P&O announces shirt sleeve partnership with Southampton FC

As part of the multi-year partnership, the P&O Cruises logo will sit pride of place across the men’s, women’s and academy teams’ sleeve. 

First sports sponsor

This partnership, the first sports sponsorship for P&O Cruises, will also offer exclusive benefits and experiences to P&O Cruises customers and Southampton FC members and fans, including cruise offers, match tickets, meet and greet events and onboard coaching.

‘...Southampton Football Club is one of the oldest and most forward-thinking clubs in English football, with a passionate and dedicated following of supporters in the city and beyond. It is a natural partnership for both of us,’ said Carnival UK & P&O Cruises President Paul Ludlow.

‘With the team promoted to the Premier League there has never been a better time to showcase our brand to the nation, but whatever the results we will be supporting the teams wholeheartedly throughout the seasons.’ 

Ludlow went on to say that P&O Cruises is ‘delighted’ to sponsor the shirts ‘to promote diversity, equality and to encourage grass roots football and nurture new talent.’ He said, ‘Investing in our home port regions and in the communities in which we live and visit is vitally important to us and this partnership underpins our commitment to the region.’

P&O Cruises has a long history of sailing from Southampton and supports the local and regional community through Saint’s Foundation – a local community charity which aims to level the playing field in the city, working across health, education, gender equality and employability. Ludlow said, ‘We look forward to creating a longer term wider partnership with Saints Foundation and will announce more details of this shortly.’ 

Matches

The logo will first be visible on Southampton FC’s men's First Team kits at the home friendly match against Lazio on August 7, and then from the start of the Premier League season away to Newcastle United on August 17. 

The first home league match is the following Saturday against Nottingham Forest at St Mary’s Stadium. All fans who purchase or have already purchased any of the Southampton FC 2024/25 replica kits will be able to go into the Southampton FC stadium store to have the P&O Cruises branding applied to their shirts free of charge, subject to availability from August 6. 

Commenting on the partnership, Southampton Football Club CEO Phil Parsons said, ‘We are delighted to welcome P&O Cruises as our sleeve partner. This is a historic partnership for us, working with P&O Cruises for the first time. 

‘P&O Cruises is an organisation right at the heart of our city, much like us. With customer service and local community central to its business, its values are aligned to our own. We look forward to what this partnership will bring to our fans and the local community.’