GROWING links between the port of Southampton and the operator of some of the world's most luxurious cruise ships was strengthened with the arrival of the 51,044-ton Crystal Symphony yesterday.

In recent years the five-star vessel, regularly voted one of the highest rated cruises ships now in service, has been a regular caller to the docks and now operator's, Crystal Cruises, has picked the city as the venue for the official naming of its prestigious new vessel, Crystal Serenity.

After disembarking and embarking passengers and restoring, Crystal Symphony left Southampton for a ten-day cruise to Ireland, France, the Channel Islands and the Netherlands. In a few weeks the 68,000-ton, Crystal Serenity, powered by two propulsion pods, like huge outboard motors suspended beneath the hull that pull, rather than push, the ship, will arrive in Southampton for the major dockside ceremony.

Now undergoing completion and sea trials, Crystal Serenity has been constructed in France at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire.

Show business superstar, Dame Julie Andrews will perform the christening on July 3 in front an international audience of specially invited guests at the Queen Elizabeth II Terminal at 38/9 berth.

This will be the fifth ceremony of this kind in the port so far this year, underlining Southampton's position as the UK's premier cruise port.

Cruise ships named in Southamp-ton this year have included Ocean Village, Saga Pearl and P&O Cruises' twin White Sisters, Adonia and Oceana.

This year the docks will handle around ten million gross tons of cruise shipping and 485,000 passengers will cross the city's quayside.

A total of 214 separate cruise ship calls have been booked with the port of Southampton during 2003 - more than all the other UK ports put together.

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