The captain of Southampton's latest superliner not only commands the 83,000 ton Arcadia but he can also steer happy couples through their wedding service.

The £200m Arcadia is the first vessel built exclusively for British passengers on which a bride and groom are able to say "I do'' and be married at sea by Captain Steve Burgoine.

It is possible for weddings to be performed on board Arcadia as the ship, which arrived in her home port of Southamp-ton for the first time yesterday, is registered in Hamilton, Bermuda.

Despite drizzle and mist, the overcast conditions could not dull the dramatic entrance of Arcadia as she made her way up through the Solent after a week-long voyage from the builder's shipyard in Italy, as reported in later editions of yesterday's Daily Echo.

Arcadia is so large she even dwarfed the giant American aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman (shown in the background behind Arcadia above right) at anchor off the Isle of Wight before the cruise ship turned into Southampton Water to come alongside her berth in the city's Western Docks.

Arcadia is the fifth P&O Cruises vessel to be based in Southampton together with Oriana, Aurora, Oceana and, later this year, Artemis.

Next Tuesday Athens Olympic double gold medal athlete Dame Kelly Holmes will become Arcadia's godmother when she performs the official naming in a spectacular quayside ceremony ending with a glittering fireworks display in the skies above.

For the next few days thousands of representatives from the shipping and travel industries will be in Southampton to visit Arcadia before the ship leaves on her maiden voyage on April 14.