Nine cruise ships will bring a Bank Holiday bonanza to Southampton this weekend, worth an estimated £8.5 million to local businesses. Up to 45,000 passengers will be embarking and disembarking on Saturday and Sunday, as some of the biggest cruise ships in the world arrive in port.
The local council estimates that each person arriving in the city to start a cruise spends an average of £380 in hotels, shops, the airport and other transport.
But while taxi drivers and baggage porters will be looking forward to making enough money to pay for their own cruises, the arrival and departure of so many people in such a short time means roads leading to the port will be jammed with traffic. With gridlock almost guaranteed, anyone planning a weekend visit to IKEA would be well be advised to leave it until Monday.
First ship to arrive on Saturday will be Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas, (pictured above when she was in Southampton for her maiden voyage last year). She will be followed by P&O’s Oceana, Fred Olsen’s Black Watch, Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2, and then Grand Princess.
On Sunday P&O’s Aurora, Oriana, and Ventura will be joined by Cunard’s Queen Victoria.
Ship spotters will be out in force on both sides of Southampton Water for the early morning arrivals and the departures, from about 5.00 pm each day.
The port authority is also taking people on behind-the-scenes on free open-topped bus tours. Not for me though, I’m afraid. I couldn’t bear the thought of standing on shore watching all those people set out on their cruises when I would far rather be on board with them.
About the Author: John Honeywell
John Honeywell is a travel writer specialising in cruise ships and cruise travel. Winner of CLIA UK's Contribution to Cruise award 2017.
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