Is bigger necessarily better when it comes to cruise liners? This is a valid question and the debate will probably never be settled one way or the other. Some people love the variety and big-ship feel of a large cruise liner, while others prefer the more intimate ambiance of a smaller ship.

P&O Cruises has promised to make sure that the latest and greatest addition to their fleet will provide guests with a small-ship experience despite its massive size. The ship will be able to accommodate 3,600 guests.

The newcomer does not have a name yet, but it will be the biggest cruise ship ever built specifically for the UK market. Structurally it will be identical to two Princess Cruises ships for which orders have already been placed by parent company Carnival Corporation.

The Managing Director of P&O Cruises, Carol Marlow, said the new ship will be designed with customer expectations in mind. The company has done extensive market research in this regard.

She continues “It will be quite different from the Princess ships in terms of cabin layout and public rooms. It will have some new sophisticated “wows” and new elements we think our British customers will want.”

Ms Marlow added that the new ship will fit in nicely between the company’s existing two jumbo liners. Azura is aimed at the more traditional P&O cruise passenger, while Ventura is positioned for the family market.

She went on to say that it was “likely” that the newcomer would use Southampton as a base during its first summer season after its naming ceremony in March 2015, but that the cruise line was also looking at the fly-cruise market.