AND then there were three!

Cloaked in pre-dawn darkness, Cunard’s latest ship, the £400m Queen Elizabeth, made her dramatic entrance into her home port of Southampton for the first time yesterday.

Long before first light, Daily Echo photographer Chris Moorhouse and I became the first members of the public to step on board the luxurious, 92,400- ton ship as she headed along the Solent, before turning into Southampton Water and berthing at the Ocean Terminal in the city’s Eastern Docks.

High above the waves, on the bridge of Queen Elizabeth, it was a proud moment for the ship’s first master, Captain Christopher Wells, one of Southampton’s most highly respected seafarers.

Captain Wells, pictured below, said: “It was absolutely fabulous bringing the ship into her home port for the first time and the reception we were given is something I will never forget.

“Southampton is Cunard’s home, so this is a special day, and now the crew and myself are looking forward to the honour of welcoming Her Majesty the Queen on board the ship when she names the ship on Monday.’’ It was just after 5am when Queen Elizabeth could just be made out as an indistinct blur in the distance from the deck of a Blue Funnel Cruises boat as it set a course for the Solent. Closer, and Queen Elizabeth’s outline gradually emerged, until finally the grandeur of the vessel announced her unmistakable presence as she eased her way past Leeon- the-Solent.

By the time Queen Elizabeth made her sweeping turn at Calshot into Southampton Water, crowds could be spotted lining the shore and the ship boomed out the first of many blasts she was to make in salute to the city and the surrounding area from her powerful whistles.

On board, Queen Elizabeth looked immaculate, her decks a gleaming celebration of art deco design, exotic wood panelling, crystal chandeliers, cool marbles and intricate mosaics, while handmade carpets, elegant staircases, sumptuous furnishings and original artworks completed the uniquely Cunard-styled surroundings.

All that was missing was the 2,000 passengers who would normally be strolling around the elegant facilities.

Named after Cunard’s original Queen Elizabeth, launched in the 1930s, the new vessel also features many reminders of Southampton’s legendary Queen Elizabeth 2, which was withdrawn from service in November 2008. Spread throughout her public rooms are many pieces of QE2 memorabilia, including the exquisite silver model of the liner which formerly stood in the old ship’s reception area.

As Fawley passed by on Queen Elizabeth’s port side, many members of her crew were on the open decks watching the small armada of boats following in her wake, and the two helicopters dancing round the ship, as tugs sprayed water fountains high into the air.

During the previous week, Queen Elizabeth carried no fare-paying passengers during the voyage from the Italian shipyard where she had been built, through the Mediterranean and heavy swells in the Bay of Biscay, to arrive exactly on time in Southampton.

With more thunderous blasts, Queen Elizabeth passed by the Ocean Terminal in the Eastern Docks and continued to the city’s Western Docks.

As Queen Elizabeth made her final manoeuvres, a police launch patrolled the surrounding waters, as the Cunarder went astern to drop her mooring ropes exactly on schedule.

The arrival of Queen Elizabeth completes the hat-trick of Cunard vessels now based in Southampton, including RMS Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria.