The world circumnavigations will be on Aurora and Arcadia, with Aurora’s itinerary echoing the trade routes of the British Empire in homage to the line’s 180 years of heritage.

The ship will sail a 104-night eastern circumnavigation from Southampton, and will call at 35 destinations in 21 countries. It will depart on January 9, 2017, and will feature 23 new ports of call, compared with the cruise ship’s 2016 itinerary.

It will also include four overnight stays in Dubai, Singapore, Sydney and San Francisco, and seven evening calls.

Meanwhile Arcadia’s 114-night “Polynesian and Asian adventure” will be a full-world western circumnavigation from Southampton calling at 37 destinations in 21 countries.

The ship will depart on January 2, 2017, with 22 new ports of call, compared with Arcadia’s 2016 world cruise. It will also feature five overnight stays in San Francisco, Auckland, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore and nine evening calls.

Both ships will also transit the Panama and Suez Canals.

Marketing director Christopher Edgington said the round-the-world sailings were designed for empty nesters looking for “long-haul adventure and… memories”.

“P&O Cruises has a reputation for offering original and appealing world cruise itineraries which we spend a lot of time planning, based on extensive research and trends,” he added.

Also on offer in the 2017 collection is a 50-night cruise round trip from Southampton to the Caribbean onboard Oriana. It will call at 17 destinations in 13 countries, and will also sail the Amazon over six days.

Oriana will additionally offer two 12-night Northern Lights cruise itineraries round-trip from Southampton calling at Andalsnes, Tromso, Alta (overnight) and Stavanger, as well as cruising in Romsdalsfjord.