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To celebrate the Golden Jubilee of both Queen Victoria and P&O itself, the company built the Jubilee Class of ships which consisted of the largest and grandest steamers (6,000 tons): Victoria, Britannia, Arcadia and Oceana. This second Britannia entered service in 1887 and was built in Greenock. The Jubilee class ships carried 250 first-class passengers and 160 second-class passengers and had a cargo capacity of approximately 4,000 tons. Winston Churchill sailed on Britannia in 1888 to Bombay with his hussar regiment before going on to fight on the North West Frontier. Britannia is the biggest ship built for the British cruise market, and will offer a sophisticated, contemporary holiday experience across health and beauty, shopping and entertainment with a strong focus on dining. Special features include The Cookery Club, a 24 person state-of-the-art cookery school developed in association with James Martin; a three-tier feature atrium with Eric Lanlard patisserie, a charcuterie and gelateria as well as spectacular Star Burst sculpture; Sindhu restaurant by Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith’s The Glass House; gala menus created by Marco Pierre White; plus The Limelight Club, a combined entertainment and dining venue in the great tradition of the supper club. Previous Royal Launches and Britannia Previous Royal Launches • HRH The Duchess of York (later HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) launched on April 4, 1935. • HRH Princess Alexandra launched the first Oriana on November 3, 1959. • HM The Queen named the second Oriana on April 6, 1995. • HRH The Princess Royal named Aurora on April 27, 2000. • HRH The Princess Royal and her daughter Miss Zara Phillips named Oceana and Adonia on May 21, 2003. About P&O Cruises P&O Cruises has a fleet of seven ships offering holidays tailored to British tastes combining genuine service, a sense of occasion and attention to detail, ensuring passengers have the holiday of a lifetime, every time. Azura was launched in April 2010 – officially named by Godmother Darcey Bussell CBE. Small ship Adonia was added to the fleet in May 2011, named by Dame Shirley Bassey, DBE. Britannia, a new 141,000 ton ship, will be added to the fleet in March 2015. P&O Cruises press release 
Image by P&O Cruises |
