cruises.

Guests Booking Cruises Earlier Than Ever

Because demand has been high for months, however, the cruise line is also seeing bookings with longer lead times – further ahead of departure dates – which gives guests the opportunity to have a greater selection of itineraries, ships, staterooms, and other booking options.

“We entered 2024 better booked so we have less reliance on the lates market which is better for us and better for agents in terms of earnings potential,” Ludlow said.

This means travelers are booking for vacations further away, rather than last-minute escapes. Many ships from all cruise lines are sailing well above full capacity and there is not much availability for close bookings, particularly if travelers also need to make pre- or post-cruise arrangements for flights or hotels.

Read Also: What Is Wave Season for Cruises and When Is It?

Last-minute bookings still remain popular for cruise travelers who are fortunate enough to live within driving distance of a cruise homeport, though options for stateroom selection, itinerary options, and other choices are often limited.

Many Cruise Lines Seeing Record Bookings

Many other cruise lines have also reported outstanding booking numbers in recent weeks. Holland America Line, for example, saw its biggest single-day booking record in history, thanks to wave season and tremendous interest in the line’s iconic Alaska itineraries.

With Queen Anne set to debut in May, Cunard Line has also seen record-breaking bookings through the holiday sales period and into wave season.

Other new ships – Carnival Jubilee and Icon of the Seas, in particular – are also generating great interest for cruise travelers and are selling quickly. Have you booked a cruise already in 2024? Now is a great time to take advantage of cruise deals!