Portsmouth receives £18 million to transform cruise port

Portsmouth International Port has received an £18 million (US$24 million) investment, which will be used to fund upgrade facilities and enable ships carrying up to 2,000 passengers to berth at the port.

The funding has been granted to help the port capitalise on significant opportunities to grow its cruise business. In 2018, the city welcomed 48 calls and has plans for over 100 in the coming years.

“Cruise is a market we have a real opportunity to develop, if we provide industry standard infrastructure,” said Mike Sellers, director of Portsmouth International Port. “We’ve listened to the needs of our customers and have developed plans to meet their requirements. We understand that while there are many benefits to our port, this significant investment will have a considerable positive impact on how we look after ships and passengers.”

The funding will support levelling work to begin on one of the cruise berths, increasing the number of available docks. Plans also include changes that will enable the cruise terminal to handle passengers more efficiently, as well as to provide walkway access to ships.

“While we are fortunate to have a modern terminal, with green credentials, adapting the layout to suit all our passengers more effectively will have a huge impact,” said Sellers. “This is the biggest spend on cruise to date and demonstrates our commitment to the industry. Cruise line passengers expect a certain level of service and we need to make sure the port has facilities to match.”

Designs are currently underway with the project’s completion expected in 2020.