THE race for the lucrative, high profile contract to create a £19m new cruise terminal at Southampton docks has been won by Hampshire builder Dean & Dyball.

It's the first big win since the Ringwood based company was bought by national giant Balfour Beatty for £45m in March. Bringing the number of cruise terminals in Southampton to four, the as yet unnamed terminal is being built on the back of a historic 20-year deal between port owner ABP and cruise giant Carnival UK.

Construction of the armadillo-shaped building is due to start within weeks on the Ocean Dock, opposite the former art deco Ocean Terminal that was demolished in 1983.

Designed to cope with up to 4,000 passengers at a time, the terminal will land Southampton the title of busiest turnaround cruise port in Europe when it opens next April. As previously reported by the Daily Echo, the terminal will not nowbe built to handle the possibility of a port visitor centre attraction upstairs.

The plan, a brainchild of trade group Business Southampton, was axed amid security fears over public access.

However, port bosses are keen to see the old Calshot Lightship return to the water as an attraction alongside the new terminal.

Southampton's cruise business has seen unprecedented growth, with 289 cruise calls and well over 900,000 passengers expected in 2008, including such highprofile calls as those for the naming of P&O's Ventura and Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas.

Doug Morrison, pictured, Southampton port director, said: "This is a great day for Southampton's cruise business.

I believe we have chosen a modern design that will be fitting for the 21st century."

A spokesman for Dean & Dyball, said: "We are delighted to be working on the new terminal."