People are getting controversial P&O Ferries mixed up with P&O Cruises. Now the cruise operator is running a multi-site online campaign in a bid to distance itself from its near-namesake.
It is easy to see why confusion has arisen. They are both travel companies with very similar names, however this is where the similarities end.
Not only have they been separate organisations for over 20 years, P&O Cruises also says it is Britain’s biggest cruise line and part of Carnival Corporation & plc. One of the first things you see when you visit the P&O Cruises website is a pop-up that is unmissable.
The pop-up seems to serve as a warning with an exclamation mark beside it, saying: “As Britain’s favourite cruise line, your loyalty, advocacy and support has always meant the world to us. P&O Cruises has been part of Carnival Corporation & plc for over 20 years and has no connection to P&O Ferries.
"Our thoughts go out to all those affected. However, please be assured it’s business as usual on our cruises and our crew look forward to welcoming you on board soon.”
A P&O Cruises video that has been viewed nearly 10,000 times on Twitter appears in a post captioned with: “This is us, P&O Cruises.” The 30 second video sets the scene with wording reading: “Proudly part of Carnival Corporation & plc.”
The video begins with a voice-over saying: “We’ve had a lot of messages this past week. Some people confused us with another company.
"Our names might both begin with P&O but that’s where the similarity ends. P&O Cruises is Britain’s biggest cruise line.
"We are part of Carnival Corporation & plc and we have been for 20 years. We have six ships and our new ship Arvia will join the fleet in December 2022 to be our sunshine ship.
"Our amazing crew is proud to welcome our guests on board delivering holidays of a lifetime, everytime, all across the world.”
P&O Ferries has come under intense scrutiny after bosses sacked 800 workers without notice over a pre-recorded video call.
