Cruise Industry
Southampton has the majority share of the UK cruise market, which has experienced 400 percent growth over the last 12 years. It is home to the UK fleets of both P&O Cruises and Cunard Line (part of the Carnival Group) and is also used regularly by Royal Caribbean International, Fred Olsen Cruise Line and Saga Holidays. The port currently has four cruise terminals; The Mayflower, QEII, City Cruise and Ocean Terminal. ABP figures show that the cruising industry at the Port of Southampton generates over £300m a year for the local economy. Recently the Port of Southampton welcomed the start of a new dedicated luxury train service operated by Cruise Saver Travel to provide passengers with a seamless ‘platform to cabin’ service. The Southampton Vessel Traffic Service provides information on the ships calling at the port.
The new terminal at Portsmouth International Port is part of a £16.5 million investment to upgrade passenger facilities and provide for cruise liners to use the port for the first time. Portsmouth operates both as a turnaround Port and as a Port of call. No-fly cruise destinations from Portsmouth International Port include Casablanca and Madeira, Hamlet’s Elsinore and St Petersburg, French vineyards and Spanish cathedrals, Norwegian fjords and Icelandic volcanoes, and the Irish coast and Scottish islands. The port is marketing itself as small and medium sized niche operators.
