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10:22am Monday 27th October 2008
Southampton's latest luxury cruise ship is to be called Azura and will be one of the biggest vessels ever built solely for British passengers.
Owners, P&O Cruises' revealed the name as construction work on the vessel began with a keel-laying ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy today.
Azura will be able to accommodate up to 3,100 guests over 15 passenger decks featuring 11 restaurants, a shopping complex of five boutiques, four swimming pools, a wide variety of bars and lounges and 900 private balconies.
The new ship, which will take to the water for the first time in summer, 2009 when she is floated out of the dry dock before she is officially hand-over to P&O Cruises the following year.
The keel-laying involved the placement in the dry dock of one section of the ship's hull made up of six pre-manufactured blocks which are already fitted with piping and other internal structures.
P&O Cruises managing director, Nigel Esdale, said: "Evoking images of the ocean and capturing the thrill of cruise travel, the name Azura is very fitting for this most sophisticated of superliners."
mangobean, Eastleigh says...
12:40pm Mon 27 Oct 08
hulla baloo wrote:OMG! When did Italy become part of Finland?
'Southampton's latest luxury cruise ship' Bit tenuous,considering it is being built in Finland by an American/British/Pan amanian company, and no doubt staffed mainly by non British.
hulla baloo, southampton says...
12:49pm Mon 27 Oct 08
mangobean wrote:My error,must get my eyes tested again.
hulla baloo wrote: 'Southampton's latest luxury cruise ship' Bit tenuous,considering it is being built in Finland by an American/British/Pan amanian company, and no doubt staffed mainly by non British.OMG! When did Italy become part of Finland? Methinks you are confusing Fincantieri with Aker Yards (who also build in France as well as Finland and other places).
mangobean, Eastleigh says...
1:08pm Mon 27 Oct 08
hulla baloo wrote:Fair enough.
mangobean wrote:My error,must get my eyes tested again. You are quite correct in saying it is built in Italy, but the meaning of my comment remains the same.hulla baloo wrote: 'Southampton's latest luxury cruise ship' Bit tenuous,considering it is being built in Finland by an American/British/Pan amanian company, and no doubt staffed mainly by non British.OMG! When did Italy become part of Finland? Methinks you are confusing Fincantieri with Aker Yards (who also build in France as well as Finland and other places).
Miles Sway, Scotland says...
2:09pm Mon 27 Oct 08
southy, redbridge says...
2:14pm Mon 27 Oct 08
m1ch43l, southampton says...
2:55pm Mon 27 Oct 08
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hulla baloo, southampton says...
11:32am Mon 27 Oct 08
Bit tenuous,considering it is being built in Finland by an American/British/Pan
amanian company, and no doubt staffed mainly by non British.