The largest cruise ship ever to have been christened in the UK has arrived in Southampton ahead of its naming ceremony.

The MSC Bellissima is the world’s sixth-largest cruise ship and was built in Saint Nazaire in France at a cost of $1bn (£750m).

The new mammoth cruise liner has a deck surface area that is equivalent to 63 football pitches and stands 213ft (65m) high.

On board, the huge vessel boasts more than 2,200 cabins and can hold more than 5,500 passengers.

It is the first of 11 ships to make their maiden voyage to Southampton this year, with the city’s port welcoming around two million passengers every year.

Cruise companies have come under pressure in recent years to take action on their environmental impact, due to the pollution from their engines and the type of fuel they use.

The MSC Bellissima has taken several steps to reduce its environmental impact, including an “exhaust gas cleaning system” to clean up emissions and new air conditioning systems, which aim to “recover heat from machinery spaces”.

On board the ship, MSC has banned single-use plastic straws, plastic carrier bags and single-use cutlery and plates to reduce the company’s consumption of plastic.

The new wave of super-liners has also faced backlash for their sheer size. Venice in Italy plans to ban all big cruise liners from the main city port by 2020 to protect its “unique ecosystem”.

The MSC Bellissima will be officially named on Saturday, with celebrities including Holly Willoughby, Craig David and Sophia Loren taking part in the ceremony.

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