Key Aspects:
- P&O Cruises is offering a Future Cruise Credit to passengers that sailed Britannia on December 26, 2025.
- The credit is worth 25 perfect of their cruise fare and valid for sailings through December 31, 2027.
- The offer follows an earlier announcement that no compensation would be given.
The drama keeps unfolding for P&O Cruises’ Britannia passengers from the holiday December 26, 2025, sailing. A week after the sailing ended in Barbados on January 9, 2026, guests are finally getting a compensation notice.
Passengers have received notice from the cruise line offering a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) worth 25 percent of the cruise fare, a shift from P&O Cruises’ earlier stance that no refunds or compensation would be issued for the itinerary disruption that took place during the 14-night sailing.
P&O Cruises is offering the FCC as a “gesture of goodwill” in recognition of the issues experienced.
“Thank you for choosing to sail with us on Britannia in the Caribbean. We recognize, however, that your holiday was not the experience you were expecting, nor was it the one we would wish for you, or the standard we set for ourselves,” began the letter from P&O Cruises.
It continued, “The issues that affected your cruise fell short of our usual high standards, and for that we are very sorry.”
The company then awarded guests the FCC, available from January 20, 2026. Bookings must be made by December 31, 2026, and passengers must sail by December 31, 2027.
The cruise line also said it is determined to make the next experience everything guests could hope for.
The offer lands after frustrated passengers spent days posting and sharing earlier correspondence that pointed them toward travel insurance, rather than P&O Cruises, if they wanted reimbursement for missed ports.
In an onboard letter dated January 8, 2026, the cruise line apologized for itinerary changes due to a technical issue, but also told guests to keep the letter for their records if they planned to file an insurance claim and said no compensation would be provided.
The back and forth has fueled confusion and anger among passengers who argue the disruption stems from a mechanical issue and should have been better managed.
What Went Wrong on P&O Britannia?
Britannia sailed from Bridgetown, Barbados, on December 26 for a New Year’s Caribbean voyage with more than 3,600 passengers onboard.
Early calls included Grenada and Curaçao, but then the cruise began to unravel, beginning with passenger accounts of a power outage in Curaçao.
A December 31 call in Aruba was next scrapped due to high winds. Shortly after, guests were informed the ship would skip St. Lucia and head directly back to Barbados due to technical issues, cutting short plans that originally included two days in Castries.
The 143,000-gross-ton vessel arrived in Barbados on January 3 and remained there through the evening of January 5 for repairs, adding multiple days in port. At this time, passengers began to complain about onboard shortages, especially drinks, after the unexpected extra sea days and extended stays.
Once Britannia was able to return to sea, the ship cancelled a planned call in Antigua and replaced it with Martinique on January 6 as the ship worked to resume its schedule.
For some guests, the problems didn’t end with the cruise on January 9. A winter storm in the UK disrupted the cruise line’s fly-cruise flights, delaying Britannia passengers trying to get home by roughly 24 hours.
In spite of the new FCC being offered, some guests are still not happy and are demanding a cash alternative, vowing never to sail with P&O Cruises again.
