"Britannia", a milestone in La Palma

Practical Francisco Noguerol Cajén had the satisfaction of assisting Captain Paul Brown this morning during the first stop of the megacruiser "Britannia" at the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma. It arrived on time from Funchal and entered slowly from the stern parallel to the eastern dock, where it was moored in view of the coastal city, which today enjoys its presence and the measured stay of 4,300 passengers and nearly 1,400 crew members.

This is the first of two scheduled stops this year. The next one is planned for June 11. It is not true, as some media have published, that P&O Cruises, the owner of the "Britannia" ship, has been present at the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma since the 1960s. It had made stops at the shelter of Risco de la Concepción three decades earlier, as can be verified in the archives and in our book "La Palma and the Sea", among other sources. It is also not true that it is the largest ship to have docked in La Palma, as it is surpassed by the iconic "Queen Mary 2".

Detail of the two chimneys of the ship 'Britannia'

The bow propellers in action to facilitate maneuvering

The presence of the "Britannia" ship does not go unnoticed. It is an imposing vessel and represents P&O Cruises' commitment to its native market, the British, to which it brings one of the most distinguished ships of recent years. In its rebranding, besides the name and the two blue-painted chimneys, it displays the "Union Jack" on the bow, the ultimate expression of national sentiment.

The shipping company has revived an emblematic name in the naval history of the United Kingdom. The previous ship that bore this name was the royal yacht "Britannia", which sailed for half a century and was decommissioned in 1997. Only in its first year of service, the new ship, registered in the port of Southampton, has visited 57 ports in 31 countries and sailed about 90,000 nautical miles.

The emblem of the Union Jack on the bow and sides of the ship

Detail of the stern section and the P&O Cruises logo

On March 10, 2015, Queen Elizabeth II of England presided over the official naming ceremony. It had been twenty years since she had also sponsored another P&O Cruises ship, which has long become a classic in the sector, called "Oriana", well-known in La Palma, just like the ships "Aurora", "Arcadia", "Ventura", and "Azura", among others.

Construction number 6,321 from the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone (Italy), the contract was signed in 2011, and on May 15, 2013, the first block of its keel was laid. On September 24 of the same year, the announcement of its new name was made public, which caused a sensation in British and Commonwealth public opinion.

The ship "Britannia", seen in its entirety from the starboard side

The ship "Britannia" maneuvered from the stern and port to the dock where it was moored

The port of Santa Cruz de La Palma writes a new page in its history today

From Bajamar beach, the imposing bulk of the ship 'Britannia'

On February 14, 2014, it floated for the first time, and on February 26, 2015, it was delivered to its owners. The ship is commanded by Captain Paul Brown, who until his appointment had been the captain of the "Azura" ship. The final cost has risen to £473 million. P&O Cruises is a company of the American group Carnival Corporation plc, which also owns Cunard Line, its eternal competitor.

It is a ship of 143,730 gross tons and 11,793 deadweight tons, with a total length of 330 m, a beam of 38.38 m, a draft of 8.30 m, and a height from keel to funnel of 68.30 m. It is powered by a diesel-electric system that totals 62,400 kW and allows it to maintain a cruising speed of 20 knots. In addition to the propeller screws, it has three transverse propellers at the bow and the same number at the stern for maneuvering. It can accommodate a maximum of 4,324 passengers and a crew, from captain to page, of 1,398 people. IMO Code 9614036.

Photos: Alberto Pérez Fernández and Francisco Jiménez Acosta