P&O Cruises next new ship will be called Azura.
The keel for the vessel was laid today. The ship will be floated out in summer 2009 and delivered to P&O in spring 2010. That's barely 18 months for a 3,100-passenger cruise ship to grow from a lump of metal into a vessel setting off on its maiden voyage. I don't know how many keel-layings and new ships I've seen, but I still find it amazing.
I was among a small group of British journalists supposed to be at the keel-laying ceremony today at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard in Trieste, Italy, but the event was called off last week because of the tragic death of a worker on the Ruby Princess.
Azura's first section laid weighs 650 tons and is made up of six pre-manufactured blocks ready-fitted with piping. In all, 50 sections and several interconnecting steel blocks will be used to build the ship.
There have been hints that Azura will not follow sister ship Ventura down the big-for-families route, but for now all speculation remains just that. The next news bulletin is on November 25.
Jane Archer
Comments (1)
As a rather old engineer now very near to retirement I find it rather sad that Britain no longer has a ship building industry and a fine new cruise liner like the Azura is being built in Italy. I ask my self where has it all gone wrong for a nation who gave the world the first steam engine, the steam turbine, the jet engine and beautiful ships like the Cunard Queens - Mary and Elizabeth.
Dave Hall
Posted by Dave Hall | January 30, 2009 8:14 PM
Posted on January 30, 2009 20:14