On Thursday 24th May 2018 at 4pm GMT P&O will reveal the much anticipated, and long awaited, name of their shiny new addition to their fleet!
The Powers that be at P&O ran a competition in July last year inviting members of the public to suggest a suitable name for the new ship. Over 30,000 suggestions were received. Of course imaginations ran wild, and more than a little off kilter, to come up with names such as ‘Shippy McShipface’ – careful how you say that! ‘Cruisey McCruiseFace’.
Other more conventional names have been offered up like ‘Phoenix’ ‘Adventurer’ ‘Victoria’ ‘Olympia’ Thankfully a panel of experts will be making the final decision.
So what do we know about P&O’s latest lady? Built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
- Will be largest ship for the UK, arriving in 2020
- Will exceed 180,000 gross tons
- Will accommodate approximately 5,200 guests (lower berths)
- Is their most environmentally efficient yet – The ship will be the most environmentally efficient in P&O Cruises history with “green cruising” design using liquefied natural gas (LNG) to generate the primary source of power both in port and on the open sea.
- Has an uninterrupted half-mile promenade deck
- Has a major new entertainment hub called the Dome – This will come in the form of a clear sky dome, pool with retractable stage, water feature and whirlpools.
- Has 15 places to eat and 10 places to enjoy a drink and see the sea
- 13 entertainment venues from the theatre to adult only venues
- On sale in autumn 2018
Josh Weinstein said: “This is the first time in 20 years that P&O Cruises has had a ship built by Meyer Werft and I’d like to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get us to the first stage in the life of this ground-breaking vessel. Meyer Werft has an enviable track record of producing genuinely innovative ships which also deliver tremendous levels of operational efficiency and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership over the next couple of years to this ship’s completion in 2020 and beyond.” The 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. With passenger numbers set to top over 2 million in 2018. – Exciting days ahead!
If you cant wait until the Big Reveal, check out our latest P&O Top 10 Deals here