Topic: Liverpool Cruise Terminal Finally Gets Turnaround Approval

Liverpool's Cruise terminal Pier Head will be able to cater for turnaround journey's after the council has agreed to pay the grant cash back.

The shock announcement came after months of struggle between the Liverpool Council, Southampton Council and the government over the council grant cash, which would have been used to build the terminal.



Liverpool council has agreed to repay whatever grant cash is required to lift the ban on “turnarounds” – voyages starting and ending at Liverpool cruise terminal.

That will be at least the £5m already offered to the government and could be as much as £9m.

The money will be paid in annual installments, based on revenue from the number of cruise liner turnarounds.

The first liner likely to depart on a cruise from the Pier Head terminal will be Ocean Countess on May 29 to go around Scotland.

The 17,600 gross ton, 800- passenger cruise liner is the only one now based here.

Ocean Countess’ seven 2012 cruises will be switched from Peel Ports’ Langton Dock, in Bootle, voted the UK’s worst by passengers.

Council leader Cllr Joe Anderson said: “I am very excited about what will be a new era for us…it is my vision to grow the cruise industry for Liverpool to match the halcyon days of the past”

Cllr Anderson said each ship based at the cruise terminal was worth about £1.2m to the city and could reach £100m a year.

Car parking will remain at Langton Dock, with a shuttle bus link, until other options are sorted out.

Hi Jimmy
You beat me to it.
Radio Merseyside 11:00 news.Could be up + running in 3 months.

BBC News - Liverpool to repay up to £9m to be cruise turnaround port

Yipeeeeee!!,,,Liv-er-pool,,,Liv-er-pool
JC

Good. A bit more choice of departure for some cruisers.

Liverpool Cruise Terminal Finally Gets Turnaround Approval!! This is subject to the Goverment aproving the plan & the E.U. Grants will also have to be paid back

In return for lifting the restrictions, Liverpool Council had offered to pay back £5m of the government grants used to build the terminal - the project received £9m in government funding and a further £8.6m from Europe.

Mr Anderson said that the repayment could allow cruises to start and end at the city within three months, as the government had agreed to allow the plans to go ahead once the issue of the grants was dealt with.

Wonder what tactic Southampton councillors will switch to next to discredit Liverpools terminal. The repayment of the grants was always something they hoped would dissuade Liverpool from going ahead - it was never about having a level playing field, they just didn't want any competition of any sort

Competition is great news for us consumers. Southampton departure taxes are horrendous, one of the benefits of a monopoly by the port and baggage handling companies so well done Liverpool, a beautiful departure point and' let's face it, Cunard's original home port!

QUOTE:

Wonder what tactic Southampton councillors will switch to next to discredit Liverpools terminal. The repayment of the grants was always something they hoped would dissuade Liverpool from going ahead - it was never about having a level playing field, they just didn't want any competition of any sort

They will think of something maybe turn down the £57mill for road improvements or ask the Ports owners to register and pay UK tax ??
According to the local news the amount money will be around £9mill paid over a few years .we may see the bigger lines show an interest in the port but that would be about 2014 at the earliest.

And about time. Roll on cruising from Liverpool hope they have a good choice of ships and cruises.

I see on another thread that Fred Olsen is returning. I think it's great news for Liverpool and for all those passengers that can have a much easier journey to start their cruise. It will be a boost to the cruise industry and will pick up even more trade from new passengers in the Northern part of the country.

I think it is brilliant news, I am going on the Aurora on April the 12th for twenty two days from southampton I should have waited and booked with Fred Olsen next year. Ah well I will go on one of theirs from Liverpool as well!!!!. It should also be good for Liverpool Airport
as people will to need to have the availability of flights to Liverpool.