Southampton has a new 77,499 ton superliner signalling the start of a new era in the city's docks, now set for further development.

Appropriately P&O Cruises' Oceana joined the company's Southampton-based fleet last Friday, the same day as the port announced it was to have a third passenger terminal to cope with soaring demand.

Oceana will not be seen in Southampton until May of next year as she is to undertake a winter programme of Caribbean cruises before arriving in the docks next spring where she will be officially named, together with her sister ship, Adonia, in a spectacular dockside ceremony.

Already the ship, which previously sailed as Ocean Princess with Princess Cruises, has undergone a wide ranging refit changing the earlier, more American style of her public rooms, to reflect the taste of British passengers.

Oceana switched operators in a glittering dockside event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida which included a stunning fireworks display.

Once alongside her home berth in the city's Western Docks, Oceana, together with Adonia, will be known as one of Southampton's White Sisters and operate with P&O Cruises' other vessels, Oriana and Aurora.

With a normal capacity of 2,016 passengers, Oceana will become the largest vessel in the fleet and P&O Cruises' first 2,000 plus passenger ship. She weighs in at 1,000 tons more than Aurora although is actually shorter, stem to stern, by 30 feet.

Oceana's introduction to the fleet now means that P&O Cruises will have the largest ship in the Caribbean dedicated to the UK market.

During her Caribbean season, ports of call will include the islands of St Thomas; Antigua; Barbados; St Lucia; Grenada; Trinidad; Grand Cayman; Aruba and Princess Cays in The Bahamas, as well as some more off-the-beaten-track destinations such as Cartagena in Colombia; Cozumel and Costa Maya in Mexico; Limon in Costa Rica.