- Introduced
- 2008
- Gross tonnage
- 115,000 – 116,000 GT
- Capacity
- 3,500–3,600 (max)
Grand Class comprises Ventura (2008) and Azura (2010), sisters built to the same Princess-Grand-derived platform and adapted for the British market. At roughly 115,000 GT they were P&O's family flagships for the decade before Britannia's arrival.
The class carries P&O's full family programme — Reef children's clubs, multiple pools, headline West End-style production shows — alongside a decent spread of speciality restaurants (Epicurean, Sindhu, The Glass House). They are meaningfully smaller than the Excel-class newbuilds and consequently reach a wider selection of Mediterranean and Baltic ports.
Deployment is split between round-Britain summer programmes and winter fly-cruise sailings from Barbados. Both ships remain in strong condition following mid-life refurbishments and are the sweet spot for guests who want a modern P&O family product without the crowds of Iona or Arvia.
Ships in the Grand Class
Also in P&O Cruises
Other ship classes
Excel Class
P&O's LNG-powered flagship class — the largest ships in the fleet and the platform on which the modern British cruise experience is being built.
Britannia Class
P&O's single-ship modern flagship class — the vessel that repositioned the brand as a genuine large-ship operator ahead of the Excel-class newbuilds.
Vista Class
An adults-only mid-size classic — Arcadia sails as the more traditional flagship of P&O's 18+ sub-fleet.
Sun Class
The smallest and most classic ship in the P&O fleet — adults-only, port-intensive, and the closest thing to a traditional ocean liner voyage in the modern fleet.
Cruise line
Back to the brand
Latest news