Rival port seeks a slice of Southampton’s lucrative American trade

LIVERPOOL is fighting to steal Southampton’s title as the country’s premier cruise port – urging cruise bosses to move routes to the Mersey.

The Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson said he has spoken with Cunard about relocating their links to New York after almost 100 years of the ships travelling between Southampton and the United States.

It is the latest development in the ‘cruise wars’ between the two ports.

As previously reported Liverpool Council announced plans to take over the lease of the grade II listed Cunard House and turn it into a baggage handling and check-in centre last October and the Port of Liverpool received a £35m Government grant to help dredge the Seaforth estuary to accommodate giant container ships.

But Cunard say they’re staying at the Hampshire port where its biggest ships have been based since 1919.

It comes after Liverpool hosted a huge celebration marking 175 years of the cruise company which saw thousands turn out to watch Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria perform choreographed manoeuvres on the River Mersey.

The firm will also be running a commemorative voyage from Liverpool to New York marking 175 years since its first ship travelled to North America.

Mayor Anderson said he floated the idea to introduce the link with the shipping line’s bosses while they visited Merseyside for the celebration.

He said: “While the Cunard executives were in Liverpool I had serious discussions with them and we have got meetings taking place in the near future to make sure that Cunard continue to come to Liverpool.

“I’m convinced that the Liverpool to New York run can be established again if we own our own cruise liner terminal, as, of course, we need a bigger terminal.

“It is interesting about 1,400 people actually went onto the Cunarders in Liverpool having stayed overnight in city hotels. It proves there is a draw here in Liverpool which is at the heart of a population of 32 million that could come to Liverpool, rather than Southampton, to join cruises.

“That is what my aim is, making sure Liverpool gets onto the cruise liner map in a much better way that we currently do. It will happen.”

But Stewart Dunn, chief executive of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, said he would oppose any new route if it meant less services from Southampton.

He said: “Whilst I fully understand Liverpool’s desire to have a trans-Atlantic route it would hopefully not be at the loss of any service between Southampton and New York at the same time.

“We would hate to lose any business as a result of a new route between Liverpool and New York because this would obviously affect our own businesses in the city and region who play a vital supply chain role.”

City council leader Simon Letts said: “I would seek an early meeting with them if they were proposing moving away from Southampton.

“Obviously we want Cunard to continue to run that service from the city and there’s no reason why they won’t choose to do so.

“Cruising is an expanding market and maybe there is room for Liverpool to run one as well as Southampton.”

But Cunard said they have no plans to relocate the route.

A spokesman said: “For special events such as our 175th anniversary commemorative voyage on 4 July 2015 we have been able to plan for a limited number of passengers to embark in Liverpool as a one-off occasion.

“However, the full infrastructure that large ship turnarounds for over 2,000 passengers require, continues to be found in Southampton, our home port, rather than in Liverpool.”

Cunard was formed in 1840 and its vessels sailed from the Liverpool to New York and Canada until the route were relocated in 1919.

The firm moved its head office from Liverpool to United States in the 1960s and moved its UK home to Southampton.

The relocation was down to the fact ships could enter the port of Southampton at any time as there was no bar or huge tidal range as there was in Liverpool.