New Cunard ship Queen Anne arrived into Southampton on Tuesday ahead of its maiden voyage.
The 3,000-passenger vessel was greeted by spectators on the shore and small craft as it sailed into its home port for the first time.
Queen Anne, which features a number of new innovations for the line, was handed over to Cunard at the Fincantieri Maghera shipyard near Venice on April 19.
But an overnight operational test involving travel agents on Monday had to be cancelled due to the ship’s arrival being rescheduled to allow final touches on board to be completed ahead of the seven-night maiden cruise on Friday.
The 113,000-ton ship will depart to Lisbon via La Corona in Spain in the first of a summer season of sailings from Southampton following an official blessing and plaque exchange ceremony in the port.
Queen Anne is due to embark on a voyage around the British Isles after a 14-day cruise to the Canary Islands.
The round-Britain sailing includes the ship’s naming ceremony to be held in Cunard’s ‘spiritual home’ of Liverpool on June 3.