New P&O cruise ship is on its way

The biggest cruise ship ever to be built for the British market started to take shape today, as P&O managing director Carol Marlow gave the order for the first section of the vessel’s hull to be lowered into a dry-dock in Italy.
A 408-ton steel block, already fitted with pipes, cables, insulation and other equipment, was lifted by a giant crane at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard near Trieste – where I watched Regal Princess being floated out at the end of March.
Scheduled to sail its maiden voyage in 2015, the 141,000-ton P&O ship will carry 3,600 passengers. It is being built with a near-identical hull to Regal Princess – and sister Royal Princess which will be christened by the Duchess of Cambridge next month – but with twin funnels painted in the trademark buff colour. The interior layout and designs are likely to be considerably different, although details are still a closely-guarded secret.
No name has yet been announced, and there has not yet been much in the way of clues. As far as the shipyard is concerned, it remains Hull 6231 for now. The computer-generated picture of the ship (above, click on it to see a larger version) is the first image released to the public.
It has the words “NEW BUILD” standing proudly between the funnels, which could an indication that the actual name may be of 8 characters or fewer, but given that covers every ship in the current fleet – from Adonia to Ventura – it’s not much help.
It would even be enough for Canberra – a name from the past that some aficionados would like to see revived, and which others say should be allowed to remain undisturbed.
Carol spent the journey to Monfalcone brushing up her Italian in order to be able to pronounce: “Diamo il via alla posa del primo blocco della più grande nave, la migliore, mai costruita per il mercato Britannico!” – “Please lay the keel of the biggest and best ship ever built for the British market.”
Fincantieri shipyard director Carlo De Marco added: It will be an honour and a pleasure to celebrate in 2015 the delivery of this ship and the 10th anniversary of the collaboration between P&O Cruises and Fincantieri, started in 2005 with Arcadia.”