IT WAS party time on board Southampton's newest cruise ship when celebrities of stage and screen attended a gala dinner and entertainment to mark the entry into service of the 143,000 ton Britannia last night.

Showbusiness stars, sports personalities and top television celebrity chefs all mingled with hundreds of specially invited guests in the restaurants, bars and clubs on board the brand new P&O Cruises' flagship berthed at the Ocean Terminal in the Eastern Docks.

Included on the guest list were Strictly Come Dancing judge, Darcy Bussell, star of Birds of a Feather, Linda Robson, former Bond girl, Fiona Fullerton, champion international swimmer, Mark Foster, television presenter Anneka Rice, together with celebrity chefs Marco Pierre White, James Martin and Atul Kochhar.

Daily Echo: Darcy Bussell

To welcome the guests Southampton's Ocean Terminal was also transformed into a remarkable display of red, white, and blue flowers while people using the roads around the city's docklands could not miss the many banners and hoardings showing giant images of Britannia, which decorated every lamp-post in and around the port.

Later in the evening a sparkling display of fireworks lit up the night sky over Britannia's open decks with cascading fountains of colour while rockets soared high above Southampton Water in a dramatic spectacle of glittering showers of brilliance.

P&O’s vessel fit for a queen

FOR a Southampton ship called Britannia there can only be one person to do the honours of officially naming the vessel, and that is the Queen.

Today, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen was due in the city to celebrate the entry into service of the 141,000-ton P&O Cruises vessel Britannia, at the Ocean Terminal in the Eastern Docks.

The biggest ship, and the eighth in the company's city-based fleet, built specifically for the rapidly growing British market, Britannia will make Southampton her home port in the years ahead.

After being greeted on the quayside by the master of Britannia, Captain Paul Brown, together with executive chiefs of Carnival UK, P&O Cruises’ parent company, the Queen, watched by hundreds of
invited guests sitting in a purpose-built grandstand in the shadow of the ship, will officially name Britannia, which carries the name of Southampton on her stern.

After announcing the famous words “I name this ship...” the Queen is set to send a giant bottle – the equivalent of 20 normal-sized ones – of British sparkling wine crashing against the ship’s enormous hull.

During her time in the port the Queen will be given a brief tour of the ship and meet a number of her officers and crew.

Last night, Britannia hosted a gala dinner and entertainment as well as a dramatic fireworks display over the ship’s open decks.

Built in Italy, Britannia, which can accommodate more than 3,640 passengers, is due to leave Southampton on her maiden voyage to the Mediterranean on Saturday.

Britannia boosts P&O Cruises’ capacity by 24 per cent and with a length of 1,082ft, she is 25,000 tons larger than any other vessel in the company’s fleet.

Britannia also displays on her bow P&O Cruises’ bold new livery with the longest version of the Union Flag anywhere in the world, at 308ft.

The Queen’s connection with the sea goes back to 1953 when she embarked upon the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Many of her tours were undertaken on Britannia and she became extremely fond of the ship.

Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned in December 1997, having sailed more than one million miles on royal and official duties.

• The Queen will name Britannia at Ocean Docks, Dock Gate 4, after 11.15am this morning.