The official word is that works from a "complex behavioural database" to find the perfect match. Forget all that jargon, and just choose which pictures best suit your maritime mood and let the system do the rest.

It worked pretty well for me, coming up with three choices that I would consider perfect for my requirements, although possibly not in my preferred 1-2-3 order.

Jos Dewing, Managing Director of The Cruise Line said, "This quiz is not only fun and engaging, but it's pretty useful too. We get many prospective luxury cruise passengers coming to The Cruise Line seeking a new luxury experience but unsure which operator is right for them.

"As we represent more than 20 cruise companies that may suit their needs, this is a useful tool for narrowing down the search. The quiz is accurate owing to its complex database which has been designed objectively by true experts in the field."

And anyone who has ever travelled on a ship knows that there are no bigger or more enthusiastic quiz enthusiasts than cruise passengers.

The lawsuit, against UK-based BAE Systems, claims that defective mooring equipment in its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, failed to hold Carnival Triumph when the ship was hit by winds of up to 66 mph.

The ship was towed into Mobile from the Gulf of Mexico in February, after an engine room fire left it crippled and without power.

After disembarking 4,200 passengers, the 101,000-ton vessel was taken to BAE's yard for repairs. During the storm, on April 3, it was set adrift on the Mobile River for several hours, during which it collided with a US Army dredger which was also undergoing repairs.

None of the 600 crew on board Triumph was injured, but two security men who had been in a shed on the quayside were blown into the water. One drowned, and his widow has issued a claim against Carnival.

The claim from Carnival seeks to establish that it was not responsible for damages, and also alleges the incident has cost the company more than $12 million.

The lawsuit maintains that Triumph was "completely dependent on shore power and other services provided by BAE" because its generators were not functional.

"At about 1:30 pm, during a rainstorm, four of the bollards on Pier K to which the mooring lines of the Triumph were tied failed and broke free from the pier, three at the aft end and one at the forward end. This in turn placed increased load on the remaining mooring lines and compromised the integrity of the entire mooring arrangement, causing the Triumph to break free from the pier," the complaint states.

In addition, the suit claims failure of BAE's bollards, or metal posts to which mooring lines are attached, is directly responsible for Triumph's unscheduled departure as well as breakage of the supply lines, including the power supply.

"Due to the incomplete status of the repairs at the time of the bollard failures, the Triumph was unable to use its propulsions, thrusters or other shipboard systems to attempt to control the vessel."

The suit also alleges both the bollards and their fasteners were "outdated, severely deteriorated, defective and unsuitable for mooring the Triumph" and that BAE was aware of Pier K's shortcomings prior to the vessel's arrival in February.

Following the repairs, Triumph returned to service on June 13, from her home port of Galveston, Texas. A total of $115 million was spent on repairs and upgrades to the 14-year-old vessel.

It was made to sound like an even greater privilege when the Master of Royal Princess, Captain Tony Draper, addressed her with the words: "Your Royal Highness, would you do us the great honour of naming MY ship."

Kate stepped forward, wearing a striking black and white Dalmatian-print coat, her hat firmly in place despite the near gale-force winds buffeting the Southampton quayside.

She accepted a ceremonial pair of scissors presented on a blue cushion by Izzie and Charlie Rowbotham, whose brother was cared for in a children's hospice supported by the Duchess before he died of cancer at the age of 21 months.

Then she climbed six steps to a platform to utter the words; "I name this ship Royal Princess. May God bless her and all who sail in her," before cutting a blue rope tethering a 15-litre Nebuchadnezzar of Moët & Chandon Champagne. The £1,250 bottle smashed into the ship's side and burst as if it had been shot from a cannon.

Confetti exploded into the air over the heads of guests - including Sir Bruce Forsyth, Christopher Biggins and Liz McClarnon - huddled in a temporary grandstand; West End singer Kerry Ellis launched into the National Anthem, with her microphone not working, and Kate was whisked away for a quick tour of the ship.

She told members of crew, lined up to greet her in the gold and marble central Piazza, that it was her first visit to a cruise ship.

She was taken to the bridge of the 3,600-passenger vessel where she pressed a button to sound the ship's horn. As a long low sound reverberated around the dock, she laughed and said: "I was expecting something high pitched."

Before leaving the bridge she looked around her and said: "It feels very stable, doesn't feel like you're on board at all."

Earlier in the day, Princess Cruises UK director Paul Ludlow spoke of the company's pride at having Kate on board. "Of all the people who could be considered as potential godmothers, she must be at the very top of the list," he said.

And introducing her on stage, company president Alan Buckelew made reference to the American line's links to the heritage of Britain's P&O before saying: "To welcome Royal Princess into our fleet, we are incredibly honoured that Her Royal Highness will officially name the ship today, marking the start of its many journeys through the world's oceans and to fascinating shores.

"The naming of a ship is a tradition thousands of years old. The ritual marks the birth of a vessel, and asks for a blessing of good fortune and safety for the ship, its crew, and passengers.

"Perhaps the most important element of the naming tradition is the godmother selected to christen a ship. A godmother is the figurative patron of the ship through its entire life, and symbolises the spirit of the vessel.

"We can think of no more fitting godmother for our magnificent new ship. Her Royal Highness is an inspiring ambassador for Britain, and she is admired around the world for her style and grace, and for her compassion for others."

Kate flew from London by helicopter for her final solo public engagement before taking maternity leave. She is expected to join other members of the Royal Family at Trooping the Colour in London on Saturday, and her first baby is due on July 13. Princess Diana named an earlier ship called Royal Princess in 1984. And in October 2010 Her Majesty The Queen christened Cunard's Queen Elizabeth at exactly same spot - within yards of the quay from where Titanic departed on her ill-fated maiden voyage in 1912.

Watch the video of the naming ceremony here, and check out more information on Royal Princess and details of the ship's maiden season cruises.

The 110-metre long ship Filia Rheni had been chartered exclusively by Titan Travel for a "Danube Waltz" cruise, and after embarking passengers last Friday should have travelled gently to Passau, Bratislava, and Budapest.

High water levels - the result of record rainfall and flooding that has disrupted central Europe and caused a number of deaths - not only prevented the ship from leaving, but also left its landing pontoon unusable.

The only way off, according to spokesman Paul Green, was via a smaller boat, which was impracticable for the majority of the passengers.

"Fortunately," said Green, "there was plenty of food on the boat, and more importantly plenty of wine. One of Titan's directors flew to the vessel to supervise operations and to reassure passengers, who will receive a full refund, or full credit on a future cruise.

"It's difficult to plan for the worst floods in 100 years but in those floods, customers were better off on a luxurious cruise ship with three weeks' supply of food and wine."

Eventually, a replacement pontoon was constructed and floated into place, and the passengers were able to walk safely ashore on Thursday evening. A busy rail line was closed down during the rescue attempt so they could cross it safely. They were accommodated in hotels in Vienna before returning to the UK, most by the flights originally scheduled for their return from Budapest.

Filia Rheni was built in 1999; unusually for river cruise vessels it has a gym and a swimming pool. The ship, operated by the Dutch company Rijfers River Cruises, was due to start another Titan charter today, embarking passengers in Budapest for a 17-night "Grand Voyage to the Black Sea."

It is not yet clear how this cruise will be affected by the floods. A statement on Titan Travel's website advises "If you are due to travel on any of our European river cruise holidays in the coming week, rest assured we will be in contact by telephone if there is any impact on your itinerary - there is no need to call us. We are in constant contact with local partners and are monitoring the situation very closely."