The President of P&O Cruises Paul Ludlow has confirmed the line will continue its partnership with TUI Airways and Norse Atlantic for flights to the Caribbean next winter.
The two airlines will operate direct charters from London, Birmingham and Manchester to Barbados and Antigua from November 2025 to March 2026 for guests sailing on Arvia and Britannia on 14-night cruises.
Several departures from regional airports will also be offered by TUI Airways, including from Edinburgh, Cardiff, Belfast, Bournemouth, Glasgow and Newcastle on selected dates.
However, P&O Cruises has not yet confirmed it will be repeating its Virgin Atlantic whole-plane charter from Heathrow, which operated once a fortnight last winter for guests joining Arvia in Barbados, but speaking at the CLIA cruise conference in Southampton today, Paul hinted a deal with Virgin will follow.
In a statement, Paul confirmed only the cruise line’s partnership with TUI and Norse. “We were so pleased with the success of the previous winter Caribbean season, so it makes perfect sense to renew the partnership with these two airlines,” he said.
“These exclusive P&O Cruises charter flights take the stress out of long-haul travel by avoiding the hassle of connections or navigating customs – our guests start their holiday the moment they take their seats on the plane.
“Our longstanding partnership with TUI Airways continues to offer an exceptional experience, as it has done for many years. Norse Atlantic Airways proved itself as a great addition to our offering, with guests and travel partners sharing positive feedback about our bespoke in-flight proposition.”
P&O Cruises switched to Norse last winter following complaints about its previous airline partner, Maltese carrier Maleth Aero, in 2024. The latter didn’t offer a premium service or in-flight entertainment and its flights were hit by delays.
For winter 2025/26, all P&O Cruises’ Caribbean charters will offer a choice of economy, premium economy and business class seating, luggage allowance of 23kg in economy, 28kg in premium and two bags of 23kgs in business, plus 10kg of hand baggage and a small carry-on bag.
There will be in-flight entertainment across all cabins, plus amenity kits in premium and business. The fare also includes a complimentary drinks service after take-off and a main meal, plus an additional drinks service according to cabin class and a lighter second meal.
All luggage checked in at the airport for charter flights will be delivered directly to the guests’ cabin on the ship in the Caribbean, and guests are taken directly from the aircraft to the ship with no need to go through immigration at the airport.
On the return journey luggage is collected from the cabin door on the ship and collected upon arrival at the UK airport.
Prices, including flights, start from £1,559 per person, based on a 14-night Caribbean fly-cruise sailing onboard Arvia, departing Barbados on 21 November 2025.
P&O Cruises is launching a number of new Caribbean shore experiences this winter, including rum-making with The Academy of Rum Master Distiller and kayaking tours of Folkstone Marine Park in St Kitts; off-road buggy adventures in Barbados; and hop-on hop-off tours in St Lucia.
