Topic: Southampton cruise boss admits Liverpool is better destination

Thankyou whoever you might be .The one thing I am Not is selfish, nor is anything I said.You obviously did not read that properly.All I was doing was stating the facts.I have no objection to any other port taking cruise ships.Unlike some people it matters not to me where the cruise companies choose to sail from,but it is those companies that will decide and it will be economics that principally helps them make that decision. I do reserve the right,though,to say whether I use that port or not.I am sure that if the major companies can see enough business in other ports,look at Dover for example, they will grab the opportunity.Don't forget Liverpool is not the only port 'North of Watford'.At the moment and I would suggest for the forseeable future Southampton has the major share in that business for reasons I have mentioned before. That is a fact and there is certainly nothing selfish in me stating that.
Both Southampton and Liverpool have very important and historic maritime pasts.We could go on quoting facts for a long time.To the companies in todays market they are not interested in history,they are 'making money' now,which comes back to someone who questioned their investment in Southampton.Carnival U.K. have just built a large office block in the port and invested heavily with ABP in the brand new Ocean Terminal,which opened this Spring and if we are talking about history it is the same docking basin to where the great Transatlantic liners of the past such as the two Queens and the Mauritania regularly sailed from.
Someone else was comparing the cruise business to the airline business.The similarities are this ,if Airlines can see business in Manchester ,Birmingham or Glasgow they will fly from there,as indeed they do.If that business retracts they may and in some cases pull flights.Heathrow remains probably the busiest international airport in the World and London ,with Gatwick included, has the lions share of international trade. Facts driven by economics.
Good luck to anywhere else who would like to have a share in the ,at present, lucrative cruise market.I am sure there is ,at present,enough to go round.It is becoming a rather petty and silly non argument.The present day facts speak for themselves and the future will be dictated by economics.

It appears you read my last posting.A piece of additional information for you ,the reason Carnival are the biggest cruise operators is quite simple they own Cunard,P&O,P&O Australia,Princess cruises,Costa,Holland America,Ocean Village Seabourn Cruises,Aida Cruises as well as a large number of ships in their own name.The next biggest,RCL,own Azamara Cruises,Celebrity and Pullmantur as well as their own fleet.They do though own the biggest passenger ships in the World.
We might be landlocked and rural but we are certainly not biggots (whatever for?),and why should we have sour grapes (about what?).Business yes.As I have previously said ultimately that is what drives the decisions.

Hi Paul, yes we are on the QM2 5th Birthday cruise. We are especially looking forward to sailing into Liverpool which was of course, cunards original "home" in the UK. Are you arranging any special "excitements" for us, or do we just have to wave at you locals, having loads of fun, from on board? if the latter ,we will save a special wave for you!!!Cynthia

My wife and daughter are going from Liverpool with Fred Olsen in April. I'm sorry I didn't think to suggest Southampton with one of the Carnival ships then I could have re-sown my wild oats in Pompey, Southampton and places Southerly.
Drat, Drat. missed what might have been a re-envigorating two weeks alone with Brickwoods, Friary Meux and lots of laughs.
Never go ashore in Liverpool these days 'Clickety Click' is the hips not the age. Well it is the age but who's counting.
As I said elsewhere it's all about choice for the punters
ROMFT

To Paul, LIVERPOOL you asked about the Queen Mary 2 .(Has anyone been lucky enough to go on it. Wealthy enough i should say).

We've been on it, just to go to NY and sail back a few years ago. It was very good and I supposed for the length of the holiday a wee bit more than usual. I much prefer Celebrity though, they are my favourite company to go with.

That's only splitting hairs, it's still a ship, beautiful she maybe but it does exactly the same as cruisers - takes you from A to B on the water. Personally, as I said before I and my husband much prefer Celebrity, perhaps our ex Warrington taste isn't as good as a scousers! The crew are better, the food is better and the cabins were exactly the same as other companies cabins, no better no worse. What the difference is on the levels above Brittania Class I wouldn't know but someone who I do know who paid an awful lot more than we did, said it was ok but that's was all.

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The problem would be the parking costs. If you go to a Liverpool match the local gangs will charge you £5 for them to "MIND" your car, just think how much they would try and extort from you on a round the world cruise for car “MINDING”

I cannot imagine how many matches Peter Gibson has been to in Liverpool.
Secure parking is available at £5 and the child minders are happy with £1 provided you can find street parking anyway.
Does Peter realise that the cruise facility in Liverpool is right at the Pier Head not in ther backstreets of Everton or Anfield.
Maybe Accrington is such a sophisticated town that local scallies dont exist.
In your dreams Peter!!!

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If you can possibly get me a piece of cake, we can't afford to eat bread in this part of the country.
You will be able to see me easily.
Just look for a six foot three, italian looking, lady killer. ! I'll be standing next to him.
Enjoy your trip, you lucky so and so.

Aah, you poor little Darling!!I will save you some cake AND a glass(only one, 'cos I'm mean)of champagne!!Cynthia

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The following article is from the Liverpool Echo...

THE boss of Southampton docks has conceded that rival port Liverpool is streets ahead as a cruise ship embarkation point.

Peter Jones, speaking about the city's world-renowned waterfront, said: "There is no other port in the country that can offer a cruise facility of anything like that quality."

Admittedly, the chief executive of Associated British Ports (ABP) made his remarks when he was in a similarly lofty position at Mersey Docks.

Which may be the reason he has personally remained publicly silent on the bitter row between the two ports over Liverpool's plan to convert its landing-stage into a turnaround facility enabling passengers to join and leave cruise ships.

ABP argues this is an abuse of State Aid as European money helped create the current £19m facility. Mr Jones declined to comment on his previous remarks. His PR department issued a terse statement: "Associated British Ports is opposed in principle to the use of public funds which distorts competition in the ports sector. ABP has responded to the Department for Transport’s consultation process on this matter"

Mr Jones spent several years heading Mersey Docks before the takeover by Peel. He was supportive of developments to attract cruise ships and before leaving his post in 2006 said: "Mooring a liner in front of the Three Graces would be a magnificent sight.

“There is no other port in the country that can offer a cruise facility of anything like that quality."

Last week Southampton won runner up in Seatrade's annual Turnaround Port awards when ABP director Doug Morrison had another dig at Liverpool, saying: “Over the past few years and without any help from the Government or European grants, ABP has invested £41m on our cruise terminals.”

ABP fears it will lose a major slice of business if Liverpool gains customs facilities at the Pier Head Cruise terminal.

The Department for Transport is currently considering whether to relax rules to allow a full "turnaround" facility to be created at the terminal.

It has written to all the major ports in the UK asking for their opinions.

A spokesman said: “The responses are being considered before any decision is made”.

The thinking appears to be that if other port operators are happy to see Liverpool expand facilities the plans are more likely to get the go-ahead.

Meanwhile the Queen Mary 2’s maiden call to the city is to take place on October 20 and will be a highlight in a week-long, round UK cruise to mark the luxurious liner’s first five years in service.

The visit of the 151,000 ton vessel is expected to attract thousands of spectators to the banks of the River Mersey. QM2 is the largest, longest, widest, tallest and – at more than £400m – the most expensive ocean liner ever built.

This argument only exacerbates the great North - South divide. We up North have excellent international airports at Manchester and Liverpool, but no major seafaring equivalent, 'at the moment.'
To access southern ports of Southampton, Portsmouth and Dover etc means a marathon trek 'down south' from wherever you start your journey whether it be the north west, north east, northern Ireland, anywhere you choose to draw the demarcation line between north and south, unless you choose to cruise with Fred Olsen who sail from Liverpool or Newcastle depending on your chosen cruise.
Some cruise lines offer free car parking at S'ton but its still a long journey. Some arrange coach travel (at a price) but its still a long and expensive journey fraught with motorway hold-ups and rip-off motorway food stops.
I believe P&O are extending free coach travel on 'selected cruises,' probably the under-booked ones for 2010, the one we have booked, for next July to the Baltic, must be reasonably popular since our journey from Chester to Southampton to join the new AZURA will cost us £84.00 each with Eavesway Travel, P&O's contracted carrier.
The 're-selection' of Liverpool as an international venue for large cruise ships will merely restore that world renowned port's reputation as a maritime city that has existed for centuries following the demise of Chester (yes Chester) as the principle port.
Even the renowned composer G F Handel found it necessary to sail from there to Ireland for the airing of his oratorio 'The Messiah,' the pub where he lodged is still there.
Not only would Liverpool City benefit from such a move, not to mention the unemployment figures (its a harder life up north) but also all of us would-be cruisers in reducing our journey times and travel expenses and also reducing the inconvenience of having to travel south and to some extent reducing our 'carbon footprint' in doing so.
Of course Liverpool may not be convenient for all destinations (wrong side of the UK some would argue) and likewise the same applies to Southampton - but its worth remembering that trans-Atlantic travel to and from Liverpool was once pre-eminent even among southern residents and famous personalities of the day.
I am very pleased to read, in 'Cruise News,' that the 'Queen Mary 2' will be paying a maiden visit to Merseyside on the 20th of October.
This, if it needs any, is a re-affirmation of the river Mersey's ability to accommodate one of the largest cruise vessels in the world and the many scousers, still with salt in their veins, ability to handle cruise ships with the same expertise as their forefathers handled essential cargos during the dark days of WWII and the merchant sailors, many from Liverpool, who courageously served on the Atlantic convoys to ensure that the NATION was fed, and on top of all that, being bombed by the Germans into a misguided belief of submission.
I do not truly believe that Liverpool really recovered from the devastation of those events, which are still visible in some parts, not even with the efforts and 'help' of Michael Hesseltine MP (Tarzan) Conservative special 'Emissary' of Margaret Thatcher PM to put the city back on its feet.
The area is slowly recovering year by year, not by the wit and wisdom of politicians but by the investment of manufacturing and commerce and I firmly believe that the addition of the port of Liverpool as a premier cruise vessel handling venue is not only desirable but essential and would also amount to a small recognition of that city's contribution in serving this nation during one of the darkest periods of its history.
Best of luck Liverpool in your bid and I wish you every success on behalf of us all up north.
Gordon Rhys Williams, Chester area.

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The problem would be the parking costs. If you go to a Liverpool match the local gangs will charge you £5 for them to "MIND" your car, just think how much they would try and extort from you on a round the world cruise for car “MINDING”

The car parking in Liverpool is a lot better and safer than anywhere in Accrington, quit the Liverpool Bashing, its a great place to visit.