On 22nd August 1837, and following an increasing use of powered ships, the Government contract for the peninsular mail services was taken on by the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company. A second Government contract for a mail service to Egypt was subsequently secured in 1840 and the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company promptly merged with the Transatlantic Steam Navigation Company. The conclusion of this formative process created the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company that we all know today as P&O Cruises. The brand has had many subsidiaries, peaking at over 100, with several being taken over by other companies resulting in their P&O identities being lost.

Undoubtedly the leading operations carrying the P&O name nowadays are P&O Ferries (owned by DP World) and P&O Cruises (part of the Carnival Corporation since April 2003). In April 1995 P&O Cruises welcomed the first cruise ship built specifically for the U.K. market, the Meyer Werft created gem that is the Oriana. She was named by Her Majesty the Queen at Southampton’s Ocean Dock and marked a turning point in the U.K. cruise industry. The following two decades have seen enormous changes and growth in the cruise industry as a whole with P&O Cruises commissioning the newbuilds Aurora, Arcadia, Ventura and Azura 2000-2010. The fleet was also boosted by the Arcadia (ex-Star Princess/1997-2003), the 2003 “White Sisters” Adonia (2003-2005) and Oceana, the Artemis (2005- 2011/former Royal Princess/now Artania) and the Adonia (former Ocean Princess) from May 2011.

New Flagship, New Image

Following the order from Princess Cruises for the 142,714gt Royal Class sisterships Royal Princess and Regal Princess (delivered 2013/2014 respectively), on 1st June 2011 P&O Cruises unveiled an order for a new ship at the all-in cost at approximately €155,000 per lower berth. Like the Royal Princess, the newbuild was bestowed upon Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard near Trieste, Italy, and designed to continue the ‘P&O-ness’ by combining the favourite classic features of the Oriana and Aurora, the choice and variety of the Azura and Ventura, and a host of new concepts. In July 2012 the 7-ship fleet celebrated P&O Cruises’ 175 Anniversary and in January 2014 came the news that the ships were to carry a new fleet-wide livery based on the UK’s Union Flag design to emphasise the line’s British heritage. This also signalled the end of the trademark buff funnels in favour or dark blue and a rising sun company crest. The artist’s impression of this was applied to the newbuild image, generating a mixed reaction from both customers and fans of P&O Cruises. The steel cutting ceremony took place in early October 2012 at the Monfalcone shipyard and the traditional keel laying formality followed at 1300 on 15th May 2013.

The name for Hull No. 6231, Britannia, was announced on 24th September 2013 and has historical importance for P&O as there have been two previous ships named Britannia connected to the company. The first entered service in 1835 for the General Steam Navigation Company, which went on to become The Peninsular Steam Navigation Company. The second, which entered service in 1887, was one of four ships ordered by the company to mark the Golden Jubilee of both Queen Victoria and P&O itself. This Golden Jubilee class ship carried 250 first-class passengers and 160 second-class passengers and had a cargo capacity of approximately 4,000 tons. Winston Churchill even sailed aboard the latter in 1888 when heading to India alongside his Hussar Regiment. The other Britannia synonymous with Great Britain is of course the Royal Yacht Britannia, launched at John Brown & Co., Clydebank, on 16th April 1953 and decommissioned on 11th December 1997 at Portsmouth. She now resides at Leith on display.

Britannia is an ancient term for Roman Britain and also a female personification of the island. The name is Latin, and derives from the Greek form Prettanike or Brettaniai, which originally designated a collection of islands with individual names, including Albion or Great Britain. In the 2nd century, Roman Britannia came to be personified as a goddess, armed with a trident and shield and wearing a Corinthian helmet. She was featured on all modern British coinage until the redesign in 2008, and still appears annually on the “Britannia” bullion coin series. The ceremonial float out for the 21st Century Britannia took place on the afternoon of 14th February 2014 and involved two formalities. The first ceremony involved the welding of significant coins on the open deck of Britannia for good luck. A 1oz solid silver brilliant uncirculated 2013 coin featuring Britannia with her trident and shield was chosen to mark the occasion as 2013 was the year the hull was laid. After the coin ceremony, the focus then moved to the dockside where the ship was blessed, and a bottle of Italian prosecco was smashed against the hull by the Madrina. Italian tradition dictates that a Madrina (Godmother) officiates at a float out ceremony and P&O Cruises selected Travel Counsellor’s Louise Hunt as Madrina for Britannia. Louise was selected through a travel agent competition run to find the best person possible to fulfil this role. The valves of the dry dock were then opened so Britannia met the water for the first time.

On 26th September the longest (94 metres) contemporary version of the Union Flag was revealed, emblazoned upon the bow of the Britannia. The largest Union Flag is still that on the doors of the former British Hovercraft Corporation hangar at East Cowes, Isle of Wight, but the ship’s version required 280 litres of red paint, 40 litres of dark red, 80 litres of blue and 20 litres of dark blue. More than 160 litres were also used to imprint P&O’s logo on the bow. The new look blue funnels had been hoisted atop the ship prior to this milestone and made the Britannia the first twin-funnelled passenger ship constructed by Fincantieri’s Monfalcone facility since the Eugenio C in 1966. Although the Britannia was the first P&O ship to carry the new livery, the refitted Aurora was the first operational member of the fleet to carry it as of December 2014. Sea trials commenced on 7th December and a few short weeks later P&O’s new flagship (a role assumed from the Oriana, which also holds the Golden Cockerel Trophy for the fastest ship in the P&O fleet) was delivered to her owners on 22nd February 2015. Five days later the ship slipped away from the shipyard bound for her new home of Southampton with a call being made at Gibraltar en-route. At the helm was Captain Paul Brown who joined the P&O fleet in 1996. Captain Brown has held numerous positions under the P&O banner before being promoted to Captain in 2007 when taking charge of the Aurora. He has since gone on to command the Artemis, Oriana, Ventura and Azura. Captain Brown is joined by Captain David Pembridge in leading the shipboard team as well as being supported by Deputy Captains Martin Allen and Hamish Sunter. The Executive Purser’s roles are held by Darljit Sharma and Keith de la Mare.

Cool Britannia

On the morning of Friday 6th March as, unusually, the sun shone on Southampton during such an event, the 143,730gt Britannia entered the eastern Solent and made her way towards Southampton. Once past Calshot the party stepped up a gear with various boats joining the ship for her maiden homecoming as crowds lined the various vantage points along Southampton Water and to Mayflower Park. The event moved up a further gear when Svitzer tugs Svitzer Ferriby, Svitzer Sarah and Svitzer Alma greeted the ship at Netley and provided a water show ahead and astern (Svitzer Ferriby) up to the middle swinging ground in western docks. Here the ship turned 180 degrees and held position off the park as Skydivers from the Prince of Wales Royal Regiment Freefall Parachute Display Team dropped in to Mayflower Park flying large Union flags as a brass band played. Ocean Terminal finally welcomed the ship at around 1400 before preparations for a week of celebrations really got underway.

The term Cool Britannia came about in the 1990s during a renewed pride in Great Britain’s culture and this new 4,324 passenger capacity member of Team GB does a splendid job of renewing a national pride that is too often stifled. The 330m long, 38.40m moulded beam and 8.30m design draught Britannia is based upon the 142,714gt Royal Class duo built for Princess Cruises with the hull form and bow, stern and overall profiles being identical. The two most obvious factors that make her stand out are the Solstice Class-esque (Celebrity Cruises) twin funnels and the Union flag on her bow. Fifteen public decks offer the Britannia’s passengers all the facilities and accommodation that they will need with contemporary themes that flow throughout the new ship’s design to ultimately reflect the aspirations of the modern day Britain. The new flagship is also the largest passenger ship built exclusively for the British cruise market. It takes a particular type of ship to carry off such a mighty and iconic name as Britannia and this is precisely what has been achieved.

The on board spaces have been designed by world renowned Richmond International. With all the planning and effort going into coming up with the perfect name it was just as important to find the right company to put that concept in place on board, bringing it to life. Richmond are responsible for many superb design works around the world including the stunning Sandy Lane resort in Barbados, the Langham Hotel London, the Four Seasons Hampshire and the award-winning Four Seasons Gresham Palace in Budapest. As far as design credentials go, Richmond International are second to none, exactly what P&O Cruises needed to launch their new arrival. Around 20,000 people were consulted on plans for the Britannia’s interior and what has been achieved is a modern classic that seamlessly and effortlessly interweaves classic P&O signature features with brand new innovations. The following paragraphs will pick out notable areas among what this ship has to offer.

Deck 18 beneath the funnels offers the sports zone with arena, golf nets, bar etc. plus promenade deck. Aft on Deck 17 (Sun Deck) is a plethora of zones for toddlers, children and teens (including a teens sundeck) plus a terrace pool right on the stern. The children/teens area, known as The Reef, caters for ages 2-17 via age specific clubs. A promenade stretches forward from here past whirlpool spas and to the peace and tranquillity of the Serenity Pool and Bar plus The Retreat that overlooks the bow. The Retreat is an exclusive outdoor spa area with a real wow factor. Numbers are limited so the atmosphere is serene and sophisticated with luxurious surroundings including day beds, cabanas (to enjoy a range of spa treatments) and VIP Steward Service. A cover charge applies. The all-new 12-workstation Cooking Club is also on Deck 17, in conjunction with celebrity chef James Martin, offering a world class cookery school at sea where passengers can choose from a range of classes led by the Food Heroes and P&O Cruises’ own talented team. There will also be visits from 10 other renowned celebrity chefs including Mary Berry, James Tanner, Paul Rankin and Antonio Carluccio. Deck 16 (Lido Deck) offers the traditional Crow’s Nest Bar overlooking the bow plus the ship’s library, Marlow Suite, Ivory Suite, The Epicurean fine dining venue, Lido & Riviera Pools plus the spacious and bright Horizon Restaurant (Self Service – now with more tables for 2). On the stern is the aptly named Sunset Bar from where numerous sunsets will surely be enjoyed by guests. Part of the restaurant becomes the Beach House venue in the evenings. Catering outlets around the pool area consist of the Pizzeria, Lido Grill and the new Grab & Go. The latter serves a range of pre-packed snacks, sandwiches and salads, which are ideal for a convenient meal by the pool. The area around the two pools doubles as a signature deck show venue on certain evenings. The passenger areas neatly sandwich seven decks of opulent staterooms spanning Decks 8-15 with 33 different formats/grades depending upon deck and location. The cabins are designed by Richmond International with bespoke furniture, stylish colour palettes and in-cabin facilities by The White Company.

There are 64 suites, 1,313 balcony cabins (including 15 single cabins) and 460 inside cabins (including 12 single cabins). All outside cabins have balconies, TVs with interactive entertainment, stylish bathrooms and exclusive artwork by British artists. Located forward on Decks 7 & 6 is the 936 seating capacity Headliners Theatre, which incorporates the very latest technology including an LED screen wall, providing a change of scenery in the blink of an eye. Aft of the theatre on Deck 7 (Main Deck) is The Crystal Room, a dedicated show lounge with wooden floors and chandeliers suitable for evening balls, live bands etc. Next we have the upper level of the 3-storey atrium featuring the The Glass House (offering a range of 40 wines and fine cuisine plus an outdoor terrace is also available) and The Java Café coffee shop. The atrium is the social heart of the ship and from the ceiling descends a striking Star Burst sculpture that forms a dramatic illuminated centrepiece. Part chandelier, part sculpture, the eight-metre tall and one tonne Star Burst takes its inspiration from the night-time stars which ships traditionally used to navigate the world’s oceans. It sits within a framed ceiling sky of midnight blue, bursting downwards with 280 acrylic shards, ranging in colour from deep blue to gold and silver, and lit from above and within. It was created by Buckinghamshire-based Jona Hoad Design. Walking aft we find the photo gallery and the multipurpose entertainment venue The Studio, suitable for use as a cinema, lecture room and more. Next we have Atul Kochhar’s sumptuous Indian cuisine Sindhu Restaurant and on the stern is the show lounge known as The Live Lounge. One level down on Deck 6 can be found the Oriental Restaurant and the Peninsular Restaurant. Nowadays Freedom Dining is offered on P&O ships where passengers can choose to dine at a time between 6.00-9.30pm subject to availability. The traditional Club Dining (1st or 2nd sitting) that provides passengers with a set table continues to be offered. The third main dining room, The Meridian Restaurant, is located aft on Deck 5 (Landing Deck). Each venue is split into more intimate areas rather than a vast open restaurant. Many of the eateries on board are influenced by the ship’s team of celebrity Food Heroes, namely James Martin, Atul Kochhar, Eric Lanlard, Olly Smith, Marco Pierre-White and Charlie Turnbull. Forward of The Peninsular Restaurant is the 720sqm shopping area either side of the main atrium. This is open plan and inspired by the finest London department stores.

Items on sale include souvenirs, designer handbags, perfumes and jewellery, clothing, evening wear and holiday essentials. Forward of the atrium is a modest casino and Brodie’s Bar, a classic pub which is named after one of the founders of P&O Cruises, Brodie McGhie Willcox. Finally, Deck 5 also offers the Oasis Spa, Thermal Suite, Treatment Rooms and Salon, P&O’s most lavish spa to date, with rich finishes and plush dark colours. Another first for the ship is the Oasis Villa. Walking aft we find the Reception and The Limelight Club. The latter is another first, a combined entertainment and dinner venue (adults only) recalling the tradition of The Supper Club. Hosted here are entertainers and guest performers, exclusive to the venue. The lower level of the atrium adjoins this, featuring another shop, comfortable seating from which people can watch, plus The Market Café with an informal café style atmosphere plus The Blue Bar, a premium bar serving a wide range of fine wines, spirits and classic and contemporary cocktails. Every public area of the ship feels like part of a luxurious hotel with stylish, classic and modern colours, furniture, fixtures and fittings. Easy on the eye is a good way to describe each area with no garish décor to avoid, just an ambience to savour. At every turn, almost unnoticed in some cases, is what amounts to a £1million plus collection of art. The eye never tires of these with each piece chosen to complement and enhance the Britannia’s interior designs to enforce that feel of a luxury hotel. Pieces ranging from paintings and bronze sculptures to ceramics and paper wall reliefs, most of them British with some from as far afield as Japan, Australia and South Africa. The one facility that the Britannia and her Royal Class near-sisters lack is a full promenade deck, something that those who love to walk the outside decks and take in the sea air miss very much. This omission is also surprising considering the increased trend in newbuilds offering 360 degree promenade decks.

Making Waves

The £473m Britannia has boosted the P&O Cruises’ fleet capacity by 24% all by herself and became the fastest selling new ship in P&O history. The steel used to construct her totals 32,000 tonnes, equivalent to three times the weight of the Eiffel Tower. The electrical cabling on board amounts to 4000km, the distance from Venice to Southampton and back. The exterior paint required totalled 300 tonnes. With 15 public decks the vessel produces an air draught of 70.63 metres. The general passenger capacity is 3,643 (4,324 maximum) with a cruising speed of 21.90 knots. A maximum of 1,398 crewmembers also serve aboard the ship. Unusually for a large modern ship of this type, the Britannia is propelled with shafts and propellers rather than pod propulsion. Power is provided by four Wartsila F series marine diesel engines capable of producing a combined output of around 62,400 Kilo Watts of power. Assembled in a father and son arrangement, the larger of the engines are 14 cylinder, 16,800kW 14V46F units whilst the smaller ones are 12 cylinder, 14,400kW 12V46F units. The engines feature dual pumps to optimize fuel consumption, which is helped considerably by a significantly improved hull form that reduces costs by around 20%. Two of the ship’s four engines are each fitted with an exhaust gas cleaning system, to remove oxides of sulphur from the gas stream. The ship is fully compliant with requirements of the emission control areas (ECAs) in which controls on exhaust gas emissions are particularly stringent.

The required propulsion power to run the ship at 22 knots is in the same range as for the Grand Class ships Ventura and Azura, which are approximately 30,000 tonnes smaller. That is a significant efficiency gain, especially on a per passenger basis. The two shaft lines have water lubricated stern tubes resulting in less maintenance than the slightly more efficient pod equivalent. The propulsive power is provided via two 18,00kW motors in a diesel-electric format. Auxiliary power is provided by Wartsila generators with manoeuvrability aided by two banks of three 2,500kW Wartsila transverse thrusters located at the bow and the stern. Comfort at sea is assisted by retractable stabilisers supplied by Fincantieri. To assist with space saving aboard, the ship’s 16 lifeboats/tenders are positioned semi-outboard as is commonplace on such ships nowadays – with other examples including the Royal Princess. The Britannia also complies with the new “safe return to port” regulations. Overall efficiency is boosted by the emphasis on LED lighting throughout the ship whilst the Britannia can also produce 1,500 tonnes per day of drinkable water from sea water using waste heat from the ship’s diesel generators. Wartsila Hamworthy supplied two Membrane BioReactor (MBR) advanced waste water treatment systems that are installed on the ship to offer quality discharge without requiring any addition or generation of chemicals that are harmful to the environment or vessel operation. The MBR technology treats wastewater from the ship based on biological degradation and membrane separation, discharging higher quality water which is not hazardous when released into the sea.

Flagship Festivities

The Britannia was the 60th cruise ship built by the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri since 1990 and the 53rd ship for various Carnival brands. New vessels for Carnival Cruises, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises (a third Royal Class for that cruise brand) are already in build. The proud history of Fincantieri has been chartered within previous examples of this feature but the company was founded in 1959 and became an operating company in 1984 when already one of the largest and most diversified shipbuilding groups in the world. At Southampton’s Ocean Terminal the Britannia was berthed starboard side-to upon her arrival on 6th March, ready for her week of celebrations. The spectacular naming ceremony for P&O Cruises’ new flagship took place on 10th March with dancers from Strictly Come Dancing, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers, classical singer Louise Wright and the bands of the Irish Guards and Royal Marines among the performers. The star-studded event was hosted by Rob Brydon who currently stars in P&O Cruises’ advertising campaign. A bottle of sparkling wine from the Wiston Estate Winery in Sussex was smashed against the hull at the ceremony. A nebuchadnezzar of the quintessentially British Brut NV was used for the ceremony itself, hurtling down a zip wire to the ship’s hull when Her Majesty The Queen pressed the button (above). His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh also attended. Interestingly this event was staged on the adjacent side of Ocean Dock to where the Queen named the Oriana almost 20 years earlier in April 1995. Guests at the 2015 events also enjoyed thousands of bottles of Brut NV and Rosé Vintage 2011 during the inaugurals that took place around the launch. A two-night shakedown cruise departed on 11th March with the maiden voyage taking place on 14th March to the Mediterranean.

Long live Britannia!

Technical Specifications

Note: Both the shipyard and owner declined to provide a GA Diagram or similar for this article along with some specific technical details.

Special Thanks must go to Michele Andjel (Carnival UK), Jennifer Humm (P&O Cruises), Jenny Hadley (P&O Cruises), Lorraine Bryant (Princess Cruises) and Kate Selley (Kate Selley PR) for all of their help with information/images and hospitality.