A priceless collection of art treasures will arrive in Southampton Docks when the world's newest cruise ship makes her international debut in the port in December.

The 91,000-ton Norwegian Dawn is due alongside on Friday December 6 for an overnight stay before a pre-inaugural shakedown voyage from Southampton to New York.

The choice of Southampton by Norwegian Cruise Line to unveil the vessel to shipping and travel industries is another major boost for the city's reputation as the centre of the UK cruising industry.

During her time in Southampton the ship will host a series of events attended by hundreds of representatives from the shipping and travel industries.

Norwegian Cruise Line's chairman Colin Veitch says the 2,240-passenger cruise ship will house the most important collection of impressionist art works on any ship afloat today.

NCL is to install a collection of original oil paintings by 20th-century masters Renoir, Matisse, Van Gogh and Monet on board Norwegian Dawn as well as original signed and numbered silkscreen prints by Andy Warhol.

The masterpieces will be on loan from the personal collection of Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, chairman of Star Cruises, the parent company of NCL.

Norwegian Dawn will undertake a pre-inaugural shakedown voyage to New York.

The ship will then rotate an eastern and western Caribbean itinerary from Miami until spring of next year when she returns to New York for a programme of cruises to the Bahamas and Florida during the summer.