The line has struck agreements with agencies including Barrhead Travel, Midcounties Co-operative and Hays Travel to feature the individual companies’ tailored call-to-action at the end of its national wave advert, in their chosen region.

The new advert features Rob Brydon and will air on terrestrial
and satellite channels throughout January and February, beginning on Christmas Day during the 8pm showing of Maigret on ITV.

Alex White, Carnival UK vice- president of sales, told TTG:
“We know that regionally these partners have an incredibly loyal customer base.

“We trialled the concept in September and October and it proved really successful – we have pretty much the whole of the UK covered on a regional basis.”

Paul Ludlow, P&O Cruises senior vice-president, added: “We’ll be the only cruise company working with agents on national TV.

“It’s not been done before because nobody else has the scale that we have.

“This helps demonstrate we’re about growing together with agents rather than in any way trying to grow our direct channels.”

The pair said that P&O’s wave campaign was intended to be its “biggest ever”, featuring prize giveaways worth £12,000.

This year, users will be able to select scenes from the advert online and “decide what Rob and his friends should do next”, before watching alternative endings to the TV advert.

The brand hopes this interactive element will help the advert to “go viral”.

“Bookings are ahead of last year, which was a great year, so there’s reason to believe that what we’re doing at the moment is right,” said Ludlow.

“We’ve found with our guests and travel agents that when we talk about P&O Cruises now, we’re talking about it in a way they understand.

“Rob [Brydon] is a personality that people can relate to and who is universally loved – it’s the nice balance between aspiration and reality.”

White said agents should “keep an eye” on social media throughout the wave period for “localised incentives” and games.

P&O’s field team will also be out in the Minis that are up for grabs as part of the line’s agent incentive, branded with its ship livery.