Iona, the first of two 185,000 gross ton LNG powered cruise ships for P&O Cruises in the UK, has been floated out at the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The ship will operate a series of cruises to Norway from Southampton in the summer and to the Iberian peninsula, Atlantic islands and the Mediterranean in the winter.

It will be the largest ever cruise ship based year round in Southampton. A second, yet unnamed vessel of the same type, will be delivered to P&O Cruises in 2022.