Holidaymakers have been left bitterly disappointed after P&O Cruises pulled the plug on a 35-night Caribbean cruise aboard the Ventura – just weeks after another cruise was scrapped.
The long-haul voyage, which was due to set sail on January 4, 2027, has been cancelled due to what the cruise line is calling “operational reasons.”
It follows the recent axing of a 14-night trip on sister ship Iona, which had been scheduled to depart on August 30, 2026.
In an earlier cancellation, the BBC reported on how cruise passengers hit out at P&O Cruises after two voyages scheduled for October 2025 aboard the Iona were scrapped to make way for a refit.
The cruises, both due to depart from Southampton, were pulled from the calendar, with the company citing the need for maintenance work.
Guests were offered full refunds along with on-board spending credit as an incentive to re-book another trip.
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But many said the gesture didn’t go far enough – especially when they discovered that like-for-like holidays on different dates came with a hefty price hike.
In an email sent to passengers affect by the recent Ventura cancellation, P&O said:
“Due to operational reasons, we’re sorry to inform you that your cruise, departing 4 January 2027, is no longer going ahead.
“We understand this news is disappointing and would like to apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.
“To avoid you missing out on your holiday, however, we’ve automatically transferred you to an alternative cruise, G701, on board Iona.”
Frustrated passengers have since taken to Facebook to vent their anger and sadness over the abrupt change, with many saying they were looking forward to the now-cancelled voyage.
A spokesperson for P&O Cruises told the Echo:
“On occasion, it is necessary to change an itinerary from the one previously published and we are very sorry that Ventura’s 35-night Caribbean itinerary departing January 04 2027, has been cancelled.
“Where possible, we are pleased to offer affected guests to transfer to Iona’s similar Caribbean sailing across the same dates.
“Ventura will now offer three new itineraries, which go on sale on June 04, 2025.”