Daily Echo:

Carnival UK's offices in West Quay Road

One of Southampton's largest employers has pledged its faith in the city.

Cruise company Carnival UK, owner of P&O and Cunard, has extended the lease on its offices in West Quay Road until 2038.

There had been speculation that the company might relocate to Liverpool, the former home Cunard, which has been trying to raise its profile as an embarkation port

Carnival House, owned by Aviva Investors’ Lime Property Fund, is home to more than 1,200 employees, the majority of whom are from the Hampshire area.

Daily Echo:

Cunard Queen Elizabeth

Carnival UK president Josh Weinstein said “I am delighted that Carnival House will remain our base for the next two decades..

“With a fleet of ten ships, the majority of which home port in Southampton throughout the year and three new ships on order to arrive by 2022 we continue to invest in the city, the port and its infrastructure to secure our long term future.

“It is very important to us that the majority of our workforce are from the local area and that we, our staff and their families feel part of the local community.

Daily Echo:

P&O cruise ship Britannia

“Each time a ship comes into Southampton it brings £2 million to the area and we have around 180 turnarounds next year. Also, local provenance is a high priority and we use many Hampshire and Dorset suppliers of quality food products and services across our ships.

“Our association with Southampton is a vital one and I am delighted that we have secured our place here for such an extended amount of time.

"How fitting that even this process was Southampton-focussed, as we partnered with two local companies to achieve this extension to our lease. I would like to thank Tim Burbidge and Stephen Baker from Womble Bond Dickinson and also David Ferriman from Realest who worked hard on our behalf.”