A major construction milestone in the future of British cruising has been marked as P&O Cruises cuts the first piece of steel for new ship Arvia.
The 184,700-tonne sister ship to Iona is being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
The company’s second LNG-powered Excel class ship will join the P&O Cruises fleet in December 2022 and holidays on Arvia go on sale next month.
In a speech at the virtual ceremony P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “The steel cutting marks an extraordinary milestone for the future of P&O Cruises.
“It is a future which will include two of the most environmentally innovative ships in the world today.
“Iona is poised to join our fleet this summer as we return to service and is eagerly anticipated by our employees, crew and certainly by our guests who cannot wait to sail on her during her maiden season from Southampton.
“Whilst Arvia may have a different look and feel to Iona, being built to sail in the sun, the inherent DNA is the same. It is one which exemplifies design excellence, forward-thinking power generation and future-focused experiences. The hardware, technology and interior arrangement of spaces leaves nothing lacking. Every sheet of metal, every control panel, every cabin, light fitting and chair has been designed and debated to ensure that it provides a pinnacle holiday for our guests and the foremost working and living experience for our crew.
“Over the next two years we will see this DNA evolve into our vision as our new ship takes shape and Arvia will join the fleet in December 2022.
“I would like to thank the entire team at Meyer Werft for their partnership and dedication as we begin the build of another spectacular ship.”
The name Arvia, meaning “from the seashore”, was unveiled earlier this month through a video reveal outlining the letters in different locations, all relating to the beach and seashore.
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CruiseMiss Cruise Blog 
What a lovely name for a ship.
To big for us far to many people on board I really hope p&o keep at least a couple of smaller ships as not everybody likes these monster sized ships