“Britannia”, the new flagship of the P&O Cruises fleet, brand of Carnival Group, the world's largest cruise ship operator, was presented today at Monfalcone shipyard, Fincantieri said in its press release.
The delivery of “Britannia” further enhances and strengthens the partnership between Fincantieri and P&O Cruises, a prestigious brand characterized by a particularly high target of customers, tailored to the British market, one of the most dynamic and elegant ones in the world.
The ceremony was attended by Enrico Morando, Italian Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Micky Arison, Chairman of Carnival Corporation, David Dingle, Executive Chairman of Carnival UK and David Noyes, CEO of P&O Cruises, while Fincantieri was represented by Giuseppe Bono and Vincenzo Petrone, respectively CEO and Chairman.
“Britannia” will be the first P&O cruise ship with a new livery with blue funnels and a stylized 97 meters long Union Jack draped over the bow. It will also be the first cruise ship built in Monfalcone with two funnels. The last liner which has been delivered by Monfalcone shipyard with this feature was the Eugenio C in the far 1966.
With the construction of "Britannia", Fincantieri consolidates its leadership in building the largest passenger ships in the Italian shipbuilding history. At 144,000 gross tons, 330 meters long and 38 meters wide, the new unit will be the largest one ever built by Fincantieri and the largest one made for this historic cruise operator founded in 1837. It has 1,837 cabins, of which 75% have a balcony, and it is able to accommodate 4,324 passengers on board, with total capacity of over 5,700 people, including the crew.
An innovative ship for a new grounbreaking class which looks at the future, “Britannia” stands out for its new "future-proof design", not only in terms of layout and state-of-the-art performance, but also because it complies with the most recent regulations for big passenger units, among which the “Safe return to port" security system.
These ships will represent a new technological benchmark, in Europe and worldwide, for extremely high performance and for the high quality of the technical solutions. They are the best proof that innovation and customer care, like the one established with the Carnival Group, market leader, are essential levers for tackling a crisis like the present one.
Fincantieri has built 68 cruise ships since 1990 and other 16 ships are currently being designed or built in the Group's yards.