NORWEGIAN Pearl, the world's newest cruise ship, looks set to bowl over its passengers when it arrives in Southampton docks later this year.

With its highly distinctive decorated hull, Norwegian Pearl will be a 91,740-ton splash of colour as she sails up Southampton Water for her overnight stay in the Eastern Docks.

In the tough competitive world of cruising, companies constantly search for something new for their ships, and Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) has come up with the idea of including ten-pin bowling alleys for its latest vessel, which arrives in Southampton on Friday, December 1.

The four full-sized ten-pin bowling alley lanes are part of an entertainment complex on board Norwegian Pearl that also includes a sports bar, giant plasma screens and a nightclub.

"Bowling is one of the most popular recreational sports," said Colin Veitch, president and chief executive officer of NCL.

"Will the ball roll perfectly true? Much of the time yes, and some of the time no. We won't be hosting the world bowling championships; it's just fun we're shooting for."

Another first on board the ship are the ultra-luxurious Courtyard Villas, which include private access to an exclusive area of deck with pool, sundeck, hot tub, steamroom and fitness equipment, where passengers will also be looked after by a personal butler and concierge.

Other passengers will be able to book into one of the vessel's Garden Villas, which come complete with a living room, dining room and three separate bedrooms, each with its own luxury bathroom.

Norwegian Pearl is due to leave Southampton on Saturday, December 2, for a transatlantic crossing to the United States, where she will be based and operate in the Caribbean and Alaska.