THE largest passenger ship ever to berth at the Port of Dover arrived today for its inauguration (Graham Tutthill writes).

The new cruise liner Costa Mediterranea is making a two-day visit to the port prior to her inaugural eight-day cruise starting from Genoa on June 16.

It is the first time a Costa ship has been previewed in the United Kingdom. The 86,000-ton liner is a sister ship of the popular Costa Atlantica, and will spend the summer and autumn cruising the Mediterranean.

The ship can accommodate more than 2,100 passengers in 1,057 cabins. She has 12 passenger decks.

Another Costa ship, Costa Romantica, will berth alongside her at the cruise terminal tomorrow.