P&O Cruises announces official shirt sleeve partnership with Southampton Football Club

This partnership, the first sports sponsorship for P&O Cruises, will also offer exclusive benefits and experiences to P&O Cruises guests and Southampton FC members and fans, including cruise offers, match tickets, meet and greet events and onboard coaching.

With pre-season preparations well under way for all Southampton FC teams, fans will first see the P&O Cruises logo on Southampton FC’s men's First Team kits at the home friendly match against Lazio on August 7, 2024 and then from the start of the Premier League season away to Newcastle United on August 17, 2024. The first home league match is the following Saturday against Nottingham Forest at St Mary’s Stadium. All fans who purchase or have already purchased any of the Southampton FC 2024/25 replica kits will be able to go into the Southampton FC stadium store to have the P&O Cruises branding applied to their shirts free of charge, subject to availability from August 6, 2024.

Carnival UK & P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “P&O Cruises is Britain’s favourite cruise line, with a long history sailing from the port of Southampton. Southampton Football Club is one of the oldest and most forward-thinking clubs in English football, with a passionate and dedicated following of supporters in the city and beyond. It is a natural partnership for both of us.

“With the team promoted to the Premier League there has never been a better time to showcase our brand to the nation but whatever the results we will be supporting the teams wholeheartedly throughout the seasons.

“We are so pleased to be able to support the local and regional community through Saint’s Foundation, a local community charity which aims to level the playing field in Southampton, working across health, education, gender equality and employability. We look forward to creating a longer term wider partnership with Saints Foundation and will announce more details of this shortly.”

Ludlow continued: “We are delighted to be the first company to sponsor the men’s, women’s and Academy shirts to promote diversity, equality and to encourage grass roots football and nurture new talent.

“Investing in our home port regions and in the communities in which we live and visit is vitally important to us and this partnership underpins our commitment to the region.”

Commenting on the partnership, Southampton Football Club CEO Phil Parsons said: “We are delighted to welcome P&O Cruises as our sleeve partner. This is a historic partnership for us, working with P&O Cruises for the first time. 

“P&O Cruises is an organisation right at the heart in our city, much like us. With customer service and local community central to its business, its values are aligned to our own. We look forward to what this partnership will bring to our fans and the local community.”