P&O Cruises has announced that Captain Robert Camby will lead the team responsible for onboard operations for its newest LNG-powered ship Arvia, which will enter service in December 2022.

Captain Camby will bring out the Arvia from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany to the home port of Southampton where the ship will sail its inaugural winter cruises before repositioning to Barbados for its first series of Caribbean fly-cruises.

London-born Captain Camby was introduced to the sea from an early age, having a father who had served in the Royal Navy. His first introduction to cruising was through his maternal grandfather who took the family on SS Canberra when Robert was 14 and which sparked his dream of a career at sea.

In 1995 Robert was selected into the P&O Princess Cruises Cadet program and started his studies as a deck cadet at South Shields Nautical College. His first ship was the SS Canberra where it all began.

He worked his way up through the ranks on various ships before gaining his masters ticket in December 2003. In November 2005 Camby was appointed as navigator on Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2, where he remained working up to the rank of deputy captain in June 2008.

In December 2011 he was promoted to captain taking his first command of the Oriana in January 2012. Since then, he has commanded the Azura, Arcadia, Aurora, Oceana, Ventura, Britannia, Queen Victoria, Queen Mary 2 and most recently the Iona.

When not at sea he enjoys following Formula 1 motor racing, supporting Chelsea football as well as being a fan of England and Wasps Rugby. He also loves classic cars, especially the Austin Healey.

He lives in Warwickshire with his wife Danni and their two boys Austin and Jenson.

“After 26 years with the company I feel so privileged to command P&O Cruises Arvia and to be working alongside the mosttalented and experienced team. Arvia will underpin all the innovative and environmental credentials of Iona and will create even more aspirational and desirable guest experiences and itineraries specifically for British guests,” Camby said.

Supporting Captain Camby on the Arvia will be Captain Paul Brown; Andy Foote and Archie Kennedy as deputy captains; Robert Long as chief engineer and Helen Kimber and Daljit Sharma as hotel general managers. Other members of the senior management team will be announced shortly, P&O said.

The Arvia, similar to sister ship Iona, will be the next in P&O Cruises Excel-class generation of the first British cruise ships to be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas), paving the way for the future of cruising.

The Arvia is currently being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg and will be launched in December 2022.