As you look forward to the Christmas festivities, be sure to save some bubbly for another celebration. P&O Cruises are planning the most amazing event they’ve ever held, a Caribbean beachside naming ceremony for their newest ship Arvia.
Where will the ceremony be held?
For the first time, P&O Cruises will hold a beachside extravaganza naming ceremony in Barbados to mark the naming of the spectacular new sunshine ship Arvia. There will be star-studded entertainment featuring some of Britain’s most popular performers and presenters in what promises to be an unforgettable show. The whole show will be broadcast live online on Thursday 16 March 2023 so you can dress up, get together with family and friends, and enjoy it all at home.
“Arvia will spend her first season sailing in the Caribbean in 2023, so it’s fitting that we mark her naming in one of our favourite ports of call, this event will showcase our extraordinary new ship and the beauty of Barbados, and will include some very special surprises.”
P&O Cruises president, Paul Ludlow.
Ludlow said the ship will be positioned off one of the island’s most stunning beaches so the audience at home will be able to see the interior design of the ship as well as the performances and events taking place on the shore. It has been promised to be an unmissable event. P&O Cruises have said that the names of performers will be announced in the coming months.
“I want to thank P&O Cruises for choosing Barbados as the location for this unique event. Barbados continues to share a rich relationship with our sea and tourism, and the cruise industry has been of vital importance to our island and our economy. I am delighted that Barbados can be that place that continues to bring more ‘firsts’ to the world, and through this beachside ceremony, give thousands of people the opportunity to see a glimpse of what we have to offer to visitors.”
The Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley
A little bit more about Arvia
Arvia is the latest evolution in the P&O Cruises experience, embodying the newest trends in travel, dining and entertainment, and will be the epitome of a sunshine resort sailing year-round to the warmest climates. Arvia is Iona’s sister ship and a P&O Cruises Excel-class vessel with even more freedom, innovation, and variety in store than ever before. She was built at the Meyer Werft yard in Papenburg, Germany, and is being delivered to P&O Cruises this month (December).
Arvia is designed to bring guests even closer to the sea, sky and shore, reflecting its name meaning ‘from the seashore’, and will feature P&O Cruises‘ first-ever retractable roof. On the 27th of August 2022, Arvia was floated out from its building dock at the Meyer Werft yard and was transferred on the Ems River to Eemshaven (Netherlands) in November for technical and sea trials. The 185,000 ton ship will be delivered to P&O Cruises in Bremerhaven.
The new ship is equipped with an LNG propulsion system similar to her sister ship Iona, which eliminates nitrogen oxides and particulate matter in addition to reducing CO2 emissions. The new Altitude activity zone will feature activities for guests of all ages, from minigolf, an aqua zone at Splash Valley and P&O Cruises‘ first-ever high-ropes experience. Arvia can hold 5,200 passengers and has 19 decks of entertainment, restaurants, lounges, bars, cabins and much more!
Some of the key Highlights onboard Arvia include:
- 26 dining options and bars
- 6 theatres & lounges & 5 swimming pools
- Arvia’s SkyDome offering day time and evening entertainment
- Four cabin categories including Inside, Seaview, Balcony and Suite
- Limelight Club – Get cosy beneath the intimate low lighting of The Limelight Club and prepare yourself for a show-stopper of an evening at this ticketed event exclusively for adults.
- Headliners Theatre – By day, catch a matinee. By night, be wowed by new shows from the cast of The Headliners Theatre Company, as well as singers, comedy and live music
- The 710 Club – A place to immerse yourself in the seductive sounds of an array of musical genres that have inspired musical director Gary Barlow over the years
- The first escape room at sea ‘Mission Control’
- Altitude Minigolf course – Open all day and illuminated at night
- Altitude Splash Valley – Cool off and splash around at Altitude Splash Valley, an aqua zone with shaded areas, ocean views and open skies
- Altitude Skywalk – P&O Cruises‘ first-ever high-ropes experience set 54m above the ocean.
- Sports Arena – find a team for a game of football, basketball, short tennis or cricket against other keen sports fans
- Greatest Days – The Official Take That Musical which will take place in the Headliners theatre
- Festival the musical – with epic artists, enrapt crowds and a soundtrack full of memories, this Festival show brings all of that nostalgia to Arvia
- First P&O Cruises Retractable Roof
- WaveLength – Also a new addition to Arvia as a new interactive game show, virtually starring presenter and game show host Ben Shephard.
- Aurelia – The first rum distillery at sea where you can experience rum-tasting classes. Find out more about Arvia’s Tidal Rum in our blog here
- Infinity Pool & Swim-up bar
Dining Options Onboard Arvia
New dining options will reflect the ports on Arvia’s itineraries, including Caribbean dishes designed by Local Food Hero, Shivi Ramoutar and a Mediterranean-inspired menu from José Pizarro. Arvia will also offer entirely new dining experiences, including Green & Co feat. Mizuhana which will have a plant-led menu reflecting the latest trends in vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian dining. 6th Street Diner will give guests an all-American dining option, complete with great music and ice-cold cocktails. Not to mention Arvia’s new island-inspired rum ‘Golden Tide’ for her Caribbean adventures.
Green & Co feat. Mizuhana
Take a seat in the dining space, or venture over to the sushi bar and enjoy the experience of Arvia’s chefs cooking up a storm. Sample plant-based dishes that will alter perceptions along with the freshest and most beautiful sushi plates.
6th Street Diner
Whether it’s breakfast, brunch, dinner or sweet things, 6th street diner has got you covered. Grab a seat and stick a quarter in Juke Box in this All-American diner. The diner offers all-day breakfasts including All American Breakfast, Buttermilk Pancake Stack, Fried Chicken and Waffles and more. There are also other delicious dishes available at the 6th street diner including Steak & Fries, Jumbo Shrimp and Red Velvet Whoopie pies.
The First Escape Room At Sea
Arvia will be the first cruise ship to host P&O Cruises‘ first escape room, called Mission Control, built and designed by Düsseldorf, Germany-based technology company, Tennagels. Through an immersive experience, combining an escape room game with multimedia simulation and a live-action story.
Prepare for an underwater adventure like no other, Mission Control offers two one-hour adventures to choose from. You’ll form a team of marine explorers and underwater detectives and board the fictional submarine Arvia II, where your crew will work together to overcome danger and solve puzzles and problems at every turn, all in incredibly realistic 3D surroundings. Can you crack the code and save the day?
What Itineraries will Arvia offer?
Arvia’s Maiden voyage takes place today (9th December 2022) which will see her setting sail on a 14-night historic cruise that will leave from and return to Southampton and will visit six destinations in Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands, including Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Cádiz and Lisbon.
After her maiden voyage, she is then scheduled to sail from Southampton on December 23rd 2022 where she will be heading for the clear blue waters of the Caribbean. When she arrives in Barbados, Arvia will sail a variety of durations including 7-night cruises,14-night, 15-night cruises and 16-night cruises sailing from Barbados or Antigua.
The seven-night sailings will call at Tortola, Dominican Republic, St. Maarten, and Antigua-Barbuda, while the 14-night cruises will visit those ports and also call at St. Kitts and Nevis, Martinique and St. Lucia.
I can’t wait to set sail on Arvia