P&O Cruises has announced an updated delivery date for its new ship, Iona.

The cruise line has revealed it plans to take delivery of the new ship “before the autumn”, with her yet-to-be-named sister ship to be delivered in December 2022.

Iona was originally scheduled to debut in April this year but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The ship’s launch was set to be one of the biggest cruise ship launches of the year, being the largest cruise ship ever built for the UK market.

Iona, and her sister ship, are currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The latest addition to P&O Cruises fleet, Iona will have a passenger capacity of 5,206 with a complement of 1,800 crew.

Boasting 17 guests decks, the ship will have an impressive 185,000 gross tonnage and feature amenities like a SkyDome and 29 different drinking and dining venues.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “Whilst our operations as currently paused, we are delighted that we have more clarity on the arrival of these two new ships.

“The final outfitting of Iona is almost complete and is looking stunning and we will take delivery of her before the autumn. We also now know that her sister ship will join the fleet at the end of 2022.

“Both ships are eagerly anticipated by our guests and we are seeing strong demand for the future. The space on these two ships will allow for extraordinary experiences; visual entertainment displays; new dining concepts and many new areas for relaxation and indulgence.”

Itineraries for Iona are currently on sale, with the new ship set to sail the waters of the Norwegian Fjords, Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe.

Itineraries for Iona‘s unnamed sister ship, set to launch in December 2022, will go on sale from spring 2021.

P&O Cruises has currently suspended all cruise operations until 15 October 2020.