The Port of Southampton, Europe’s leading cruise turnaround port, has welcomed Carnival Cruise Line’s newest cruise ship, Carnival Celebration.

The ship’s arrival in Southampton was celebrated with a traditional plaque and key ceremony at the port on 6^th November. As part of the event, ABP Director, Alastair Welch, exchanged plaques with the ship’s Captain, Vincenzo Alcaras, on board the vessel, which was berthed at Southampton’s Ocean Cruise Terminal.

With a long-established global cruise reputation, the Port of Southampton has five world-class cruise terminals in operation, all with ship-to-shore walkways. There are also convenient cruise-parking facilities for cruise customers, securely located within the port estate.

Rebekah Keeler, Head of Cruise at the Port of Southampton, said: “The Port of Southampton is Europe’s leading cruise turnaround port, and we were delighted to welcome Carnival Celebration to our Ocean Cruise Terminal, which was redeveloped in 2018 to provide an excellent service for this class of vessel and her guests.”

“We are committed to continuously enhancing our cruise offering, which is why ABP has invested around £80 million in upgrading our cruise infrastructure in recent years.”

”Southampton is such a vibrant port in Europe and the absolute best place to serve as Carnival Celebration’s first official stop as she embarks her first guests and begins her transatlantic voyage to her homeport in Miami,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line’s president. “We appreciate the warm welcome from ABP and all of our partners here in Southampton.”