Information required at the time of booking
When booking your holiday please ensure you have the following information to hand:
1. Your cruise details
2. Your cabin preference
3. Personal details (including your My Account Number if applicable) for everyone on the booking
4. Your contact details
5. Your dining preference (Freedom or Club Dining, see life on-board for a description of each style), preferred table size and dining time. *Please note you do not need to register a dining preference for Arvia or Iona as they offer exclusively Freedom Dining. For Saver prices it is not possible to register a dining preference. Your dining will be allocated once on board.
6. Any special requirements – including information on dietary requirements
7. Whether you wish to be considered for an automatic upgrade (see Cabin information section below for details)
8. Insurance details
9. Any mobility requirements or medical conditions
10. Any flight and hotel requirements
Ceremonies at Sea
We offer both Weddings at Sea and the chance to renew your vows on board. If you wish to get married or renew your wedding vows during your holiday, we’d love to help you make the occasion special - see ‘Enhancing your holiday’ for more information. Please note that Weddings at Sea are available on all ships except Arvia, Britannia and Iona, although they do offer Renewal of Vows and Commitment Ceremonies. Weddings at Sea are available on cruises of 7 nights or above and we require at least 3 months’ notice when booking.
Special diets
Should you have any specific dietary requirements then we can provide a full and varied menu that caters to your needs, as long as we are informed in advance of your cruise. If you are diabetic, vegetarian, vegan or need a fat-free or gluten-free diet, all you need do is contact us to register your requirements. We are also able to offer a limited unsupervised kosher food option. If you have a food allergy or intolerance, you will need to call our Customer Contact Centre on 03453 555 111 (local call charges apply) to inform us before you embark. We will endeavour to meet your requirements but are unable to guarantee specific branded items. Please contact the Shore Experience Desk on board if you require a special diet for any booked experiences that include lunch or snacks.
Please note that we cannot guarantee that all of your dietary needs can be met when on flights or City Stays, but we will pass on your requirements.
Insurance
It is a condition of the contract that you obtain travel insurance to cover the risk of needing medical care on board or in a foreign country. We have a relationship with Holiday Extras who can offer comprehensive single trip and annual travel insurance covering our requirements. You can obtain a quote and full terms and conditions from www.holidayextras.com/pocruises or by calling 0800 316 3061. Although we hope none of our guests become ill, medical and repatriation expenses can be substantial and this is why we insist upon all guests having valid insurance to cover them for such costs. Please note that you will be responsible for such costs if you are not covered by valid insurance. Your insurance must include cover for all pre-existing medical conditions and must cover emergency evacuations from the ship, shore hospital medical costs, and repatriation costs. It should have a limit of not less than ￡2 million. If you choose a different insurer you will need to ensure the policy covers you on a worldwide basis, or at least in all of the countries that you will be visiting, for all medical costs you may incur due to pre-existing conditions or otherwise, as set out above. Since cancellation charges apply, it is sensible to ensure your insurance covers you from the time of booking.
Notifying us of any medical conditions
It is important that you tell us at the time of booking if you or your travelling companions have a disability (including visual and hearing impairments) and/or any medical conditions so that we can ensure you have a fantastic holiday. After notifying us we will send you a questionnaire so that we can ensure we meet any requirements you might have. It is understood that those with certain pre-existing medical conditions or of a certain age may experience more severe symptoms should they contract COVID-19 (coronavirus). We strongly recommend that you review the UK Government guidance prior to making travel arrangements; this can be found at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-athigher-risk/whos-at-higher-risk-from-coronavirus/
If you have any existing medical conditions, we advise you to discuss your travel plans with your doctor. The information below may help guide the discussion between yourself and your health care professional and we suggest you have this information available to discuss with them at your appointment. We strongly advise you follow their expert advice regarding your fitness to travel on board a cruise, particularly during this uncertain time. You should also be aware that if you do not follow your doctor’s advice your medical insurance may be deemed invalid.
During the current pandemic we will not accept guests:
- Who require supplementary oxygen (including via oxygen concentrator)
- Who require mechanical ventilatory support (excepting overnight CPAP for sleep apnoea)
- Who are on dialysis (including peritoneal dialysis)
- Who, within the 14 days prior to the cruise:
- Have been unwell with confirmed or suspected COVID-19
- Have been in close contact with someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19
- Have been advised to self-isolate under a government track and trace system.
For the safety of all guests we are unable to carry any guests suffering from a contagious disease (for example measles, chickenpox etc.). In order to ensure the safety of the guest, the ship and all others on board, guests who normally require assistance in the activities of daily living must be accompanied by a fit and able-bodied travelling companion. For your own safety and well-being, you must be fit and healthy to travel with us and to undertake all associated flights and tours. If your health condition as declared at the time of booking changes, you must inform P&O Cruises immediately. If, in our opinion, you have failed to inform us of any condition which we consider may be harmful either to yourself or any other guest during the course of your holiday we may refuse boarding. In addition, failure to disclose any medical conditions to your insurer may result in your insurance being invalidated and you will be liable to cover any medical and repatriation expenses incurred.
Travelling while pregnant
Pregnant guests can travel with us, however, we cannot accept guests who will be more than 23 weeks pregnant (i.e. 23 weeks + 1 day or more) at any time during the cruise.
All pregnant women are required to produce a doctor’s or midwife’s letter stating that mother and baby are in good health, fit to travel and the pregnancy is not high-risk. The letter must also include the estimated date of delivery (EDD) calculated from both Last Menstrual Period (LMP) and ultrasound (if performed).
Mobility and disabilities
Travelling on board
The below information relates to all matters involving mobility, disabilities and wheelchair and mobility scooter use, sensory and auditory disabilities including blind and partially sighted people, and/or those who are deaf or hard of hearing, and any other disability which may affect your enjoyment of a holiday with us. Before making a booking, please familiarise yourself with clauses 18 – 24 of our Booking Conditions which can be found on our website at Booking Terms and Conditions | P&O Cruises (pocruises.com).
All guests who need specific assistance, such as extra help in the event of an emergency or support with the use of facilities or equipment on board, and any guests who’d like to bring their own mobility equipment, must advise P&O Cruises at the time of booking, or as soon as the need is known. It’s the guest’s responsibility to ensure this information is shared with P&O Cruises as soon as the cruise has been booked. You’ll need to complete the ‘On-board needs’ questionnaire after booking to ensure we have all the information we need to cater for your needs. If you need to bring a wheelchair or mobility scooter on board with you, it’s essential that you let us know at the time of booking or as soon as the need is known. Any guests who need to use a wheelchair, mobility scooter, or other aid to mobility must provide their own. We don’t accept Segways, trikes or any similar non-standard aids to mobility on board. For the safety of the ship and everyone on board, all wheelchairs, scooters and other aids to mobility must be stored inside your cabin when not in use. Failure to comply with this important safety rule will result in you being disembarked and refused future travel. If you’re bringing a foldable wheelchair and are booked into a standard cabin, please ensure the wheelchair does not exceed 50 cm in width when folded.
Powered mobility devices will only be permitted on board if guests have booked into an accessible cabin, or selected Suite or Mini-suite, as these are the only types of accommodation where powered mobility devices can be safely stored. On selected ships, the maximum door width of Suites and Mini-suites is 53cm. At the time of booking, please let us know if you intend bringing a mobility device with you, and we will ensure the appropriate accommodation can be booked. We’re unable to accommodate powered mobility devices in any other cabin type due to the safety risks posed by storing these items in a small space, which may hinder easy access into and out of the cabin. In the event of an emergency, additional assistance will be provided to guests if they need it to get to their muster station / place of safety and to evacuate the ship.
P&O Cruises reserves the right to refuse passage to any guest who has failed to notify P&O Cruises of their requirement for special treatment or assistance or of reduced mobility or disabilities (including the requirement to use a wheelchair or mobility scooter). For further information about travelling with disabilities, please call our Customer Contact Centre on 03443 888 003 (local call charges apply) or email us at accessibility@carnivalukgroup.com.
Accessibility in theatres
We want all our guests to enjoy theatre performances in comfort. Each theatre has bays or dedicated areas for users of wheelchairs and mobility scooters. There are seats nearby for travelling companions and guests with limited mobility who would prefer a seat that’s easier to access. Each ship has different arrangements for the safe storage of folding wheelchairs, mobility aids and powered mobility devices during performances. Please talk to the Entertainment team on board for guidance.
Mobility ashore
We always do our very best to make sure all our guests can comfortably get ashore in as many destinations as possible. However, there may be times when accessibility for wheelchair users simply isn’t possible. At the majority of our port stops, we deploy a short ramped low-level gangway, better known as the ship’s brow, to allow wheelchair users easy access getting ashore. You should bear in mind that where ports have a large tidal range, it will be unsafe for us to deploy our ship’s brow if there are tidal movements during the course of the day. As disappointing as this is, it’s purely in the interest of your safety. Some examples of ports with a large tidal range include Bilbao, La Coruña, Le Havre, La Rochelle, Lisbon, Zeebrugge, Canary Island ports, Hamburg, Boston, Halifax, Portland and Quebec. If you are on one of the cruises visiting a port with a large tidal range, our crew members can let you know if it is safe or unsafe for us to deploy our ship’s brow.
You can book accessible shore experiences at My P&O Cruises. Experiences that offer wheelchair-friendly activities will begin with the word ‘accessible’. If you have reduced mobility or use a walking aid but are not a wheelchair user, please note that a range of suitable shore experiences are also available. To find them, simply use the ‘low activity’ search filter when browsing shore experiences at My P&O Cruises. You can find out more about the various activity levels for every individual experience in the ‘important information’ section. In the event that your pre-booked accessible shore experience has to be cancelled due to a port’s tidal range, you will be automatically refunded.
Transportation standards
All adapted transportation vehicles and shore experiences that are locally arranged are sourced from reputable and competent operators. They are fully insured, have safety management systems in place and comply with all prevailing local rules, regulations and standards. Unfortunately, in some destinations, only minibuses are available and they don’t have the storage space to accommodate a wheelchair. The health, safety and comfort of our guests is paramount, however please be mindful that local standards in some countries may not reflect those at home.
Please call our Customer Contact Centre on 03443 888 003 (local call charges apply) to discuss mobility during City Stays as not all hotels may be suitable for guests with reduced mobility. For further information on accessibility, please visit our website www.pocruises.com/accessibility-information.
Cabin information
Automatic cabin upgrades
Occasionally, we are able to offer a complimentary Automatic Upgrade. These could be within the cabin type you have booked or higher. If you receive a complimentary cabin upgrade please note this is irreversible. If you wish to be considered for an Automatic Upgrade simply let us or your booking representative know at time of booking. If you have chosen your booked cabin for a particular reason (for example to be in a specific position on the ship or to be located close to friends or relatives in your party) and do not wish to be considered for an Automatic Upgrade, simply let us or your booking representative know at time of booking. Please note, the opportunity of an Automatic Upgrade is never guaranteed and any cabin changes are made at the discretion of P&O Cruises. If you wish to pay to upgrade your cabin (from Sea view to a Balcony cabin for example), please call your booking representative.
There may be occasions where, for operational reasons, it may be necessary for us to change the cabin number you have booked. Should this occur, rest assured we will move you to an alternative cabin within the cabin type you have booked ie. If you booked an Inside cabin you will remain in an Inside cabin.
Guaranteed cabins
When you or your travel agent come to make a booking you may be offered the guarantee of a cabin type, rather than a specific cabin number. Accepting a guarantee means that you have a firm booking and can go ahead with your holiday plans in the same way as if you had accepted a specific cabin number from the outset. When we allocate a cabin number you can rest assured you will be given a cabin in the grade you have booked, or, in some instances, a higher grade. Please note that the cabin allocated can be on any deck and in any location. The price you have been quoted will remain unchanged. If you are booking as a group, you may not be allocated cabins that are adjacent to one another.
Single occupancy in twin cabins
We offer a limited number of twin cabins for single occupancy at an additional supplement to the cabin rates. The supplement should be added after all deductions. The single occupancy supplement does not apply to flight and transfer options. For more information and to book, visit our website, contact our Customer Contact Centre or your travel agent.