Under-18s will be allowed to sail on P&O Cruises’ adult-only ships from the end of next year.
The cruise line will allow guests of all ages on 12 Aurora sailings and eight Arcadia departures from December 2026 through to September 2027. Itineraries go on sale today (7 October), while more cruises for winter 2027-28 will be available to book from 14 October.
P&O Cruises said the policy change is in response to an increase in demand for multi-generational cruises. The move allows families to sail on smaller ships during peak holidays and at Christmas and increases the number of cruises available for families during the 2027 summer holidays by 23%, with more multi-generational holidays available from Southampton.
The multi-generational cruises will include kids’ menus, bottle warming facilities, family entertainment and special events.
Carnival UK & P&O Cruises Associate Vice President, Sales & Distribution Ruth Venn said: “Recent CLIA data showed that multi-generational travel is a rising trend. Over 30% of families are now cruising with at least two generations onboard.
“In response to guest feedback and increasing demand we are excited to invite all ages to join Arcadia and Aurora on selected holidays meaning the whole family can come together to experience these elegant ships.
“These cruises will provide agents with even more opportunity to promote P&O Cruises.
“Arcadia and Aurora will continue to offer holidays exclusively for adults for the much of the year ensuring guests can enjoy the choice of both family-friendly and adult only cruises when booking a P&O Cruises holiday.”
Aurora’s first multi-generational cruise will be a four-night ‘Short Break to Rotterdam’ on 11 December 2026. That will be followed by a 14-night ‘Christmas Scandinavia’ on 15 December.
Other options include a 21-night ‘Western Mediterranean Discovery’ on 11 August 2027.
Arcadia’s first multi-gen cruise will be a 16-night ‘Spain, Portugal and Canary Islands’ itinerary on21 December 2026. Its longest will be a 24-night ‘Eastern Mediterranean Discovery’ on 3 August and its shortest will be a three-day ‘Short Break to Zeebrugge’ on 10 May 2027.
In June, Ambassador Cruise Line announced its would end its multi-generational itineraries and be 100% adult-only for the first time for its 2027/28 season, which runs from 24 March 2027 to 14 April 2028.
It said the decision to remove multi-generational cruises to ‘create a calm, adult-focussed community at sea’ followed ‘extensive’ guest feedback.
Ambassador told Travel Gossip: “As an operator that prides itself on listening to its customers, we regularly canvas guests for their feedback on the service we provide, the itineraries we offer and the type of cruises they enjoy the most, using Customer Service Questionnaires (CSQs) to ensure that our offering evolves in line with their needs and expectations.
“Further to guest feedback, we’ve refined our programme to focus on what they value most – a traditional, authentic and adult-oriented cruising experience.
“Ambassador can therefore confirm that the 2027/28 season will be the first where every no-fly itinerary will be child-free, even during school holidays.
“Our final multigenerational sailing will be the ‘Multigenerational Adventure to France, Spain & the Solar Eclipse’ departing London Tilbury on 5 August 2026.”
