Paul Ludlow: ‘We’re making cruising cool’
P&O Cruises is ‘making cruising cool’ with its latest ship Iona, which includes a range of entertainment and itineraries specifically designed to pull first-timer cruisers into the market, according to the line’s senior vice president Paul Ludlow.
Making her debut in May 2020, the ship opened for pre-registrations this week and in the first 24 hours attracted double the amount of interest as P&O’s Britannia when she went on sale in 2014.
But with a capacity for more than 5,000 passengers, Iona dwarfs Britannia, which has 3,500 berths, and Ludlow acknowledged that bringing more cruises into the market was key to filling P&O’s ships in the future. "This is a massive step change for P&O; this is the biggest capacity increase this brand has ever seen," he said.
"Getting new-to-cruise customers was integral in our thinking."
New ‘cool’ features include an entertainment space, SkyDome, with a huge glass-domed ceiling – the first at sea – and a swimming pool with a retractable stage, which will host aerial performances in the evening.
There will also be an infinity pool, a multi-screen cinema, and over 15 places to eat, including eight speciality restaurants. Accommodation includes 95 conservatory mini-suites following market research which showed that Britons like a sense of being outdoors.
Iona will spend summer 2020 cruising the Norwegian Fjords, a ‘bucket list destination’ according to Ludlow, which will help to lure first-time cruisers. Voyages have also been limited to seven nights from Southampton to give newbies a taste of cruising.
"Seven nights is a great duration for people to see if they like cruising," said Ludlow, "it’s a great opportunity for people to try P&O for the first time.
"What’s cool is the variety of things you can do there in one day; you can go skiing in the morning and attend a cookery demonstration in the afternoon."
Removing the discretionary service charge for cruises from May 2019, which P&O announced last month, will also remove one of the barriers to cruising, he added. "When you ask people why they have not taken a cruise, the discretionary service charge is something that people aren’t used to paying for other holidays, so now we are saying our great service is included in the price."
P&O has not yet revealed where Iona will sail in winter 2021, which will go on sale next March.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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