SHE's a real gem. The world's newest luxury cruise ship, the 90,090-ton Jewel of the Seas, showed off her sparkle as she was officially named in Southampton yesterday.

Towering more than 12 decks high, Jewel of the Seas, the latest of the new generation of modern cruise ships, lived up to her name as she gleamed and shone brightly alongside the city's Eastern Docks.

The naming ceremony was unlike the majority of similar previous events in Southampton as this one happened on board and not on the dockside.

Owners Royal Caribbean International, which normally invites famous show business and sporting personalities to name its ships, asked English teacher Kathy Mellor, America's Teacher of the Year from Rhode Island, to christen the vessel.

Hundreds of guests from the shipping and travel industries watched the event in the ship's theatre before it set sail for an overnight cruise in the Solent.

Featuring everything from a rock-climbing wall on the side of the funnel and a miniature golf course to passenger lifts that look out over the sea and even self-levelling pool tables in the billiards' room, Jewel of the Seas is due to leave on her maiden voyage at 5pm today.

With 1,055 cabins, Jewel of the Seas, which was built in Germany, can accommodate 2,501 passengers, is 962 feet long, has a speed of up to 24 knots.

Next week the ship will be visiting Spain, Portugal, France and Guernsey.