News Release

Entertainment firsts and new talent on board P&O Cruises newest ship Arvia

P&O Cruises newest ship Arvia will offer guests a range of entertainment firsts, including WaveLength, a new interactive gameshow, virtually starring presenter and game show host Ben Shephard.

Created exclusively for P&O Cruises and hosted in The Headliner’s Theatre, WaveLength will give guests the opportunity to find out how well they know each other as they try to match their partner’s answers.

Ben Shephard said:

“Having hosted many game shows on TV, I’m excited to have partnered with P&O Cruises in evolving this prime time style TV game show into a live, interactive theatre experience. Developed with Triple Brew, who have created shows like The Million Pound Cube and Lingo, WaveLength is designed to be both entertaining and challenging.

“I can’t wait for guests to enjoy playing along with myself and my on-board co-host, competing to see if they truly are on the same ‘WaveLength’, and trying to outsmart me in Beat Ben!”

New to P&O Cruises on board Arvia:

Greatest Days

  • Arvia is the only place in the world where guests will be able to watch the stage musical, Greatest Days - The Official Take That Musical. Greatest Days is an adaptation of the acclaimed West End musical The Band, which features the songs of Take That and is a beautiful story by Olivier Award-winning writer Tim Firth. It will be brought to life on stage by an amazing cast from our Headliners Theatre Company.

Altitude - Arvia’s outdoor adventure zone for the whole family.

  • Situated at the very top of Arvia, families will be able to enjoy the new aqua zone at Splash Valley, where plenty of shade and sprinklers will make it the perfect place on a hot day with fantastic views.
  • Set 54m above the ocean, Altitude Skywalk is P&O Cruises first ever high-ropes experience and will offer guests a series of rope walks with different routes to suit all levels.
  • Altitude Minigolf will be the new, tropical island-themed minigolf open all day and illuminated at night. The whole family can enjoy the challenge together as they perfect their putts while dodging hippos, water hazards, and tiki huts to claim the winning title.

Mission Control

  • Exclusive to Arvia, Mission Control is a unique immersive experience. Set on board the fictional submarine Arvia II, it combines an escape game with multimedia simulation and a live-action story to create a thrilling underwater challenge. The realistic 3D surroundings will take guests to the depths of ocean canyons, where they will be able to overcome danger and solve puzzles and problems.

Other entertainment highlights on Arvia include:

The 710 Club

  • The 710 Club on Arvia is a sophisticated bar crafted to Music Director Gary
    Barlow’s creative vision. Atmospheric and low-lit, The 710 Club offers live music from resident band The 710s with an unmistakably vintage vibe and stylish cocktails.

Aardman

  • P&O Cruises has partnered with Aardman to offer children a range of Wallace & Gromit and Shaun the Sheep themed activities. Children will be able to join in a themed dance class or craft workshop such as making their own Gromit ears or can sit back and enjoy film premieres or Wallace & Gromit’s brand-new show, All Hands on Deck!

Ocean Studios

  • Located on Deck 6, Ocean Studios is Arvia’s three-screen multiplex cinema offering the latest blockbuster releases and family favourites in a plush setting.

Example itineraries

Arvia maiden, Canary Islands, 14 nights
14-night cruise on Arvia (K203). Departing December 9, 2022 from and returning to Southampton ports of call are Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Cadiz and Lisbon.

Caribbean, 7 nights

7 night cruise on Arvia (K303B). Departing February 4, 2023 from Barbados ports of call are the Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Saint Maarten and Antigua.

Mediterranean, 14 nights
14-night cruise on Arvia (K307). Departing April 2, 2023 from and returning to Southampton ports of call are La Coruna, Mallorca, La Spezia, Marseilles, Barcelona and Cadiz.

For images visit here.

For more information or to book call P&O Cruises on 0344 338 8003, visit www.pocruises.co.uk or contact a travel agent.

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About P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises is Britain’s favourite cruise line, welcoming guests to experience holidays with a blend of discovery, choice, relaxation and exceptional service catered towards British tastes. The fleet of seven ships each have their own appeal from family friendly or exclusively for adults.

With over 200 destinations worldwide, P&O Cruises Itineraries are carefully curated to inspire discovery, and are varied to suit newcomers and experienced guests alike. With a wide choice of holidays from two days to three months there is something for everyone.

Iona joined the P&O Cruises fleet in May 2021 as the next generation of ship. Iona, the first British cruise ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas, sets a new standard for cruise travel featuring enhancements to already successful brand signature venues from across P&O Cruises existing fleet, as well as many new “firsts” such as the first gin distillery at sea and The 710 Club, with music director Gary Barlow.

Sister ship to Iona, Arvia will join the P&O Cruises fleet in December 2022 as its second LNG-powered, Excel-class ship offering a Caribbean maiden season of fly-cruise holidays from homeport Barbados.

Arvia, meaning “from the seashore,” is an innovative and future-focused ship and the latest evolution in the P&O Cruises experience, embodying the newest trends in travel, dining and entertainment to offer varied and contemporary holidays. The ship boasts a unique SkyDome with a retractable glass roof and 16 guest decks, and will feature the first Altitude Skywalk high ropes experience, the tropical-themed Altitude Minigolf, the Altitude Splash Valley aquazone, an outdoor Sports Arena, swim-up bar and infinity pool. It will also offer guests several new dining options such as Green & Co feat. Mizuhana, Ocean Studios cinema, extensive shopping, and the Oasis Spa and Health Club.

The company is part of Carnival Corporation & PLC (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE:CUK).

About Aardman

Aardman, an employee-owned company, is based in Bristol (UK) and co-founded in 1976 by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is an independent and multi-Academy Award® and BAFTA® award winning studio. It produces feature films, series, advertising, games and interactive entertainment – current animated productions include; 2021 holiday specials Robin Robin and Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas, CGI series Lloyd of the Flies, a new stop motion series for pre-schoolers The Very Small Creatures, feature length sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and a brand new Wallace & Gromit film for 2024.

Its productions are global in appeal, novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm reflecting the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the Aardman team. The studio’s work – which includes the creation of much-loved characters including Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Timmy Time and Morph – is often imitated, and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning content for cinema, broadcasters, digital platforms and live experiences around the world. Recent celebrated projects include the ‘visually astonishing’ (Guardian), BAFTA® nominated console game, 11-11: Memories Retold, the four-times Gold Cannes Lions-winning StorySign app, AR experience Wallace & Gromit: The Big Fix up - and innovative attractions for both the domestic and international market, including a 4D theatre attraction at Efteling in the Netherlands.

The studio runs the Aardman Academy which has a commitment to nurturing talent by delivering excellence in film and animation training and mentoring. The Aardman Academy offers a variety of courses from intensive one-day workshops teaching production skills and storyboarding, to comprehensive twelve-week courses for professionals in craft based subjects from model making to animation.

In November 2018 it became an Employee Owned Organisation, to ensure Aardman remains independent and to secure the creative legacy and culture of the company for many decades to come. www.aardman.com

For further press information please contact:
Michele Andjel, michele.andjel@carnivalukgroup.com 07730 732 072
Jenny Michalczuk, jenny.michalczuk@pocruises.com 07881 315 402