P&O Cruises’ Arcadia has departed Southampton on a 100-night “Epic World Explorer” voyage that will circle the globe, calling at nearly 30 ports across Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific, North America and the Caribbean.

The adults-only ship set sail on January 6, 2026, on what the line is presenting as a flagship itinerary for guests seeking a slow-travel, ultra-comfortable way to see the world in a single, meticulously curated journey.

More News

A Sold-Out World Voyage Signals Soaring Demand

The 2026 world cruise aboard Arcadia has been fully sold out for months, underscoring the surge in demand for extended ex-UK itineraries. Booked predominantly by British travelers but also drawing international guests, the voyage reflects a broader trend in the cruise sector, where long-duration cruises are increasingly seen as a value-rich alternative to multiple short-haul trips and long-stay land holidays.

Industry surveys of world cruise programs ex-Southampton show a growing appetite for journeys of 90 nights or more, often booked more than a year in advance as part of retirement plans or milestone celebrations. Arcadia’s sailing sits within this wave of interest, but stands out for its combination of classic seafaring style, a focus on destination immersion and an itinerary designed to maximize time in port rather than rapid point-to-point hops.

The 100-night itinerary, roundtrip from Southampton, also reflects P&O Cruises’ strategic emphasis on homeport cruising. For many guests, the ability to step on board in the UK without flights, unpack once and visit numerous countries around the globe has become a decisive factor in booking. Arcadia’s voyage is being closely watched within the industry as a bellwether for long-haul, ex-UK cruise demand in the coming years.

A Grand Circuit of 30 Destinations Across Continents

Arcadia’s 2026 world voyage traces an eastbound route that begins with familiar European waters before fanning out to Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australasia, the Pacific and the Americas. After leaving Southampton, the ship called first in Portugal, visiting Lisbon and Funchal, followed by Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The itinerary then steered southwest to Cape Verde, with stops in Mindelo and Praia, giving guests early exposure to Atlantic island culture and Creole heritage.

The routing then turns to West and Southern Africa, with scheduled calls in Dakar, Senegal, and Walvis Bay, Namibia, before reaching Cape Town and Port Elizabeth in South Africa. These ports deliver a mix of urban energy, coastal scenery and wildlife experiences, anchoring the African section of the cruise before Arcadia crosses the Indian Ocean toward the so-called Vanilla Islands.

In the Indian Ocean, passengers are due to visit Réunion and Mauritius, both prized for dramatic volcanic landscapes, rainforests, turquoise lagoons and a layered blend of French, African and Asian influences. From there, Arcadia continues east to Australia and New Zealand, then across the South Pacific and up to Hawaii, before turning to North America’s West Coast and transiting the Panama Canal. The return leg features Caribbean calls and a stop in the Azores before the ship arrives back in Southampton on April 15, 2026.

Overnights in Cape Town, Sydney and Honolulu Elevate the Experience

One of the major differentiators of Arcadia’s 100-night voyage is the inclusion of overnight calls in several marquee ports. Rather than restricting guests to a single day in destination, the itinerary allows extended stays in Cape Town, Sydney and Honolulu, giving travelers time to see iconic sights, sample evening culture and venture further afield on longer excursions.

In Cape Town, guests have opportunities to ride the cable car up Table Mountain, explore the V&A Waterfront, and visit sites such as Robben Island and the nearby Winelands. An overnight stay allows passengers to experience the city after dark, from fine-dining venues and wine bars to cultural performances and night-time harbor views, deepening their engagement with one of the cruise’s most anticipated stops.

Sydney’s overnight call similarly opens the door to a fuller exploration of Australia’s best-known gateway city. Guests can join tours that take in the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge by day, and then return after sunset for performances, harbor cruises or waterfront dining. The extended stay is also designed to accommodate longer day trips to beaches or the Blue Mountains without rushing back to catch the ship’s departure.

Honolulu, the centerpiece of the Hawaii segment, benefits from the same schedule flexibility. Passengers can spend more time on Waikiki Beach, visit Pearl Harbor and historic sites, explore hiking trails on Oahu, or simply experience the island’s food and music scene at a more relaxed pace. These longer calls respond to guest feedback that world cruises should offer fewer, more meaningful stops rather than a long list of brief port calls.

Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific at the Heart of the Route

Australasia forms a central pillar of the Epic World Explorer itinerary, with Arcadia set to call at Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, followed by Dunedin, Wellington, Napier, Auckland and Tauranga in New Zealand. This sequence effectively strings together many of the region’s marquee urban and scenic destinations into a single leg lasting several weeks.

In Australia, port calls showcase contrasting coastal cities. Fremantle introduces the maritime heritage and relaxed lifestyle of Western Australia; Adelaide offers easy access to wine regions and cultural institutions; while Melbourne’s laneway cafés, galleries and sporting venues present a cosmopolitan counterpoint. The voyage then culminates in Sydney, where the overnight stay underscores the city’s role as a global cruise hub.

New Zealand’s portion emphasizes its scenery and indigenous heritage. From historic Dunedin and windy Wellington to art deco Napier and bustling Auckland, the itinerary threads together urban centers with strong links to surrounding landscapes. Tauranga, gateway to the Bay of Plenty, adds beaches and geothermal wonders to the mix. Shore excursions in these ports are expected to highlight Maori culture, coastal and alpine vistas, and local food and wine, positioning New Zealand as one of the voyage’s most photogenic stretches.

From New Zealand, Arcadia continues into the South Pacific with scheduled calls in Suva and Lautoka in Fiji. These stops add a more remote, tropical dimension to the journey, with coral reefs, white-sand beaches and traditional Fijian hospitality offering a contrast to the larger cities included elsewhere on the itinerary.

From the Pacific to the Americas via Hawaii and the Panama Canal

After leaving Fiji, the ship heads northeast toward Hawaii, where Honolulu acts as both a cultural highlight and a bridge between the South Pacific and North America. The longer stay planned in Honolulu enables passengers to explore beyond the main tourist districts, with potential visits to volcanic landscapes, botanical gardens and historic neighborhoods that have helped define modern Hawaiian identity.

The itinerary then arcs to the North American West Coast, with calls in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Manzanillo in Mexico. This trio offers a cross-section of Pacific-facing cities, from San Francisco’s hills and waterfront districts to Los Angeles’ entertainment-driven urban sprawl and Manzanillo’s role as both a resort town and working port. Collectively, these ports contribute to the cruise’s narrative of connecting continents and trade routes through a single continuous voyage.

One of the technical and symbolic high points of the trip will be Arcadia’s transit of the Panama Canal. The passage through the locks remains a bucket-list experience for many cruise passengers and serves as a dramatic reminder of early 20th-century engineering ambitions. For world cruise guests, the canal also functions as the gateway from the Pacific to the Caribbean and, ultimately, the Atlantic route home.

Following the canal crossing, Arcadia is scheduled to visit Willemstad in Curaçao and Bridgetown in Barbados, giving travelers classic Caribbean backdrops of colorful colonial architecture and palm-fringed beaches. A final Atlantic crossing includes a stop at Ponta Delgada in the Azores, providing one last island interlude before passengers disembark in Southampton.

Refurbished Arcadia Positions Itself as a Long-Stay Luxury Haven

Central to the appeal of a 100-night cruise is the onboard environment, and P&O Cruises has invested significantly in upgrading Arcadia ahead of the 2026 voyage. Built by Fincantieri in 2005, the 83,000-ton ship underwent an extensive refurbishment in late 2024 that refreshed accommodation, dining venues and public spaces with a focus on comfort and contemporary design.

The refit aimed to adapt the ship to the specific needs of guests spending more than three months on board. Staterooms received enhanced storage solutions and updated soft furnishings, while public lounges were redesigned to provide flexible spaces for daytime enrichment, informal gatherings and evening entertainment. Dining venues also saw upgrades intended to support an expanded culinary program over the course of a long itinerary, giving guests more variety in menus and settings.

Arcadia remains predominantly adults-only, a positioning that P&O Cruises says supports a quieter, more resort-like atmosphere for world cruise passengers. While the company has announced plans to open select future sailings on Arcadia to families, the 2026 world voyage is marketed to adult travelers looking for a grown-up onboard ambience to match the leisurely pace of the itinerary.

The ship’s size is another part of its appeal. With capacity for just under 2,000 passengers, Arcadia sits in the mid-size segment, allowing it to retain a more intimate feel than the new generation of mega-ships while still offering a full range of amenities. For many world cruisers, this balance between scale, choice and familiarity is a key reason for repeat bookings.

World Cruises as a Driver of Global Cruise Tourism

Arcadia’s 100-night program is also being viewed as a case study in how world cruises can extend tourism seasons and spread visitor spending across a wide geography. The itinerary touches multiple continents and a diverse mix of established and emerging ports, allowing destinations to benefit from high-spend guests traveling outside traditional peak holiday windows.

Ports such as Cape Town, Sydney and Honolulu already feature heavily on global cruise maps, but extended overnight stays encourage deeper local engagement through multi-day excursions, dining and cultural experiences. Meanwhile, calls at ports like Dakar, Walvis Bay and Mindelo help introduce travelers to less familiar destinations, supporting efforts to diversify tourist flows and spotlight new regions without overwhelming them with sudden surges of same-day visitors.

For P&O Cruises, the voyage plays into a broader portfolio of long-haul itineraries marketed out of Southampton, including other extended voyages on sister ships. By committing Arcadia to a full circumnavigation with 28 ports of call, the company is signaling confidence in the long-cruise segment and in the continued appeal of traditional world voyages even as the industry experiments with shorter, themed sailings and fly-cruise combinations.

As Arcadia traces her eastbound path around the globe over the first months of 2026, the voyage encapsulates several key themes shaping today’s cruise market: a renewed focus on value for time and money, growing interest in slower, more immersive travel, and the enduring allure of seeing the world not in snapshots, but as a continuous, unfolding journey by sea.