P&O Cruises forced to cancel Ventura and Ariva voyages after refurbishment delays

Cruise passengers have been left disappointed after P&O Cruises cancelled two scheduled sailings in Europe.

According to the cruise line, the cancellation of Ventura’s four-night Amsterdam voyage in February 2026 is due to an “extension to a necessary refit” for the ship.

A two-week sailing to Spain, France and Italy on Arvia departing 11 April 2027 has also been cancelled.

Two new week-long itineraries – K708N to the Norwegian fjords and K708P to Spain and France – will go on sale as alternative sailings on 18 September.

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “On occasion, it is necessary to change an itinerary from what was previously published, and we are sorry this change has impacted a small number of our guests.

“If a guest has booked on these cruises, they will receive a full refund of money paid to the original payment method within 14 working days.”

The cruise line added that affected cruise passengers will receive up to £50 per person in future on-board spending money if they book a new cruise by 24 October 2025.

P&O Cruises recently sparked debate among parents after it introduced a new pre-booking system that lets passengers pay to secure a kids’ club space before boarding one of its cruise ships.

Previously, P&O Cruises let parents reserve a space at The Reef kids’ club for free once on board, but the new system allows parents to pay to secure a spot for their children even sooner.

A space can be booked from two weeks before departure when logging into the My P&O Cruises site, with prices starting at £4.95 for daytime and £8.95 for evening sessions.

Spaces will still be available on a first-come, first-served basis to book for free once on the cruise ship.

For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast