P&O Select Price vs Early Saver: 2026 UK guide
Cruise Advisor planning guide. Verify changing prices, policies and itineraries with the relevant provider before booking.
P&O Select Price vs Early Saver is one of the most common booking dilemmas UK cruisers face in 2026. The names sound similar, both fares include the core elements of a P&O holiday, and Early Saver often shows a lower headline figure. But there are meaningful trade‑offs around cabin choice, dining priority, upgrade priority and, on longer cruises, the extras you can choose at Select Price. This guide uses P&O’s own fare page and current booking terms to help you decide which is better for your specific sailing, and how to avoid treating a cheaper sticker price as automatically better value. If you’re planning your wider budget, you may also find our money‑saving hub helpful: How to save money on a cruise.
Pick Select Price if you want to choose your exact cabin number, have first priority for dining time/table size and upgrades, want the option of onboard spending money or Southampton car parking/return coach transfer on 7+ night cruises, and value the flexibility to change up to the balance due date (per P&O’s fare page and current booking terms). Choose Early Saver if you’re happy for P&O to allocate your cabin, you can accept second priority for dining/upgrades, you have firm plans, and you see a meaningful live price saving for your date and cabin type.
According to P&O Cruises’ Our Prices Explained page, both Select Price and Early Saver include the core elements of a P&O holiday: your accommodation, dining in the main restaurants, buffet and pool‑side venues, entertainment, swimming pools, and—on fly‑cruise holidays—flights and transfers. That means your basic holiday is covered whichever fare name you choose. Where they differ is in availability, cabin choice, priority for dining and upgrades, included extras on longer cruises, and booking flexibility. Always verify the current inclusions on P&O’s official page before you book, as fare wording may be updated by the line.
P&O’s fare page says Select Price is available on all cruises, while Early Saver appears only on selected cruises at selected times and selected cabin types. That has two practical implications in 2026: - If you’re planning far ahead, you may see only Select Price initially. Early Saver may appear later, but it is never guaranteed for any given sailing. - Even when Early Saver does appear, the cabin types it applies to are limited, and P&O will allocate your cabin number. If you’re holding out for Early Saver, be comfortable with the risk that your preferred date, itinerary or cabin category could sell out at that fare type. If location matters to you, Select Price removes the wait‑and‑see and lets you choose a specific cabin number now.
Select Price allows you to choose your cabin number. Early Saver does not—you select a cabin type and P&O allocates the number. If you care about a very quiet spot, avoiding particular elevators, proximity to kids’ clubs, or a midships location, that ability to pick a number can be decisive. If you’re relaxed about location within the cabin type you booked, Early Saver can work well. For a broader look at this trade‑off beyond P&O, see our guide: Guarantee cabin vs choose your cabin on a cruise.
Official sources
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