Portsmouth hoteliers asked to step up as Portsmouth International Port eyes cruise boost

Three cruise ships were in on Saturday for passenger embarkation – a first for Portsmouth International Port and a possible sign of things to come.

Noble Caledonia ships Island Sky and Hebridean Sky, with 100-odd passenger capacity, were alongside with Viking ship Star with about 135 tourists.

Gerald Vernon-Jackson, leader of port owner Portsmouth City Council, said the local economy gets a huge £1m injection when the port is used as an embarkation point.

He wants to see the city’s hotel offering increased so high-paying passengers are attracted even more to Portsmouth.

He said: ‘It’s really important that not only are we able to receive ships, whether they come in for the day, but that actually we’re the place that people get their cruise ship from to start their holiday.

‘Those people are often high-end who are paying a huge amount of money on their cruises.

‘The bit we’re working on in the city is having more good quality hotel space in the city where they can stay the night before.

‘I hope when the Queens has been fully refurbished and it’s a 100-bedroom hotel again that helps that.

‘Every time a ship turns around that’s a million pounds in the city, in the local economy, so we’re working on making sure Portsmouth is a really attractive place for cruise companies to be able to say: “this is where you can come to get your cruise ship”.’

It comes as Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady set sail following international cruising rules being relaxed.

The Queens Hotel in Southsea has been undergoing refurbishment since 2017 with £4.5m spent on upgrades.

When completed it will have 104 bedrooms and has been done with the cruise market in mind, bidding to offer luxury accommodation for passengers ahead of sailing.

General manager Catherine Austen said: ‘We see a major opportunity for Portsmouth to shine as the cruise market develops in the city.

‘The team at Portsmouth International Port should be congratulated for attracting major cruise brands such as Virgin and Viking to the city and the future looks really exciting.

‘We are already seeing people choosing to stay in Portsmouth the night before they sail and that can only be good for the local economy.’

Upgrades at the port will run alongside a call to arms on hoteliers, and include an extension to its terminal, due to be ready by spring 2024.

Port director Mike Sellers director said: ‘We have seen the busiest cruise season for the port in its history, with strong bookings beyond 2021.

‘On Saturday we managed three cruise ships at once, which proves the demand is soaring for ships to come to Portsmouth.

‘We are rapidly becoming the port of choice for the luxury and boutique cruise industry, there are huge opportunities for the city but we will need infrastructure to match.

‘We’re really fortunate to have the use of berths across at our sister site Portico and diversify the use of both sites.

‘However additional port land is required to manage an increase in business and we’re pressing ahead with a terminal extension due to be completed by spring 2024.

‘More parking spaces will start to add pressure and also there will be a growing demand for hotels too.

‘This is a huge opportunity for the city to benefit from up to over a million pounds per cruise call, so there is a significant economic boost if we can provide the necessary facilities to support an increase in passengers.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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