Cruise liner Ventura sails to Southampton

[31st March 2008]

The largest cruise ship ever built for British cruise passengers, P&O Cruises’ Ventura, is now complete and has set sail for her home port of Southampton.

Ventura has been built in the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy and was handed over to P&O Cruises in a ceremony at the shipyard. The ship is the 100th to be built by the Italian company.

“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 ceremony is the culmination of many months of hard work, creativity and innovation,” said P&O Cruises MD, Nigel Esdale.

“Ventura 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 Mirren, Marco Pierre White, Nick Munro and Tate Modern – makes us extremely proud and reaffirms that we have created something very special with Ventura,” Esdale added.

Dame Helen Mirren has been named as godmother of Ventura and she will perform the naming of the ship at a glamorous launch ceremony in Southampton on 16 April.

Ventura arrives in her home port of Southampton on 6 April, when she will pass her sister ship Aurora in the Solent before arriving at the Mayflower Cruise Terminal at around 11am.

With a capacity of almost 3,600 passengers Ventura is around 40% larger than Arcadia, currently the biggest in the British market. Among the guests at the naming ceremony will be consultant celebrity chef for Ventura, Marco Pierre White, and children’s favourite Noddy.

Ventura’s maiden cruise to the Mediterranean will set sail from Southampton on 18 April with a fanfare of fireworks from Stokes Bay. The Mediterranean cruise will take in Barcelona, Florence and Pisa, Rome, Alicante and Gibraltar.

Written by: Nick Purdom