Sharing skills, experience and best practice at sea

Iona recently welcomed two Junior Royal Navy officers.

As part of an exchange programme between HMS Collingwood and the Merchant Navy, Luke Orrin and Matt Handisides joined Iona as deck cadets, working alongside the ship’s bridge team and gaining hands‑on experience navigating one of the world’s largest cruise ships.

Training at sea: shared standards, shared learning

To qualify as Officers of the Watch in the Royal Navy, all warfare officers must complete 365 days at sea. This allows them to safely command and navigate vessels on operations around the world. Time spent on board Iona gave Luke and Matt the opportunity to apply these skills in a commercial maritime environment, while learning how cruise ship operations compare to naval service.

At 184,000 gross tonnes, Iona is nearly three times the size of HMS Prince of Wales, yet the foundations of safe seafaring remain the same. From navigating the busy Dover Strait to manoeuvring a 344‑metre ship through narrow fjords, the core principles of navigation, teamwork and decision‑making are universal.

Learning from one another on the bridge

During their time on board, the officers sailed with Iona to Norway, before heading south to Portugal and Spain, gaining experience of both coastal navigation and complex port manoeuvres alongside P&O Cruises’ experienced bridge officers.
Matt said:

“The experience was extremely rewarding. Working with such a professional bridge team on a vessel of this size, in some very tight ports, was invaluable. It also gave me a real understanding of how much overlap there is between naval and merchant operations.”

Luke added:

“My time on Iona taught me not only how to keep a ship safe — especially one carrying around 7,000 people — but also how the cruise industry operates. That understanding will benefit me throughout my naval career.”

Investing in training, careers and collaboration

As part of the exchange programme, P&O Cruises Captain Andrew Wolverson and Staff Captain Chris Kennedy were invited to HMS Collingwood to experience Royal Navy officer training first‑hand, including its advanced 3D and virtual‑reality bridge simulators.

Lieutenant Commander David Carter, the Royal Navy’s Merchant Navy Liaison Officer, highlighted the benefits of the programme:

“This exchange delivers shared wins in learning and training. Carnival UK and P&O Cruises have been particularly supportive in helping junior officers complete their Officer of the Watch sea time.”

Careers on the bridge with P&O Cruises

At P&O Cruises, collaboration, learning and professional development sit at the heart of life on board. From cadets and junior officers through to senior bridge roles, our deck teams work with modern technology, world‑class ships and colleagues from around the globe.