Hail Britannia!

Queen Elizabeth II christens Britannia

P&O Cruises UK celebrated the launch of the line's newest ship, Britannia, in a naming ceremony held yesterday in Southampton, England, to commemorate its entry into the fleet.

Britannia embodies the spirit of modern Britain through the ship's elegant, yet contemporary, design, cutting-edge art collection, best of British chefs, state-of-the-art cooking school, and world-class spa. The biggest ship designed exclusively for British tastes also has the quintessential British godmother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

After the naming ceremony, the 3,657-passenger vessel departed on her maiden voyage to the Mediterranean and during her inaugural season will also sail to the Norwegian Fjords, Canary Islands, and the Baltic Sea, as well as offering a range of short breaks and a special "round-Britain" cruise. The 143,000-ton ship will then transfer to the Caribbean for the winter season offering 15-night fly/cruise itineraries from Barbados.