Cruise line P&O Cruises is aiming to get as ‘many agents as possible’ onboard its ships next year.
Speaking to Travel Gossip during one of this year’s Shine at Sea educational agent sailings on Azura this week, Training and Engagement Manager Stephanie Adams said the line is currently planning its 2026 ship visits and fam trips.
She said: “This year we had 19 ship visits, two Shine at Sea sailings and our family day. It’s hard to put a number on how many spaces we will have at this point, but we want to get as many agents onboard as possible in 2026.
“We will announce our planned programme in February, as our ship visits tend to happen between April and October.”
This year P&O Cruises hosted around 1,000 agents on its ships.
Stephanie said that, as well as hosting Shine at Sea programmes in 2026, she would also like to add another family day. In September, agents and their families were invited on Iona to experience family-focused activities.
“Our family day in September was such a great success. I would love to do more next year. Getting agents and their families onboard is such a good opportunity for them and for us,” she said.
Stephanie said this year’s two Shine at Sea cruises have hosted 80 UK agents, sailing on Azura from both Malta and Tenerife for interactive training and to see the benefits of fly-cruising, particularly for the family market.
She explained: “We see fewer families on the fly-cruises, so we want agents to see there is a real opportunity to market this. We know that Southampton cruises will always be popular with families, but if you have customers thinking about these destinations already, why not suggest a fly-cruise from the Canaries or the Mediterranean with us?”
