P&O Cruises has just revealed the name of its newest ship launching in two years time: Iona.
If you need a P&O cruise sooner than 2020, check out every 2019 sailing right here!
The 5,200-passenger ship will be the largest ever vessel dedicated to the British market and the first ship run on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
P&O ran a competition last year inviting members of the public to name the new ship, which led to 30,000 suggestions.
P&O Cruises Senior Vice President Paul Ludlow commented in a tweet earlier on today: “The name of the new P&O Cruises ship has been magically revealed by Stephen Mulhern. A nod to our historic links with Scotland, as well as a celebration of our island nation’s connection to the sea.
The countdown begins to 2020 when she arrives in Southampton. #Iona “
Over 30,000 people entered to name our new ship joining the fleet in May 2020. Our expert panel have whittled it down to one and we can now reveal the winning name! https://t.co/o2lHjh900J pic.twitter.com/xsSUHTlWE1
— P&O Cruises (@pandocruises) May 24, 2018
This week, the line cut the first piece of steel for the ship, which is being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, but only a select few details have been revealed:
-As with all the rest of the ships in the fleet, the emphasis will be on food, drink and entertainment
-It will feature a half-mile “Lanai” deck- an outdoor, covered promenade that will include alfresco restaurants and bars
-The focal point of the ship will be the Atrium, which will feature triple-deck glass panels
-There will be a grand staircase, a gallery and overhead walkways
-A giant dome on top of the ship will be one of four onboard entertainment spaces, featuring aerial performances, projections onto the roof and immersive shows
-The ship will have 17 eateries, including seven speciality restaurants (in comparison to Britannia’s three), 12 bars, 13 entertainment venues, three pop-up entertainment spaces/venues, four swimming pools (three outside and one inside) and 16 whirlpools
Ludlow said: “Our new ship will be the largest ship ever operated by the brand and the largest ever to be dedicated exclusively to the UK cruise industry.
“It will also be the first ship in our market to be powered by LNG, the most environmentally friendly power source yet for large-scale cruise ships.
With UK passenger numbers set to top 2 million for the first time this year, we are confident in cruising’s future and believe that there will be an exceptionally positive UK response to this ship and the innovations it will bring.
We also expect this ship to persuade many UK consumers to take that all-important first cruise.”
Iona will officially go on sale in September but pre-register here to be first in line! And have your say on the new announcement below…
What did you vote in our poll? Did you officially suggest a name for P&O’s 2020 ship? Could you think of anything more perfect than Iona? Leave us your verdict below!
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