P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, originating 1822, with the formation of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. The company first operated a shipping line with routes between England and the Iberian Peninsula, adopting the name Peninsular Steam Navigation Company.
P&O first introduced passenger services in 1844, advertising sea tours to destinations such as Gibraltar, Malta and Athens, sailing from Southampton these were the forerunners of the modern cruise holidays and were the first of their kind. In the opening decade of the 20th Century the company had more than 1,000 ships in its various companies and it eventually became the largest shipping company in the world.
Poster for P&O’s service to Australia featuring the new Iberia, lithograph, 1954.
Brochure for Orient Line cruises to the Mediterranean and beyond, printed in 1932.
Brochure for cruises to Norway on Orontes and Orford, printed in 1933.
Poster for cruises with the North of Scotland, Orkney & Shetland Shipping Co. Ltd., lithograph, c.1955.
Poster for sea and air tickets to and from the Mediterranean, lithograph, 1955.
Brochure for P&O services to India, Ceylon and Egypt, published in 1913.
Poster for P&O-Orient Line, photographed on board Oronsay, reprinted c.1961.
Poster for the Orient Line service to Australia featuring Otranto in the Suez Canal, lithograph, c.1912.
Poster for P&O’s service to Australia, lithograph, 1953.
Original brochure for P&O’s sailing schedules and ‘Combination Tours’, issued in 1914.
Original brochure for P&O’s sailing schedules and ‘Combination Tours’, issued in 1914.
Advertisement for P&O cruises to Norway published in The Blue Peter magazine in 1934.
Advertisement for cruises to Norway published in The Blue Peter magazine in 1933.
P&O Sunshine Cruises in 1970.
Orient Line services to Australia, lithograph, 1951.
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