At an official handover ceremony with the Meyer Werft shipyard on Thursday, December 15th, 2022, P&O Cruises UK took ownership of fleet's newest vessel - MS Arvia, which is sistership to Iona - the largest cruise vessel ever built for the UK market.
The 185,000 GT-ton, 345-m-long Arvia is P&O UK's second LNG-powered ship, and among the marine industry’s most advanced vessels. P&O Arvia has an optimized hull design to minimize drag and is installed with the latest energy-efficient technology onboard.
Paul Ludlow (P&O UK's President), who was present at the official event in Bremerhaven and signed the Protocol for Delivery and Acceptance said Arvia, as the latest evolution in the P&O Cruises experience, embodied the newest trends in travel, dining, and entertainment and was "the epitome of a sunshine resort sailing year-round to the warmest climates."
"It takes its sister ship Iona’s design aesthetic and general arrangement but provides new and exciting outside and inside spaces which make the most of Arvia’s deployment to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.
“Arvia is a very evident symbol of optimism for the future of the cruise industry as we see a new generation recognising the value for money and individuality of a holiday at sea.
“The ship is now officially part of the P&O Cruises fleet and we are focused on readying her to welcome guests for the maiden cruise on December 23 before departure to the Caribbean on January 6, 2023 for a winter season from Barbados."