Will Cunard change its Home Port?

[SEFlyer]

On 4/19/2020 at 2:39 PM, BigMac1953 said:

The ships' home port is Hamilton, Bermuda, and that's not going to change anytime soon.

 

 

I've never understood why Cunard didn't "persuade" the Bermudan government to open a ship registration office in Southampton, Bermuda. 

[Guest SilverHengroen]

1 hour ago, SEFlyer said:

 

I've never understood why Cunard didn't "persuade" the Bermudan government to open a ship registration office in Southampton, Bermuda. 

I wonder if the new ship is planned to be registered in Southampton, at least to begin with? They might not want to conduct weddings for her first coupe of seasons until everything is bedded in. P&Os recent new builds have (at least started out) registered in the UK - including Azura, Britannia and Iona (the latter two still being registered in Southampton to date). 

 

As already mentioned there's a number of reasons why Cunard will remain based in Southampton - more than anything because practically, there aren't actually that many ports in the country that can offer all the services (primary, secondary and tertiary) and facilities they need to operate. The few that can often have significantly lower capacity, or ability to handle large ships and large numbers of passengers (e.g. Dover).  There's also the historic connection which is a key part of Cunard's brand, while Liverpool might have been where the line started out, by far the most famous 'golden era' ships all sailed out of Southampton - Lusitania, Mauretania, Aquitania and Berengaria; Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth; Caronia (2 and 3); QE2; and of course other lines' most famous ships as well, the Olympic trio, Majestic, Normandie and France, United States, Canberra and Oriana. 

[Austcruiser84]

4 hours ago, North West Newbie said:

 

The context of my comment was in response to navybankteacher who said “Hard to say getting around Ireland.....” The ability to navigate from Liverpool [and get around Ireland] is unaffected by the ship’s passenger/cargo load.

 

As you rightly say “The new railways meant easy national transportation and Liverpool was ideally situated”. That is truer today as rail links across the UK have vastly improved since the 19^th century. Therefore, Liverpool remains ideally situated for anyone holidaying who wishes to visit anywhere in the UK.

 

 

Equating passengers with cargo like mail isn't a just comparison. Facts established are majority of passengers are destined for southern parts of UK and Europe. Southampton is closer to Heathrow, London and all the rail link to Europe. Why would a person travel an extra hour when it wasn't necessary? When someone flies, do they choose an airport that is less convenient for their travel purposes? I'd wager not.

[North West Newbie]

1 hour ago, Austcruiser84 said:

 

Equating passengers with cargo like mail isn't a just comparison. Facts established are majority of passengers are destined for southern parts of UK and Europe. Southampton is closer to Heathrow, London and all the rail link to Europe. Why would a person travel an extra hour when it wasn't necessary? When someone flies, do they choose an airport that is less convenient for their travel purposes? I'd wager not.

 

Once again keeping my comment in context, the reference to passenger/cargo was specifically in respect of the ship’s ability to navigate its way from Liverpool and around Ireland.

 

Irrespective, the fact remains that transportation links in the North West of England allow anyone wishing to explore any part of the UK with relative ease.

[Host Hattie]

And Liverpool is a much more attractive port.

[Austcruiser84]

32 minutes ago, North West Newbie said:

 

Once again keeping my comment in context, the reference to passenger/cargo was specifically in respect of the ship’s ability to navigate its way from Liverpool and around Ireland.

 

 

Irrespective, the fact remains that transportation links in the North West of England allow anyone wishing to explore any part of the UK with relative ease.

 

We will have to agree to disagree about the validity of these alternative facts. 

 

Ive no doubt Cunard will organise another circumnavigation of the UK cruise and that a Cunard ship will stop in Liverpool for a day.

 

And passengers can return on board before sailing time, at ease knowing that at the end of the trip their disembarkation and journey home will be much quicker from Southampton.

[exlondoner]

Why did Cunard move its premium services from Liverpool to Southampton in the first place? It seems likely those factors still apply.

[Austcruiser84]

1 minute ago, exlondoner said:

Why did Cunard move its premium services from Liverpool to Southampton in the first place? It seems likely those factors still apply.

 

Liverpool was the home port of the big Cunarders until after WW1. Although head office remained in Liverpool until the mid 60s I believe, Mauritania and Aquitania shifted to Southampton to better facilitate London passenger traffic.  

[exlondoner]

21 minutes ago, Austcruiser84 said:

 

Liverpool was the home port of the big Cunarders until after WW1. Although head office remained in Liverpool until the mid 60s I believe, Mauritania and Aquitania shifted to Southampton to better facilitate London passenger traffic.  

 

Quite so. As well as calls at European ports. Also the tides were easier at Southampton, but I'm not sure this still matters.

[Guest SilverHengroen]

17 minutes ago, Austcruiser84 said:

 

Liverpool was the home port of the big Cunarders until after WW1. Although head office remained in Liverpool until the mid 60s I believe, Mauritania and Aquitania shifted to Southampton to better facilitate London passenger traffic.  

I've also read a contemporary newspaper clipping that the tides were a big factor, the Mersey's large tidal range made late/early departures and arrivals a real pain with the new larger ships, while Southampton Water has much smaller tidal range, and two high tides per day allowing a lot more flexibility with berthing and sailing. 

[exlondoner]

15 minutes ago, SilverHengroen said:

I've also read a contemporary newspaper clipping that the tides were a big factor, the Mersey's large tidal range made late/early departures and arrivals a real pain with the new larger ships, while Southampton Water has much smaller tidal range, and two high tides per day allowing a lot more flexibility with berthing and sailing. 

 

Four high tides?

[Austcruiser84]

Interesting about the tides. That was certainly a big issue for Captains who preferred the easier Southampton waters. 

 

Another factor that I've not verified but seems logical is that there was room at Southampton for Cunard to move the big liners since the British merchant fleet was rather slimmed down due to the war. 

 

That said, Cunard did run a Southampton to Montreal service from 1911 on a lesser liner. Aquitania was the first of the large Cunard liners (well, the two of three left after the war) to sail from Southampton in 1919. 

[Guest SilverHengroen]

3 minutes ago, exlondoner said:

 

Four high tides?

yes, sorry, that was meant to say two double high tides (it's not actually four separate high tides, just a double peak at each high). 

[IB2]

1 hour ago, exlondoner said:

 

Four high tides?

More a prolonged high tide. The tidal current sweeps along the Channel from the West, and some manages to squeeze through the relatively narrow western Solent to give Solent ports their first high tide.  As this is starting to ebb, the stronger Channel current sweeps along and round into the wider eastern side of the Solent, lifting waters to a second high tide, twice daily.

[exlondoner]

6 minutes ago, IB2 said:

More a prolonged high tide. The tidal current sweeps along the Channel from the West, and some manages to squeeze through the relatively narrow western Solent to give Solent ports their first high tide.  As this is starting to ebb, the stronger Channel current sweeps along and round into the wider eastern side of the Solent, lifting waters to a second high tide, twice daily.

 

And the real benefit is that the low water is rarely very low, as the next incoming tide has already begun round the other side.

[ToadOfToadHall]

3 hours ago, Host Hattie said:

And Liverpool is a much more attractive port.

 

Oh come on, do be fair.

 

Liverpool:

 

 

Southampton:

 

 

[Host Hattie]

That's a bit harsh on Southampton and I do have to declare an interest, I was born in Liverpool !

[ovccruiser]

On 4/19/2020 at 7:39 PM, BigMac1953 said:

The ships' home port is Hamilton, Bermuda, and that's not going to change anytime soon.

That is only what is stated on the stern of the ship and is the place of registration not the home port. Prior to this, QM2 had Southampton on the stern and was changed, apparently, so they could conduct marriages on board. I remember a quite heated, at times, discussion on here at he time.

Edited April 23, 2020 by ovccruiser

[Mickb]

Remember also the Carnival/ Cunards UK head office is in Southampton