SOUTHAMPTON’S often grid-locked roads around the city’s docks could be one of the deciding factors in luring a major cruise line away from the city to arch-rival, Portsmouth.

For the first time, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is to base its 839-passenger vessel, Boudicca in Portsmouth’s commercial port for a series of seven voyages during the autumn of 2009 which would have normally been expected to leave from Southampton.

The company pointed to Portsmouth’s “good access’’ which would make passenger’s journeys to and from the ship “extremely convenient.’’ Fears are privately being voiced within the docks’ community that the existing road infrastructure, especially the crowded streets in and around West Quay Road, will have difficulty in coping with higher traffic levels when even more vessels are based in the port from 2010.

The arrival of the giant Ikea store early next year is expected to add significantly to traffic generated by thousands of passengers on some of the biggest cruise ships in the world.

Matt Grimes, Fred. Olsen’s director of planning, ports and logistics, said switching ports was in line with its policy of using a variety of regional departure points.

“Portsmouth offers many benefits; it has good access by road and rail, and Southampton airport is also close by,” he said.

“Leaving from Portsmouth rather than Southampton also reduces cruising time to the first port of call by one and a half hours. “Its accessibility and geographical location make it extremely convenient for many of our southern-based passengers.’’ Fred Olsen will continue to use Southampton throughout next year and into 2010 when its vessel, Black Watch, will undertake a total of 19 voyages from the city while Boudicca will depart from the docks four times.