The $1billion boat arrives in Britain: World's biggest cruise ship Harmony of the Seas (complete with its 23 pools, 52 trees and a 100ft slide) rules the waves as it docks in Southampton

A small crowd welcomed the £800million Harmony of the Seas as it arrived at Southampton (bottom left, bottom right) just after dawn today, but tens of thousands are expected to visit the coastal city
this week to catch a glimpse of the gigantic vessel before it carries paying customers for the first time on Sunday. The 18-deck ship has set new records for length (1,1188ft), gross tonnage (227,000), width (215.5ft), passenger capacity (5,479 at double occupancy or a maximum of 6,780) and staterooms (2,747), and boasts the 10-storey Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea, 23 swimming pools, 20 dining venues, robotic bartenders, a casino and theatres. Later this month she will relocate to Barcelona, her summer base, and sail the western Mediterranean before spending the winter in Florida and the Caribbean.