Plans for more cruise terminals
10:02am Wednesday 21st May 2008
SOUTHAMPTON might need another two passenger terminals if the popularity of cruising continues to grow, according to the port's deputy manager.
Captain Steven Young said he wanted the city to handle two million passengers a year, up from the current 950,000.
That would mean adding a fifth and sixth terminal at the docks.
The development of a fourth cruise passenger terminal is now under way in the Eastern Docks. It is due to open in April next year. This will be the first priority terminal for Carnival Corporation brands, which include P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Cunard.
It is estimated that every time a cruise ship or liner docks at Southampton, it brings £1m to the local economy.
Speaking at the UK Cruise Convention in Southampton, Captain Young said the number of passengers the port handled annually had rocketed from a total of 200,000 people ten years ago up to 950,000 today.
Present financial concerns and the credit crunch did not seem to have made the slightest of dents in the continuing, strong confidence that international cruise companies have in the rapidly increasing UK market and the port of Southampton.
This up-beat view of Southampton's success in the industry comes at a time when the city has become the home port for the world's largest cruise ship, Independence of the Seas and has seen the arrival of P&O Cruises' superliner, Ventura.
Expansion Later this month Norwegian Cruise Line is repositioning its vessel, Norwegian Jade, in Southampton for the summer season while other cruise operators have already announced extensive plans to expand their Southampton based fleets together with the companies' programme of voyages in 2009.
Captain Young said during 2008 there will be 288 cruise calls to the port, involving 34 separate vessels and many launches including Celebrity Cruises' newest ship, Solstice and Holland America Line's Eurodam.
According to Captain Young the increased size of ships visiting the port presented logistical challenges, particularly for baggage handing systems and security while there was extra requirement for car parking space while passengers were away on cruises.
By the end of this year more than 1.55 million British people will have taken a cruise but Carnival estimates that the UK market could increase up to five million in the next few years.
Captain Young said: "We would like to see two million cruise passengers come through Southampton of the five million Carnival is predicting. Maybe we will have a fifth or even a sixth terminal by then.'' Among the ships based in Southampton are Oriana, Aurora, Artemis, Oceana, Arcadia and Ventura in the P&O Cruises' fleet, Cunard's Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth 2 together with Princess Cruises' Sea Princess.
Next year Sea Princess will be replaced by two of the company's larger vessels, Grand Princess and Crown Princess and by the beginning of 2009 work will be under way on the construction of Cunard's next ship, Queen Elizabeth.