Stevedores and port terminal management specialists SCH (Southampton Cargo Handling) were awarded the contract for a further 3 years with the City Council of Liverpool to handle all cruise ships visiting Liverpool Cruise Terminal.
The agreement followed an extensive procurement and evaluation exercise. It includes the option for an additional 2 years beyond 2021 which will mean SCH will be the ship handlers when Liverpool’s new cruise terminal opens towards the end of 2021 season.
The fast-expanding portfolio of ship turnarounds and transit visitors in Liverpool means that more than 85 cruise ships will visit LCT in 2019, with major cruise shipping companies like CMV, Costa, Cunard, Disney, Fred Olsen, Princess and Viking Ocean.
SCH is due to provide all stevedoring, such as baggage handling, stores loading, as well as rope handling services. Sister company Cruise and Passenger Services provides valet cruise parking services for cruise passengers. About 50 staff from Merseyside were employed for each turnaround call in the port.
The new contract extension builds upon the previous 3-year deal which SCH had with the port of Liverpool and underlines the role of the company as the UK’s most extensive provider of ship support, with operations also in Port Southampton and, via sister-company Southern Maritime Services, in Portsmouth.