What does a cruise liner captain do when he isn't at sea? Attend to his sheep of course. KEITH HAMILTON talks to Captain Rory Smith about his new role aboard P&O Cruises' Adonia and his passion for shepherding...

Captain Rory Smith is keeping a close eye on the calendar at the moment as he has two important dates on the horizon and it wouldn't do for them to clash.

In the not too distant future he will be playing one of the central roles in a unique royal double occasion in Southampton but before that there is another pressing matter to consider - will his sheep give birth on time.

Every inch a sea-going man, Captain Smith will, in a few days time, take over the huge responsibility of being in charge of one of Great Britain's latest cruise liners, Adonia, 77,499 tons of floating luxury set to become a familiar sight in Southampton in the years ahead.

Today 57-year-old Captain Smith is due to fly out to the Caribbean to join the ship in San Juan and begin preparations to take over command of the vessel before it arrives in Southampton for the first time this spring.

In May the Princess Royal and her daughter Zara Phillips will carry out a spectacular naming ceremony in the port when Adonia and her sister ship, Oceana officially join P&O Cruises' Southampton-based fleet which also includes the two established superliners, Oriana and Aurora.

As master of Adonia, Captain Smith will undertake a key part in the dockside ceremony, the like of which has never been seen before in Great Britain.

However for the last few weeks Captain Smith, one of the most experienced ship's masters sailing today, has been back home on the edge of the New Forest, surrounded by some of the south's loveliest countryside, with his wife, Jean, enjoying a favourite hobby of shepherding his small flock of ewes and one ram, named Boyo.

As he strolls around his garden, which he avidly cares for, and surrounding fields, Captain Smith only has to look at the clumps of snowdrops and crocuses to remind himself that he is far away from the vast oceans of the world where he spends so much of his career.

With just a rattle of a bucket he brings his flock scampering across the grass in the hope of some tasty titbits.

"They just love these,'' said the captain doling out scoops of feed pellets to the sheep nuzzling along the fence.

"The ewes are not far from lambing now and we have tried to time things so that their offspring come before everything becomes busy with Adonia.''

Sheep have been a part of Captain Smith's life on shore for 20 years now and at one time his flock grew to about 40.

"We only have eight sheep these days and I can't really say they are pets but they do make excellent lawn-mowers.''

Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, Captain Smith joined P&O as a cadet in 1962 and was promoted to fourth officer three years later before going to gain experience on various cargo and passenger ships. After serving as chief officer on both the former Canberra and the original Oriana he was promoted to deputy captain in 1983 and assumed full command as master of Island Princess in February 1992.

He has also been captain on board Canberra, the present Arcadia and he assumed command of the modern day Oriana in January, 2000. Captain Smith gained his Master's Certificate in 1971 and is a member of the Honourable Company of Master Mariners, and a Younger Brother of Trinity House.

The ship he is about to take over is one of the new breed of vessels that are attracting more and more people to their decks and which have made Southampton the cruise capital of Great Britain.

After undergoing a refit period the ship, now called Sea Princess and part of P&O's Princess Cruises American-based fleet, will emerge with a new name and transfer to a new career.

Built in 1998 the ship will cross the Atlantic to arrive in Southampton for the naming ceremony on Wednesday, May 21 in the city's Western Docks.

With their bows facing each other, Adonia and Oceana will be the dramatic back-drop for the naming, which if other similar P&O Cruises' events are anything to go by, will be a memorable, glittering quayside occasion.

Before the evening ceremony starts the Princess Royal and Zara Phillips will attend a reception and gala dinner on board Adonia and Oceana before the first ever double cruise ship naming ceremony in Britain. The Princess Royal will name Oceana and Zara will christen Adonia.

This will be the second time the Princess Royal has carried out such a ceremony as it was in April, 2000 she was in Southampton to name the 76,152-ton Aurora.

ADONIA FACTFILE:

Cruise Line: P&O Cruises

Flag: British

Builder: Fincantieri, Italy

Original cost: $300m

Entered service: December 1998

Previous name: Sea Princess

Tonnage: 77,499 tons

Length: 856 feet

Width: 105 feet

Draft: 26 feet

Cabins; 1,008

Passengers: 2,016

Crew: 900

Maximum speed: 21 knots