P&O Iona, which is a new cruise ship and the largest ever built for the UK market, will heading to drydock before delivery to the cruise line.
P&O Iona Heading to Dry Dock
The giant cruise ship, which has been constructed for British-based P&O Cruises, will head to Rotterdam, Netherlands. The ship will undergo an inspection in dry dock before finally being handed over to the cruise line from Meyer Werft based in Papenburg, Germany.
P&O Iona is currently undergoing the final outfitting phase in Bremerhaven but will arrive in Rotterdam on June 2, 2020, to enter the dry dock. The vessel will leave the Columbuskaje Pier as early as May 30 so that natural tests can be done in the North Sea before arriving in Rotterdam.
The tests are pretty much sea trials to make sure the ship is seaworthy. Many of the tests can only be done at sea, such as propulsion systems evaluations.
The ship is still under the control of Meyer Werft and since the pandemic, it has not been easy to complete the final fitting out phase. The shipyard has stated that everyone is working hard to complete the yard’s 50th ship and work has been going on since the River Ems conveyance was completed in March.
Also Read: Largest Ever Cruise Ship for the UK Floats Out at Shipyard
P&O Iona was originally scheduled to depart on its maiden voyage from Southampton on May 14 to the Norwegian Fjords. Now, the anticipation has been put on hold until cruises resume once again and the industry can officially welcome one of the largest and most advanced vessels in the industry. The ship is powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) and is an impressive 184,000 gross tons with a guest capacity of 5,200.
P&O Cruises has cancelled cruises through all of July and the first cruises are set to begin from August 1. However, that all depends on the the current travel restrictions and port closures and further cancellations could occur. Meyer Werft and P&O are working together on a delivery date which is not yet known.
Photo Via: Meyer Werft
