Dame Helen Mirren performs with the assistance of the Royal Marines

Southampton Port was the venue for a the launching ceremony of the new P&O crusies ship, "Ventura".

During a naming ceremony, it is traditional to break a bottle of Champagne over the ship, with sailors believing it is bad luck and the ship ill fated if the bottle fails to break.  Two recent launching ceremonies where the bottle did fail to break were The Queen Victoria by the Duchess of Cornwall and the Aurora (another P&O vessel) by the Princess Royal.  Both of these ships suffered problems once they sailed.

P&O decided to take the naming ceremony one step further and requested the assistance of both Dame Helen Mirren and Royal Marines Alistair Barton and Carl Thurgood, of RNAS Yeovilton, in Somerset.

These two Royal Marines abseiled down the hull of the ship to perform the bottle breaking ceremony, with Dame Helen Mirren wishing the ship "luck, love and calm seas on her voyages".

Ventura, which can carry around 3,600 passengers has been in southampton since the 6th April.  The presence of the ship further highlights the importance P&O view Southampton as a major cruise port.

Published by: Andy Skinner