Solent in Southampton is one of the busiest ports and is able to accommodate the biggest and most prestigious cruise ships. There are several vantage points if you wish to watch the busy harbor in motion, or plan on taking a cruise on one of the many liners that use the port to visit the Isle of Wight and other destinations.
The world's biggest, newest, and most expensive cruise ship stops at the Solent before disembarking on transatlantic cruises. The $1 billion ship is 361m long, 66m wide, and 72m above sea level. The 16 decks are packed with wealthy passengers, entertainment, and classy restaurants. The ship made her maiden voyage to Ft. Lauderdale in America in December 2009. Expect more sightings of the Oasis in the Solent.
Cunard's Queen Mary 2 is a regular sight in the Solent. Since her first voyage five years ago, the Queen Mary 2 has traveled over 750,000 nautical miles, completed 120 transatlantic crossings, and made calls to 115 ports in 45 countries. To mark the 170th anniversary of the Cunard line, the Queen Mary 2 made her first round-Britain voyage departing from Southampton.
Once a regular sight on Southampton waters, the iconic Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship retired in November 2008 after 40 years of service. Thousands of people lined the Southampton shores to say farewell to the ship. The Queen Elizabeth 2 set sail to Dubai where she will be used as a floating hotel, so at least she will keep her sea legs. The Queen Elizabeth 2 now has plans to move to South Africa in 2010 to become a hotel for the football World Cup.
Since 1843, Southampton has been a prosperous port for cruise ships, and ships of all kinds. The Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton. The Eastern dock opened in 1843, the Western dock opened in 1932 as the largest expansion of its kind. Throughout the 1930's, Southampton handled nearly half of all Britain's ocean-going passengers and millions of tons of cargo. The South Coast dock continues to be one of the busiest for cruise ships, with P & O and Cunard calling Southampton home port. Cruise ships are worth $202 million to the local economy.
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