MORE cruise passengers came through Southampton last year than ever before.

The city is at the forefront of the seemingly unstoppable growth of the British cruise ship industry, which took another impressive leap forward last year, while 2010 is forecast to see this increase double over the next 12 months.

In 2009, for the first time ever, the annual total of British cruise ship passengers topped 1.5m, a rise of four per cent, but this year the increase is expected to double to eight per cent, with 1.65m bookings by people heading for the high life on the high seas.

These latest figures from the Passenger shipping Association, the trade body representing the cruising industry in Britain, seem to indicate this sector has not been holed below the waterline by the downturn in the economy, unlike other areas of the holiday market.

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PSA director Bill Gibbons said: “The British public went into 2009 facing the most serious economic crisis for a generation and how did they respond?

“By booking more cruises than ever before; taking more than one cruise in the year, opting for a cruise rather than a traditional package holiday, and by splashing out on more expensive and luxurious voyages.”

This surge in British passenger numbers is the direct result of world famous lines bringing three brand new vessels to Southampton, northern Europe’s number one centre for cruise ship operations.

P&O Cruises’ latest addition to its Southampton based fleet, Azura, entered service earlier last month, and was followed in April by Celebrity Eclipse, the third in a class of five ships being built for Celebrity Cruises.

In October, one of the best known names in shipping history will once again be seen in Southampton with the arrival of Queen Elizabeth, which will take Cunard’s fleet of vessels up to three.

Also making a strong contribution to Southampton’s success is Royal Caribbean International’s vast Independence of the Seas undertaking a summer long series of voyages before inaugurating her first series of winter cruises out of the port.

Next year another international name, MSC, will be concentrating all its UK operations in Southampton after turning its back on Dover.

The PSA believes the industry is on course to reach 1.75m passengers in 2010 and 2m by 2014.