Solent: Southampton named UK’s best cruise departure port, says ABP

Associated British Ports' (ABP’s) Port of Southampton has been named the UK’s Best Departure Port for the seventh year running.

Southampton won the coveted title in the 2015 Cruise Critic UK Editors’ Picks Award.

Southampton, the undisputed king of departure ports in the UK, is not only the UK’s leading cruise port, but Europe's number one turnaround cruise port as well. The news follows ABP Southampton being named the UK’s fourth busiest port according to new statistics released by the Department of Transport.

As well as being the home port for world-famous vessels like Cunard's Queen Mary II, the port regularly hosts cruise-industry occasions such as the launch of the UK’s biggest-ever purpose-built cruise ship, Britannia; Royal Carribbean’s second Quantum-class ship, Anthem of the Seas; and the return of Royal Princess. It is set to break its previous passenger departure number of 1.75 million cruise passengers this year.

Two of the port’s four cruise terminals, Mayflower Terminal and City Cruise Terminal, have seen multi-million pound refurbishments that will enable the port to cater for the world’s largest cruise vessels afloat, long into the future.

Nick Ridehalgh, ABP director, Southampton, said: “We are extremely proud that Southampton has again been named the UK’s best departure port.

“We strive to keep Southampton at the forefront of the cruise industry and this is proof that we are doing just that. We have exciting plans to invest even more in our cruise facilities later this year, details of which will be announced soon.”

The Cruise Critic UK Editors’ Picks Awards are chosen by Cruise Critic’s international team of editors, based on the lines, ships and destinations they feel best represent excellence in each of the designated categories, ranging from ‘Best New Ship’ and ‘Best Suites’, to ‘Best Shore Excursions’ and Southampton’s title, ‘Best UK Departure Port’.