The race is on to win the lucrative refit contract for Southampton's luxury liner, Queen Elizabeth 2.

Yards across Europe are bidding for the work due to take place in the May of next year, four months after Cunard's 150,000-ton megaliner Queen Mary 2 is set to enter service in Southampton.

The refit is expected to include changing carpets and furniture and general refurbishment work to some of the passenger areas together with some repairs and maintenance to technical areas.

Once QM2 has taken over the traditional transatlantic role, QE2 will be used for cruises in and out of Southampton to the Mediterranean and Northern Europe as well as line voyages to destinations around the world.