P&O Cruises has formed an exclusive partnership with the British coastal rum company The Tidal Rum which will create a unique rum blend especially for Arvia’s Caribbean sailings, the company announced. 

Created by Jersey-based founders of Shorts Boy Distillery, Ben Clyde-Smith and Harry Coulthard, The Tidal Rum is inspired and influenced by the sea and shore. Its rich golden smoothness comes from a careful blend of Caribbean cask-aged rums from Trinidad, Jamaica, Barbados and the Dominican Republic, while an infusion of lightly oak smoked Pepper Dulse, a little-known wild seaweed known as ‘the truffle of the sea’ found on Jersey’s coastline at low tide, gives a unique ocean salted caramel flavor.

The rum’s maiden production will take place onboard Arvia in the first rum distillery at sea in Anderson’s Bar.

It will then be ready for guests to enjoy neat or in an array of expertly crafted cocktails on board. Following the launch, The Tidal Rum will recreate the recipe and bottle, ready to share and serve to guests across the P&O Cruises fleet.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “We are so delighted that following Iona’s on board gin distillery we are, once again, innovating with this first rum distillery at sea on Arvia which will be so fitting in the Caribbean sunshine.

“The Tidal Rum will be the perfect drink to cool down in the Caribbean heat while enjoying the ship’s views of the ocean, seashore and surrounding destinations, or to give as a souvenir for friends and family when they arrive home.”

Harry Coulthard from The Tidal Rum said: “With our new rum, we wanted to bring together the finest rums of the Caribbean with the fresh notes of coastal botanicals from the shores of Britain’s islands. Whether you’re taking your first sip while enjoying a stunning island horizon or a beautifully crafted cocktail in Anderson’s Bar, our rum has all the ingredients of an unforgettable P&O Cruises holiday.”

Arvia will join the P&O Cruises fleet in December 2022, her maiden voyage will be to the Canary Islands, followed by a winter season in the Caribbean.