Southampton's 2004 summer cruising season is now in full swing but details have already been released of city-based voyage programmes for next year and even 2006.

While the UK shivers in the depths of winter three of P&O Cruises' Southampton fleet of vessels will be wandering the oceans of the globe, following the sun.

P&O Cruises' superliners Oriana and Aurora will both be undertaking world voyages at the beginning of 2005 while the 44,348-ton, adults-only Artemis, which joins the Southampton fleet and is at present sailing as Royal Princess, will also circumnavigate the globe from October of next year to February, 2006.

The 69,153-ton Oriana, one of P&O Cruises most successful vessels, begins her 80-night westbound voyage from Southampton on Friday, January 7 with destinations in the Caribbean, Panama Canal, USA, the Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, the Far East, India, the Suez Canal, Greece, Spain and returning to her home port on Tuesday, March 29.

Just two days later the 76,152-ton Aurora will also leave Southampton and head towards the west but this time on a 103-night voyage with destinations including South America, the Falkland Islands, Cape Horn, Easter Island, the Pacific, New Zealand, Australia and the Far East, before returning across the Pacific to the USA, Mexico, Panama Canal and the Caribbean and arriving in Southampton on Friday, April 22.

Artemis's maiden voyage around the world will depart from the city's docks on Tuesday, October 25 for a 110-night cruise to South America, Cape Horn, the Pacific Islands, Australia for Christmas and New Year in New Zealand, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, USA, Mexico, Panama Canal, the Caribbean, the Azores and back in Southampton on Sunday, February 12, 2006.