P&O Cruises’ newest and largest vessels, Arvia and Iona, conducted a concurrent port call at St Maarten on Friday, January 23rd, marking a rare side-by-side arrival of two Excel-class ships at the Port of Philipsburg. Both vessels, each designed to accommodate approximately 5,200 passengers, secured berths at 07:00 a.m. local time.
The occasion was observed ashore as Arvia’s master, Robert Camby, and Iona’s master, Andrew Wolverson, met on the quay while passengers and crew acknowledged one another from open decks and balcony cabins. The call underscored the operational scale of P&O Cruises’ Caribbean programme and the role of the Excel class within the company’s contemporary fleet.
Commenting on the deployment, Carnival UK and P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow indicated that the Caribbean remains a core destination for the brand’s passenger base. He noted that the joint call reflected both the company’s strategic ambition in the region and the breadth of onboard experience delivered by its most modern vessels, purpose-built for the British market.
At the time of the visit, Arvia was partway through a 14-night roundtrip Eastern Caribbean fly-cruise originating in Barbados, while Iona was operating a 35-night Winter Warmth Caribbean voyage departing from Southampton. Both ships were scheduled to sail at 06:00 p.m. local time, with Arvia set on course for St John’s, Antigua, and Iona bound for Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.
Looking ahead to winter operations, Arvia is due to remain deployed in the Caribbean for the 2026 season, offering two alternating 14-night itineraries that include calls at destinations such as Martinique, St Lucia and Tortola. Across its programme, P&O Cruises maintains services to more than 20 Caribbean islands.
The company has also expanded its onboard commercial offering with the introduction of new all-inclusive fare options covering beverages, Wi-Fi access and speciality dining credit. Among these, the Classic Package is priced at GBP 49 per person per day and is positioned as delivering a saving of up to 32% when compared with purchasing the components individually during the voyage.