A CRUISE ship firm is adding new sailings from Poole Harbour saying demand in the south for maritime holidays abroad is growing.

With the new sailings, Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) will have a total of 10 from both Poole and Portsmouth using its 550 passenger ship Astoria from summer 2018.

Those from Poole’s new cruise berth include a three night weekend cruise to Rouen in France in August 2018 beginning with the Bournemouth Air Festival and continuing up the River Seine, and a 12 night cruise around the British Isles visiting 10 ports in September.

Poole Harbour Commissioners chief executive Jim Stewart welcomed the news, saying: “We look forward to working closely with CMV and are confident that Poole will become a key cruise port for the company going forwards.”

“Poole Harbour is the largest natural harbour in Europe and is widely recognised for its spectacular natural beauty and the wide range of exciting tourism sites including the World Heritage Jurassic Coast, historic castles, stately homes and beautiful villages and towns close to the harbour.”

The cruise firm is also laying on the Pullman Express Coach Service with 30 pick up points across Dorset Hampshire and Sussex, as well as London Victoria Station.

The ship will also be taking passengers from Portsmouth to Norway, the Baltic and St Petersburg, and on a European rivers and canals cruise.

PHC recently appointed BAM Nuttall Ltd as contractor on a £10 million project to build a 200m long deep water quay for container freight.

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