P&O Cruises Expands Award-Winning Green World Tours Programme for 2012

    LONDON, ENGLAND, December 04, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- This also comes after the programme received an Environmental Initiative Award for its notable contribution to advancing the environmental aspect of cruising.*

Green World Tours are a range of charitable and responsible tourism-based shore experiences designed to support the towns and communities visited on longer itineraries, as well as giving the passenger a unique experience ashore.

The first Green World Tour was in November 2009 and tours are now operated by P&O Cruises in 16 destinations worldwide.

The tours vary in price and are non-profit making. Some include a donation and others just cover costs and passengers are free to donate as they choose.

New tours for P&O Cruises in 2012 are:

- Rural Life & SOS Village, Nha Trang, GBP26

A visit to the local SOS Children's Village - an independent, non-governmental social development organisation that works to meet the needs and protect the rights of children without parental care. The tour then continues on to the Vinh Thanh commune to see how local farmers plant and harvest the rice; followed by the opportunity to visit a family in a typical Vietnamese rural house and to visit a communal house at Vinh Ngoc Village.

- Mondesa Township, Walvis bay, GBP99

A visit to the Mondesa Township in Swakopmund, which was established in the early 1950s to provide housing for Owambo, Damara and Herero people working in Swakopmund. Mondesa is a township where poverty and unemployment is high and by opening their lives to travellers and visitors, the township community raises awareness and can provide opportunities for growth, friendship, support and a greater understanding between varied cultures.

- Kibbutz voluntour, Ashdod, GBP44

A visit to a kibbutz, a collective community way of living which only exists in Israel. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a mixture of socialism and Zionism with ideals based on the principle of joint ownership of property, equality and cooperation of production, consumption and education. The tour then offers the chance for participation in 'Project Leket' an initiative that sends volunteers into fields and orchards to gather produce for donation to those in need in Israel.

Tours are offered on some longer itineraries, such as Oceana's 24 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise departing February 26 (including a call in Ashdod), and all world cruises. In 2012 Arcadia, Aurora, Oriana and Adonia are offering world cruises of between 87 and 109 nights in duration with shorter sectors available.

Tours are offered in ports of call including Limon, Bali, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur), Phuket and Port Elizabeth.

P&O Cruises managing director, Carol Marlow, said: "We have seen an excellent response to this new collection of tours and this shows that our passengers and crew really value the destinations that they visit and want to give something back.

"The recent Environmental Initiative Award for this programme is fantastic recognition for the steps these Green World Tours are taking to advance the environmental aspect of cruising and we will continue to expand this programme to offer tours to even more passengers in more ports of call."

Green World Tours are also offered to various wildlife centres and charitable projects, such as the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre in Laem Chabang and the Cats and Dogs Rescue Centre in Koh Samui.

*Awarded by Seatrade Insider on September 27, 2011, at the Cruise Awards.

About P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises can trace its roots back to 1837 when the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company was awarded the lucrative Admiralty contract to carry mail to the Iberian Peninsula and beyond. Not long afterwards the concept of cruising was born and since then has evolved into a popular holiday choice and now P&O Cruises carries more British cruisers than any other line. Today, as trusted cruise experts, P&O Cruises has a fleet of seven cruise liners offering holidays tailored to British tastes combining genuine service, a sense of occasion and attention to detail, ensuring passengers have the holiday of a lifetime, every time. Azura was launched in April 2010 - officially named by Godmother Darcey Bussell CBE. Small ship Adonia was added to the fleet in May 2011, named by Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE, and a new 141,000 ton as yet unnamed ship will be added to the fleet in spring 2015. P&O Cruises offer passengers the most stylish and contemporary holidays afloat including Caribbean cruises, Mediterranean Cruises, & luxury mini cruises. P&O Cruises offer direct cruises from southampton or fly-cruise holidays from many regional airports. Don't miss your chance to book a cruise with P&O Cruises today, with plenty of cruise deals online.

Website: http://www.pocruises.com

For further press information please contact:
Michele Andjel, [email protected] 023 8065 6653/07730 732 072
Kate Rist, [email protected] 023 8065 6652/07730 732 065
Jess Reid, [email protected] 023 8065 6650 / 07795 052 973

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