P&O Cruises has taken delivery of Ariva at the Meyer Werft shipyard ahead of the ship’s launch next week.
The 5,200-passenger Excel-class vessel – the second in the fleet to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) – has an “optimised” hull design to “minimise drag and is installed with the latest energy-efficient technology on board”, the line said.
Arvia is 345 metres long and has 16 passenger decks.
P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow, who attended the handover ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany, called Arvia “a very evident symbol of optimism for the future of the cruise industry”.
He said: “Arvia, as the latest evolution in the P&O Cruises experience, embodies the newest trends in travel, dining and entertainment and is the epitome of a sunshine resort sailing year-round to the warmest climates.
“It takes its sister ship Iona’s design aesthetic and general arrangement but provides new and exciting outside and inside spaces which make the most of Arvia’s deployment to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.”
He added: “We see a new generation recognising the value for money and individuality of a holiday at sea.”
Ludlow went on to say “we are focused on readying Arvia to welcome guests for the maiden cruise on December 23 before departure to the Caribbean on January 6 for a winter season from Barbados”.
“I would like to thank the vast teams of skilled engineers, designers, architects and so many more who worked on Arvia from the concept and design through to the build and finished feat of innovation and technical excellence we see here today,” he added.
Arvia features a retractable glass roof called SkyDome; new restaurants, such as Green & Co feat. Mizuhana; and experiential retail areas.
There are also new entertainment options – including Altitude Skywalk, P&O Cruises first ever high-ropes experience, Altitude Minigolf and the new aqua zone at Splash Valley.
Pictured (from left): Ludlow with Meyer Werft managing director Jan Meyer