October 26, 2026 — P&O Cruises’ Ventura is sailing a day short after Storms Austen and Boelo held up its return to Southampton by 24 hours, and its only French call has been dropped because of unrest in France. Guests are getting a one-day future cruise credit, not cash.
What changed
Ventura (3,192 guests) was due back in Southampton on Saturday, October 24, at the end of a seven-night France, Spain and Portugal cruise. The storms delayed it until 6:07 a.m. on Sunday, October 25. The next sailing, originally a seven-night departure on October 24, became a six-night cruise leaving Southampton at 4 p.m. on Sunday, October 25.
| Date | Port | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Sun, Oct 25 | Southampton (depart 4 p.m.) | Moved from Oct 24 |
| TBA | Cherbourg, France | Cancelled (protests and civil unrest) |
| Tue, Oct 27 | Porto, Portugal | Unchanged |
| Wed, Oct 28 | Lisbon, Portugal | Unchanged |
| Thu, Oct 29 | Vigo, Spain | Unchanged |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Southampton (debark) | Unchanged |
P&O told guests on Friday, October 23, and kept their check-in times, shifted to Sunday. The compensation is a future cruise credit worth one prorated day, valid only on a future P&O booking. Some guests have asked about cash refunds and about drink-package and Wi-Fi refunds, which the line’s first emails did not address. The same storms also disrupted sister ships Iona, which dropped Bilbao-Getxo, and Arvia, which returned to Southampton early.
What it means for airline travelers
- Ask about your extra hotel night. Guests flying into the UK for the original Saturday embarkation needed an extra night ashore. Keep receipts and raise them with P&O or your travel insurer — the credit offered covers only the lost cruise day.
- Return date is unchanged (Saturday, October 31), so homebound flights from Heathrow, Gatwick or Southampton should still work.
- Autumn storms keep hitting Southampton turnarounds. If you are flying standby to a UK embarkation in the next few weeks, arrive at least a day early and book a refundable hotel for the night after your scheduled return.
Sources
- Cruise Hive — P&O Ventura Delayed a Full Day by Storms Austen and Boelo
- TravelPulse — Wild Weather Impacting Cruises From Bahamas to Europe
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