The P&O cruise line has chosen A Coruña as one of the first destinations for the Britannia, launched in March by the Queen of England. The ship will dock in A Coruña at 8:00 a.m. with more than 5,000 passengers and will coincide that day with the Mein Schiff I and the Le Soleal.
The Port Authority and the Tourism Consortium have prepared a welcome program for the cruise passengers and the ship, aiming to make the Britannia's visit even more special.
The Britannia, the new flagship of P&O Cruises, the Port of A Coruña's main cruise ship client, will make its maiden call at the Transatlantic Pier next Thursday, May 14. This is a special occasion, as it marks the first voyage of this impressive cruise ship, which was christened by the Queen of England on March 10. The ship, with a capacity for 4,000 passengers, is one of the largest in the industry and the largest ever built for the British market. It will arrive at the Port of A Coruña with 3,600 passengers and 1,700 crew members on board, coming from Funchal, Madeira. Docking is scheduled for 8:00 a.m., and its departure for Southampton is expected at 6:00 p.m.
A large influx of travelers is expected throughout the day, as the British ship's visit will be part of a triple stop, the first of the year, completed by the ships<Mein Schiff I> and<Le Soleal> While the latter is a small cruise ship with 264 passengers, which will remain in A Coruña from 4:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., the number of passengers on the<Mein Schiff I> It carries 2,000 people. Its docking time will coincide with that of the<Britannia> , at 8 a.m., and its departure, also heading to Southampton, is scheduled for 4 p.m.
The city will offer a welcome to the Britannia cruise ship, coordinated by the Tourism Consortium and the Port Authority, as has been done in previous ports given the ship's special nature. In A Coruña, this is further made more significant by the fact that it is the most important cruise ship of the shipping company with the largest presence in the port, P&O. Furthermore, A Coruña is a very popular destination among British passengers, given the ties that bind the United Kingdom to the city in naval history and maritime tradition, and the connection of figures of great importance in English tradition such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Moore. General Moore, who died in 1809 at the Battle of Elviña and is buried in the San Carlos Garden, will feature prominently in the ship's welcome events, which will begin with a musical greeting by a bagpiper. The actor portraying this character in the dramatized guided tours of the city organized by the Tourism Consortium will participate in the reception offered on board the ship.<Britannia> The ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and will be attended by the President of the Port Authority, Enrique Losada; the President of the Tourism Consortium, Luisa Cid; the Maritime Captain, Gustavo Ortega; as well as representatives from the State Security Forces, Corunna Cruise Terminal, and the shipping agent Rubine e Hijos. Following the exchange of plaques and a visit to the ship, which will arrive at the Transatlantic Pier escorted by tugboats and water cannons, several activities are planned in the city streets. These will be organized by the Royal Green Jackets association, which will perform historical reenactments related to the ties between A Coruña and the United Kingdom. The ship will be seen off to the sound of bagpipes, with a traditional music group offering a short recital at the Transatlantic Pier as passengers embark, starting at 4:45 p.m.
The aim of these activities is to nurture the excellent business relationship with the P&O company and with the entire Carnival group, the world's leading cruise operator and owner of the largest ships that have visited the city in recent years, such as the Ventura, the Oriana, and the Oceana.
The Britannia is the fifth cruise ship christened by Queen Elizabeth II, following the Queen Elizabeth 2, the Oriana, the Queen Mary 2, and the Queen Elizabeth. All of them have visited the Port of A Coruña at some point, and on Thursday the 14th, another luxurious vessel will dock there, boasting a spectacular bow decoration: a 94-meter-long Union Jack. It also features 15 decks, 13 restaurants, 4 swimming pools and a spa, and more than 1,800 cabins, and carries an art collection valued at 1.4 million euros. Measuring 330 meters in length, 44 meters in beam, and weighing 140,000 tons, the Britannia will visit 57 ports in 31 countries and sail approximately 90,000 nautical miles in its first year of service.
