By
Rebecca Gibson |
Formula One racing presenter Suzi Perry started the engines on P&O Cruises’ newbuild for the first time on 8 September.
Joined by Britannia’s captain Paul Brown and the newbuild’s chief engineer Sinclair Ross, Perry switched the engines on at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone yard in Trieste, Italy, where the ship is under construction.
When working to full capacity, Britannia’s four engines will generate 62.4 megawatts of power, allowing the 141,000gt ship to cruise at a speed of 22 knots.
Britannia, will accommodate 3,600 passengers and is the largest cruise ship ever built for both P&O and the British market. Expected to boost the line’s capacity by a quarter, the ship will feature 13 bars and 13 dining venues, the Oasis Spa and open-deck retreat, a sports arena, four swimming pools including a Serenity pool and bar and a library. Guests will also be able to enjoy various entertainment venues including The Limelight Club, a 936-seat theatre with an LED screen and a multi-purpose TV studio hosting shows with guest speakers, cinema screenings, radio plays or game shows. The ship will also offer 27 single cabins – more than any other cruise ship – and 15 of those cabins will have outside balconies.
In addition, British TV chef James Martin will develop The Cookery Club, the first cookery school onboard a British cruise ship, while award-winning patissier Eric Lanlard will open his first patisserie range in the Market Café in the ship’s three-tier atrium. Established P&O Cruises favourites Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith will also contribute to the onboard culinary options, which include speciality restaurants and gala dinners. Guests will be able to participate in cookery classes under the guidance of the chefs, while guest chefs will provide onboard assistance to classes of up to 24 people.