P&O Cruises revealed the Britannia, the largest ship ever built for the UK market, emblazoned with the Union Flag on 26th September.

The flag is the world’s largest contemporary version of the Union Flag (the largest standard Union flag being found at East Cowes, Isle of Wight on the former Saunders Roe hangar) and when applied it consumed 280 litres of red paint, 40 litres of dark red, 80 litres of blue and 20 litres of dark blue. More than 160 litres were also used to imprint P&O’s logo on the bow at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy.

The Britannia will also have two distinctive blue funnels carrying an illuminated rising sun motif which depicts the Oriental part of the Peninsular and Oriental (P&O) name on the company’s coat of arms. The 141,000gt and 3,600-passenger capacity ship will debut in Southampton in March 2015.

All eight P&O vessels are due to undergo a livery revamp with the 76,152gt/2000 built Aurora being the first in November 2014.