MAIDEN CALL: Wallenius Lines vehicle carrier, Boheme, at Southampton Docks.

THE port of Southampton is celebrating another round of success which will boost the city's already booming cruise industry and strengthen the docks' number one position for UK vehicle imports and exports.

Southampton docks is a key player in the local economy with port activities contributing an estimated £1.3 billion last year alone and now this figure is set to grow to even higher levels.

Thousands of extra cruise passengers will be heading for Southampton with the arrival of one of the country's big tour companies, Airtours, which is the first of the major holiday operators to offer cruises out of a UK port.

Airtours is to base its 22,945 ton passenger ship, Sundream, in the port for a major programme of voyages featuring six different itineraries from May, 2000.

"The introduction of these itineraries will attract people who prefer to cruise from a home port,'' said Airtours' head of specialist products, Gary Wardrope.

"It also means we can offer something new to our many repeat customers.''

Festival Cruises has also announced it will unveil its brand new vessel, the 47,900 ton Mistral, in Southampton next month as part of a wide-ranging promotional tour of European ports.

In a third development, worldwide shipping company, Wallenius Lines, an important customer of Southampton docks, has just introduced another vehicle carrier to its long list of vessels which call at the port.

Sundream's arrival will come at a busy time in the port as it is around this time the new superliner, Aurora, will also sail up Southampton Water for the first time to join its sister ship Oriana as well as Arcadia and Victoria in the P&O Cruises' city-based fleet.

Cunard's luxury cruise ship Vistafjord, which will have been renamed Caronia by then, will also be based in Southampton and undertaking voyages out of the city along-side the flagship of the British merchant marine, Queen Elizabeth 2.

Sundream, formerly called Song of Norway, which will operate out of Southampton until October 2000, first entered service in November 1970, has a passenger capacity of 1,190, 540 cabins, 400 crew, and was built in Finland.

Festival Cruises' $245 million Mistral, built at the French shipyard of Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, is due to arrive in Southampton on June 27.

Mistral, which can cope with up to 1,690 passengers, will commence its programme of Mediterranean cruises from its normal Italian base of Genoa in July. The Wallenius Lines' ship, Boheme, which has made its maiden call to Southampton, when its loaded a consignment of four-wheel drive vehicles, mini-buses and heavy plant equipment, is currently being operated on the South Africa/Australia and New Zealand service. The 56,900 tonne Boheme continues the company's tradition of naming its vessels after operas.

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