Busy start for the cruise season at Portsmouth International Port

The first cruise ship to dock was Swan Hellenic’s Minerva, which is part of All Leisure Holidays, a specialist cruise operator.

The Minerva arrived on Friday from St Malo. Passengers joined the ship in Portsmouth for a two-week cruise in France.

The Minerva will return to Portsmouth on April 28 when she will then start another holiday – this time exploring the Baltic, with a visit to St Petersburg in Russia.

German operator Phoenix Reisen’s Amadea arrived from Hamburg yesterday and her passengers had 12 hours in port.

She then left for La Coruna in Spain, part of a three-week cruise into the Mediterranean before heading back to Germany.

Phoenix Reisen’s Albatros will return to Portsmouth on April 27, after a round the world voyage.

She was last in Portsmouth on November 19 and she set off from Peru on April 1.

At 205m in length, the cruise ship is one of the largest cruise liners to call at Portsmouth International Port this year.

Both Albatros and Amadea will make return visits to Portsmouth International Port during the 2016 season. The schedule can be found at portsmouth-port.co.uk