THE Port of Southampton’s new world-class cruise facility, Horizon Cruise Terminal, opened its doors to passengers for the first time recently, ahead of its formal opening later in the year.

MSC Cruises’ MSC Virtuosa was the first ship to welcome passengers at the terminal, which is fitted with Shore Power.

MSC Virtuosa, with Shore Power connectivity enabled onboard, will able to ‘plug in’ once the Shore Power is commissioned later this year.

Horizon Cruise Terminal is also fitted with more than 2,000 roof-mounted solar panels, which means that on a day-to-day basis it will generate more power than it uses.

Last year, ABP announced the new £55 million multi-user cruise terminal in partnership with MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. This strong investment into the future of cruise supports a developing industry and welcomes the next generation of ships in terms of size, capacity and technology.

The terminal was named Horizon Terminal by a local resident, following a competition in the Daily Echo earlier in the year that welcomed name suggestions from across the world. The name represents a bright new chapter for cruise which is an iconic part of the heritage of the city of Southampton and its future.

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Alastair Welch, Director of ABP Southampton, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be building the infrastructure for the future of cruise with a commitment to sustainable operations.

“We marked the UK restart of cruise with MSC Virtuosa leaving the port with the first passengers on May 20 and we’re excited to announce this next significant milestone for the future of cruise in the Port of Southampton.

“This next-generation-ready terminal strengthens the Port of Southampton’s position as Europe’s leading cruise turn-around port and is a huge vote of confidence in the future of cruise,” he added.