There was great excitement at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard near Trieste this week as the engines of Britain's biggest cruise ship, Britannia, were started up for the first time by BBC Formula One racing presenter Suzi Perry.

Suzi started the engines on the quayside and then visited the engine control room with Captain Paul Brown followed by a tour of the engine room with chief engineer Sinclair Ross.

When working to full capacity, Britannia's four engines will generate 62.4 Megawatts or 84,000 horsepower which is equivalent to the power generated by 168 supercars, allowing the 141,000 ton ship to cruise at a speed of 22 knots.

High res images available here - http://www.pocruisespresspictures.com/?Action=_VC&id=161914802&ppwd=britannia

A video of Britannia's engines roaring into life is available here – http://youtu.be/W0CKMOvcqnU?list=UUMIh-tWzkQsxHloEZQAiOhg

When the biggest ship built for the British cruise market sets sail on its maiden voyage from Southampton to the Mediterranean on March 14, 2015 it will mark a change in holidays at sea.

Amongst the extraordinary experiences on board Britannia are:

• The Cookery Club – a 24 person state of the art cookery school developed in association with James Martin who will host regular classes on board
• Three tier feature atrium with Eric Lanlard patisserie, a charcuterie and gelateria as well as spectacular Star Burst sculpture
• Champagne afternoon tea by Eric Lanlardserved in Epicurean, the fine dining restaurant
• Sindhu restaurant from Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith's The Glass House wine bar and grill
• The Limelight Club – a combined entertainment and dining venue in the great tradition of the supper club
• Spectacular new outdoor deck show
• Gala dinners from Marco Pierre White

Britannia's maiden season will see the ship sail from Southampton to the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords, Canary Islands and the Baltic Sea, as well as offering a range of short breaks and a special round Britain cruise. The ship will then transfer to the Caribbean for the winter season sailing a range of 15 night fly/cruise itineraries from Barbados.

To book, visit www.pocruises.com, call 0843 373 0111 or visit your local travel agent. 

Britannia Britannia is the biggest ship built for the British cruise market, and will offer a sophisticated, contemporary holiday experience across health and beauty, shopping and entertainment with a strong focus on dining. Special features include The Cookery Club, a 24 person state-of-the-art cookery school developed in association with James Martin; a three-tier feature atrium with Eric Lanlard patisserie, a charcuterie and gelateria as well as spectacular Star Burst sculpture; Sindhu restaurant by Atul Kochhar and Olly Smith's The Glass House; gala menus created by Marco Pierre White; plus The Limelight Club, a combined entertainment and dining venue in the great tradition of the supper club.