CRUISE Passenger Services (CPS), the specialist stevedore operation, has embarked on the busiest season in the company's history in the port of Southampton.

With an average equivalent of almost a vessel a day, the CPS workforce is set to handle more than 200 cruise ships in the coming months.

This year the wholly-owned subsidiary of the long-established Southampton Cargo Handling PLC has also added car parking to its list of dockside services which has been developed to meet the growing requirements of the global cruise industry.

Working closely with the port and shipping lines, CPS has played a vital role in helping to establish and strengthen Southampton's present premier position as the UK centre for the multi-million-pound cruise industry.

Keith Back, who heads up CPS, said: "There has never been a time when we have been busier.

"This year is a real record-breaker but looking ahead it would seem that even this level of business will be surpassed in 2005."

Royal Caribbean International and Silversea Cruises are among those who have now joined CPS's list of customers in Southampton that already included Cunard, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.

As well as years of experience in the discharge and loading of luggage, CPS,which regularly handles three or more major vessels in a single day, also provides terminal management, 24-hours-a-day mooring and stores consolidation as well as an advisory and consultancy service both in this country and overseas.

"With the introduction this year of our car parking service we have taken on about another 60 employees since last January," said Mr Back.

"This sector has proved to be highly successful as we have incorporated valet parking within the price which is proving to be extremely popular with passengers when they arrive at the terminals.

"As we meet the needs of this season we are, at the same time, looking ahead to an increased number of cruise ship calls next year."

For example, a CPS team will be travelling out to Italy to look at P&O Cruises' new ship, Arcadia, now under construction near Venice, to examine the baggage-handling facilities before she arrives in Southampton next April.