ONE of the world's largest and newest cruise ship has entered Weymouth Bay as thousands of passengers onboard enjoy a staycation cruise.

Iona, operated by P&O Cruises, is undertaking a number of cruises around the UK, as the cruising industry resumes following the coronavirus pandemic.

Setting sail from Southampton, guests are able to enjoy the ultimate British break on the Iona, with gourmet dining and poolside bites, cocktails and coffees. shopping, spas, shows and endless sea views on offer.

Iona offers seven-night itineraries running until September 18, 2021, which sees the cruise ship sail from Southampton, see the Dorset coast and visit the Scottish islands.

Dorset Echo: Iona, one of the world's biggest cruise ships, has come to Weymouth. Picture: Paul Dallaway and Paul Dixon Crew Coastline CruisesIona, one of the world's biggest cruise ships, has come to Weymouth. Picture: Paul Dallaway and Paul Dixon Crew Coastline Cruises

On Tuesday afternoon (August 3), the cruise ship joins Ventura and Aurora in Weymouth Bay.

Photos from Paul Dallaway and Paul Dixon Crew Coastline Cruises appears to show passengers onboard enjoying the views of coastal Dorset and the sunshine.

Built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, she is the first British liner fuelled by liquefied natural gas, which P&O president Paul Ludlow claimed makes it “Britain’s most environmentally-friendly cruise ship”.

The cruise ship has a guest capacity of 5,200, including 2,614 cabins, with 1,800 crew members onboard.

The huge ship has 26 suites, 95 conservatory mini-suites, 1,486 balcony cabins, 174 sea view cabins, 811 inside cabins and 22 single occupancy cabins.

Dorset Echo: Iona, one of the world's biggest cruise ships, has come to Weymouth. Picture: Paul Dallaway and Paul Dixon Crew Coastline Cruises

Guests can also enjoy a number of activities, with more than 30 places to eat and drink, four swimming pools including an infinity pool and 18 whirlpool spas.

Only guests who have received both doses of the Covid-19 vaccine may climb onboard, with travel insurance mandatory for everyone.

A number of social distancing measures are in place with passengers advised to keep two metres apart, wash their hands and wear masks in certain areas of the ship. Crew will also undergo a strict testing and quarantine regime as well as regular testing during their time on board. Our protocols are subject to change, as we will continue to work with our experts and with government bodies to ensure all of our practices evolve in line with latest advice, with our primary focus always being to protect the health and wellbeing of our crew and guests and the communities we visit. Travel insurance will also be mandatory for all guests.