Southampton's latest luxury superliner, the 83,000-ton Arcadia, was officially handed over to city-based P&O Cruises in Italy yesterday.

Ownership of the £200m cruise ship was transferred from the Fincantieri shipyard to P&O Cruises in the final milestone of the ship's construction.

Arcadia is due to set sail from Venice, where she was constructed, for her home port of Southampton next week, arriving for the first time in the port at about midday on Wednesday, April 6.

The ship's arrival will be another major boost to Southampton's reputation as the UK's number one port for the multi-million-pound international cruising industry.

Arcadia will become the fifth vessel in P&O Cruises' Southampton fleet, which also includes Oriana, Aurora, Oceana and, later this year, Artemis.

David Dingle, managing director of Carnival UK, the parent company of P&O Cruises, said: "I am delighted to accept delivery of Arcadia and would like to pay tribute to the skill and workmanship of the Fincantieri workforce.

"Arcadia's stylish and contemporary design places her at the forefront of modern cruising and strong advance bookings for her maiden season show that she has already become a firm favourite with British holidaymakers."

Arcadia will be named by Dame Kelly Holmes, the double gold medal-winning athlete from last year's Olympic Games in Athens, at a spectacular ceremony in Southampton on Tuesday, April 12, before embarking on her maiden voyage two days later.

A child-free ship, she will feature an extensive spa with a thermal suite and hydrotherapy pool, three-tier theatre, multi-million-pound art collection, 12 bars and six dining options including Arcadian Rhodes, a restaurant exclusively developed for P&O Cruises by television celebrity chef Gary Rhodes.

Carrying 1,952 passengers and a complement of 880 crew, she will sail to the destinations in the Mediterranean, Atlantic isles, Baltic, Norwegian fjords, USA, the Caribbean and Central America.