MS Iona
Iona in Cádiz, 2022 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Bermuda | |
| Name | Iona |
| Owner | Carnival Corporation & plc |
| Operator | P&O Cruises |
| Port of registry |
|
| Ordered | 6 September 2016 |
| Builder | |
| Yard number | S. 710 |
| Laid down | 29 May 2019 |
| Launched | 18 February 2020 |
| Sponsored by | Dame Irene Hays |
| Christened | 16 May 2021 |
| Completed | 9 October 2020 |
| Acquired | 9 October 2020 |
| Maiden voyage | 7 August 2021 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | Excellence-class cruise ship |
| Tonnage | 184,089 GT |
| Displacement | 87,306 t (85,927 long tons; 96,238 short tons) |
| Length | 344.08 m (1,128 ft 10 in) |
| Beam | 42 m (137 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 69.3 m (227 ft 4 in) |
| Draft | 8.8 m (28 ft 10 in) |
| Decks | 19 |
| Installed power | Total Installed Power: 61.7 MW (82,700 hp) |
| Propulsion | 2 × 18.5 MW (24,800 hp) |
| Speed | Service speed: 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Capacity | 6,685 Max passengers |
| Crew | 1,762 Crew |
MS Iona is an Excellence-class cruise ship in service for P&O Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc. Built by German shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Papenburg, she was delivered in October 2020 at a cost of £730 million. At 184,089 GT, Iona became the largest cruise ship commissioned for P&O and the British market upon delivery until sister ship Arvia (measuring 184,700 GT) was delivered in 2022. Iona was floated out on 18 February 2020 and delivered eight months later on 9 October amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which delayed her debut by more than a year until 7 August 2021, when she sailed her maiden voyage from Southampton.