Queen Mary 2 is due to begin passenger trips in January

The 150,000-ton transatlantic cruiser has left the French shipyard where she was built and is due to arrive at the Hampshire port on Boxing Day.

Last month, at least 15 people were killed when a crowded, temporary gangway collapsed while the unfinished luxury liner was in dry dock in the French port of Saint Nazaire.

Some 32 others, including children, were also hurt in the accident, when families of the ship workers were visiting the vessel.

Despite the tragedy, her sold out maiden voyage from Southampton to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was still due to go ahead in January.

Criminal liability

The �550 million ship is to be officially named at Southampton by the Queen on 8 January.

Micky Arison, the chairman of Carnival the company which owns Cunard, together with Cunard president Pamela Conover, were at Alstom Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard at St Nazaire in western France for the official handing-over on Monday.

A crowd at the shipyard bid farewell to the giant vessel which has taken the French engineering group Alstom two years to build.

She will now make a short trip to Spain so the crew can get used to handling her, before heading to Southampton.

French prosecutors have opened a judicial investigation into "involuntary homicide and injuries" - a standard legal move to determine criminal liability.

Measuring 1,132ft long, the vessel will carry 2,620 passengers and will be based at Southampton.

Carrying 1,253 crew the ship features 1,310 cabins, including four royal suites and six penthouses.