P&O Cruises’ much-anticipated new ship, Arvia, will be officially named next month, and the cruise line has released the names of top performers who will be hosting the exciting celebration.
The ceremony will also be broadcast live, permitting cruise travel fans around the world to get a taste of the tropics and welcome the new ship to the P&O Cruises fleet.
Top Performers for Arvia Naming
Award-winning British singer Olly Murs will lead the performance lineup for the naming of the new ship Arvia on Thursday, March 16, 2023 as the Excel-class vessel officially joins the P&O Cruises fleet.
Two of the UKโs most famous broadcasters and DJs, Sara Cox and Trevor Nelson, will also be on hand to direct the event both onboard the ship and on Heywood’s Beach, along the northwest coast of Barbados.
“For our guests watching Arviaโs naming ceremony from home and from Barbados this is a real treat,” said Paul Ludlow, P&O Cruises president. “Olly, Sara, and Trevor really do make a star-studded line up which showcases the contemporary entertainment for which P&O Cruises is known.”
While Olly Murs is sure to deliver a fantastic performance from the beach, Trevor Nelson will be hosting the onboard celebration in Arvia‘s Skydome, where he will introduce the famous bottle smash moment as the ship is christened. For the moment, the new ship’s ceremonial godmother is a closely guarded secret and has not yet been announced.
Sara Cox will be hosting the beachside ceremony on Heywood’s Beach, 11 miles (18 kilometers) north of Bridgetown and near the town of Speightstown, bringing the event to even more guests and community members.
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Both Nelson and Cox will be aboard Arvia for the March 11, 2023 sailing. Not only will they co-host the naming ceremony on March 16, but both DJs will offer late-night sets onboard the ship for guests to dance the night away.
Beachside Naming Ceremony
The first-of-its kind naming ceremony for Arvia will give attendees, both online and in person, a beautiful glimpse of the tropics at a time when many eager cruisers are struggling with winter weather.
“It is not often that in the depths of UK winter you can be transported to a spectacular white sand, palm-fringed beach in the Caribbean and watch a live performance from one of Britainโs best-loved stars,” said Ludlow. “It really will be a moment to remember.”
The spectacular Heywood’s Beach is one of the most picturesque beaches in Barbados and a perfect, quiet retreat preferred by many cruise travelers, with shallow reefs, calm waters, and watersports available.
This will be the cruise industry’s first-ever naming in Barbados, and celebrates the fact that the tropical destination will be one of Arvia‘s Caribbean homeports to offer getaways visiting stunning tropical paradises such as St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Kitts, Martinique, St. Lucia, and the British Virgin Islands.
The naming ceremony will also be broadcast live online, bringing even more guests to the momentous event and allowing them to share in this historic christening.
Arvia, sister ship to the hugely popular Iona, is the largest cruise ship ever built for P&O Cruises, weighing in at 185,581 gross tons and with 15 guest decks featuring more than 30 dining venues and bars, six entertainment lounges, and four pools. A library, cinema, escape room, miniature golf, skywalk, thermal suite, casino, and more are all part of her amazing features.
Arvia can welcome 5,200 guests, with 1,800 international crew members providing superior service, led by Captain Robert Camby.