Cruise news

Take That hitmaker Gary Barlow will provide the soundtrack as P&O’s sparkling new ship Iona is named today in Southampton in a ceremony long delayed by the pandemic.

A bottle of Britpop cider created by ex-Blur bassist Alex James will be smashed against the side of her hull by travel industry legend Dame Irene Hays, the godmother to the ship, watched by an invited virtual audience. The 5,200 passenger, 184,700 gross tonnage Iona will be the largest cruise ship ever built for the UK market and is the first British cruise ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Ahead of the event, here’s a first look at Iona’s dazzling interiors – from the spectacular three-deck atrium and light-drenched SkyDome pool and entertainment venue to the Keel & Cow gastropub.

Her inaugural voyage is to her namesake Scottish island on August 7. pocruises.com