The Queen to name P&O Cruises’ Britannia

P&O Cruises has today announced that Her Majesty The Queen will name Britannia, its new flagship vessel, after months of speculation. 

The monarch will be accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh at the naming event at the Ocean Terminal, Southampton, on Tuesday, March 10.

Carnival UK chairman David Dingle said: “We are honoured and proud that Her Majesty will name Britannia almost 20 years after she named the P&O Cruises ship Oriana.

“Britannia, a ship for the nation, will be the embodiment of contemporary Britain, and with her Union Jack livery she will fly the flag for Britain across the Globe.”

The vessel, which is the biggest cruise ship designed for the British holiday market, is due to leave the Fincantieri shipyard and arrive in Southampton on March 6.

You can watch its first moments at sea – filmed late last year – in the video below.

Britannia in numbers

•        141,000 tons
•        3,647 passengers (lower berths)
• 
       1,350 crew
•        15 passenger decks
• 
       13 bars
•        13 places to eat
•        Nine entertainment venues (including a 936-seat theatre)
• 
       Four pools
•        Three-tier feature atrium
• 
       £1m+ art collection
• 
       1,837 cabins (all outside cabins have a balcony), 64 suites, 1,313 balcony cabins (including 15 single balcony cabins), 460 inside cabins (including 12 single inside cabins)

For more information, click here.