During the peak cruise season at the Port of Southampton, it’s not unusual for the Solent Stevedores team to handle between five and ten ships from Friday through to Sunday.
For every cruise turnaround, our team plays a vital role in ensuring each vessel departs on schedule with precision, efficiency and accuracy. But what happens behind the scenes to make that possible?
“It’s a bit like training for a marathon,” says Zak McElvenny, Operations and Compliance Director. “The hard work is done throughout the year through staff training, recruitment and plant maintenance. That preparation never stops, so when turnaround days arrive, we’re ready to deliver a safe and efficient operation.”
The team supports more than 400 cruise calls every year, handling over two million passengers, 2.8 million suitcases and more than 120,000 tonnes of ship’s stores.
Alongside our year-round training and preparation, every individual cruise call requires detailed planning and operational readiness, including:
- Refuelling all diesel forklifts.
- Inspecting electric forklifts to ensure they are fully charged and ready for operation.
- Fitting baggage mother cages to telehandler forklifts in preparation for baggage discharge.
- Positioning passenger baggage and ship’s stores platforms on the quayside, ready for installation where required.
- Inspecting and preparing all necessary lifting equipment in the storage shed.
- Preparing lifejackets ahead of the vessel’s arrival and mooring.
- Reviewing the ship’s lay-on sheets to identify any special requirements or unusual activities, ensuring they are covered during the team briefing.
Our work doesn’t stop when the ships sail. Every successful turnaround is the result of months of planning, continuous training, investment in our people, equipment and health and safety, and meticulous preparation behind the scenes. It’s this commitment that allows us to deliver safe, efficient and reliable operations, no matter how busy the cruise season becomes.