James Martin to run cookery classes on P&O cruises

A cookery club run by top chefs will be a feature on a 141,000-tonne new British cruise liner which will start voyages next year.

TV chef James Martin will join patissier Eric Lanlard to operate the cookery classes aboard the P&O Cruises 3,600-passenger vessel Britannia. Source: Press Association.

The ship's restaurants will have creations of chefs Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith.

Giving more details of Britannia today, P&O Cruises said the ship will sail on its maiden voyage from its home port of Southampton on March 14 next year.

The 14-night Mediterranean voyage will include stops at Barcelona, Monte Carlo and Rome.

After it is built in Italy, the ship's maiden British Isles cruise will be a 12-night voyage starting on July 6 2015 and including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Dublin and Cork.

The opening season for the 1,837-cabin vessel includes sailings to the Caribbean, the Baltic and the Canaries.

Britannia will feature a supervised children's club, a three-tier atrium, 13 bars and 13 different places to eat, a spa, a sports arena, four swimming pools, entertainment arenas, a dance hall and an art collection worth more than £1 million.All outside-facing cabins have balconies and there are 64 suites.

P&O Cruises marketing director Christopher Edgington said: "Britannia will introduce cutting-edge design combined with a range of innovations uniquely styled to appeal to those who may not have considered a cruise holiday before, as well as our many loyal past passengers."