P&O Cruises Announces Delivery Date For New Mega Cruise Ship Iona

P&O Cruises has announced plans for its brand new highly anticipated mega-ship, Iona.

Iona was originally scheduled to launch in April this year but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Set to be one of the biggest cruise ship launches of the year, P&O has remained relatively quiet about Iona, until now.

The cruise line has now announced that it plans to take delivery of the new ship “before the autumn”, with her unnamed sister ship set to be delivered in December 2022.

Iona and her sister ship are currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The latest addition to P&O Cruises fleet, Iona will be the largest cruise ship ever built for the UK market, with a passenger capacity of 5,206 complemented by 1,800 crew.

With 17 guests decks, the ship will weigh a staggering 185,000 tonnes and feature amenities like a glass SkyDome and 29 different drinking and dining venues.

“Whilst our operations as currently paused, we are delighted that we have more clarity on the arrival of these two new ships,” said Paul Ludlow, P&O Cruises president on the news.

“The final outfitting of Iona is almost complete and is looking stunning and we will take delivery of her before the autumn. We also now know that her sister ship will join the fleet at the end of 2022.

“Both ships are eagerly anticipated by our guests and we are seeing strong demand for the future. The space on these two ships will allow for extraordinary experiences; visual entertainment displays; new dining concepts and many new areas for relaxation and indulgence.”

Itineraries for Iona are currently on sale, with the magnificent new ship set to sail the waters of the Norwegian Fjords, Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe.

Itineraries for Iona‘s sister ship, set to launch in December 2022, will go on sale from spring 2021.

The news of two new ships will come as music to the ears of P&O Cruises fans, as the line recently announced the departure of its beloved cruise ship, Oceana, back in July.