Britain's biggest cruise liner will be moored up in Palma this morning on its first visit to the port. At about 184,700 gross tonnage, Arvia is the largest ship to be commissioned for the British cruise market. She was floated out on 27 August 2022. The cruise liner belongs to the P&0 which is owned by Anglo-Amercian giant, Carnival.
Arvia's normal operating capacity is 5,200 passengers even though her maximum capacity if 3rd and 4th berths are used is 6,264 passengers. Arvia has over 30 bars and restaurants onboard. Her design is similar to that of her sister ship, Iona, with some differences.
Arvia was originally planned to embark her maiden voyage on 9 December 2022 but due to operational reasons, this was delayed to 23 December 2022. Her maiden voyage was a 14 night Canary Island cruise from Southampton. On 2 March 2023, P&O cruises announced that Arvia's godmother will be Nicole Scherzinger.
The giant cruise liner, one of the biggest in the world, is set to be regular visitor to the port of Palma over the coming months. Palma is one of the key cruise line centres in the Mediterranean, attracting some of the biggest cruise ships in the world.
The ship was built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Papenburg and left the shipyard on 5 November 2022. She was delivered on 9 December 2022 to P&O Cruises. Construction oficialy started in Feruary 2021.
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God only knows why MDB think this is positive. A mega plague ship (some still remember covid) engines ticking over pumping pollution into the air and sucking up the island’s valuable water supply, while 5000 Benidorm style wristband wearing tourist disgorge onto Palma’s tiny streets spending pennies. Yuck :(
These boats are the nautical equivalent of Benidorm, Torremolinos or Magaluf. I thought the island was trying to get away from that type of market. There are plenty of cruise ships carrying far less passengers in far better comfort and style. These are the ships we should be attracting, why not a limit such as no bigger than one thousand passengers.
SaraI'm back from Barbados Sara and sunning it in Palma! Tourist watching from a vantage point at Bar Bosch!!
Charles Dalrymple-ChumleyI thought you were sunning it in Barbados.
Note to diary - Friday, get out of town.
Hmm not something to be celebrated at all. We need fewer cruise ships, not more. They belch black smoke the whole time they are in port and the tourists they discharge to clog the streets as they aimlessly shuffle around behind their guide spend less per capita per day than any other tourist that sets foot on the island.