Britannia Waives the Rules by Bringing Together the Brightest Stars in British Cooking
When the biggest ship built for the British cruise market sets sail on its maiden voyage from Southampton to the Mediterranean on 14th March 2015 it will mark a steep change in holidays at sea.
Passengers will be able to participate in hands on cookery tuition under the expert guidance of P&O Cruises famous five culinary giants - James Martin, Eric Lanlard, Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith.
Britannia is a most fitting name for the newest addition to P&O Cruises, which, with its long and famous heritage, remains Britain's favourite cruise line. Putting British cruise passengers at the heart of every decision, P&O Cruises has ensured every single public room, deck space and cabin has been considered in the utmost detail to ensure a holiday of a lifetime.
Entering service in spring 2015, Britannia will boost P&O Cruises capacity by 24%. With a length of 1,082 feet, it will carry 3,647 passengers and at 141,000 tons will be 25,000 tons larger than any other ship in P&O Cruises fleet. Britannia will also display on its bow P&O Cruises bold new livery with the longest version of the Union Flag anywhere in the world, at 308 feet.
The ship will be P&O Cruises greenest yet and has been designed to deliver a much greater level of operational and environmental efficiency, while a new hull form will reduce unit fuel consumption by up to 20%.
P&O Cruises is assembling the cream of culinary talent as the new ship's Food Heroes - an unprecedented line up of the country's celebrity chefs. Britain's favourite TV chef, James Martin will develop The Cookery Club, the first cookery school on board a British cruise ship. Joining him is award-winning master pâtissier 'Cake Boy' Eric Lanlard in his first venture at sea, a patisserie range in the Market Café at the heart of the ship's spectacular atrium.
Established P&O Cruises favourites Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith will lend their expertise to the varied culinary options on board ranging from speciality restaurants and wine bars through to gala dinners in the main dining rooms.
Passengers will be able to participate in hands on cookery tuition under the expert guidance of P&O Cruises famous five culinary giants. Guest chefs will also be on board in this state of the art cookery school which can hold classes of up to 24 people at a time. There will also be a chef's table to allow passengers to experience world class cuisine in an intimate space.
"Britannia will introduce cutting edge design combined with a range of innovations uniquely styled to appeal to those who may not have considered a cruise holiday before as well as our many loyal past passengers.
Combining the excitement of cruising with the sophistication of a five star hotel, Britannia is not only the biggest ship built for the British market but the most glamorous too. We have set out to make Britannia the biggest and the best and we are confident passengers will be wowed by the experience.
We are incredibly honoured to have secured the services of the best chefs at sea. The addition of James Martin and Eric Lanlard on Britannia further enhances the already incomparable level of culinary excellence we are proud to offer across our fleet.
Britannia will showcase an incredible array of facilities for children and teenagers including dedicated teens pool area and we have ensured that our prices remain constant throughout the year irrespective of the timing of the peak school holiday periods. We are conscious of the hardship families face when taking holidays at these time and are therefore committed to fair pricing throughout the year."
Christopher Edgington - P&O Cruises Marketing Director
As well as the new Cookery Club passengers taking a cruise on board Britannia will experience a wealth of choice in dining, entertainment and relaxation.
Each outside cabin has a balcony and all cabins will feature exclusive artwork by British artists and wall mounted flat-screen TVs with video on demand.
The largest ship built exclusively for Britain, Britannia is an iconic 'modern classic' - combining brand signature features with sophisticated wows and new innovations, making it the most exciting representation of the P&O Cruises experience yet.
Britannia's maiden season will see the ship sail from Southampton to the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords, Canary Islands and the Baltic Sea, as well as offering a range of short breaks and a special round Britain cruise. The ship will then transfer to the Caribbean for the winter season sailing a range of 15 night fly/cruise itineraries from Barbados.
Pre-registration is now open, with the general on-sale date set for Thursday 27th March 2014. To book call 0843 374 0111 or visit www.pocruises.co.uk