SOUTHAMPTON has been named as the busiest port in Europe after a report released today revealed how the cruise industry is continuing to boom.

British holidaymakers have made the UK the cruise capital of the continent while with 1.5 million passing through Southampton.

It contributed to Britain being named as having the biggest cruise market with a 27.7 per cent share, compared to 22.5 per cent in Germany and 14.9 per cent in Italy.

It is estimated that more than 11,000 jobs across the South-East of England are supported by the port and each cruise ship turnaround is estimated to contribute around £2.5 million to the local economy.

Across Europe passenger numbers totalled 6.1 million according to the report by the Cruise Lines International Association. The global figure was 20.9 million passengers.

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Earlier this month the Duchess of Cambridge further lifted Southampton's status as a premier port by officially naming the Royal Princess cruise ship on her last solo public appearance before the birth of her first child.

Speaking of behalf of CLIA, David Dingle CEO Carnival Corp and Plc's said: “There's a sense of pleasure that we have grown despite everything,”

“One of the ways cruise lines have been trying to battle the economic downturn is by attracting younger travellers and ensuring their ships offer as many entertainment options as possible.

“We need to appeal to new customers and the younger we get them, the more cruises they will take during their lifetime,”

TUI Cruises offered a week-long Full Metal cruise in May, while Carnival brand Cunard is selling tickets for a five-day cruise in November starring German rocker Peter Maffay.

“We're building ever larger ships, we can now offer a different restaurant for every night of your cruise and you can have heavy metal at one end of the ship and a string quartet at the other,” added Mr Dingle.

The CLIA figures reflected a split in Europe's economies.

In powerhouse Germany, the cruise industry contributed 2.95 billion euros to the economy, a 17 percent increase on 2011 and helped by increased shipbuilding, passenger spending and pay rises for staff.

By contrast, the contribution for France and Spain declined by 12.9 and 3.3 percent, respectively, while Italy recorded a 0.2 percent increase.

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