Tag Archives: southampton

Port of Southampton to Host Seven Maiden Calls in 2023.

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The Port of Southampton is set to host seven maiden calls in 2023 after it hailed 2022 a “successful and significant” year.

This year, the port is due to welcome 492 cruise calls and will host maiden calls from a further seven cruise ships, including new builds MSC Explora 1 and Silversea Cruises’ Silver Nova.

In 2022, the port saw 600 cruise days and eight plaque and key ceremonies for Azamara Onward, Celebrity Beyond, Silver Moon, Norwegian Prima, Aida Perla, Aida Cosma, Enchanted Princess and P&O Cruises’ Arvia.


Continuing its work to promote air quality initiatives, in spring the port switched shore power on at two of its five terminals – Horizon and Mayflower – and since then has supported 15 ships to plug in a total of 42 times for zero emissions at berth.

Rebekah Keeler, head of the cruise at Associated British Ports, said: “We’re proud to provide award-winning cruise operational support year-round to the world’s biggest and smallest cruise ships.


“Supported by our port-based cruise services providers, we look forward to another successful year in 2023.”

MSC Virtuosa the First Ship to Dock in Hamburg in 2023

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MSC Virtuosa arriving into Southampton Photo Credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)
The MSC Virtuosa was the first cruise ship to dock in Hamburg in 2023.

The MSC Virtuosa arrived in Hamburg on January 1, 2023, marking the beginning of this year’s cruise season. 

From January 8 to January 29, the ship will set course for the Canary Islands for three weeks. The ship will make calls in Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Le Havre, Lisbon, Cadiz and Casablanca followed by visits to the Atlantic islands of Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. On the way back to Hamburg, the MSC Virtuosa will call in La Coruna and Southampton.

The MSC Virtuosa will make several calls in Hamburg before April 16 turning around in the German port.

 In the summer of 2023, the cruise ship will then depart from Southampton, England for Norway or southern Europe. 

The MSC Euribia will then take over the trips to Hamburg from the MSC Virtuosa. In the summer of 2023, it will depart from Kiel and head to the Norwegian fjords. Throughout the 2023/2024 season, the MSC Euribia will return to Hamburg on a weekly basis.

The Port of Hamburg is expecting around 280 calls from cruise ships in 2023. The highlights in the port are the port birthday from May 5 to 7, 2023, and the Cruise Days from September 8 to 10, 2023. 

Norwegian Prima is to sail from Southampton in 2025

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The ship, launched this summer as the first of six Prima-class vessels will operate a series of 10 and 11 “open jaw” cruises between Southampton and Reykjavik from May to September 2025.

The news comes after Norwegian Cruise Line president and chief executive Harry Sommer confirmed in August that a Prima-class ship would be based in Southampton.

Norwegian Prima’s 2025 itineraries from Southampton will include trips to Geiranger in Norway’s fjords, as well as ports such as Alesund, Flam and Bergen, plus Iceland, Zeebrugge in Belgium and Amsterdam.

The ship, which will sail from the US in 2023 and 2024, offers attractions such as the largest racetrack at sea, increased deck space and a three-deck theatre that converts to a nightclub.

NCL made the announcement as part of the release of its winter 2024/25 and summer 2025 programmes in Europe, the Caribbean and Alaska.

The line’s European deployment plans also include basing Norwegian Viva from Athens between May and November 2025. Viva will be the second Prima-class ship when it debuts next summer.

Meanwhile Norwegian Breakaway will sail a series of round-trip itineraries from Barcelona between April and October 2025.

Sommer said: “Our itineraries are designed to provide longer port hours and fewer sea days to truly allow our guests the opportunity to dive into the cultures and destinations they are visiting.”

Before heading to the UK in 2025, Norwegian Prima will operate a series of round-trip itineraries from New York to the Caribbean in winter 2024/25.