A steel-cutting ceremony has been held for the second Excel-class ship in the P&O Cruises fleet.

Arvia, a sister ship to Iona, is being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and is scheduled to join the fleet in December 2022.

The name of the ship was unveiled through a video reveal made up of outlining the letters in the name in various different locations, all relating to the beach and the seashore.

Holidays on Arvia go on sale in March and additional details regarding its design and experiences on board will be released over the coming months.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “The steel cutting marks an extraordinary milestone for the future of P&O Cruises. It is a future which will include two of the most environmentally innovative ships in the world today.

“Iona is poised to join our fleet this summer as we return to service and is eagerly anticipated by our employees, crew and certainly by our guests, who cannot wait to sail on her during her maiden season from Southampton.

“While Arvia may have a different look and feel to Iona, being built to sail in the sun, the inherent DNA is the same. It is one which exemplifies design excellence, forward-thinking power generation and future-focused experiences. The hardware, technology and interior arrangement of spaces leave nothing lacking.

“Every sheet of metal, every control panel, every cabin, light fitting and chair has been designed and debated to ensure that it provides a pinnacle holiday for our guests and the foremost working and living experience for our crew.

“Over the next two years we will see this DNA evolve into our vision as our new ship takes shape and Arvia will join the fleet in December 2022. I would like to thank the entire team at Meyer Werft for their partnership and dedication as we begin the build of another spectacular ship.”