<Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> P&O Cruises </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> Footnotes / references P&O House Flag </Td> </Tr> <P> P&O Cruises is a British cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc . Originally a constituent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first commercial passenger ships in the early 19th century . It is the sister company of, and retains strong links with, P&O Cruises Australia . P&O Cruises was de-merged from the P&O group in 2000, becoming a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises plc, which subsequently merged with Carnival Corporation in 2003, to form Carnival Corporation & plc . P&O Cruises currently operates seven cruise ships and has a 2.4% market share of all cruise lines worldwide . Its most recent vessel, flagship Britannia, joined the fleet in March 2015 . </P> <P> P&O Cruises originates from 1822, with the formation of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which began life as a partnership between Brodie McGhie Willcox, a London ship broker, and Arthur Anderson, a sailor from the Shetland Isles . The company first operated a shipping line with routes between England and the Iberian Peninsula, adopting the name Peninsular Steam Navigation Company . In 1837, the company won a contract to deliver mail to the Peninsula, with its first mail ship, RMS Don Juan, departing from London on 1 September 1837 . The ship collected mail from Falmouth four days later, however it hit rocks on the homeward bound leg of the trip . The company's reputation survived only because all objects including mail were rescued . </P>

What does p&o stand for in p&o cruises