Over the course of last weekend no fewer than ten cruise ships arrived and departed Southampton. About 55,000 passengers travelled through the port on Saturday and Sunday.
With additional traffic expected for Southampton FC’s home match on Saturday afternoon, the city council suspended roadworks on key routes.
On Saturday Norwegian Jade, Queen Mary 2, Navigator of the Seas, Mein Shiff 1 and Azura arrived in port. On Sunday Queen Elizabeth, Arcadia, Independence of the Seas, Braemar and Aurora arrived.
TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 1, a Saturday visitor from Germany, was the only ship not on a full turnaround. Mein Schiff 1 will soon move to Thomson Cruises as TUI Explorer 1. She will be based in Palma from May 2018 and will be the largest ship in the Thomson fleet.
Port operator ABP Southampton said each ship arriving in the city was estimated to boost the local economy by up to £2.5 million.
The Port of Southampton offers four cruise terminal facilities – the Queen Elizabeth II terminal, Ocean Terminal, Mayflower Terminal and City Terminal.
PHOTO: Fred Olsens cruise ship Braemar departs from Southampton on a cruise to Norway in July The ship can carry 929 passengers with a crew of 371. Braemar is 24,344gt and 195m in length. She is fully stabilised for rough weather. Photo by Trevor Boston
