"It’s cyclical": Portsmouth port director unconcerned by falling 2026 cruise calls after "fruitful" 2025
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Luxury cruise ships will be sailing to Portsmouth less often this year after record numbers - but the port director is unconcerned by the short term fall.
Portsmouth International Port announced its 2026 cruise schedule this year, with dozens of luxury vessels visiting. Despite the continued push for growth, the number of calls has fallen from 94 last year to 77 this year.
The ambition is for over 100 cruise ships to visit Portsmouth each year. Mike Sellers, port director, said a jampacked 2027 will offset a quieter 2026.
He told The News: “We’re still building that reputation for being the port of choice when it comes to boutique expedition cruising, and tourist calls. We’re starting to see the build up of interest from multiple cruise liners.
“It’s a cyclical business. Cruise liners pick their choice of itinerary a good two years in advance. We’ve been building our reputation ahead of that. Some of them haven’t been able to bring Portsmouth into that itinerary as quickly as we would have liked.
“Once we get past 2026 and into 2027, our initial target of exceeding 100 will happen. We will have over 100 cruise calls in 2027.”
What is the impact of the cruise industry in Portsmouth?
Each cruise call generates £1.5m in port fees and tourism spending. With the port being owned by Portsmouth City Council, profits from the site are invested back into public services.
When asked if the fall in cruise calls was a concern, Mr Sellers said: “Not at all. That does happen in the cruise industry. We’re still new to this and only five years in. You’re only as good as that last cruise call. We’ve got great teams here, excellent service, and we’re starting to get that reputation.
“From that, the requests for more calls will happen, and we’re seeing that for 2027. It’s still strong with 77 calls, and we’ll be over 100 by 2027. I’m confident we’ll see the trajectory continue to grow. We want to get to 150 cruise calls within this decade.”
Multiple brands have committed to the city this year including Ambassador, Virgin Voyages, Saga, Viking, Fred Olsen, AIDA, Phoenix Reisen, and others. Major developments took place at the port last year, with the installation of shore power reaching its conclusion.
Mr Sellers said there is no extra pressure on the port for continued growth, despite it being one of the local authority’s largest income sources. “If we invest in the port, the council expects to see that return on investment,” he said.
“The council are starting to see the benefits from that. In this year alone, £10.8m of the profits that came into the port have gone into the council’s budgets. They’ll use that for essential services.”
Even with the fall in cruise calls, it’s expected to be a busy year for the port. An open day is planned for the public on June 13, and the site will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, and commemorating the 50th year of sailings to France.
Mr Sellers said 2025 was a “challenging yet fruitful year”. He added: “With the number of passengers that come through the port from France, Spain, and the Channel Islands, we want to celebrate that. People will be able to come and see what we do, the investment we’re putting in and our plans for the future.
“We want to mark the occasion of the first sailing itself. All of it is down to the long term strategy from Portsmouth City Council, and it's now seeing that return on investment to the public.”