MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Queen Elizabeth will name cruise vessel Britannia in Southampton

Carnival UK CEO Dingle: “we are honoured and proud that Her Majesty will name Britannia almost 20 years after she named the P&O Cruises ship Oriana”.

P&O Cruises has confirmed that Her Majesty The Queen, accompanied by His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, will name the new P&O Cruises vessel Britannia at Ocean Terminal, Southampton, SO14 3QN, on Tuesday March 10, 2015.

 The naming will be a milestone in British maritime history and will be an event of great interest.

Carnival UK chairman David Dingle said: “we are honoured and proud that Her Majesty will name Britannia almost 20 years after she named the P&O Cruises ship Oriana.

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

Britannia is the biggest ship designed exclusively for the British market.

Onboard features include are restaurants with menus created by the line’s’ “food heroes: James Martin, Marco Pierre White, Atul Kochhar, Eric Lanlard, wine expert Olly Smith and cheese expert Charlie Turnbull.

In total 10 celebrity chefs will join a number of Britannia sailings throughout the year, running cookery classes, hosting chef’s table dinners and participating in Q&A sessions and book signings.

The cruise ship which has been completed at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy is now readying for its first cruise which will set sail from Southampton, UK on March 14th on its first official voyage. P&O Britannia is 142,00 gross tons and carries 3,600 passengers.

The list of previous royal launches includes:

HRH The Duchess of York (later HM Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother) launched Strathmore on April 4, 1935.

HRH Princess Alexandra launched the first Oriana on November 3, 1959.

HM The Queen named the second Oriana on April 6, 1995.

HRH The Princess Royal named Aurora on April 27, 2000.

HRH The Princess Royal and her daughter Miss Zara Phillips named Oceana and Adonia on May 21, 2003.