Southern Maritime Services has signed a three-year contract with the UK cruise port
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Stevedoring and ancillary services company Southern Maritime Services (SMS) is to provide support services for all cruise ships calling at Portsmouth International Port (PIP) in the UK for the next three years.
SMS has dedicated passenger check-in facilities in PIP’s main terminal and will use its own fleet of forklifts, telehandlers, platforms, cages and conveyors to provide various turnkey services for cruise ship clients. This includes meet and greet; baggage handling; passenger check-in; passenger registration; porterage; stores and baggage loading, and valet car parking.
“Our business has grown as we have built a reputation for offering flexible and bespoke services to cruise ship operators,” said Rupert Taylor, PIP harbour master. “SMS has played a valuable role in developing and delivering these services, helping us to attract a growing number of small- and medium-sized vessels. I know that as we continue to expand our cruise ship activity, the experience and expertise that SMS brings to PIP will help us further increase our calling and turnaround business.”
The agreement will sustain up to 40 jobs each time a cruise ship calls in the port, which is set to handle 41 calls in 2015, more than 50% of which will be turnarounds. The season will open with a call from Voyages of Discovery’s Voyager in March and close in November. New callers this year include Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Europa 2, the Portuguese ship Funchal and Noble Caledonia’s Sea Explorer.
“We have been providing port services for cruise ships in Portsmouth for ten years and this new contract will help us to develop our equipment and services further,” said Paul Kempton, SMS director.