The Construction of the newest member of the P&O Cruises fleet has reached another milestone as the MEYER WERFT team laid the keel of the ship in a symbolic ceremony.

In the process, the shipyard’s 800-ton crane placed a 570-ton block for Arvia’s underwater hull onto the traditional keel-laying coins. Coins from Barbados, the ship’s future winter homeport, were used. The 184,000 GT vessel is a sister ship of the Iona, which MEYER WERFT has already delivered to the British shipping company in 2020. Thanks to their LNG propulsion system, both ships are among the greenest cruise ships worldwide.

“Today we combine tradition and innovation: shipbuilders have been celebrating the laying of keels for more than 2000 years. MEYER WERFT and P&O Cruises are also companies with a long tradition and a long partnership. Together we are now laying down the keel of the second innovative ship with LNG propulsion for P&O Cruises – this is currently the most environmentally friendly fuel in shipping,” said Thomas Weigend, Managing Director of MEYER WERFT.

The Arvia will now be completed in the world’s largest covered shipbuilding dock at MEYER WERFT in the coming months and will be delivered at the end of 2022. The Arvia will make her maiden voyage to the Canary Islands and sail in the Caribbean during the following winter season.