Key Aspects:
- Britannia diverted to La Coruna, Spain, after a passenger required urgent medical care.
- The P&O Cruises’ ship will now spend an overnight in Madeira before continuing to Gran Canaria, but has cancelled its scheduled call to St. Cruz de la Palma.
- The cruise line confirmed excursions in Madeira have been rescheduled due to a late arrival and La Palma tours have been refunded.
A cruise on P&O Cruises’ Britannia this week took an unexpected turn when the ship had to divert for a medical emergency, forcing changes to the scheduled itinerary.
Passengers sailing on a 14-night Spain, Portugal, and Canary Islands voyage from Southampton, England, were informed in a letter that the ship made a “short call to La Coruna” in northwest Spain during its initial sea days so that a guest could receive “very urgent medical care.”
The 3,647-passenger Britannia had departed on its last roundtrip cruise of the season from Southampton on October 3, 2025. While guests expected to enjoy three sea days before a first early-morning call in Funchal, Madeira on October 7, the emergency forced the ship to Spain.
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Passengers were notified of the divergence via a broadcast from the captain, and then received the official itinerary change necessary as a result.
“Britannia is sailing directly to our next planned port of Funchal, Madeira, but will not arrive until late afternoon on Tuesday 7 October, where we will now have an extended stay, remaining overnight to depart on Wednesday afternoon,” the letter stated.
The estimated 3 p.m. late arrival will keep the vessel in Funchal for 24 hours, departing at approximately 3 p.m. to allow guests to explore and experience the island’s biggest city.
Unfortunately, it also means Britannia dropped its St. Cruz de la Palma call, originally slated for the early morning of October 8. Instead, the ship will proceed directly to Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, for an on-time scheduled morning arrival on October 9.
The move returns the ship to original itinerary and will continue to Arrecife in the Canary Islands, and Cadiz and La Coruna, Spain, before returning to Southampton on October 17, 2025.
“We are, of course, sorry for the disappointment that this news will bring and the impact on your plans but trust you will be able to enjoy the addition of an overnight call to the island of Madeira,” said P&O Cruises.
Unexpected Diversions
The emergency change of itinerary means a scramble for the Shore Experiences team, who began to reschedule all Funchal activities with new times.
Anyone prebooked for excursions in Funchal will automatically be rebooked for tours to take place on October 8 instead of October 7.
Additionally, all tours for St. Cruz de la Palma have been cancelled and automatically refunded to guests’ original method of payment.
Passengers who booked their own shore excursions for both ports must manage their own cancellations and rescheduling, but P&O Cruises is also providing a letter for travel insurance holders to cover costs associated with the changes.
The 143,000-gross-ton Britannia has been dealing with a number of onboard medical emergencies in the past few months. In July 2025, two passengers were evacuated – one via helicopter and another via lifeboat – as the ship rounded the Isle of Wight.
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Earlier in June, the vessel altered course to arrive early at Invergordon in Scotland after a guest required urgent medical care. Britannia made an unscheduled call at Port Nigg before returning to its original route.
For guests currently sailing on Britannia, the extended stay in Madeira may be a consolation. Once the vessel returns to Southampton, it will embark on a transatlantic voyage to the Caribbean for a winter season homebased in Bridgetown, Barbados.
