We live in a great time for travel. Never before have so many people been able to afford to go see the world with their own eyes instead of hearing of watching about it. This also means that companies are all trying to compete for our money and give us the best value and experiences possible. As you may have seen already, new Airbus and Boeing aircraft for the commercial sector are getting bigger and bigger. With new engines that have 100,000 ft-lb thrust capability, passenger jets can hold well over 300 people onboard. To counteract this, cruise ships have also gotten bigger and bigger to provide a different kind of holiday experience. When I visited a cruise ship last year I was amazed at how many passengers can fit on modern cruise ships, have space to themselves, enjoy the different features onboard and yet still travel the oceans and seas in comfort. With cruise ships getting increasingly sophisticated, impressive and large maybe it's time to save up to experience one?

Just how big are new cruise ships?

The UK is known for its love of cruises and has a long history of spectacular shipbuilding. One of the most recognised names in the cruising world is the port of Southampton. From here every ship that is world famous at one time or another sets sail, heading off to America, around the Mediterranean or Scandinavia. The new ship making waves at the moment is the P&O Cruises Iona, which is going to be a grand total of 184,000 gross tonnage. To put that into perspective that’s around 34,000 larger than the Queen Mary 2. It's going to hold 5,200 passengers and have more than 15 restaurants, more than 10 bars and pubs, 13 different live performance theatres and around 20 water features for activities. That's more places than most families will visit on a typical trip abroad.

Where Will The P&O Iona Go?

One of the greatest cruise destinations for anyone leaving from Southampton is Norway. It's North-east and off the right shoulder of the UK so it doesn’t take too long to get there. It's rumoured that the Iona will be cruising through the famous Norwegian Fjords which is staggering considering the size of the ship. You need to be on something manoeuvrable to get past the winding rivers and narrowing passes of the fjords but once among them, they’re spectacular for so many reasons. Firstly the water is a turquoise blue, mainly from the icy waters that drift here from the northern ice sheets. The rocky and mossy mountains either side of you are natural wonders to behold and give reasons for hikers from all over the world to come visit them.

When Is The P&O Iona Due To Set Sail?

Apparently, the ship is due to be completed around 2020, and then it's off for sea trials. Already couples and families are signing up to be one of the first to ride on this next generation of cruise ships. And that’s where all the excitement is, the fact that the Iona is the next generation of cruise ships and being on its maiden voyage is going to make history.

The Norwegian Fjords have never been conquered by such a large ship. The Iona is going to be a great cruise ship but the location matters too. The Norwegian Fjords are breathtaking by themselves and when you disembark at one of the ports there will be so many beautiful places to explore.