Britain's biggest cruise ship named by the Queen

P&O's Britannia, the biggest (and quite possibly the coolest) cruise ship ever built for the British market, has been named in Southampton by HM The Queen.

Upholding its celebration of all things British, a bottle of Brut NV from the Wiston Estate Winery in the South Downs was smashed against the side of the ship instead of Champagne.

The glittering ceremony last night also featured a performance by Michael Ball and soul legend Jaki Graham. The menu was created by the P&O Food Heroes Atul Kocchar, James Martin, Eric Lanlard and Marco Pierre White.

Other guests at the two-day event included Olympian Sally Gunnell OBE, actress Anne Reid MBE, celebrity chef Paul Rankin, and Strictly dancers Natalie Lowe and Ian Waite.

The naming ceremony was hosted by Rob Brydon and featured performances by Laura Wright and the Strictly Come Dancing dancers Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe.

Celebrities enjoying the British sparkling wine included Strictly's Darcey Bussell CBE, who is godmother to P&O's Azura, and Tess Daly; and the five P&O Food Heroes – celeb chefs James Martin, Marco Pierre White, Atul Kocchar and Eric Lanlard, and wine expert Olly Smith.

This is is one of the most hotly anticipated cruise ship launches this year, offering new levels of style and design. Highlights on board Britannia (which is definitely a cruise ship for foodies) include the Cookery Club, the first British cookery school at sea, which will feature sessions by well-known experts including Great British Bake Off's Mary Berry CBE, and Antonio Carluccio CBE; the Crow's Nest cocktail lounge, which has a British Gin Menu with 20 different kinds of artisan gin; and Brodie's Pub, boating 70 UK bottled beers, ales and ciders.

There's also a theatre with LED wall, four swimming pools, a gym, and a multi-million pound art collection, plus the adults-only Serenity pool and bar.

David Dingle, Chairman of Carnival UK, which owns P&O, said: "We are honoured and proud that Her Majesty named Britannia almost 20 years after she named the P&O Cruises ship Oriana.

"Britannia, a ship for the nation, is the embodiment of contemporary Britain, and with her Union Jack livery she will fly the flag for Britain across the Globe."

Britannia's maiden voyage on 14 March, which calls at destinations including Gibraltar, Monte Carlo, Rome and Seville, is already sold out. But destinations on itineraries throughout the year include St Petersburg and Scandinavia, the Caribbean, and the Norwegian Fjords.

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