Britannia's first year in cruise
As famous P&O Cruises flagship and baby of the fleet Britannia reaches her first birthday, we take a reminiscent look back at her first year in cruise.
Fast Facts
• Entered service 14/03/2015 • Passenger capacity 3647 • Length 1082 ft • Tonnage 143000 • Cruising speed 24 kts
A Royal Christening
Britannia was years in the making, from her iconic British hull design to the classic interiors and exceptional onboard facilities, every inch was carefully planned and considered before contstruction at the Italian Fincantieri shipyard. Excitement and speculation over who would be naming Britannia garnered for months before launch and news that HRH Queen Elizabeth II was to be godmother was very well received. Read more on the queen’s maritime history.
"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." Said Carnival UK Chairman David Dingle at the time of launch in 2015
The Iglu Cruise team were thrilled to be at the official naming ceremony in March.
A Mediterranean Maiden Voyage
After a successful naming ceremony and launch in Southampton, Britannia set out on her Mediterranean maiden voyage visiting popular ports of call such as Barcelona and Rome. Guests onboard were dazzled by the spectacular ‘starburst’ centre piece in the atrium, tempted by the incredible selection of dining venues and overjoyed to sail alongside celebrity chef James Martin. Britannia also sailed the sunny Caribbean during her first year at sea, taking guests all over the world.
Celebrity support comes in the form of popular Welsh comedian Rob Brydon seen onboard Britannia in P&O Cruises television adverts.
Food Heroes and foodie heaven at sea
Britannia took foodie heaven on tour with P&O Cruises very own team of Food Heroes. The incredible culinary line-up features famous celebrity faces from queen of baking – Mary Berry to wine expert – Olly Smith and Saturday Kitchen resident, James Martin. Guests enjoyed and took part in expert cooking lessons, Q&A sessions and exclusive chef’s table dinners during Britannia’s maiden season.
Strictly Come dancing and Saturday Night Takeaway
Britannia plays host to one of the nation’s favourite TV shows and brings to life the glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing. Featuring stars from the show such as Craig Revel Horwood and Anton Du Beke, the costumes, music and all round razzmatazz make for a buzzing atmosphere onboard.
In the coming weeks and sailing into her second year with a phenomenal agenda, Britannia will provide a floating studio for a live episode of award winning TV show Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway at sea. With comedy sketches, celebrity guests and more, the show is set to be a superb Saturday extravaganza.
From bringing your TV to life with Strictly cruises to putting you on TV with Ant & Dec, Britannia truly breaks the mould of British style cruising and has consistently wowed throughout her first year at sea. So, what’s next?
What’s next for Britannia?
After enjoying the first two months of the year in the sunlit Caribbean, Britannia will sail to popular European mini-break destination Bruges in Spring. She will then head to the breath-taking Norwegian Fjords before heading towards the spring sunshine of the Canaries and Iberia. She will spend the bulk of her summer in the balmy Mediterranean, before culminating her year of sailing with winter in the Caribbean for a truly unforgettable Christmas season.
Have you sailed onboard Britannia? Tell us about your experience in the comments below.