As we excitedly look forward to P&O Cruises new Excel class ship, Arvia, joining our fleet in December, we’ve been catching up with the newbuild team on all the latest happenings in the shipyard.
Lisa on the Grand Atrium stairs
Lisa Reynolds, Interior Design Coordination Manager, filled us in…
“There’s been a lot going on recently as we agree to the final designs of P&O Cruises new Excel class ship.
As Iona’s sister ship, Arvia features lots of the exciting venues already showcased on Iona; such as The 710 Club, The Quays and Keel & Cow. There are also a whole host of fantastic new venues for our guests to experience.
The new venues include restaurants such as Green & Co. featuring Mizuhana and the 6th Street Diner, both boasting beautifully appointed interiors. There’s also a stunning new design for the Grand Atrium, as well as updates to the shopping area and sports courts.
Design render of the Grand Atrium
The team work closely with Arvia’s shipbuilder Meyer Werft to build mock-up presentations so the quality and design finishes can be scrutinised. These mock-ups are small sections of a venue which are tested by the newbuild team and the design architects.
Before Christmas the team travelled to the shipyard in Germany several times to review the mock-ups. This is a very hands-on process covering everything from the durability of materials and comfort of seats, to how the crew will be able to clean the fixtures. It takes a little while to get used to scratching surfaces to make sure they will stand up to the wear and tear of being on an operational ship!
Alison Clixby testing the spa pedicure seat and Tim Gallagher seeing if crew are able to clean inside a display cabinet
Design Architect Franz Wolf reviewing material approvals
As part of the design process, Meyer Werft present all of the materials that will be used in the outfitting of the ship. The newbuild team then sign these off and the approved samples are used by the site team during their build inspections.
Although trips to the shipyard can be long and tiring, they are a lot of fun as well. Getting to work with colleagues, face to face, is still a bit of a novelty. We’ve also been lucky to get onboard Arvia for a sneak peek before the outfitting begins this week.
We’re so excited to see the designs starting to come to life and hope you are too. Watch this space for more updates coming soon!”
Wow! Arvia is really starting to take shape. Keep a look out for more updates coming soon. In the meantime, discover all the latest news on Arvia here.