What next for the port of Southampton?

Well the answer is, not much!

The 2014 season is almost over and what a year it’s been, join me as I look back at some highlights for the port.

Cast your mind back to May 8th this year, to a cold, wet and very windy day when Southampton Port hosted a ‘call in’ from my favourite cruise ship, Royal Princess. I was lucky enough to visit this beautiful vessel sparking my love affair with Princess Cruises. The ship had just arrived from the USA and was heading for the Baltics to start a fantastic summer season sailing from Copenhagen.

This year Princess have had Ruby Princess and Emerald Princess, both gorgeous similar ships. Ruby offering British Isles cruises, and Emerald offering Med, baltic and North Cape cruises. Princess has had a very successful year and next year is set to be even better with the return of Royal Princess, this time staying for the summer offering British Isles and one special Baltic cruise and the much loved Caribbean Princess offering the meds and baltics.

This year Celebrity brought Eclipse back to the UK. Next year Eclipse will undergo a refit before coming back to Southampton with one main addition – an English Gastropub! A sign that Celebrity will be basing Eclipse with us for a few years yet!

Royal Caribbean had Adventure of the Seas and the muched loved Independence of the Seas back this year, but it was not to be for next year as she departed on saturday 1st nov for the USA and is not set to return in the foreseeable future. Instead Explorer of the Seas and the brand new Anthem of the Seas will bless Southampton Water for the summer. Is she set to return in 2016? Not long till we find out!

More big news for Southampton Port, Britannia – P&O Cruises brand new ship will also be based from the UK until she sails the winter in the Caribbean. This ship will have the same layout as the Royal Princess, but of course will not be the same at all. I look forward to seeing this ship on the Pre-inaugural sailing that I have been invited to attend.

So that’s it, the American’s have gone home, and Southampton will quieten down until next year. Mayflower terminal will be refurbed this winter and will stay dormant until early next year. Whilst City Terminal will host cargo ships. Ocean Terminal will be the only terminal in full time use, with QEII Terminal being used as an overflow.

I am now off ship until December 12th, and March time after that for Britannia. It’s going to be a long winter but next year is set to be the best yet.

Happy Cruising

Ed x