As we look to get P&O Cruises future ready we’re delighted to announce a major milestone took place on 29 May with Iona’s keel-laying ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
During the ceremony, the keel block equipped with Iona’s bow thrusters was lifted and lowered into place by a 600-tonne crane. The block, weighing 461 tonnes and at 21.5m by 9.8m in size, is the first of the megablocks that will complete the bow and forward sections of the ship.
Our partnership with the Scottish island of Iona was also celebrated at the event. In a traditional act that brings good luck, a commemorative coin from Iona’s historic abbey was laid under the block, along with two pieces of marble from the island. They will remain there until construction is complete. At this point, the coin and marble pieces will be presented to Captain Wesley Dunlop and Iona’s crew and put in a prominent position on the upper decks for all to see.
Our P&O Cruises President Paul Ludlow attended the ceremony, which heralds a new phase of construction in the countdown to delivery next spring: ‘With the launch under a year away, we’ve already constructed the middle section of the ship. The next milestone will be to construct the forward section of the ship and piece the two together; then we will mount the SkyDome over the middle section,’ he says. ‘My visit to the yard today has really brought this whole project to life. I couldn’t be more proud to welcome Iona to the P&O Cruises fleet.’
And even more excitingly you can take a look for yourself here:
This is a really exciting time to be part of the next phase of P&O Cruises journey.