Southampton-based P&O Cruises launches advertising campaign to escape ferry link
Watch a video released by P&O Cruises clarifying it is not part of P&O Ferries
P&O Cruises has launched an advertising campaign in a bid to distance itself from the under-fire P&O ferries scandal.
The Southampton-based firm has today (Friday 25 March) published a full page advert in several of the daily newspapers.
It's the second time in under two weeks the firm has been forced to clarify that it has no links with P&O Ferries.
The company posted an image of a discriminating tweet, in which someone posted "I hope P&O are boycotted by every customer who wants a cruise."
Alongside it, the advert read: "We've had a lot of messages over the last week, and some people confused us with another company.
"Our names may both begin with P&O, but that's where the similarity ends.
"P&O Cruises is Britain's biggest cruise line.
"We are part of Carnival Corporation plc, and we have been for 20 years."
The campaign comes just a day after P&O Ferries boss Peter Hebblethwaite was grilled by committee of MPs.
The chief executive admitted that the ferry operator chose not to consult with trade unions over the brutal sacking of 800 workers. He was also questioned about his salary, and the salary of agency staff taking over from the sacked seafarers.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the CEO should resign after his “brazen” and “breathtaking” comments about “knowingly breaking the law”.
Last week, when news broke of the sackings, P&O Cruises attempted to distance itself from the ferry firm.
On its website and social media channels, the company said: "P&O Cruises is part of Carnival Corporation & PLC and as such is entirely unrelated to P&O Ferries.
"Our thoughts go out to all those affected by yesterday’s news. However, please be assured it’s business as usual on our cruises and our crew look forward to welcoming you on board soon."
In a statement released on Friday, responding to the advertising campaign, a spokesperson for the company said: “We wanted to clarify any possible confusion in the mind of the public and media.
"We are P&O Cruises and we are part of the world’s largest leisure travel organisation which is Carnival Corporation & plc and we have been for 20 years.
"We are the market leading cruise line in the UK with six ships sailing primarily from our home port of Southampton and also from Barbados in the winter with two ships and in Tenerife and Malta for Canary Islands/Med/Greek islands fly/cruise holidays.”