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THE countdown has begun! In just seven days' time Southampton supership Ventura will make her dramatic entry into Southampton Water and berth alongside her home port for the first time.

With her 21st century technology, unique passenger facilities, and huge size, Ventura's arrival will mark the beginning of a new era for the city based P&O Cruises as it meets the present, seemingly unstoppable, rise in public demand for holidays on the high seas.

Ventura is the first of three major new vessels that will arrive in Southampton this year, a time when the number of British cruise passengers is expected to exceed a record breaking 1.55 million, with the vast majority embarking and disembarking in the city's port.

With row upon row of private balconies lining her superstructure, Ventura will become a familiar sight on the Southampton skyline in the coming decades as she sails far into the 21st century.

The stunning, 115,000 ton vessel, equivalent to about 57,000 family cars, Ventura, with a capacity for 3,600 guests and 1,200 crew, is the biggest cruise ship ever built specifically for British passengers.

Ventura was officially handed over by the Italian shipyard, where she has been built, to P&O Cruises during a ceremony on board the ship in the port of Trieste on Saturday.

The ceremony was preceded by a glittering musical show with dancers, acrobats and singers.

The ship's first master, Captain Alistair Clark from Warsash, signalled Ventura's acceptance by P&O Cruises by ordering that the company flag should be flown from the vessel's mast as the shipyard's flag was lowered for the last time.

With final, last minute checks completed Ventura left Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard for the start of the voyage that will bring her to Southampton, where she will be named in a spectacular dockside ceremony by the actress, Dame Helen Mirren, next Sunday morning when she is scheduled to berth at the Western Docks at about 11am.

Although the familiar white livery and traditional buff coloured funnel is the same, Ventura is unlike any previous P&O Cruises' ship and represents the company's next generation of vessel.

Claimed to be the most family friendly cruise ship sailing from the UK, Ventura has been designed to appeal to every kind of passenger, especially newcomers to cruising and families.

Among Ventura's many innovative passenger facilities is a fine dining restaurant created by the award winning chef, Marco Pierre White, while renowned British designer, Nick Munro has created much of Ventura's contemporary style and experts from London's Tate Modern gallery will present a series of workshops and talks on art.

Evening entertainment venues include a nightclub featuring a 20 metre floor to ceiling plasma wall showing different city skylines in real time', Cuban-inspired salsa bar, a comedy club and seven other lounges and clubs.

The ship has the first sea-going 3D-cinema, while Cirque Ventura promises to teach the circus skills of juggling, stilting walking and trapeze to guests and Rock School gives teenagers the chance to perform and record their own songs.

P&O Cruises is so confident that Ventura will be a success it has already indicated that it will be ordering a second similar, as yet un-named, vessel set to enter service in Southampton in the spring of 2010.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in the ship's two-tier West End style theatre, Nigel Esdale, managing director of P&O Cruises, said: "This is a very exciting day for us as we prepare to cast the ropes aside and head for home.

"Ventura's maiden season is almost upon us and this official handover is the culmination of many months of hard work, creativity and innovation.

"This ship marks a new era in contemporary British cruising and great attention to detail has been spent designing each and every bar, restaurant and cabin.

"That so many British icons have put their name to this ship - Dame Helen Miren, Marco Pierre White, Nick Munro and Tate Modern - make us extremely proud and re-affirms that we have created something very special with Ventura.'

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1:59pm Monday 31st March 2008

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