VENTURA, Southampton's stunning new supership, will make a dramatic sight as she enters her home port for the first time next weekend.

During a special ceremony in the Italian shipyard where the £300m vessel was built, the latest addition to the Southamptonbased fleet of P&O ships was due to be handed over to her owners today.

Ventura, the biggest cruise ship ever built specifically for British passengers, is scheduled to depart the Fincantieri shipyard, near Trieste, in the next 24 hours to begin a voyage that will end in Southampton on Sunday, April 6.

During recent weeks the 115,000 ton Ventura has undergone a series of exhaustive sea trials to test all her , systems.

She has 1,546 cabins and is able to accommodate up to 3,600 passengers.

To signal P&O Cruises' official acceptance of Ventura, the vessel's master, Captain Alistair Clark from Warsash, ordered that the famous shipping line's distinctive flag should be broken out and flown from the mast, high up over the decks, for the first time.

Ventura will be be named by actress, Dame Helen Mirren, in a dockside naming ceremony in S o u t h a m p t o n ' s Western Docks in front of a specially invited audience of 1,500 guests on the evening of Wednesday, April 16.

After the naming, guests, including the celebrity chef, Marco Pierre White who has a restaurant on the vessel, will board Ventura for a cocktail reception, gala dinner and entertainment which will raise funds for three charities supported by Dame Helen and P&O Cruises - Barnardo's, Kid's Company, and Naomi House.

The ship, which will leave on her maiden Mediterranean voyage on Friday, April 18, is equipped with five swimming pools, 11 restaurants and 12 bars and lounges, five shops, a library, a casino, a West End- style, two-tier theatre and is staffed by 1,200 crew.

P&O Cruises is offering 20 Daily Echo readers and a guest the chance of being among the first people to see Ventura when she arrives.

Competition winners will join the pleasure boat, Ashleigh R, which will go out to meet Ventura as she travels up Southampton Water.

Competition winners will be notified of exact timings nearer the arrival day.

Just answer the following question and send your answer, name, address, telephone number and guest name by Wednesday, April 2.

● What is the name of the celebrity chef who has a restaurant on board Ventura?

Send entries to: Keith Hamilton, Ventura Competition, Southern Daily Echo, Newspaper House, Test Lane, Redbridge, Southampton, SO16 9JX.

Please note this event is subject to weather conditions, there is no alternative, has no monetary value, and cannot be transferred.

Normal Echo rules apply