Thursday, April 24th. Coming from Villefranche and heading towards S. Margherita Ligure, the Ventura docked in Livorno on Thursday. Carrying more than 3,000 passengers, it weighs in at 116,000 tons, is 290 meters long and 36 meters wide. It was built by Cantieri Fincantieri of Monfalcone and delivered to owners P&O Cruises in April 2008.
The M/S Ventura is promoted as a Superliner with 15 decks and 7,000 works of contemporary art on display, and is aimed mainly at the British market.

The ship offers a wide variety of entertainment and activities: theaters, swimming pools (including one with a sliding cover), shops, health and beauty center, library, casino, disco, and even a circus school where passengers can learn to perform acrobatics on the trapeze. Ventura’s three-day trial cruise called Welcome Party left Southampton on April 11th heading towards the Belgian port of Zeebrugge from where passengers could visit Bruges. The Ventura was launched in Great Britain on April 16th, the naming ceremony being performed by Helen Mirren, the 2007 Oscar Award Winner for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the film “The Queen.”

On her departure from Livorno, the Ventura (ship’s agent W. Shepherd) was given a send-off with a charming performance by students of a local dance school.