P&O Cruises has announced that Hays Travel Group owner Dame Irene Hays will be the godmother of its new ship Iona.

Hays will officially name the vessel in a ceremony in Southampton on 16 May. The ceremony will also feature a one-off performance from Gary Barlow.

Dame Irene’s husband John, who died last November, founded Hays Travel in 1980 and it has grown to become the UK’s largest independent travel agency group.

Iona is scheduled to sail seven-night itineraries from 7 August, as part of P&O’s UK cruises this summer.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “We are absolutely delighted that Dame Irene Hays will be Iona’s godmother, taking centre stage alongside Gary Barlow in a landmark naming ceremony which will be the first stepping stone on the path to the return of the UK cruise industry.

“Since the inception of Hays Travel there is no one who has been more supportive of cruising or more of an ambassador for the travel industry.

“As such there is no one more appropriate to name Iona in this prestigious event than Dame Irene as we celebrate her achievements.

“The travel industry as a whole has been paused for over a year and has been devastated by the events of the last 13 months. We are so immensely grateful for the support we have received from travel agents across the UK, all of whom have faced commercial challenges none of us could have imagined.

“With domestic cruising opening up from 17 May and with our series of UK coastal cruises proving very popular this summer, recovery is certainly on the horizon and Iona’s arrival into the UK and naming ceremony will be the ray of hope the cruise sector has needed for such a long time.

“We also feel honoured that we are able to support the Hays Travel Charitable Foundation which encourages young people to be the very best they can be across education, sport and the arts. Being able to play a small part in securing the future of the next generation is indeed a privilege.”