ALREADY the sparks are flying as the world's biggest cruise ship, Liberty of the Seas, takes the starring role in some of the most spectacular celebrations ever seen in Southampton.

The first of three glittering firework displays soared into the night sky, dramatically lighting up the huge vessel last night after the ship arrived earlier in the day.

Sightseers in their thousands packed Southampton's Mayflower Park to have a grandstand view of the glittering display with Liberty of the Seas silhouetted against the soaring rockets and cascading colours of the fireworks.

Crowds were again expected to flock to the park this evening when a repeat firework display is due to take place at 9.45pm, while tomorrow the third and final event begins at 9pm as the ship is sailing for a two-night mini-cruise an hour later.

Southampton is set to become a major tourist destination over the coming days as people from all over the country converge on the city to see Liberty of the Seas, together with 14 other cruise ships expected in the port this week.

Vantage points Many people were up early yesterday morning to claim a place at vantage points all along Southampton Water as Liberty of the Seas made her dramatic entrance into port.

At first Liberty of the Seas was just a shadowy outline in the early morning mist but then, little by little, the enormity and the sheer scale of the vessel began to emerge.

Gradually the sun burned through the haze and suddenly, for the first time the vast cruise ship could be seen in all her glory.

A passing Red Funnel ferry and a handful of yachts and motor cruisers bobbed around in the wake of Liberty of the Seas and looked more like toys compared to the huge cruise ship.

The sight was simply breathtaking as the 160,000-ton ship, towering more than 200ft above the waves, eased herself up Southampton Water and gently manoeuvred alongside the City Cruise Terminal next door to Mayflower Park.

As Royal Caribbean International's latest addition to its rapidly expanding fleet entered port, maritime tradition dictated that she was greeted by the booming salutes of other cruise ships, including Oceana, Ocean Village Two and Aurora which were also in the docks.

Even the two military ships at Marchwood joined in the welcome as Liberty of the Seas replied, the deep sound of her whistles reverberating across the city.

Liberty of the Seas is the sister ship of Freedom of the Seas, which made a similar stop-off call at Southampton last year while en route to America. However in 2008 an identical third vessel, Independence of the Seas, will again arrive in the docks but this time the ship will stay and operate a summer long programme of voyages from the city.

Liberty of the Seas' presence in Southampton signals a major shift in the growth of the UK family cruising market, of which Southampton is the country's premier port.

The fact that Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas have both visited Southampton together with the news that Independence of the Seas will be based in the city next year, underlines the growing strength of the British cruise industry.

Robin Shaw, managing director of Royal Caribbean in the UK, said: "Cruise industry statistics predict that 1.35 million people in the UK will take a cruise this year, a ten per cent increase on 2006 figures.

"Given the scale of high profile recent developments in the UK cruise industry, including our intention of basing Independence of the Seas, which is still under construction, with its 3,600 passenger capacity in Southampton from spring 2008, we believe we are delivering changes that will accelerate this growth.'' Among the wide-ranging array of passenger facilities are a rock-climbing wall and an ice rink while the ship, with accommodation for up to 5,730 passengers and crew, will be the first to offer couples the chance of getting married while surfing on the vessel's FlowRider pool, scuba-diving in the ocean, hot-air ballooning or even on an Alaskan glacier.

Huge ships like Liberty of the Seas, with on-board attractions not heard of ten years ago, are attracting many first-time cruisers and are changing the old traditional image of cruising by attracting younger passengers together with more families.