SOUTHAMPTON is reaping a rich winter windfall worth millions of pounds during one of the busiest times of the year for cruise ships.

Thousands of people escaping Britain's miserable weather are flocking into Southampton docks to join some of the world's most luxurious cruise liners setting sail to all corners of the globe.

It is a hectic time on the city's quaysides as a procession of ships arrive and set sail again from Southampton, underlining the docks' position as the country's premier cruising port.

Cruise ships inject huge amounts of cash into Southampton's economy every time they tie up alongside the port and use the local services and suppliers, who provide everything from fuel oil to food for the vessels.

Every year, each Southampton- based liner is estimated to pour up to £30 million into the local economy and also secure a huge number of jobs in the port and its associated industries.

These busy few days will be the last time that Southampton sees many of the ships until they complete their global voyages and return in the spring.

Southampton's dockside rush began on Thursday with the arrival of P&O Cruises' 69,153- tonne superliner Oriana at 106 berth in Western Docks, followed by the Fred Olsen ship Black Watch and Saga's vessel Saga Rose, both in Eastern Docks.

Both the 28,492-tonne Black Watch and the 24,474-tonne Saga Rose were alongside to disembark and embark passengers and take on stores before leaving again for the winter sun.

Black Watch, the former Royal Viking Star, set a course to South America on a 69-night voyage, and among the countries she is visiting are Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Peru before her return to Southampton on March 14.

Another Fred Olsen cruise ship, Black Prince, also made a brief visit to Southampton yesterday, after a new year's cruise, before leaving for a period of refit in Germany.

Saga Rose, the one-time Sagafjord, is also heading to South America on the initial sector of her 100-night circumnavigation which also includes calls at the Falkland Islands, the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, the Far and Middle East and Mediterranean ports, before sailing back into Southampton on April 14.

Oriana stayed in overnight, undertaking the huge re-storing operation before leaving yesterday for a 92-night eastbound world cruise, sailing from Southampton for Southern Africa, the Indian Ocean, Singapore, Bali, Australia and New Zealand. With tickets starting from £8,677 each for the whole trip, Oriana returns via the Pacific, Canada and the United States of America before transiting the Panama Canal for the Caribbean and the return cruise back to Southampton.

A small piece of Southampton maritime history was created when, for a few short hours, Oriana's companion in the P&O fleet the 76,000 tonne Aurora, which only entered service last April, was moored at the next- door berth, and the two vessels were alongside in the city together for the first time.

Aurora is due to depart on her maiden world cruise this evening, on a voyage taking 90 days and calling at the 27 different ports. Her voyage will take the superliner from Curacao, San Francisco and Pago Pago to Sydney, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Mubai. Aurora will transit the Panama Canal early in the cruise, returning home through Suez and the Mediterranean with tickets starting at £8,677 per person.