Seas awash with champagne

THE seas around England will be awash with champagne for the next few weeks – starting tonight (Sat April 5) when Sophia Loren names MSC POESIA in a midnight party at Dover.

A week on Wednesday, Dame Helen Mirren will name P&O’s VENTURA in Southampton.

And a fortnight later, more champagne will flow at the naming of Royal Caribbean’s £410 million INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEAS.

At tonight’s ceremony Sophia will be joined by singer KT Tunstall, opera star Andrea Bocelli, jazz musician Peter Grant with the Ronnie Scott band, and Radio One DJ Fearne Cotton.

I sailed into Dover last night on 2,568-passenger MSC Poesia’s first voyage, from the shipyard at St Nazaire, France. You can see my report of the £210 million ship’s journey at thesun.co.uk/travel.

Ventura will arrive at Southampton tomorrow, passing sister ship AURORA in the Solent and arriving into the Mayflower Cruise Terminal at approximately 11am.