A key stage in the building of P&O Cruises’ new ship Arvia has taken place at a shipyard in Germany.
The traditional coin-laying ceremony for the 184,000-tonne ship was held at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg.
This event is a long-held ship-building tradition designed to bring good luck to the ship and its crew, through construction to the future at sea.
Specially selected Barbados coins were placed under the block of the vessel before it was then lowered onto the coins.
The next steps are the completion of the block assembly of the aft part of the ship in the dock as well as the further outfitting.
Arvia, the second ship in the fleet after Iona to be powered by liquefied natural gas, is due to be delivered in December.
A maiden voyage to the Canary Islands is scheduled followed by a winter season in the Caribbean and summer 2023 in the Mediterranean.
P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “This is yet another landmark in P&O Cruises new build history.
“Arvia will be our second ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas as part of P&O Cruises’ ongoing commitment to sustainable travel.
“Other world-class environmentally-friendly innovations include shore power connectivity and the latest technology for its four main engines.
“Our guests will enjoy holidays on Arvia, as they have done and continue to do on Iona and on the other ships in the P&O Cruises fleet.
“They will holiday in the Mediterranean in the summer and in the warmth of the Caribbean throughout the winter as Arvia will be our ‘sunshine’ ship.
“The coins that are laid under Arvia’s keel today will be the embodiment of that warmth and sun as they are currency from our winter homeport of Barbados, an island which has had a special place in our heart for over 20 years.”