ON your marks, get set, go! Olympic golden girl Kelly Holmes sprinted into Southampton and officially named the world's latest superliner, the 83,000 ton Arcadia last night.

Kelly, who was made a dame by the Queen after her double success in last year's Athens games, sent the luxury cruise ship off from the starting blocks on her sea-going career in a spectacular quayside ceremony watched by thousands on Southampton's waterfront.

In one of the most dazzling events seen in the city in recent years, Dame Kelly sent the traditional bottle of champagne crashing against the mighty white hull of the ship and said the famous words: "I name this ship Arcadia, and may God bless her and all who sail in her.''

Then Arcadia's booming whistle reverberated and echoed across the docks as the ship saluted Dame Kelly and the new vessel's home port of Southampton.

As godmother of P&O Cruises' Arcadia Dame Kelly was guest of honour at the ceremony that was a breathtaking combination of show business, circus tricks and theatrical special effects together with a glittering fireworks display which lit up the night sky over Southampton as the finale.

Television and sporting personalities including the celebrity chef Gary Rhodes, who has a restaurant on the ship, film critic Barry Norman, former motor racing commentator Murray Walker, singer and actress Claire Sweeney, Olympic rower James Cracknell and one-time Beirut hostage Terry Waite were all on the guest list for the ceremony.

In a massive, specially built dockside auditorium dancers, jugglers, acrobats, stilt-walkers, singers, trapeze artists and bungee jumpers all put on a stunning show that had taken six months to plan but the real star of the event was Arcadia herself.

As the stage curtain was dramatically raised the 936 feet long Arcadia, the biggest cruise ship ever built exclusively for British passengers, was revealed towering high over Southampton Water.

Using the latest satellite-controlled systems Arcadia was positioned with pinpoint accuracy just off the quayside as dozens of coloured spotlights played over the ship and her enormous curved bow cut a striking sight against the darkening sky.

Back on shore, at one point in the show, an opera singer, performing an aria from Madame Butterfly rose high above the audience, her enormous blue costume gradually unfolding to become make-believe waves against the backdrop of the ship.

As Handel's stirring anthem, Zadok the Priest, was played fireworks soared into the air and cascaded over the decks of Arcadia silhouetted against the Western Docks.

The naming ceremony was screened live on a large screen to a crowd in Mayflower Park .

The Coast 106, one of the contenders bidding for a new radio licence in the Solent region, sponsored the Mayflower Park event.

Following the ceremony the P&O Cruises' guests embarked on Arcadia for a gala dinner and an evening of entertainment to celebrate the ship's entry into service.

The arrival of Arcadia is a further boost for Southampton Docks, now internationally recognised as the premier port for the UK's rapidly growing cruising industry.

shipping experts believe that the latest P&O Cruises' ship, which was built in Italy, will inject at least an extra £35million every year into the local economy by using Southampton based services and suppliers.

The Italian built ship is the fifth vessel to join the P&O Cruises' Southampton based fleet which also includes Oriana, Aurora, Oceana and later this year, Artemis.

Arcadia is scheduled to leave on her maiden voyage, a 16-night cruise to the Mediterranean, from the Mayflower Cruise Terminal tomorrow at 5pm.

For more on Arcadia and other Southampton shipping news - click the 'Shipping' link at the top of this page.