P&O Fly The Flag - In Pictures & Video

The advent of P&O Cruises' ground-breaking new ship Britannia in 2015 is already causing a major stir in the cruise waters, and now P&O have upped the ante still further by revealing new hull artwork that proudly trumpets the Union Jack as its core design.

The bold new look celebrates the company's heritage and its popularity as Britain’s leading cruise line with a livery update across the fleet to underline its UK credentials, with the longest version of the Union Jack set to adorn its new flagship next year.

From the end of 2014, the company’s eight ships will begin to embrace the flag on their bow, styled in a contemporary way which looks to the future, while celebrating the past. The imagery will be sympathetic to the ships’ sweeping lines and enhance their presence in port

or at sea. The ships will also have distinctive blue funnels carrying an illuminated rising sun motif which depicts the Oriental part of the Peninsular and Oriental (P&O) name on the company’s coat of arms.

The new livery was developed after extensive research among consumers. It will first be seen on Aurora, after her dry-dock later this year, followed by Britannia at her launch in February 2015, and on all other P&O ships by the end of 2016. Britannia, the largest cruise ship exclusively for the British market, will display the longest version of the Union flag anywhere in the world, at 94 metres.

Chief executive officer David Dingle explained: “In our 177 ^th year, we are unveiling a new, contemporarily styled livery which symbolises all we stand for, pointing to the future and celebrating our British heritage. This bold new look will make our ships yet more distinctive and recognisable across the world. Our ships will proudly carry Britain’s most distinctive symbol, the Union Flag, to all corners of the globe.”

P&O's roots stretch back to 1837, when the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company was awarded the lucrative Admiralty contract to carry mail to the Iberian Peninsula and beyond.

Now see the full P&O video explaining the new look:

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