Associated British Ports/ABP, the owner and operator of Port Southampton (England UK), has recently demonstrated its capacity to support different types of vessels at its Horizon Cruise Terminal by welcoming 2 LNG-powered cruise vessels within 4 days.
The first vessel, AIDAnova, arrived on April 23rd during her 10-day cruise from Lisbon Portugal to Kiel Germany, via Southampton, Zeebrugge Belgium, and Oslo Norway. The ship can accommodate more than 5,000 passengers and is one of the world's first to be powered both at sea and in port by liquified natural gas.
The second vessel, Le Commandant Charcot, arrived on April 26th and has a total capacity of 270 passengers.
Despite their differences in size and cruise destinations, the Port of Southampton was able to support both vessels, and ABP is proud of its adaptability to cater to varying operational requirements.
AIDAnova left Southampton on the evening of April 23rd.
During the call, the Head of Cruise at the Port, Rebekah Keeler, greeted Capt. Michael Schmid and exchanged plaques in a plaque and key ceremony.
She said it was fantastic to welcome AIDAnova to Horizon Cruise Terminal.
"Since we launched ABP’s sustainability strategy earlier this year, what better way to have our first plaque and key exchange of the 2023 cruise season than with a cruise ship powered on LNG, capable of taking shore power and calling at our Horizon Cruise Terminal. We look forward to welcoming AIDAnova back to Southampton during her future cruises.”
The Le Commandant Charcot ship had a short stay in Southampton, arriving at 7 am and departing for Brest France at 10 am. Built back in 2021, the luxurious hybrid electric polar exploration vessel is also LNG-powered.
Image: Port of Southampton (England)
Horizon Terminal is the Port's newest (opened in September 2021). The facility is equipped with shore power capability and also fitted with 2000+ roof-mounted solar panels.