Could P&O also use Liverpool as a home port?

[gstewart]

Liverpool seems to be getting its act together with its cruise terminal. The latest plans are to use the historic Cunard building as the new cruise terminal. I was just wondering what everyone thinks the chances are that P&O might use Liverpool as a home port for some sailings in the future?

 

I think it's likely that Cunard may offer some transatlantics from Liverpool and it would be great to see P&O in the Mersey too.

 

 

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[davedex]

Let's hope not, the local scousers would have any brass off the ship and sold in no time!

[blue manc]

Let's hope not, the local scousers would have any brass off the ship and sold in no time!

Pathetic comment

[tartanexile81]

Let's hope not, the local scousers would have any brass off the ship and sold in no time!

 

Despite these kind of narrow-minded comments from Southerners which appear too often (which of course are ALWAYS "tongue-in-cheek" and ALWAYS just to "wind up" us ignorant Northerners- not!!) we would love it if P&O made Liverpool their home port. However I think this is highly unlikely as the would have to invest too much is establishing the level of infrastructure they currently have in Southampton and in these days of cost-cutting it won't happen IMO. I think the best we can hope for is occasional cruises from Liverpool.

 

BTW I can take a joke and enjoy a good laugh but to 'joke' about people stealing is not at all funny

[Alan Flett]

Let's hope not, the local scousers would have any brass off the ship and sold in no time!

 

That is a disgraceful statement. I live on the outskirts of Liverpool and all my family still live there so maybe I am biased but who cares.

 

Liverpool as a city is one of the finest in the country and has done so much in the last 20 years or so with regards to regeneration and working on the public perception.

 

In fact it has become one of the most visited cities in the UK. The people are warm and friendly and many people who visit regularly return.

 

It isn't without it's problems but name me a city or place for that matter that is. It annoys me the first thing that people say about scousers is they rob and sign on the dole. For your information I have never signed on in my life and I am 40, I have never stolen anything either. It is a ridiculous myth about the city.

 

I for one would love to sail with P and O out of Liverpool, not just because I am 15 minutes from the docks but the Liverpool waterfront is simply outstanding and is still being regenerated. I would suggest you Google Liverpool waterfront and look at some of the pictures.

 

It would be a much better journey that travelling from Southampton which is essentially just industrial docks.

 

Maybe you should read about the history of Liverpool and educate your narrow mind, you may be surprised.

[gstewart]

I lived in Liverpool for 3 years - fantastic place.

 

My question really was is it possible that one of P&O's ships could be based in Liverpool for a summer season of cruises? I'd love to see that.

[tom_uk]

I've been watching the Liverpool cruise terminal saga with interest. There's no doubt that the use of the old Cunard building is a big step forward - the (still current) temporary building is far from ideal. Of course, we don't know yet what the actual passenger capacity the refurbished Cunard building will be able to provide.

 

Even then, there are still a number of logistical issues. It's been a long time since I worked in Liverpool, but my recollection is that there's not a lot of space around the Pier Head. I don't think the broad open spaces at the terminals at Southampton are going to be available, and this must have implications on issues such as car parking and coach handling. Take for example the ways cars are handled at the Ocean Terminal - there's the unloading bay, and if there are more cars arriving than these bays can handle, the cars are directed into three long temporary parking lanes alongside. Then there are taxis and coaches also constantly arriving, and these have their own drop-off bays. There's a lot of space around there, and I've never seen the cars and general traffic have any fall-back impact out onto the public roads. I don't think that much space will be available at Liverpool. And of course the Pier Head is right in the centre of the city in a way that's not so true of Southampton. So while it's possible to handle smaller vessels at the Liverpool terminal, it wouldn't surprise me if it turned out to be necessary to do a lot of the check-in work at a remote location, and then bus people to the terminal, in the case of larger ships.

 

In addition there are stores and supplies to be delivered to the ships themselves, and ships the size of the P&O fleet (and indeed the Cunard fleet) will need more supplies delivered on turnround day than the ships currently using Liverpool.

 

So I think it might be possible, but I also think that they need to work up to large ships gradually - I wouldn't want to see them try to handle Azura, say, or QM2 on day 1.

[simonpjd]

Tom you are going through the logistics ashore. On the river it is worse. The ships themselves are too large to go alongside at the pierhead. Even when Liverpool and Birkenhead were busy ports they could not handle any extra large vessels - and even the smaller ones had to go into the docks through the locks. And the locks are too small for cruise ships - excpet Adonia and ships of her size.

As for moving away from Southampton - Fred have tried it this year with cruises from Avonmouth, Belfast, Glasgow etc and these are the ones with the best cheap last minute deals being offered , so maybe not so popular either.

[gstewart]

Tom you are going through the logistics ashore. On the river it is worse. The ships themselves are too large to go alongside at the pierhead. Even when Liverpool and Birkenhead were busy ports they could not handle any extra large vessels - and even the smaller ones had to go into the docks through the locks. And the locks are too small for cruise ships - excpet Adonia and ships of her size.

As for moving away from Southampton - Fred have tried it this year with cruises from Avonmouth, Belfast, Glasgow etc and these are the ones with the best cheap last minute deals being offered , so maybe not so popular either.

 

QM2 has docked at the Pier Head in the last couple of years, as has Caribbean Princess etc.

 

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/worlds-biggest-ocean-liner-queen-3865047

[tom_uk]

QM2 has docked at the Pier Head in the last couple of years, as has Caribbean Princess etc.

 

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/worlds-biggest-ocean-liner-queen-3865047

 

Yes, the new pier has been having day calls by these very big ships since it opened.

 

The problem was that the conditions attached to the grant of money which Liverpool received for the new pier prohibited them from using it to do cruise turnrounds. Now they've negotiated that issue away - and paid a hefty chunk of the grant back - and they're able to do cruise turnarounds, but that brings with it greater logistic complexities than handling day calls.

[davedex]

HEY...... HEY...... CALM DOWN; CALM DOWN. I was only joking!!

 

I'm sure it is a number of years till this might happen but am sure that it will get used more & more as a port of call especially as there seem to be a lot more cruises going round the uk which will be good for the regeneration. The ships have used Southampton for years which selfishly I enjoy watching come past me every day and agree that there is a lot of infrastructure in place which would need to be put in Liverpool to make any company think about using it as their home hub.

 

With the rise in cruising I would never say never that this won't happen, but it is a few years away.

[cruisebore]

Let's hope not, the local Scousers would have any brass off the ship and sold in no time!

 

 

Wow ! quotes like this are borne out of desperation as folk can see business and jobs disappearing north. The renaissance of Liverpool over the last few years has been nothing short of remarkable. It is not just a city were one would travel to join a ship; it is now a wonderful destination in itself with a remarkable history, wonderful buildings and facilities.

Its waterfront is equal to any in the world that we have been privileged to cruise into.

So YES more and more cruise ships will use Liverpool simply because it is good business so to do.

However will it be P&O? I don't think so, the competition will have it sown up by the time P&O get round to considering it.

 

Cb

[soobs]

We went to see the QM2 in dock in the Pool in 2011 what a wonderful sight we then sailed TA to NY in the December what an experience. I had the pleasure of working in L Pool for 6 months in 2012 and have never worked with more loyal, hard working and fun people especially as they were all be made redundant.

 

I for one living in Manchester would love to be able to sail from the pool and the money into the city would be well spent, what they have done so far is fantastic and is the cleanest city I have seen for a few years

[Britboys]

In answer to your question, yes of course they could but in reality I can't see it happening. P&O's ties with Southampton are long and deep and having their HQ there only increases that. I do think that they might use it to call into on a 'round britain' itinerary though. As another poster has mentioned Fred Olsen are doing a lot of departures from 'the regions' and it does seem that many of those are being sold at bargain basement prices.

 

I might be a 'southerner' but think Liverpool is a great, friendly city.