Thousands of Southampton cruise passengers are now able to keep in touch with each other, learn all about some of the city's vessels and find out wide-ranging information about future voyages all on one Internet website.

Southampton-based P&O Cruises have become the first cruise company to introduce a pioneering online facility as an integral part of its website.

Entitled Cruise Connections, the new "friends reunited''-style feature can be accessed by logging on to www.pocruises.co.uk

A P&O Cruises spokesman said: "Regular cruisers can register and create their own "My Cruises'' folder, a portfolio of all past and future voyages, which can be updated at any time and will then act as a springboard for discussions, via a message board, on certain cruises.

"It means passengers will be able to get in touch with friends made on a previous cruise and create a reunion online, with the facility to search for registered passengers' names and send them an e-mail.''

Cruise Connections also offers a forum where discussions of particular cruising topics such as entertainment, shore excursions and ship facilities can take place.

There is also a dedicated section on P&O Cruises ships, giving background on past and present vessels in the company's fleet, from the introduction of the former Canberra right up to the introduction of Southampton's White Sisters, Oceana and Adonia, due to arrive in the city next year.