Giant Ship In Southampton

The biggest container ship in the world is visiting Southampton for an overnight stay.

The Marco Polo is here to deliver goods and cargo destined for UK businesses and shops, with many gifts, just in time for Christmas.

Measuring 54m wide and 396m long, she is 51m larger than Queen Mary 2, the superliner regular at Southampton and nearly 100 times bigger than your average car. A UK registered vessel, the Marco Polo has a capacity for 16,000 containers.

She is berthing at the city's container terminal which is operated by DP World Southampton, at approximately 9.00am on Sunday 9 December and will depart from 3pm on Monday 10 December.

It is the first time the ship has visited Southampton and is her only UK port of call on this voyage.

The public will be able to see her from a number of vantage points during her visit.

This is the schedule for Sunday:

0500 - Arrival

0530 - Pilot boarding

0615 - NAB Tower

0630 - Stokes Bay

0640 - Cowes (Prince Consort buoy) on the Isle of Wight.  She turns here.

0700 - Lepe Beach

0730 - Calshot / Hill Head

0745 - Weston Shore   (Day light)

0815 - Dock head /  Mayflower Park / Hythe

0825 - Marchwood

0900 - Port swinging ground opposite Marchwood Admiralty Quay / Eling Wharf

Berthed alongside starboard side to quay (bow facing up river towards Totton)