P&O Ventura Delayed 24 Hours by Storms Austen and Boelo: What Guests Lose and What They Get Back

The Walking Cruiser

3 days ago

6 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Ventura's 24 October Southampton cruise is now a 6-night sailing, Cherbourg is cancelled, and compensation comes as future cruise credit rather than cash.

P&O Cruises' Ventura has lost a full day to the weather. Storms Austen and Boelo held the ship back from Southampton for 24 hours, so the cruise that should have sailed on Saturday 24 October only leaves today, Sunday 25 October. It is now six nights instead of seven, the only French port has gone, and the payback for that lost day is a future cruise credit, not money back in your pocket.

Key Facts

Ship: P&O Cruises' Ventura, a 3,192-guest ship sailing round trip from Southampton
What happened: her return to Southampton was pushed back 24 hours by Storms Austen and Boelo, and she arrived at 6:07 a.m. on Sunday 25 October
Knock-on effect: the 24 October departure became a Sunday 25 October departure, turning a 7-night France, Spain and Portugal cruise into 6 nights
Port lost: Cherbourg, cancelled because of protests and unrest in France (and now impossible anyway with the late start)
Ports kept: Porto (Tuesday 27 October), Lisbon (Wednesday 28), Vigo (Thursday 29), back in Southampton on Saturday 31 October
Compensation: a future cruise credit worth one day of the fare, not a cash refund

What happened to Ventura in Southampton?

So, here's the timeline. Ventura was due to finish her previous 7-night cruise in Southampton on Saturday 24 October. The weather in the Channel had other ideas. According to Cruise Hive, which first reported the story, the ship didn't tie up until just after 6 a.m. on Sunday, based on the Associated British Ports cruise schedule.

Guests booked on the next sailing found out on Friday 23 October, the day before they were due to board. P&O's email said its Southampton operations team and the port authority had "delayed Ventura's arrival into Southampton by 24 hours" because of the two storms.

Check-in times stayed the same, just moved to Sunday. The port schedule has Ventura sailing out at 4 p.m. this afternoon.

That's the cleanest way a delay like this can play out, to be fair. You arrive at the terminal at the time you expected, just a day later. But if you'd booked a Saturday night hotel, a Saturday train, or a pet sitter on a strict end date, that one-day shift is a real headache.

Why was Cherbourg cancelled?

Now, this is the bit that's easy to miss. Cherbourg wasn't dropped because of the weather. P&O told guests it had cancelled the call following recent protests and civil unrest in France.

In practice it doesn't change much. Cherbourg was the Sunday stop and the ship is only just leaving Southampton on Sunday, so it was never happening. But it's worth knowing, because France has been a problem for UK cruises for over a week now. Several ships have reshuffled French calls because of protests and strikes, and Le Havre has been hit too. If your next cruise has a French port in the next few weeks, I'd keep half an eye on the news.

What's left is the Iberian half of the cruise: Porto on Tuesday, Lisbon on Wednesday and Vigo on Thursday, then a day at sea back to Southampton for Saturday 31 October. The return date hasn't moved, so your journey home stays exactly as planned.

Storm Austen, Storm Boelo and the English Channel this week

Ventura isn't on her own here. Storm Austen has been knocking UK cruises about all week, and I covered the first wave of disruption here: Storm Austen disrupts UK cruises. Since then, MSC Virtuosa has spent an extra night in Southampton waiting it out, and P&O's Arvia and Iona, MSC Preziosa and Ambassador's Ambition have all had their itineraries changed.

What's new with Ventura is Storm Boelo getting a mention in P&O's own wording. Ambition had already been dodging both storms up in Norway, but this is the first time I've seen a Southampton departure delayed by the pair of them.

As for conditions, Cruise Hive notes that the Met Office had no current warnings for the English Channel on Sunday. But wind readings from Windy.com showed roughly 35 to 40 mph across the Channel in the early hours, only slightly down from Saturday night, with speeds expected to ease through the day. So Ventura should be sailing into calmer water than she came home in. But the first evening out could still have a bit of movement, so if you're prone to seasickness, take whatever works for you before dinner rather than after.

What compensation are Ventura guests getting?

Here's the part that's annoyed people. P&O is giving every guest a future cruise credit worth one day of their cruise. It has to be used on another P&O booking, and it isn't being paid in cash.

Some guests have been vocal about it in Facebook groups. The general feeling is that they paid for seven nights, they're getting six, and a credit is only worth something if you plan to sail with P&O again. A couple of people said plainly that they don't.

I get both sides. Weather isn't P&O's fault, and cruise contracts almost always give the line the right to change itineraries for safety. Strictly speaking, they don't have to give you anything for a port swap. But losing a whole day of the holiday is different from losing a port, and a cash refund for that day would have gone down far better.

A few guests have also asked about their drinks packages and WiFi. Will a 7-night package be cut to 6 nights' worth? P&O's first emails didn't mention it either way, so that's unconfirmed for now. If you're on this sailing, ask at Reception in the first day or so, while it's still easy to sort out.

What this means if you're sailing from Southampton soon

Late October into November is storm season in the Channel, and this week shows how fast it can stack up. Here's my honest take:

Build slack into your travel. If you can, don't book a non-refundable hotel or train that only works if the ship sails exactly on time.
Check your travel insurance for delay cover. Policies vary a lot on what counts as a delayed departure and what they'll pay. Read yours before you go, not at the terminal.
Watch your inbox and the P&O app the day before. Ventura's guests were told on Friday for a Saturday sailing. Expect late notice, not a week's warning.
Know how the compensation works. Weather changes usually mean onboard credit or future cruise credit, not cash. I explain what lines typically offer in What Cruise Lines Refund When a Port Is Missed.

FAQ

Why was P&O Ventura delayed in October 2026?

Storms Austen and Boelo forced Southampton operations and the port authority to hold back Ventura's arrival by 24 hours. She arrived early on Sunday 25 October instead of Saturday 24 October, which pushed the next cruise's departure back a full day.

Is the Ventura cruise still going ahead?

Yes. The 24 October sailing now leaves Southampton on Sunday 25 October at 4 p.m. as a 6-night cruise. It still calls at Porto, Lisbon and Vigo and returns to Southampton on Saturday 31 October as originally planned.

What compensation is P&O giving for the lost day on Ventura?

P&O is offering a future cruise credit worth one day of each guest's fare. It can only be used on a future P&O Cruises booking and is not being paid as cash. P&O's initial emails didn't say whether drinks packages or WiFi will be adjusted for the shorter cruise.

Why did Ventura cancel Cherbourg?

P&O cancelled the Cherbourg call because of protests and civil unrest in France, not because of the weather. With the ship only leaving Southampton on the Sunday Cherbourg was scheduled, the call couldn't have happened anyway.

Are other cruise ships affected by Storm Austen and Storm Boelo?

Yes. MSC Virtuosa stayed an extra night in Southampton, and P&O's Arvia and Iona, MSC Preziosa and Ambassador's Ambition have all had itinerary changes linked to the storms this week. French protests and strikes have also cost some ships their French ports.

Final thoughts

So, nobody's in danger here, and the important bits of the cruise survive: Porto, Lisbon and Vigo are all still on, and you're home on the same day. But losing a full day and getting a credit you can only spend with P&O is a tough pill if this was your one cruise of the year. Weather is weather. How lines handle the money afterwards is what people remember.

Are you on Ventura this week, or did Storm Austen hit your sailing too? Tell me in the comments what you were offered. And if you want more honest, no-fluff cruise news and ship reviews, subscribe to The Walking Cruiser on YouTube.