P&O Cruises announced a considerable expansion of its fleet last week by the addition of a cruise ship weighing 141, 000 GRT. The ship will be built by Fincantieri ship yards in Italy. The new ship will be part of the service only by March 2015 at the earliest.
The ship is as yet unnamed and has a capacity of three thousand six hundred and eleven passengers. The ship will be the largest in size among the fleet of P&O Cruises. The ship is the largest cruise ship that is built aiming at the British Market specifically.
The ship will be built at the Monfalcone yard of Fincantieri and will have an all in cost of about € 155,000 per lower berth. The ship will usher in an era of excitement for P&O cruises, and will feature an innovative and stylish design. The passenger facilities will be an unprecedented number, as well as the iconic and classic features of the brand. The product innovations as well as the various specifications of the ship will be revealed at a later date.
Micky Arison, CEO and Chairman of Carnival Corporation and PLC, stated that P&O is the number one cruise operator in Britain and has a rich British heritage. The ship will be targeted specifically for customers from Britain, and the country will be a key growth market.
Carol Marlow, Managing Director of P&O Cruises said that the ship will literally offer ‘the best of the best’ in the way that it will combine the features that made ships such as Aurora and Oriana famous, as well as the variety and choice typical of the Azura and Ventura. This will be along with a large number of concepts and ideas that the new ship will be equipped with.