A couple who first met on board a P&O Cruises ship in 2019 are marking Valentine’s Day by celebrating a romance that has spanned multiple sailings, an engagement in the Norwegian fjords, a wedding at sea and now their first cruise as parents.
Hannah, 25, and Mitchell Still, 28, from St Neots, first crossed paths on Ventura in September 2019 during a sailing to Amsterdam and Bruges. What began as a light-hearted prank on the opening night has since evolved into a relationship that has played out almost entirely on ships in the P&O Cruises fleet.
The pair, now parents to three-month-old daughter Mae, are preparing to introduce her to cruising this June when they sail to the Norwegian fjords on Iona, joined by extended family.
A Meeting Written In The Stars
Hannah, who grew up in Southampton and has holidayed with P&O Cruises since the age of 11, met Mitchell’s friends in Brodie’s Bar on the first evening of the cruise. Mitchell, meanwhile, was asleep in his cabin on what was his first ever cruise.
“It was destiny that I met the love of my life on a cruise,” Hannah said. “I’d spent so much of my childhood sailing the world with P&O Cruises and it just feels so magical that cruising is a huge part of our story.”
Recalling the moment they were introduced, she added: “I was 19 and convinced it was just a holiday romance. I met his friends first and they said Mitchell was asleep in his cabin. It was his first ever cruise. They dared me to wake him up as a prank. I remember saying to him, ‘hello, it’s the girl of your dreams’ and somehow, I was right!”
As Ventura sailed across the North Sea, the couple quickly became inseparable. Their first date took place ashore in Bruges, followed days later by their first kiss in the ship’s Havana nightclub.
“As it happens, my dad was in the vicinity when we had our first kiss. He was giving Mitchell the ‘I have my eyes on you’ look like Robert De Niro from Meet the Parents.
“But there’s something amazing about being on a ship – you’re away from real life, work doesn’t exist, and you’re your best self,” she said. “We spent so much time just talking, including an entire night at the buffet one evening.
“It all just clicked, and I think the uniqueness of the peaceful backdrop of the sea coupled with the energy on board, brought out this beautiful chemistry in us.”
When the cruise came to an end, the reality of parting ways was difficult.
“I cried the whole way home,” Hannah recalled. “Ventura wasn’t just where we met, it felt like a character in our story.”
From Engagement At Sea To Wedding On The Ocean
Cruising soon became central to the couple’s relationship, with return sailings helping to cement their bond. A subsequent trip to the Canary Islands on Ventura strengthened their connection.
In 2023, Mitchell proposed while the couple were sailing through the Norwegian fjords on Britannia. He asked Hannah to marry him ashore in Flåm, beside a waterfall.
That evening, the ship’s dining team marked the occasion with a handwritten ‘Happy Engagement’ message on their menu, which Hannah has kept as a memento.
“When I realised you could actually get married at sea, there was no question,” she said. “It had to be a P&O Cruises ship. I didn’t care about anything else.”
The couple married in May 2025 on board Azura, Ventura’s sister ship, during a Greek Islands cruise. The ceremony took place in the Planet Bar, with panoramic ocean views providing the backdrop.
Hannah said: “Walking around the ship afterwards with everyone clapping was surreal – I felt like a film star. Even the entertainment hosts remembered us from our very first cruise years earlier and gave us a wedding gift. It honestly felt like all the stars had aligned.”
A New Generation Of Cruisers
Mae was born in November and, at just three months old, is already preparing for her first sailing. In June, the family will board Iona for a fjords cruise, joined by relatives in what Hannah describes as “a real family affair”.
“Cruising has always been part of my life, and continuing that tradition for Mae feels so special,” she said. “Watching her look out at the fjords for the first time – I can’t wait.”
The couple’s home features reminders of their maritime milestones, including model ships of Ventura and Azura and nautical-themed wedding gifts, such as an anchor-shaped doorbell.
“People buy us cruise-themed presents because everyone knows how much it means to us,” Hannah said.
Reflecting on their journey, she added: “It’s like a dream. To know that P&O Cruises played such a huge role in our love story – and that we’re now continuing it as a family – feels incredibly special.
“We can’t wait to tell Mae one day that it all started on a ship. I feel so privileged to have spent so much time sailing the world and I’m just so excited for Mae to feel that same spark for cruising that I do.”
Carnival UK & P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “Hannah and Mitchell’s story is a wonderful example of the meaningful connections people make at sea. From meeting and falling in love, to getting engaged, married and now returning with their daughter, it’s incredibly special to see how P&O Cruises has been part of every chapter of their journey. Our ships are designed to bring people together, create unforgettable moments and become a part of life’s biggest milestones – and this story really brings that to life.”
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