Super liner heads for Southampton

Queen Mary 2 completed sea trials this month

The world's biggest passenger liner, the Queen Mary 2, will dock in her home port of Southampton on Boxing Day.

The Queen will officially name the £550m luxury liner on 8 January.

Cunard's 150,000-ton 1,132ft vessel will then take 2,620 passengers and 1,253 crew on a sell-out two-week cruise to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The ship was hit by tragedy last month when 15 people died after a gangway collapsed in a drydock at the French shipyard of Saint Nazaire.

It was from there that Queen Mary 2 set out for the UK on the 22 December, having been handed over to the owners.

Engineering feat

The ship has 1,310 cabins - including four royal suites and six penthouses - 2,000 bathrooms and 3,000 telephones.

Attractions for passengers include five swimming pools, an art gallery and even a planetarium.

It took French engineering group Alstom two years to build, using 1,500 kilometres of welding to connect the 300,000 pieces of steel that make up the hull.

The liner was then fitted with 2,500 kilometres of electric cable, 250,000 square metres of carpets and decorated with 250 tons of paint.

The accident in November came when families and friends of workers building the ship were visiting it.

Alongside the 15 deaths 32 people, including children, were hurt in the accident.

French prosecutors have opened a judicial investigation into "involuntary homicide and injuries" - a standard legal move to determine criminal liability.