P & O Cruises: Books - History and Ships (1/2)

P&O Cruise Ships

P&O was established in 1837 and maintained a schedule of routes to India, the Far East and Australia, being the first choice for the majority of passengers travelling to that part of the world.
P&O later took over the British India Line, the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand, the New Zealand Shipping Company and the fleet of the British Coast Lines Group. In 1960 P&O Orient Lines was formed to manage the fleets of both operations and Oriana and Canberra were added to the fleet.

Retirements of older vessels were made and others converted for cruising duties to operate from the United Kingdom and Australia. Between 1947 and 1962, P&O had transported 427,983 migrants, with an additional 500,000 following over the next eight years.

However, this trade was gradually transferred to the airlines and it was clear that P&O's future was in cruising, with state-of-the-art purpose-built vessels.
Princess Cruises were taken over by P&O in 1974 and P&O Princess Cruises merged with the Carnival Corporation in 2003.

Utilising many rare and unpublished images, Ian Collard offers a lavishly illustrated look at the cruise ships operated by P&O Cruises. Included here are images of the ships in many guises and liveries as the author offers an array of superb photographs of these iconic liners.

P&O Cruises - Celebrating 175 Years of Heritage

It is an achievement for any brand to be able to trace its roots back 175 years. In these uncertain times, when even well-established international names are disappearing, it is an even greater testament to well-laid foundations and continual innovation and evolution.
P&O Cruises is one such brand, whose heritage can be traced back to when The Peninsular Steam Navigation Company won a Government contract to carry mail from the UK to Spain, Portugal and Gibraltar in 1837. Today, it operates a fleet of seven modern cruise ships and is consistently rated among the top British cruise lines.

This book tells the story of how P&O Cruises reached this pinnacle of achievement. It features, not just the innovative ships, but also the stories of crew and passengers, past and present. Many of the ships are so well-known, their very name conjures up images of sun-warmed decks and far flung destinations names such as Canberra, Oriana, Himalaya and Arcadia. Nowadays, the P&O Cruises fleet attracts more passengers than ever before, sailing to destinations all over the world 270 ports in 90 countries in 2011 and 2012 alone!
Illustrated with over 300 photographs, both historical and contemporary (many never before published), this book also highlights the unseen work that goes into running a fleet of modern cruise ships.

A Photographic History of P&O Cruises

One of the world's most loved cruise lines, P&O Cruises can trace its history back over 175 years. Through an impressive and unique collection of imagery, this book details the history of P&O Cruises and explores the impact P&O had in shaping the British Empire.

With a vast fleet of ocean liners that undertook voyages to all parts of the globe, P&O was instrumental in immigration to Australia and New Zealand, while acting as a gateway to the Far East and India.
After the advent of jet aircraft, the venerable company reorganised their services to offer pleasure cruises.

In Australia, P&O held a near monopoly during the 1980s and '90s, with their ships Oriana and Fairstar. Today, part of the giant Carnival Corporation, P&O Cruises remains an iconic barnd, offering British-based cruises, world voyages and a specialist Australian subsidiary that sails into the South pacific.