britannia cruise ship collision

Exclusive: Video shows moment P&O Britannia cruise ship crashes at Mallorca harbour

Some passengers have been injured in the crash, P&O Cruises has confirmed

• 19:54, 27 AUG 2023

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Footage has captured the moment a P&O cruise ship carrying thousands of British tourists crashed into another vessel near to the shore of the Spanish island of Mallorca, leaving some onboard suffering injuries.

The video, sent to WalesOnline by passenger Ben Griffiths, shows the extremely popular MV Britannia ship slowly moving towards the smaller vessel before colliding with it. The crash is followed by a loud horn.

Multiple holidaymakers staying in Mallorca and aboard the cruise ship on Sunday have told WalesOnline how the ship had been forced into the other vessel due to a storm which swept through the island on Sunday morning. Officially the cause of the collision remains unconfirmed.

Pictures sent to WalesOnline from the ship, which you can see here, show passenger decks damaged following the collision, with tables and chairs in disarray. A separate video sent by Welsh holidaymakers also in Mallorca, which you can see here, shows the extent of the storm that hit the island on Sunday as it wrecked one Mallorca hotel, even turning sunbeds over and into the pool and sending loungers flying through the air.

Following the sounding of the horn on the Britannia on Sunday morning all passengers were told to remain inside their cabins, passengers explained, while being told, “this is not a drill”, by the captain after they heard a loud bang and saw debris floating in the water, they said.

One Welsh woman, who is on board with her partner and two children, said: “We were docked overnight in Palma and the wind was so strong our anchors broke and we blew out into another ship. We were up browsing on our phones in bed and heard the big horn after the bang. It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out. We went out onto our balcony and could see debris in the ocean and all the damage to the side of the boat and our lifeboat.”

The Welsh passengers said the Britannia ship was anchored less than a mile from the shore following the accident. Other passengers have since reported the ship has since docked again at Palma for the night while further checks are carried out to establish if the ship is seaworthy.

Another passenger, Mark Beckwith, told WalesOnline on Sunday evening: "The captain has and is doing an amazingly calm job with the fantastic crew. It's very calm and relaxed onboard now and we are just redocking to collect the passengers who were off the ship for the duration of the incident."

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “On Sunday, August 27, P&O Cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca. A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre. To allow our technical teams to make an assessment Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.”

The Britannia set sail from Southampton on August 18 for the Mediterranean cruise including stops at Cadiz and Ibiza and had been due to leave Mallorca on Sunday afternoon. It can carry up to 3,647 passengers and is 330 metres in length. She has a crew of 1,398 and cost £473m.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

British tourists ‘left in tears’ after P&O cruise ship crashes into oil tanker

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Panicked British tourists onboard the P&O ship that crashed into an oil tanker in Majorca say they were left in tears.

The packed cruise ship broke free from its moorings in Palma and collided with the smaller vessel nearby yesterday morning after a storm hit the island.

Some of the thousands of Brits on board were left with minor injuries and were being cared for by medical staff, P&O said.

The £473m boat, called the Britannia, remained in Palma overnight while the damage was being assessed.

Passengers said they heard a large bang when the crash happened at around 11am and saw debris floating in the water. The captain then went on the ship’s loudspeaker to say ‘this is not a drill’.

Speaking yesterday, one woman onboard the ship with her partner and two children told Wales Online : ‘We were docked overnight in Palma and the wind was so strong our anchors broke and we blew out into another ship.

‘We were up browsing on our phones in bed and heard the big horn after the bang. It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out.’

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Another passenger, Gary McGuinness, told The Mirror he and his seven-year-old daughter Kasey had stepped off the ship to go out for the day when he noticed a ‘wall of water and wind’ heading towards them down a concrete jetty.

‘It looked like a sort of ferocity that you would be unable to stand up in. it looked like a sort of ferocity that you would be unable to stand up in,’ he said.

The pair then went back onto the ship, and according to Gary ‘about eight seconds later’ the boat broke free of its moorings’.

He thinks the walk-way they had just stepped across may have fallen into the sea.

A witness, meanwhile, described seeing the ship ‘carried to the other side of the harbour like it was a straw’.

‘Something must surely have been damaged. It went like a missile to the other side.’

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises, owned by Carnival, said yesterday: ‘P&O Cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca.

‘A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre.

‘To allow our technical teams to make an assessment Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.’

The Britannia set sail from Southampton on August 18 for a Mediterranean cruise.

The ship can carry up to 3,647 passengers and 1,350 crew, is 330 metres long and weighs 143,000 tonnes, according to the company’s website.

Heavy rains and winds have swept across parts of the Balearic Islands, including Mallorca, and Catalonia in northeastern Spain.

Flights from Barcelona airport were delayed throughout Sunday because of the high winds.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

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P&O cruise ship with thousands of passengers onboard crashes into tanker

A small number of people were injured after the ship collided with a freight vessel, article bookmarked.

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A small number of people are injured after a P&O cruise ship that was carrying thousands of British holidaymakers crashed into a petrol tanker.

The ship broke free of its moorings during a storm in Mallorca , Spain and collided with a freight vessel.

Port authorities in the capital Palma said the ship collided with a petrol tanker because of high winds.

One passenger Gavin McCoy told the BBC that the incident happened while “the local fire service and crew were carrying out an emergency drill”.

He added: “A sudden rain and wind storm ripped us away from our dockside moorings, breaking tethering lines, water hoses, and causing the walkway to fall into the sea.”

He said he was sitting by the windown in the coffee shop when he saw “the blue dockside reception marquee tents blowing through the air”.

Another passenger told Wales Online: “We were docked overnight in Palma and the wind was so strong our anchors broke and we blew out into another ship.

“We were browsing our phones in bed and heard the big horn after the bang. It was panic stations, I was bawling my eyes out.”

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said: “P&O cruises Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident while alongside in Palma de Mallorca. A small number of individuals sustained minor injuries and are being cared for by the onboard medical centre.”

“To allow our technical teams to make an assessment Britannia will remain alongside in Palma de Mallorca tonight with onboard entertainment and activities scheduled.”

Britannia, which entered service in 2015, is 330 metres long and weights 143,000 tons, according to the company’s website. It has 13 guest decks and an operating capacity of 3,647 guests and 1,350 crew.

Torrential rain has lashed the islands of Mallorca, with the conditions leading the cancellation of over 20 flights.

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Breaking news, cruise ship with thousands on board collides with oil tanker, leaving passengers injured.

A P&O cruise ship has collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Spain, injuring some passengers on board.

There were thousands of cruise-goers on-board the Britannia, the flagship of the P&O fleet when it was battered by a storm off the coast of Palma de Mallorca on Sunday.

Footage posted on social media shows the ship swaying in the gale-force winds and breaking free after the mooring holding it snapped.

The ship was then blown by the winds towards the other vessel.

Some cruisegoers were injured by falls, or flying debris.

There have been 74 mph winds and torrential rains in Mallorca, with an amber weather alert in place across the island on Sunday.

A technical assessment after the crash found a lifeboat was damaged and could not be repaired.

P&O said 321 guests would be flown home early as the ship headed back to Southampton, UK, with fewer people on board as this is what is required under maritime law.

The Britannia has capacity to carry 3647 passengers and P&O said the vessel was “close to capacity” at the time of the collision.

Passenger Ricky Stubbs said he and his children were about to disembark at the time of the crash.

“We were at the stairwell next to the sunset bar,” he told The Guardian.

“A loud crash came from the bar and the door flung open with people running in. Within seconds there was more crashing followed by chaos as people were trying to escape the onslaught of wind and rain.

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“People were being ushered in by other guests and staff. You could clearly see some had injuries due to either falling over or debris flying around, and people were distraught.”

“A couple of minutes later the captain came over the speaker asking all guests to return to their rooms until further instructions.”

“Huge respect for the captain and all the staff as they managed to stay calm and keep everyone updated. The captain made announcements every 10-15 minutes once we were back in our cabins and they did a great job in a stressful situation.”

Fellow passenger Russ Dawson, from East London, was on his balcony when he noticed the weather had turned stormy and the “sky turned black.”

“I saw this boat start to turn around and I said ‘That’s going to crash into us,’” he told the BBC.

“There was a bang when it hit the boat and there was screaming and shouting and panic.”

He has been offered 20 percent off his next cruise but said it “didn’t come close” to making up for the situation.

A P&O Cruises spokesman told news.com.au the ship was involved in a weather-related incident while docked in Mallorca, with a small number of individuals sustaining minor injuries.

The injured were being cared for by the on-board medical center.

“On Sunday 27 August, P&O Cruises Britannia was impacted by severe weather when alongside in Palma de Mallorca,” the spokesman said.

“Following inspections, our third-party surveyor has confirmed that one of Britannia’s lifeboats has sustained structural issues and cannot be repaired on board.”

“We are so sorry but these extraordinary circumstances mean that the ship is required, by maritime regulation, to return to Southampton with a reduced number of people on board.”

“A limited number of guests and crew on board have been advised that they will be leaving the ship and will be returned to Southampton (or their starting point) by flight and transfer.”

“The guests remaining on board will be able to enjoy the entertainment and activities scheduled for the remainder of their trip.”

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Cruise Ship Hits Oil Tanker During Bad Storm

Doug Parker

• August 28, 2023

Another cruise ship collision occurred over the weekend. On Sunday, the cruise ship P&O Britannia collided with an oil tanker off the coast of Palma in Mallorca after breaking free from the dock during a severe storm. Several passengers were injured during the weather-related incident to brought hurricane-force winds to the island.

The Cruise Ship Collision

The Britannia was pushed toward the oil tanker by winds reaching 75 mph. According to P&O, a limited number of passengers experienced minor injuries during the event and were cared for in the ship’s medical center.

Eyewitness Account

A P&O cruise ship, the Britannia, broke its moorings in the port of Palma, Mallorca, Spain due to strong winds from a storm. The ship drifted towards an oil tanker and collided with it, but there were no injuries reported. pic.twitter.com/FNowXtyNdv — Policy Scoop (@policyscoop) August 28, 2023

Ricky Stubbs, one of the passengers aboard, gave a play-by-play of the incident. In a report filed by The Guardian about the incident, he stated that a deafening crash echoed from the ship’s sunset bar as he and his children prepared to disembark. This was followed by a rush of people fleeing the impact and battling the fierce winds and rain.

“Within minutes, the captain addressed us through the speakers, asking everyone to return to their rooms for safety reasons,” said Stubbs. The crew and guests promptly assisted others, including those who suffered minor injuries from flying debris or falls.

Stubbs admired the captain and the crew members for their composed demeanor throughout the ordeal. “Announcements were made at regular intervals of 10-15 minutes, keeping us updated and reassured,” he added.

Official Statement and Immediate Actions

A spokesperson from P&O Cruises provided an official statement confirming that the Britannia was involved in a weather-related incident. “A few individuals have sustained minor injuries and are currently being attended to by our onboard medical team,” said the spokesperson.

To evaluate the extent of the damage, the ship will remain docked in Palma de Mallorca, offering onboard entertainment and activities to the passengers in the meantime.

At the time of the incident, Mallorca was already on an amber weather alert due to extreme winds and torrential rains.

Over the summer, nearly six ships have broken free in Europe during strong winds and thunderstorms.

P&O’s flagship Britannia entered service in 2015 and is 143,000 gross registered tons.

As of Monday morning, the ship was docked in Palma to undergo technical inspections.

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People injured after P&O cruise ship involved in 'weather-related incident' in Mallorca

It's reported that P&O ship Britannia, carrying thousands of travellers, crashed into a freight vessel on Sunday morning during severe storms.

Monday 28 August 2023 08:22, UK

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Cruise Ship Involved in Collision During Severe Weather in Mallorca

The P&O Cruises ship Britannia broke free of its mooring and was involved in a collision in Palma, on the Spanish island of Mallorca, during a storm with wind gusts of up to 100 km/h on Sunday, August 27.

Videos filmed by X user @Stephen Marsh show severe weather outside the Palma cruise terminal and passengers waiting to reboard the Britannia.

“Storm in Palma Mallorca breaks it’s [sic] moorings and pushes P&O Britannia into another ship and onto rocks. Ship not compromised and being pushed back into position by tugs” Marsh wrote in his post containing the video.

News reports said the Britannia broke mooring and crashed into another ship. Several people received minor injuries and were treated on board, P&O said in a statement obtained by WalesOnline .

Storyful has contacted P&O for a statement.

Mallorca was under yellow and orange alerts for severe weather on Sunday, and Palma police reported downed trees and damaged buildings in the city. Credit: Stephen Marsh via Storyful

Video Transcript

- [INAUDIBLE] I hope it's not like this when we go out to sea. Look, everything is blowing off, towels and everything.

[HORN SOUNDING]

- [INAUDIBLE] .

[INDISTINCT CONVERSATION]

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Cruise line P&O UK (P&O Cruises)

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Britannia current position

Britannia current location is at North Sea (coordinates 59.95335 N / 4.52345 E) cruising at speed of 18.8 kn (35 km/h | 22 mph) en route to Flam. The AIS position was reported 5 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of Britannia

Britannia current cruise is 7 days, round-trip Norwegian Fjords . The itinerary starts on 13 Sep, 2024 and ends on 20 Sep, 2024 .

Specifications of Britannia

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

Britannia Itineraries

Britannia review, review of britannia.

The 2015-built MV Britannia cruise ship is the largest vessel in the P&O UK's fleet. From this Royal-class are also the Princess Cruises liners Royal Princess (2013), Regal Princess (2014), Majestic Princess (2017), Sky Princess (2019), Enchanted Princess (2021) and Discovery Princess (2022). These are the ever biggest cruise vessels constructed by Fincantieri (Italy).

The vessel (IMO number 9614036) is currently UK- flagged (MMSI 235106595) and registered in Southampton .

History - construction and ownership

P&O Cruises is a subsidiary company and two brands owned by Carnival Corporation - P&O UK and P&O Australia. In 2000, P&O Cruises became subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises, which merged with Carnival Corporation in 2003. P and O is the world's oldest cruise company, starting passenger shipping operations in 1822 on the routes connecting England with Iberia.

The 3700-passenger ship Britannia is the biggest ever cruise liner built especially for the British source market. The £500 million new-build is a result of four years of planning. P&O Britannia is 25,000 tons heavier than Azura and Ventura sister ships (previously the largest vessels in the P&O fleet). The Britannia ship alone boosts the capacity of the P and O line by almost a quarter – 24%. Britannia impresses with her Union Jack livery and offers British-style cruising with modern look and feel. Her homeport is Southampton .

Britannia has the most popular features of the P&O fleet, such as The Crow's Nest Bar, Atul Kochar's Sindhu restaurant, Olly Smith's The Glass House, as well as brand new amenities. P&O says that Britannia cruise ship engine power output (MAN diesel engines) is equivalent to 70 Challenger tanks’ power or 86 supercars Bugatti Veyron. Britannia cruise ship is also the greenest yet and designed to deliver greater levels of environmental and operational efficiency. The new form of the hull is expected to reduce fuel consumption by approx 20%. Along with the hull design, P and O changed the hull art as well – with the Union Jack flag 94 m / 308 ft long.

The Britannia ship is the eighth vessel to join P&O UK's fleet and named "to resonate with the forward-looking mood in Britain". Britannia is considered to be the most fitting name because of its famous long heritage, so suitable for the newest P&O addition – the favourite cruise line of Britain. Apparently, HM The Queen gave her permission to P&O use the name.

Two ships connected to the company have been previously named "Britannia". The first one entered service for General Steam Navigation Company in 1835. The second one, together with three other boats, was ordered to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee (50th anniversary of her accession to the throne) and entered service in 1887. The "Golden Jubilee ship" had passenger capacity 410 (160 second-class plus 250 first-class) and cargo capacity 4000 tons. In 1888, on this Britannia sailed (to Bombay India ) Winston Churchill, with his hussar regiment, and then fought on India's North-West Frontier (present-day Pakistan's KPK-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province/occupied by the British between 1849-1947 via the East India Company).

Royal Yacht Britannia was the vessel decommissioned in 1997 by John Major government, but the name has been associated with P&O for a long time. In June 2013 a management shake-up at Carnival UK operations later saw the exit of Carol Marlow- the former managing director, and Peter Shanks – ex-boss of Cunard brand. Britannia is the first vessel for P&O Cruises since then. These departures were linked to boosting younger cruisers’ proportion at the UK arm of Carnival Cruises. Everyone who believes in the growth of the cruise industry now expects the new P and O cruise ship Britannia to mark a new era of success.

Her Majesty The Queen (1926-2022) was the royal godmother. She named the ship on March 10th, 2015, at Southampton's Ocean Terminal. HM The Queen was accompanied by Prince Philip and The Duke of Edinburgh. After the royal words "May God bless her and all who sail in her", The Queen pressed the button that released a Nebuchadnezzar wine (a giant bottle of sparkling wine, the equivalent of 20 regular bottles) to be smashed against the hull. This most special event was also marked by live band music performances – Her Majesty's Royal Marines band, and the Irish Guards’ Regimental Band. Also present at the naming ceremony were the Carnival Corporation's front men Micky Arison (chairman) and Arnold Donald (CEO), and also David Dingle (chairman of Carnival UK).

Decks and Cabins

MS Britannia staterooms (a total of 1837 total, in 35 grades) include 64x Suites, 1298x Balconies, 448x Inside and 27x Studios (single-occupancy cabins). The ship has no Oceanview cabins. Most staterooms are Balcony (sized 175-290 ft2). Cabin balconies are rather small (sized 35 ft2 / 3 m2). The largest accommodations are the Owner's Suites (470 ft2/44 m2, with terrace sized 210 ft2/20 m2).

The boat has 17 decks , of which 14 are passenger-accessible and 8 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

The rise on the world stage of British cooking is reflected in Britannia's dining options. The Epicurean Restaurant specializes in fine dining and molecular gastronomy. It features both contemporary and traditional dishes. The Glass House is home to nearly 40 different wines from all around the world, including labels from Greece, Croatia, and Japan. Wine expert Olly Smith pairs wine with food from the menu, featuring dishes like a Wagyu burger, sea bass ceviche with lime, lobster buns, Morecombe Bay and Devon crab sliders. The first British ship to offer cooking lessons at sea, The Cookery Club provides guests an opportunity to hone their cooking techniques under the watchful eye of food experts and chefs. Aboard the Britannia, passengers can cook alongside baking queen Mary Berry and TV chef James Martin. Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar teaches guests how to make dishes from Sindhu - his signature restaurant. Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White also runs a class, demonstrating his famous dishes whilst passengers cook alongside him.

While P&O UK has already linked up with celebrity chefs for Cookery Club school, Britannia will also act as a backdrop to the first at sea celebrity-led TV cooking contest, Battlechefs, from April 4. On April 2, 2016, the ship will be the setting for another first as she will host live Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway from the top deck.

Follows the complete list of Britannia restaurants and food bars.

• The Limelight Club (supper club for specialty dining; offers live performances and the 3-course dinner menu)
• Meridian Restaurant (aft Dining Room; for Breakfast 7:30-9 am, and Lunch 12:15-1:45 pm/3-course menu; Afternoon Tea 4-4:45 pm.; club dinner dining at 6:30 or 9.30 pm)
• The Oriental Restaurant (aft MDR, with fixed seating dining at 6:30 and 8:30 pm)
• The Peninsular Restaurant (forward MDR, with fixed seating dining at 6:30 and 8:30 pm, open-seating breakfast and lunch; also serving Afternoon Tea 4-4:45 pm)
• Sindhu (Indian specialty restaurant, by A. Kochhar)
• Ocean Grill (specialty, by chef Marco Pierre White)
• The Glass House (steakhouse/seafood specialty restaurant and wine bar, by Olly Smith)
• Java Cafe (buffet-style restaurant)
• The Cookery Club (specialty restaurant and cooking club by James Martin)
• Fine Dining Restaurant (Epicurean Restaurant - specialty, dinner-only, by the Michelin star Marco Pierre White)
• Horizon Restaurant (Lido buffet; complimentary, self-service; with several food stations and floor-ceiling windows)
• Beach House (casual dining venue, dinner-only)
• Poolside drinks and fast-food bars – The Pizzeria, Lido Bar, Lido Grill, Riviera Bar, “Grab and Go”.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

MV Britannia ship design is a masterpiece created by Richmond International – London-based architects, who anticipate today's Britain tastes. They are well known for creating “flowing” coherent interiors but with each area having an individual identity. While the Britannia ship may be a large vessel, every inch of the interior was carefully considered as to become breathtaking and striking. MV Britannia was designed to make guests feel special, and all of her was planned with flair and imagination. The Britannia ship offers the very best of Britain's contemporary design and an unprecedented number of facilities for passengers.

The vessel provides the best classic features of Aurora and Oriana , and a wide choice of the contemporary variety of Azura and Ventura. 13 cafes and restaurants, 13 bars, 15 passenger decks, 4 swimming pools, 9 jacuzzis – what more of all these could a traveler wish for? Another good decision on a practical level is the greater number of single cabins - more than on any other ship. Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Internet/WiFi access, supervised kids program, laundry/self-serve laundromats, nursery.

Follows the complete list of Britannia lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Britannia Atrium (3-decks central open floor area and social hub); Atrium Shops (Regalia - clothes, souvenirs, gifts; The Wardrobe - brand fashion, watches, bags, hats); Chic - fashion boutique; Emporium - candy shop; Eternity - jewelry, Essence - perfumes)
• Market Cafe (Atrium patisserie by Eric Lanlard), Blue Bar (Atrium piano bar), Sunset Bar
• Brodie’s Pub; The Studio (multi-purpose lounge); Marlow Suite (multifunction room, doubles as Card Room)
• Headliners Theatre (836-seat, 2-decks, featuring grand scale productions, live performances, game shows)
• The Crystal Room (Lounge and Bar; daily dance classes, grand evening balls)
• The Live Lounge (music-dedicated venue; disco at night)
• The Crow's Nest Lounge (dance floor, a stage for live music; with floor-ceiling windows for panoramic views; hosts art classes, quiz games, cooking demos during the day)
• Casino; Ivory Suite (vow renewal and wedding services)
• Photo Gallery and Shop; Art Gallery; The Library (with Internet computers)
• Terrace Pool (adults only area, served by Terrace Bar); Riviera Pool area; Aqua Pool and Bar; Coral Pool and Bar
• adults-only relaxation areas ("Retreat" /VIP Spa terrace with private cabanas, and "Serenity")
• Oasis Spa complex (Treatment Rooms, Steam Rooms, Thermal Suite, Thalassotherapy pool, Beauty Salon)
• Gymnasium (complimentary equipment, Fitness classes; Yoga and Pilates at surcharge)
• Childrens' Facilities (Kids Play Area, The Reef Kids Programming Rooms, Nursery)
• Promenade (Walking Lane and Jogging Track); Sports Court (basketball, volleyball, football, cricket, tennis); Table Tennis; four Golf Net cages.

Itineraries

P&O Britannia itinerary program is based on homeporting in Southampton England and Bridgetown Barbados . The roundtrips include Caribbean Islands (from Barbados), ex-Southampton voyages along the Atlantic Coast, Baltic, Mediterranean, Canary Islands, "mini-cruises" to Guernsey (Channel Islands), Transatlantic repositioning crossings.

Britannia returned to the UK/Southampton on March 25, 2016 (a year after the naming ceremony led by HM The Queen) being homeported in Barbados throughout winter 2015-2016. From the UK, the ship operated short-breaks to Northern Europe and longer cruises to the Mediterranean (during summer). For the Caribbean winter 2016-2017 season, the ship was homeported in Saint Lucia (Castries) .

On June 27, 2021, Britannia became P&O UK's first liner to restart operations (following the 15+ months pause due to the Coronavirus crisis) leaving roundtrip from Southampton on a 4-night "Short Break" ( cruise to nowhere ) in the English Channel/along Devon's coast.

Photos of Britannia

Britannia ship related cruise news

P&O expands flight program for Caribbean fly-cruises from the UK

P&O Cruises has expanded its air program to enhance Caribbean fly-cruises scheduled between November 2025 and February 2026. This expansion aims...

P&O Cruises UK offers special OBC/onboard credit promo for Mediterranean itineraries

P&O Cruises UK is offering additional OBC/onboard credit (spending money) for bookings made within the next month. Up to GBP 520 per balcony...

P&O Cruises' Britannia sets sail after extensive refurbishment

P&O Cruises UK's flagship Britannia left from Southampton on April 21st following an extensive multimillion drydock refurbishment. The company...

P&O UK unveils summer 2026 cruises with early booking discount

P&O Cruises UK has unveiled its summer 2026 program, accompanied by an enticing early-bird booking promotion. The itinerary collection...

P&O UK's winter 2025-2026 cruise collection includes 12 new ports

P&O Cruises UK is enhancing its offerings for the autumn half-term in 2025 with the aim of attracting more families to its cruise ships. The...

Cunard and P&O UK improve Wi-Fi connectivity with SpaceX's Starlink

Carnival Corporation's UK-based subsidiaries Cunard Line and P&O Cruises UK have unveiled plans to enhance Wi-Fi connectivity fleetwide through a...

P&O UK's cruise passengers injured after Britannia ship crashes into an oil tanker in palma de...

In a weather-related incident that occurred on Sunday, August 27th, P&O UK's Britannia ship moored in Palma de Mallorca encountered a situation...

VIDEO: P&O Britannia crashes into oil tanker amid Mallorca storm

Amidst a powerful storm on Sunday morning (August 27th), the cruise ship Britannia, operated by P&O UK from Southampton England, faced a maritime...

Barbie joining P&O Cruises UK's ships Arvia and Iona for summer 2023

P&O Cruises UK has introduced dedicated family zones on its 5 family-friendly ships during the 2023 summer holiday season. Passengers on P&O...

P&O UK's summer 2025 itineraries include Britannia ship’s 10 year anniversary "British Isles Cruise"

P&O Cruises UK has unveiled its new series of summer 2025 holidays, featuring fresh itineraries and ports of call. The vacations include...

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Other P&O UK cruise ships

Britannia wiki.

MS Britannia is currently P&O UK's largest liner, as well as the ever-biggest built specifically for the UK market, Fleet's next largest vessels are  Azura and Ventura . The interior was designed by "Richmond International" - UK-based hotel design company. On February 22, 2015, the vessel was delivered at the Fincantieri Monfalcone shipyard . The ceremony was attended by Enrico Morando (Italy's Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance), Micky Arison (Carnival Corporation's Chairman), David Dingle (Carnival UK's Executive Chairman), David Noyes (P&O UK's CEO), Vincenzo Petrone (Fincantieri's Chairman) and Giuseppe Bono (Fincantieri's CEO).

P&O Britannia (Monfalcone shipyard/hull number 6231) is powered by Wartsila marine diesel engines (models 12V46F and 14V46F) generating total power output 62,4 MW.

First Mediterranean cruise (2015, March 14) was a 14-day roundtrip from Southampton to Gibraltar , Barcelona , Monaco , Civitavecchia-Rome , Corsica , Cartagena , Cadiz . First Transatlantic cruise crossing (2015, October 23) was a 14-day itinerary from Southampton to Bridgetown Barbados , visiting Madeira (Funchal), St Maarten, St Lucia, Dominica, Grenada. First Caribbean cruise (2015, November 6) was a 14-day roundtrip from Barbados to Aruba, Grand Cayman, Jamaica (Ocho Rios), BVI (Tortola), St Maarten, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada.

During winter, the ship cruises in the Caribbean on roundtrips from Barbados . The ship was homeported in Port Castries (St Lucia) during winter 2016-2017 season. It also offers fly-cruise deals from UK ( Southampton England ). P&O UK's "flight and cruise" deals to the Caribbean are inclusive of discounted airfare to and from Barbados or St Lucia.

P&O Britannia refurbishments review

The ship's first drydock refurbishment was in 2019 (October 8-22) at Damen Shipyard Brest (France) . During the drydock works were implemented the following changes:

• All interiors were refreshed (shipwide).
• ( Landing Deck 5 / midship Lobby) a permanent Art Gallery was added (adjacent to Blue Bar / Atrium bar)
• (deck 5 midship) The Atrium was redesigned with new color schemes and relaxed live entertainment (music, informal acts).
• (deck 5 midship) Market Cafe's menu upgraded with new gourmet sweets (recipes by Eric Lanlard / French patissier and celebrity chef)
• (deck 5 forward) To Oasis Spa and Salon (ship's wellness complex) were added two express pods for treatments - one for high-tech spa massages, the other for express skin treatments and LVL lash lifting.
• ( Tween Deck 6 ) The onboard shopping was upgraded with new luxury brands - Jo Malone London (candles), Tom Ford (designer fashion), Michael Kors (designer clothing and accessories, handbags, watches, shoes), Clifton (custom design clothing), Edinburgh Gin (alcohol).
• ( Main Deck 7 midship-starboard) Java Cafe (buffet restaurant's) menu was upgraded with alcoholic beverages.
• (deck 7 midship-aft-starboard) Photo Gallery upgraded with Dixons Electronics Hub selling gadgets (imaging, computing, audio) from premium brands like Amazon, Apple (electronics, computer software), Microsoft (software), Sony (electronics, gaming), Canon (imaging and optical products), Fitbit (trackers, wireless wearables), GoPro (action cameras), Bose (audio devices / headphones, speakers, wearables).

On MS Britannia, P&O also introduced a try-before-you-buy program with consultant-managing tasting tables in the ship's beauty and make-up areas.

Drydock 2024 (conducted in April) included upgrades to various areas, including all public spaces, all passenger and crew staterooms, redesigned Lobby Hall (an extension of the Loyalty Desk and Cruise Sales Desk), enhancements to the Market Cafe, a substantial renovation of the crew areas. The children's splash pool zone was revamped with interactive water features. The Sunset Bar's capacity was increased with extra seating.

Fun ship facts

During its first year of service (March 10, 2015 - March 25, 2016), the Britannia cruise ship:

• sailed more than 90000 nautical miles (103570 ml / 166680 km)
• hosted 730 theater shows
• served 94457 meals
• operated 43 itineraries (visiting 31 different countries and calling on 61 seaports).

During that time, the ship carried 116900+ passengers, who consumed ~375000 cocktail drinks, ~2,8 million cups of tea, 292000+ scones.

The vessel was laid down in 2011, its name was announced in 2013. P&O Britannia features a 308 ft / 94 m long Union Jack flag on hull's bow - world's biggest of its kind. The vessel is the first Monfalcone -made cruise ship with 2 funnels. The last ocean liner with 2 funnels (SS Eugenio C) was delivered by Monfalcone shipyard in 1966.

For the naming ceremony was used a nebuchadnezzar British Brut NV (from Winston Estate Winery, England's Sussex region). For the cruise ship's christening event, thousands of bottles "Rose Vintage 2011" and "Brut NV" were delivered.

MV Britannia ship's godmother was Her Majesty The Queen of Great Britain (Elizabeth II/1926-2022). On the naming ceremony, she was accompanied by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Philip. The event took place in Southampton on March 10, 2015. The list of other P and O cruise ships named by British Royals includes Oriana (April 6, 1995, by HM The Queen), Aurora (April 27, 2000, by HRH Princess Royal) and the ships Oceana and Adonia (both named on May 21, 2003, by HRH Princess Royal and her daughter Zara Phillips).

The cruise ship's namesakes are the ferries Spirit of Britain (P&O FERRIES) and Stena Britannica (STENA LINE).