With the delivery, the new cruise line flagship will be incorporated into the P&O Cruises fleet to be ready for service when the cruise industry restarts in Biritsh.

Before her handover, during many test voyages on the North Sea, the Iona had proven her seaworthiness and successfully completed several technological and nautical tests.

The Iona is the first of two new vessels ordered for the P&O Cruises brand by Carnival Corporation.

Iona, capable of accommodating 5,200 passengers, has been described as the biggest cruise ship in Britain. She is also the first ship to be operated by LNG on the UK cruise market.

Six more cruise ships have already been ordered from Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku for other brands of the company by Carnival Corporation.

“This is really a very special delivery for us for a variety of reasons. Not only because of the current Corona crisis, but also be-cause we delivered Aurora to P&O Cruises exactly 20 years ago. Iona is an exceptional ship that marks a milestone in our long partnership with P&O Cruises,” Jan Meyer, Managing Director stated.

Maritime Business World