P&O Cruises Iona is the newest ship to join the already much-celebrated fleet and will set sail in 2020…
After months of deliberation and anticipation, P&O Cruises has finally revealed the name of their brand new ship – Iona, in a celebration of the sea and our island nation. Inspired by the island in the same name in the Inner Hebrides off the coast of Scotland, the name was revealed by Stephen Mulhern. This follows from a competition last year where cruise fans were asked to put forth their name suggestions.
Stephen Mulhern headed to the island Iona where he showed a magical presentation to celebrate and announce the new P&O Cruise ship launch. Construction has already kicked off and May 2020 is the year it will set sail and welcome the first guests.
Whilst the full details are yet to be revealed, so far we know P&O Cruises Iona will feature a half-mile “Lanai” deck – an outdoor covered promenade with alfresco restaurants and bars, the focal point will be the atrium with triple-deck glass panels, a grand staircase and overhead walkways. There will be a dome on top of the ship which will serve as one of four onboard entertainment spaces and will feature a range of aerial performances as well as projections onto the roof and immersive shows. There will be seventeen eateries, seven speciality restaurants, twelve bars, thirteen entertainment venues, four swimming pools and sixteen whirlpools.
P&O Cruises Senior Vice President Paul Ludlow said: “We are an island nation and as Britain’s favourite cruise line it seems very fitting to highlight one of our most notable islands and celebrate the geographic diversity of the UK, especially as we can trace back our roots to the Scottish Isles.
“Iona played a significant part in shaping the history of our nation and we hope that with this very special name our new ship will shape the future of holidays at sea for generations.”
He added: “Iona is known for its peace and tranquillity, stunning landscape and, most importantly, the view of the ocean from almost every point on the island. This mirrors our primary intention when building the ship, which was to make the sea the star.
“Throughout the design process we were mindful that we were building a ship, not a hotel, and the intrinsic beauty of the sea, the vistas of the coastlines and ports of call should be at the fore and visible as much as possible from all areas of the ship.”
Voyages aboard P&O Cruises Iona will be on sale from September. Visit pocruises.com for more details.
