TWO Malvern travel agents are set for an amazing day in Southampton next week.

Lee and Hilary Harrison, owners of Malvern World Travel in Somers Park Avenue, have been invited by P&O Cruise Lines to the naming ceremony of the brand new cruise ship Britannia on Tuesday March 10. The ship will be named by The Queen, accompanied by The Duke of Edinburgh, at the port's Ocean Terminal.

After the ceremony, Mr and Mrs Harrison will be boarding Britannia and enjoying a programme of events to showcase the ship, including a self guided tour and a presentation from P&O in the Headliners theatre. A cocktail reception party will be held in the ship's atrium at 18.45 and then a gala dinner will follow at 19.45. There will be time to enjoy a night of entertainment in Britannia's stunning venues before retiring for an overnight stay in one of the liner's luxury cabins.

"We're really looking forward to seeing Britannia for the first time," said Mr Harrison. "From the first photographs we have seen, she is looking stunning and I'm sure will appeal to a lot of our clients and future cruise clients at Malvern World Travel. It's important for us as agents to have this first hand experience."

Britannia will feature 13 bars as well as 13 restaurants and cafés. TV chef James Martin will develop the cookery club on board, which will feature celebrity chefs and cooks such as Mary Berry, James Tanner, Antonio Carluccio, Paul Rankin and Pierre Koffman. Marco Pierre White will also have a restaurant aboard.

The ship will have a 936-seat theatre and has 1,837 cabins on board with 27 being single cabins, as well as 64 suites. For the first time on a P&O Cruises ship, all outside staterooms will have balconies. Britannia will have four pools with a dedicated pool for teenagers and the Oasis Spa.

The ship's maiden voyage is planned to take place from March 14-28 and take in Spain, Italy and France.