By STEVE READ THE new P&O superliner Ventura was christened by Dame Helen Mirren last night (Wed) in the most spectacular and unusual ceremony Britain has ever seen. Celebrities including Patricia Hodge, Sir Roger Moore and Jonathan Pryce starred in a specially made adventure movie spliced with live action from the £300 million ship’s decks. Instead of the traditional ceremony, Dame Helen pressed a trigger which ordered a squad of Royal Marine commandos over the side of the ship, to smash a dozen bottles of champagne against the hull. It was the climax of an exciting and hilarious launch show which saw the cast of TV drama Spooks trying to retrieve the trigger from Bond-style villain Pryce. The film had Patricia Hodge as the head of MI6, searching for an agent good enough to deliver the trigger to Dame Helen. Samantha Bond and Spooks boss Peter Firth also starred in the launch film, with Miranda Raisin tackling Pryce’s agents on the ship. The trigger was eventually delivered to Dame Helen, who at last said: “I name this ship Ventura. May God bless her and all who sail in her.” That sent the Marines into action, followed by a huge fireworks display watched by hundreds of people around Southampton Docks. Dame Helen said: “This has been one of the most incredible days of my life. “When I was a little girl, only the Queen and Princess Margaret launched ships. Tonight my dreams of being a princess have come true. “And I’ve met the Royal Marines and Noddy on the same day. How fantastic is that!” P&O Cruises boss Nigel Esdale said: “We wanted the launch to be as imaginative and dynamic as the ship herself. “So in a break with tradition, instead of simply pressing a button to send a cradled bottle of Taittinger towards the hull, Dame Helen and the Royal Marines had a mission to name Ventura in style.” Other celebs at the launch party included Corrie’s Richard Fleishman, Emmerdale’s Adele Silva and I’m A Celebrity’s Jennie Bond. The 116,000-ton ship – as long as 35 buses – is the biggest ever built solely for British passengers. She carries 3,080 passengers and 1,220 crew. end
