At 1,141 feet long, 136 feet wide, with 18 decks, and a guest capacity of 4,905, she was a spectacular sight as she sailed up the Solent and docked in Southampton this morning. There to greet her was future Godmother, Emma Wilby. Not the traditional celebrity Godmother, Emma was chosen for the honour after a months-long nationwide competition to find a young, talented star from within the travel industry.

Anthem of the Seas is the most technologically advanced cruise ship to be home-ported in the UK and is hard proof of Royal Caribbean International’s commitment to push the boundaries of the holiday experience.

Anthem of the Seas is the second of Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum-class ships, and offers many ‘firsts at sea’ such as robotic bartenders, a virtual sky diving experience, on-board circus skills training, innovative entertainment spaces and the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea, SeaPlex.

More than 80,000 people are anticipated to travel on the ship during the summer season, delivering around £50 million to the Southampton economy and surrounding area and creating jobs through direct and indirect employment.