Virgin Voyages vs P&O Cruises: Which Suits Adults?

UK cruisers often ask us how Virgin Voyages compares with P&O Cruises. It’s a fair question: both appeal to British holidaymakers, both have adult-focused options, and on paper they can look similar.

In practice, they feel very different. We’ve spent 100+ nights on Virgin Voyages across all four ships. We haven’t sailed with P&O ourselves, so everything we say about P&O below comes from P&O’s own published information and our knowledge as agents who book it, not personal experience. Where a P&O detail can change, we’ve flagged it for you to check.

Virgin Voyages vs P&O Cruises at a glance

	Virgin Voyages	P&O Cruises
Who’s on board	Adults only (18+) on every ship, every sailing	Family ships (e.g. Iona, Arvia); Arcadia and Aurora adults-only on most sailings
Where from (UK)	Fly-cruise only; no UK departures	Southampton, plus fly-cruises
Restaurants	All six restaurants included; no buffet, The Galley food hall instead	Main dining and buffet included; speciality restaurants extra
Soft drinks	Sodas, still and sparkling water, non-pressed juices, drip coffee and tea included	Soft drinks and speciality coffee extra, or in a drinks package
Alcohol	Pay as you go via Bar Tab; no drinks packages	Pay as you go or drinks packages
Tips	$22 per Sailor per night, or $20 if prepaid (new bookings)	Daily service charge added on board
Dress code	No formal nights; dress how you like, themed parties	Evening dress codes including Black Tie nights
Currency on board	US dollars	Pounds sterling
Vibe	Boutique hotel at sea, social, playful	Classic British cruise, familiar and traditional

Who is on board: adults-only or not?

Virgin Voyages

Every Virgin Voyages ship is adults-only on every sailing. You must be 18 to sail. That’s built into the whole design: no kids’ clubs, no waterslides, and the space goes to bars, restaurants, a spa and places to relax. Our guide are Virgin Voyages adult-only cruises? covers the details.

P&O Cruises

P&O has seven ships: Arvia, Iona, Britannia, Ventura, Azura, Arcadia and Aurora. Arcadia and Aurora, the two smaller ships, are its adults-only ships. However, P&O has opened around 20 selected holidays on the two ships to all ages, in peak periods such as Christmas, starting in December 2026 and running to September 2027. Arcadia and Aurora remain adults-only for most of the year, so check the specific holiday.

The rest of the P&O fleet, including the large Iona and Arvia, welcomes families.

What this means for you: if adults-only matters, Virgin guarantees it on every sailing. With P&O, check the specific holiday.

Where you sail from

P&O’s big advantage for many UK holidaymakers is Southampton. It specialises in no-fly cruises: you can drive to the port, take as much luggage as you like and never set foot in an airport. P&O also sells fly-cruises, and one of its exclusive features is packaging its own charter flights on the day of the cruise, to Malta for example.

Virgin Voyages no longer sails from the UK. We sailed a Sailing Club voyage from Portsmouth in 2024 and the UK Comedy Fest from Portsmouth in August 2026, but those summer 2026 sailings were Virgin’s last from the UK, and nothing currently on sale (through 2028) returns to Portsmouth. Every Virgin holiday from Britain is a fly-cruise, whether that’s Miami for the Caribbean and The Beach Club at Bimini, Europe for the summer Mediterranean season, or Vancouver and Seattle for Alaska and the Pacific Coast between March and October.

If you’d rather not fly, P&O wins outright. If you’re happy to fly, Virgin opens up places Southampton can’t reach in a week. When we book a Virgin fly-cruise as a package with flights, it’s ATOL protected.

Food and dining

Virgin Voyages

Virgin’s food is one of the big reasons we keep going back. All six restaurants are included in your fare: The Wake, Extra Virgin, Pink Agave, Gunbae, The Test Kitchen and a sixth that varies by ship (Lucky Lotus on Scarlet, Ariya on Valiant, Rojo on Brilliant, Razzle Dazzle on Resilient). There’s no main dining room and no buffet. The Galley is a food hall with made-to-order stations.

Booking matters. Dining reservations open 15 to 120 days before sailing depending on your fare. See our Virgin Voyages restaurants guide and menus.

P&O Cruises

From P&O’s published information, P&O offers main restaurants and a buffet included in the fare, plus speciality restaurants that carry a cover charge, such as Sindhu (Indian-inspired) and The Beach House on some ships, and The Glass House wine bar and restaurant, where you pay for what you order. Options vary by ship.

Drinks and drinks packages

Virgin Voyages

Virgin doesn’t sell drinks packages. Soft drinks, still and sparkling water, non-pressed juices, drip coffee and sachet teas are included. Alcohol and speciality coffee go on your Bar Tab, which is often included as a booking offer. Prices are in US dollars. As a guide, on Valiant Lady in August 2026 the Loose Cannon was $15 as a cocktail and $11 as a zero-proof version. Our Virgin Voyages drinks prices and bar tab calculator helps you work out how much to budget.

P&O Cruises

P&O sells drinks packages on longer cruises, including soft-drink, alcohol-free and alcoholic options, priced per person per day and bought for the whole cruise. Adults sharing a cabin generally need the same package. Prices on board are in pounds, which some UK guests find easier to keep track of.

Tips and service charges

Virgin used to include gratuities in the fare. For bookings made from 7 October 2025, Virgin adds a service gratuity of $22 per Sailor per night to your onboard account, or $20 per night if you prepay (checked October 2026). No other tipping is expected on board.

P&O adds a daily service charge per guest to your onboard account, in pounds. Check P&O’s current rate for your holiday.

Dress code

This is where the two feel most different.

Virgin has no formal nights at all. Wear what you’re comfortable in. The only dressing up is for fun: Virgin runs themed parties, and they change. Check the Virgin Voyages app for what’s on your sailing. Most Sailors bring something red for Scarlet Night. See our Virgin Voyages dress code guide.

P&O publishes evening dress codes, including Black Tie nights where many guests wear dinner suits and evening dresses, with casual dining alternatives for anyone who’d rather not dress up. How many Black Tie nights you get depends on the length of your cruise.

If you love a glamorous formal night, P&O will suit you better. If the thought of packing a tux fills you with dread, Virgin is your line.

Entertainment and atmosphere

Virgin’s entertainment is immersive and a bit cheeky: original shows, roaming performers, supper clubs and late-night parties. Shows and parties change between sailings, and some voyages have a theme of their own: our Valiant Lady UK Comedy Fest sailing from Portsmouth in August 2026 (Zeebrugge, Amsterdam and Hamburg) was built around stand-up. The ships feel like a boutique hotel, with a strong social buzz. Read more in our Virgin Voyages entertainment guide.

P&O offers a more traditional cruise programme, with theatre shows and live music. It’s familiar and comfortable, with a distinctly British feel.

British comforts vs an American crowd

This is the difference we talk through most with clients.

If you love British comforts, P&O is a great choice: a Sunday roast, a kettle in your cabin, sailing with mostly British guests, and British entertainment and comedy.

Virgin is very American. Most of your fellow Sailors will be American, and the entertainment, humour and tone are American too. Some UK guests love that; others miss the home comforts.

There’s an upside we really enjoy. In the Mediterranean, lots of American Sailors head ashore on port days. We’re close enough to revisit Med ports often, so if we skip a port, we can have the ship almost to ourselves, far more than on a British line where more guests tend to stay on board. It’s one of the reasons Virgin is our favourite line for the Med.

Used to P&O and thinking of trying Virgin? What’s different

Many of the Sailors we book have cruised with P&O before. These are the things that most often surprise them:

• You’ll fly. Allow at least one hotel night before you sail. Our first Virgin cruise guide walks you through it.
• Dollars, not pounds. Everything on board is charged in US dollars.
• No buffet, no main dining room. You’ll book restaurants in advance and eat somewhere different each night. Book on day one of your window.
• No drinks package. Use your Bar Tab, and remember soft drinks are already included.
• No formal nights. Pack lighter. Something red for Scarlet Night is the nearest thing to a dress code.
• No kids, anywhere. Even on school holiday sailings.
• The Virgin Voyages app runs everything. Bookings, your Bar Tab, shows and tender slots all live in the app.
• It’s livelier. Evenings can be loud and late if you want them to be, and peaceful if you don’t.

Wondering if it’s your style? Read will I enjoy Virgin Voyages? or try our which cruise line is right for me quiz.

So which suits you?

Choose Virgin Voyages if you: – Want an adults-only ship on every sailing. – Love great food without paying extra for speciality restaurants. – Prefer a relaxed dress code and a social atmosphere. – Are happy to fly, and enjoy an American-style crowd and entertainment.

Choose P&O Cruises if you: – Want to sail from Southampton without flying. – Enjoy dressing up for formal evenings. – Love British comforts: a Sunday roast, a kettle in the cabin, British comedy and mostly British fellow guests. – Want the option of a drinks package.

FAQs

Is Virgin Voyages better than P&O for adults? It depends what you want. Virgin is adults-only on every sailing with a relaxed, social feel. P&O’s Arcadia and Aurora are adults-only on most sailings and offer a more traditional British cruise.

Are P&O’s Arcadia and Aurora still adults-only? For most of the year, yes. P&O has opened selected sailings on both ships to all ages from December 2026, so check the specific holiday.

Does Virgin Voyages sail from Southampton? Not any more. Virgin’s last UK sailings were from Portsmouth in summer 2026, and nothing currently on sale (through 2028) returns to the UK. Every Virgin cruise from Britain is now a fly-cruise.

Does Virgin Voyages have formal nights like P&O? No. Virgin has no formal nights. It runs themed parties instead, which change by sailing.

Are gratuities included on Virgin Voyages? Not for new bookings. Virgin adds a daily service gratuity, which is lower if you prepay.

Does Virgin Voyages have a drinks package? No. Soft drinks, water, juices and basic coffee and tea are included. Alcohol goes on your Bar Tab.

Is Virgin Voyages very American? Yes. Most fellow Sailors are American, and the entertainment and humour are American in tone. If you want British comforts and British comedy, P&O is a great fit.

What currency is used on board? US dollars on Virgin Voyages; pounds sterling on P&O Cruises.

Plan it with us

Torn between the two? We’ll talk it through honestly. We’re Virgin Voyages Gold Tier First Mates with 100+ nights on board, and Best Independent Travel Agent at the Wave Awards 2023. Call 07307 602030, email hello@magical-traveller.com or get in touch.