UK-based line P&O Cruises has marked the launch of a new air charter partnership with Norse Atlantic Airways that will bring scores of British guests to the line’s two Caribbean-based ships during the 2024-25 winter season.
The inaugural flight departed Manchester Airport on November 1, 2024 carrying 300 guests bound for Bridgetown, Barbados, where they will embark the 3,647-guest Britannia and begin a 14-night Eastern Caribbean voyage.
P&O Cruises, a Carnival Corporation brand that mainly serves the UK, homeports Britannia and the 5,200-guest Arvia in the Caribbean for winter seasons. It markets the sailings as fly-cruise packages for UK guests with roundtrip air from several UK airports.
The partnership with Norse Atlantic Airways was announced in May 2024, after P&O Cruises revealed it was looking for a new air agreement.
Previously, the line’s charter partner was Maleth Aero, but guests complained about its lack of premium seating and inflight entertainment. The cruise line president addressed those concerns in a message to travel agents and past guests in February 2024, when he posted a video on X.
In addition to Norse Atlantic, the cruise line also had air charter pacts with TUI Airways and Virgin Atlantic.
“We are immensely proud to see the first charter flight with Norse Atlantic Airways take off, marking the start of our winter Caribbean season,” said Paul Ludlow, president of P&O Cruises and Carnival UK.
“We know flights play a key role in the overall holiday experience, which is why we chose to partner with Norse, alongside TUI Airways and Virgin Atlantic for our charter offering. These partnerships underpin our commitment to ensuring our guests receive a consistently high level of service across all elements of their P&O Cruises holiday,” added Ludlow.
Through March 2025, Norse Atlantic will operate Friday service from Manchester to Barbados and Saturday flights from London Gatwick and Manchester to Antigua/Barbados. These Manchester flights will alternate between St. Johns, Antigua, and Bridgetown, since Arvia offers alternating cruises from both ports.
The service is offered aboard Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which has in-flight entertainment and extra-space seating, including a 43-inch seat pitch and a 12-inch recline.
“We are excited to start this journey with P&O Cruises, connecting UK travellers to stunning Caribbean destinations,” said Bjørn Tore Larsen, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways.
“Our commitment to quality and affordability aligns perfectly with P&O Cruises promise of an unforgettable holiday, and we’re delighted to offer passengers comfortable, direct flights that make their travel as enjoyable as their time on the islands,” Larsen added.
P&O Cruises’ other seasonal charter partners offer additional flight options from more UK destinations. Virgin Atlantic will provide service from London Heathrow every 14 days, with Friday departures, to Barbados.
TUI Airways provides service to Barbados on Friday and Saturday from London Gatwick, Manchester, and Birmingham airports. It also operates regional feeder flights to larger airports from several destinations, including Edinburgh and Glasgow, Scotland; Bristol, Newcastle, and Bournemouth, England; Cardiff, Wales; and Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Winter Series Features Caribbean’s Top Sun Destinations
Britannia, which entered service in 2015, sails 14-night voyages from Barbados calling at Curacao, Bonaire, Grenadines, Grenada, St. Lucia, Antigua, and St. Maarten.
Read Also: Eastern vs. Western Caribbean Cruise: Which Will I Prefer?
In March 2025 the ship will reposition to Southampton and sail a series of Norwegian fjord, Northern Europe, and Scandinavia cruises. A few itineraries will feature Spain, France, Canary Islands, and Portugal destinations.
Arvia, an Excellence-class ship that launched in 2022, is sailing 7- and 14-day cruises from Bridgetown, Barbados, and St. Johns, Antigua. The shorter itineraries depart from either Bridgetown or St. Johns and call at Grenada and St. Lucia, while longer cruises, all roundtrip from Bridgetown, visit those ports plus Martinique, St. Kitts, Tortola, St. Maarten, and Antigua.
Following her winter Caribbean series, Ariva in March 2025 will also deploy to Southampton and begin a spring and summer program of voyages to ports in the Western Mediterranean.
