Name of UK’s 2020 launch ship is revealed
P&O Cruises new ship, which will join the fleet in May 2020, is to be named Iona.
In a competition held last year, over 30,000 people put forward suggestions for the name of the new 180,000 ton ship, from which a shortlist was then drawn and one name was chosen.
P&O Cruises senior vice-president Paul Ludlow said: "We are an island nation and it seems very fitting to highlight one of our most notable islands and celebrate the geographic diversity of the UK, especially as we can trace back our roots to the Scottish Isles.
"Iona played a significant part in shaping the history of our nation and we hope that with this very special name our new ship will shape the future of holidays at sea for generations."
The sea was a powerful force in the history of the Inner Hebridean island of Iona and is still today a crucial link to trade and a thriving tourism industry, requiring two sea crossings to reach the island.
Ludlow said: "Iona is known for its peace and tranquillity, stunning landscape and, most importantly, the view of the ocean from almost every point on the island. This mirrors our primary intention when building the ship, which was to make the sea the star.
"Throughout the design process we were mindful that we were building a ship, not a hotel, and the intrinsic beauty of the sea, the vistas of the coastlines and ports of call should be at the fore and visible as much as possible from all areas of the ship."
The name was unveiled by TV presenter Stephen Mulhern on the island Iona, which is protected by the National Trust for Scotland, where he was joined by several residents.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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