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P&O Takes Delivery of Next LNG-Powered Cruise Ship from Meyer Werft

LNG powered cruise ship
Arvia is one of the largest British cruise ships and part of the new class of LNG-fueled ships (Meyer Werft)

Published Dec 15, 2022 9:05 PM by The Maritime Executive

Carnival Corporation took delivery on its eight LNG-powered cruise ship, all of which have been delivered in the past four years. It also marked the thirteenth cruise ship fueled full-time by LNG to be delivered as the cruise sector continues to adopt LNG. 

DNV calculates that there are as many as 27 additional LNG-fueled cruise ships on order for delivery by 2028. The cruise industry has moved quickly to adopt LNG power. Carnival’s AIDA brand was the first to introduce LNG-fueled cruise ships, followed by Costa, P&O, and Carnival, as well as Disney Cruise Line and MSC Cruises, and now the first LNG ships currently under construction for Royal Caribbean Group. Among smaller ships, both Havila and Ponant have also introduced LNG.

The latest LNG cruise ship to be delivered is the 185,000 gross ton Arvia, built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany as part of the Excel platform developed by the shipyard and Carnival Corporation. It is the fourth LNG cruise ship delivered from Papenburg, with Meyer Werft building ships for the AIDA and P&O brands. They are also currently building an additional ship on the same platform, Carnival Jubilee, due for delivery in late 2023. The group’s sister shipyard in Turku, Finland has also built four LNG cruise ships for Carnival Corporation operated by its Carnival Cruise Line and Costa Cruises brands.

The Arvia, which is due to sail on its maiden voyage for P&O on December 23 from England to the Canary Islands, is a sister ship to the Iona that P&O introduced in 2021 and together they are the largest British cruise ships. The Arvia, which is 1,132 feet long, has 2,659 cabins with accommodations for approximately 5,200 passengers. It features a range of amenities including extensive sports and entertainment spaces and 30 places to eat and drink on board.

“Arvia, as the latest evolution in the P&O Cruises experience, embodies the newest trends in travel, dining, and entertainment and is the epitome of a sunshine resort sailing year-round to the warmest climates,” said P&O Cruises president, Paul Ludlow, during the handover event in Bremerhaven on December 15. “Arvia is a very evident symbol of optimism for the future of the cruise industry.”

First steel for the cruise ship was cut in February 2021 with construction following in the building hall at Papenburg. The cruise ship was floated from the building hall in August 2022 and conveyed on the Ems at the beginning of November to Bremerhaven for sea trials and the final outfitting. 

"The current tense global situation, with supply bottlenecks and material shortages, poses challenges for the construction of such complex cruise ships,” said Jan Meyer, Managing Director of the shipyard. “But thanks to the team's performance we were able to overcome these hurdles and today once again hand over a ship that meets the high Meyer standards." 

Many current cruise ships have experienced delays in construction due to those issues. The Arvia had been scheduled to sail on her maiden voyage on December 9 but during the summer P&O announced it would be delayed due to supply chain constraints. Meyer recently informed Carnival Cruise Line that the next large cruise ship, Carnival Jubilee, will be delayed. The maiden voyage was postponed for nearly two months for December 23, 2023, for the new Carnival ship. P&O will celebrate the arrival of the Arvia with a first-of-its-kind naming on March 16, 2023, in a beach-side ceremony at Barbados in the Caribbean.