IT is going to be the biggest and most lavish party of the year when the world’s newest cruise ship is officially named in Southampton in June.

In a major coup for the port of Southampton Princess Cruises has chosen the city as the venue to unveil its latest vessel, Royal Princess, to an international audience.

However, much of the detail about the event such as who will be “Godmother” of the ship and undertake the actual ceremony or when exactly the naming will take place has not been revealed by the company.

Paul Ludlow, Princess Cruises UK director, said: “We are currently finalising plans for the naming to ensure that the celebration captures the spirit of the occasion.”

At present Princess Cruises is only saying the naming celebrations will be spread over two days, Wednesday, June 12 and Thursday, June 13.

It is expected more than 12,000 guests will head to the Ocean Terminal for a series of celebrations following the arrival of the new ship on Friday, June 7.

“We are delighted that Royal Princess will have her inauguration here in Southampton,” said Mr Ludlow.

“We have a number of exciting events planned to ensure that our UK past passengers and travel agents are amongst the first to experience all Royal Princess has to offer.

“This opportunity for British passengers to see Royal Princess highlights the growing popularity of Princess Cruises in the UK and the importance of this country to the brand.”

UK passengers will have a chance to experience a taste of the new ship before she leaves for her official maiden voyage on Sunday, June 16.

Earlier, on June 9 and June 14, Royal Princess will depart from Southampton on a two-night round trip with an itinerary which features a call at St Peter Port in Guernsey.

At present Royal Princess, able to accommodate up to 3,600 passengers, is being completed at a shipyard in Italy.