What goes into naming a cruise ship?

P&O Cruises will officially name its newest ship Arvia in a spectacular beachside ceremony in Barbados, scheduled for March 16, 2023 - it got me thinking about ship names.

The name Arvia is derived from the Latin for from the seashore so it is an apt name for a ship.

The Arvia is the sister ship to Iona, which is a Greek name for dove. I guess there can be similarities between a ship sailing on the water and a dove floating/flying through the air.

I have struggled to see a trend in other P&O ship names, not that there needs to be one. Other names include Ventura, meaning luck or fortune and Britannia, which obviously speaks to its British roots.

Other cruise brands appear to have more of a theme.

MSC sticks to its Italian heritage with ships such as the Virtuosa, Grandiosa and Preziosa although it has also been branching out with names such as Seashore and more recently Europa.

Royal Caribbean appears to have the monopoly on the …Of The Seas while ships in the Princess fleet flow well when the brand is preceded by a Royal, Crown or Sky.

Cruise newcomer Virgin Voyagers is also doing its best to keep its ship names alliterative with a Valiant, Brilliant and Resilient Lady, although Scarlet is the anomaly in that one.

I was lucky enough to go the naming ceremony of the MSC Virtuosa in November 2021 in Dubai. They are always lavish events with drinks, dinner and plenty of celebrity entertainment. We were lucky enough to see a set from Rag’n’Bone Man plus all the facilities, even the premium VIP areas, are often open to be explored!

It would be great to sit in on the marketing meeting when a name is decided.

At least it never gets put out to a public vote or we could end up with a Boaty McBoatface of the Seas!