Resilient Lady's summer season in Portsmouth draws to a close

The first anniversary of PIP’s carbon-neutral terminal extension took place in August. The terminal allows the port to manage thousands of passengers alongside regular ferry sailings, and has been put to good use with 2024 set to be the busiest yet for cruise calls in Portsmouth.

Virgin Voyages

Portsmouth has become the first port in the world to welcome all three Virgin Voyages ships since the line burst onto the scene in 2021. Each call generates an estimated £1.5m for the city from passenger spend. This goes back into council services and boosting local tourism. 

‘Every cruise call to the port is highly valued and a great boost to the city,’ said Cllr Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council. ‘I know a lot of our residents have been lucky enough to enjoy Resilient Lady's voyages from Portsmouth to Europe this summer, and her sailings are always an impressive sight in the harbour.’ 

He added, ‘We've been investing in the port over the last few years and the strong relationship we have built with international cruise brands is bringing regular business into the city.’ 

Back in 2025

Next August will see the return of Virgin Voyages’ first ship Scarlet Lady to Portsmouth. Pitt stated, ‘We are proud that Virgin Voyages see Portsmouth as their home and look forward to welcoming them back in the future and providing shore side electrical power to plug in their ships when they return in 2025...’