P&O Cruises will put its winter 2028-29 programme on general sale to UK travel agents at 08:00 on October 21, 2026, with calls at 130 destinations and a fare-led push that opens with a one-week pre-registration window starting at 08:30 on October 13, 2026 and closing at 20:00 on October 19, 2026.

Carnival UK and P&O Cruises President Paul Ludlow announced the collection, which runs from November 2028 to March 2029 and combines Southampton round-trips with fly-cruise itineraries aimed at winter-sun demand from the Canary Islands through the Mediterranean, Caribbean and long-haul Americas.

What is in the winter 2028-29 programme?

Five ships carry the new itineraries, with the most pronounced capacity shifts concentrated on Azura and Arcadia.

Azura introduces a dual-turnaround Canary Islands fly-cruise programme, adding Gran Canaria departures alongside the existing Tenerife operation. The ship also adds calls in Morocco, with extra Agadir visits layered into the Canary schedule.

Arcadia's programme carries the trade-facing weight of a "special farewell season," including an enhanced World Cruise with greater year-on-year itinerary variation. The ship calls at Madeira on New Year's Eve to take in the island's internationally recognised fireworks display.

Aurora expands its USA and Caribbean Grand Tour, combining North and South America in a single extended holiday with overnight stays in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Europe fly-cruise capacity extends two weeks into October, adding Central and Western Mediterranean itineraries to the late-season calendar.

What launch incentives apply to agent sales?

Holidays booked by December 16, 2026, and departing on or after October 12, 2028, qualify for four introductory offers that retail agents can stack into their pricing:

• 10 percent off "applicable select price" winter 2028 holidays
• A further 5 percent exclusive discount for Peninsular Club loyalty members on selected Select Price holidays, available until departure
• The "Free Uppers" package on selected Select Price and Early Saver cruises
• A 10 percent low-deposit option on Select Price and Early Saver bookings

P&O Cruises did not disclose fare levels, cabin counts or revenue targets in its release. The introductory discounts are time-bounded to the December 16 booking deadline rather than the sailing date, a structure that pulls revenue forward into the 2026-27 fiscal year but leaves agent pricing flexibility dependent on when clients commit.

How does this shape P&O's distribution calendar?

The opening rhythm — pre-registration for repeat bookers and Peninsular Club members from October 13-19, then general sale on October 21 — mirrors the operator's standard two-step UK rollout and gives trade partners a week to brief customers before public listings go live.

The collection's reliance on fly-cruise for the Canary Islands, Caribbean and long-haul Americas expands P&O's addressable catchment beyond the Southampton drive market and increases the share of bookings that travel agents must package with third-party flights, transfers and pre- and post-cruise stays.

What does the Arcadia farewell season mean for sellers?

The operator positions the enhanced World Cruise, paired with the New Year's Eve fireworks call, as a headline retention play for past world-cruise guests. Ludlow framed the wider collection as a balance of familiar and new product.

"Our winter 2028 program combines much-loved destinations with new opportunities to explore further afield," Ludlow said.

"From expanded Canary Islands and Caribbean cruises to an enhanced world cruise with overnight stays in some of the world's most exciting cities, there is more choice for an unforgettable cruise experience than ever before. This collection gives them more ways to explore the world with P&O Cruises," he added.

The farewell framing raises a near-term question for agents: how Carnival UK will redeploy Arcadia capacity across the rest of the fleet after the season, and whether Southampton departures cannibalise fly-cruise loads on overlapping Caribbean and Mediterranean dates.

The next test for sellers comes on October 21, 2026, when pricing, cabin availability and agent commission terms go live alongside the general sale.