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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen
Category: More News More News
Published: 08 February 2019 08 February 2019

Competition between Royal Caribbean International and P&O Cruises might heat up further from 2022, when the first named company could bring the first unit of a new class ship to Britain to compete against the second newbuilding of P&O Cruises.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley has said that the company could bring an Icon class ship to the UK, according to Travel Weekly.  Royal Caribbean International is the contemporary market unit in the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) group.

The company currently has the 2008 built Independence of the Seas and a Voyager class ship on the British market from spring to late autumn. However, Royal Caribbean International will raise its stakes in the UK already next year, when Anthem of the Seas, a Quantum class ship, will replace Independence of the Seas.

That same year P&O Cruises, the UK focused contemporary market unit of Carnival Corporation & plc, will introduce Iona, the first of its two 184,700 gross ton newbuildings.

“We have always been in the UK market and we will continue to be in the UK market. We see it as the cornerstone of our business. Our strategy has been continuation, protect, optimise and carry on the journey. That is why we announced that Anthem of the Seas is coming to the UK in 2020,” Bayley was quoted as saying.

The first Icon class ship of about 200,000 gross tons is due to enter serviced in 2022, the same year when P&O Cruises will introduce the yet unnamed sister ship of Iona.