P&O Cruise Fares Explained

We’ll be honest with you, booking a cruise holiday isn’t always straightforward. Once you’ve found your perfect itinerary and navigated the cruise jargon you may well have to decide on a fare type. With P&O Cruises you may have up to three different fare types to choose from, but what exactly are they? The fares are basically promotions which come with their own benefits and restrictions depending on which one you choose.

No matter which fare you decide on you’ll be sure to receive the same excellent service on board, there are no first and second class passengers on these ships. You’ll also have all your meals, whether in the main restaurant or at the buffet, included, as well as onboard entertainment, kids clubs, access to facilities such as swimming pools and gyms, and flights and transfers on P&O fly-cruise packages. 

We’ve put together a handy table below which should allow you to compare exactly what is included with each price type.

The Select Price may be the most expensive option, however, it will also give you the most amount of flexibility and more choice. Not only will you be able to choose your exact cabin number, you’ll also have first priority on your dining options. You can find out more about dining onboard P&O cruises here. Another small touch is complimentary shuttle busses in ports where they are provided by P&O Cruises. Depending on when you book and the duration of your cruise, you’ll often benefit from a choice of on-board spending money, or car parking or coach travel on sailings from Southampton.

If you’re willing to compromise on some of the benefits of the Select Price, you may well find that an Early Saver is the best value option for you. You won’t be able to choose your cabin and you’ll only be able to give your dining time preference at a later date, however, you’ll still have the flexibility to change your booking, plus you’ll be saving some money compared to the Select Price.

Meanwhile, if you’re on the lookout for a bit of a bargain you’ll need to wait for a Saver Fare, this is a last-minute special offer only available on selected cruises much closer to departure. You won’t be able to choose your cabin as it will be assigned to you a couple of weeks before departure, and you won’t be able to choose your dining time. Like many last-minute offers, once you’ve booked it’s non-refundable.

	Select Price	Early Saver	Saver Fare
Cabin choice	Choose your cabin number at the time of booking.	Your cabin will be allocated to you by P&O around 4 weeks before departure.	Your cabin will be allocated to you by P&O around 2 weeks before departure.
Dining choice	First priority to choose your dining time and table size at the time of booking,	Second priority to choose your dining time and table size. This will be confirmed onboard.	Your dining time and table size will be confirmed once you board.
Benefits	Choice of onboard spending money, car parking or coach transfers on selected cruises.	No extra benefits	No extra benefits
Shuttle buses in port	Complimentary	Chargeable	Chargeable
Upgrades	First priority for automatic upgrades subject to availability	Second priority for automatic upgrades subject to availability	Third priority for automatic upgrades subject to availability
Payment	Standard deposit	Standard deposit	Full payment
Cancellation	Standard cancellation terms apply	Standard cancellation terms apply	Non-refundable
Availability	Select Price is available on all cruises at all times	Available on most cruises	Only available on select cruises around 3 months prior to departure