First steel has been cut at Meyer Werft in Germany for P&O Cruises’ newbuilding Arvia, the Carnival Corporation & plc group unit said in a statement.

Arvia is P&O Cruises’ second LNG-powered 184,700 gross ton Excel class ship and will join its fleet in December 2022. Holidays on Arvia go on sale next month.  Iona, the first unit of the class, was delivered to P&O Cruises in the autumn.

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,” Ludlow said.