Southampton will have never seen anything like it before as the world's biggest cruise ship makes her dramatic entrance into the port later this month.

No one will be able to miss the monster supership Freedom of the Seas towering 237 feet high over the city's waterfront as she makes her UK debut in Southampton.

A total of three firework displays will light up Southampton's night sky during Freedom of the Seas' five-day stay in Southampton to celebrate the ship's entry into service.

Dwarfing established vessels such as the QE2, only half the size of the new Royal Caribbean International ship, Freedom of the Seas is on a bigger scale compared to Cunard's enormous QM2.

More than one-and-a-half times taller than the Civic Centre clock tower, Freedom of the Seas is the first of a brand new generation of supership that is a floating resort boasting a family water park, an ice rink, the largest sea-going rock climbing wall and cantilevered whirlpools that extend 12 feet out from the sides of the vessel, 112 feet above the waves.

One of the unique features of the ship's water park complex is the first ever onboard surfing pool, the Flowrider, that generates waves so passengers can surf.

Freedom of the Seas is due to berth at the City Cruise Terminal in the Western Docks, almost next door to Mayflower Park, where sightseers will be able to have a grandstand view of the ship's arrival at 9am on Saturday, April 29.

At 160,000 tons, Freedom of the Seas is 1,112 feet long, equivalent to 37 double decker buses laid end to end with 15 passenger decks and 184 feet wide.

Jo Rzymowska, the UK's sales and marketing director for Royal Caribbean, said: "We are delighted that Freedom of the Seas will make her UK debut in Southampton.

"The city's heritage makes it the perfect place to introduce the world's largest and most innovative cruise ship and we are sure Freedom of the Seas will receive a great reception."

Southampton's Mayflower Park will remain open for the firework displays that will take place at 10.30pm on the evenings of Saturday, April 29 and Monday, May 1 while Sunday's spectacle is timed for 8.30pm.

Freedom of the Seas will leave port at 10.45pm on the Saturday evening for a short overnight cruise before returning the following morning to remain in the docks until Monday night when she sails again, this time for a two-night voyage, and is back early on Wednesday, May 3.

The ship will then depart for a transatlantic crossing to New York, where she will be officially named, before being repositioned to Florida where the ship will operate cruises to the Caribbean.