SOUTHAMPTON FREIGHT SERVICES LTD

Delivering on time for the Titanic Memorial Cruise

Our Cruise & Marine Logistic Network partner, Blue Water Shipping (BWS) in Fort Lauderdale, requested urgent assistance for a very important shipment arriving into Southampton for a special one off Titanic Memorial Cruise.

The products supplied for the cruise by C&H International AS in Norway were gifts/give-aways for the guests. E.g. Travel journals (note books –pictured right) and hotel slippers.

Carl Jorgen Helberg, General Manager of C&H explains;

“C&H International AS is supplying hotel amenities and gifts to cruise ships world wide. These products are specially made for the Titanic memorial cruise with their logo. The products are produced in China, and shipped by ocean to Southampton.

Due to the logo, the merchandise can not be sold to other customers, therefore it was extremely important to reach the deadline of April 8^th. The Titanic memorial cruise is a one-time cruise.

C&H International AS is a Norwegian company, without any UK office. It was therefore very important to us to be served by both BWS and Southampton Freight Services because the communication and updating from both companies has been very good. We are very thankful to all involved in both companies. The schedule was very tight, and you reached it! “

The deadline was indeed a tight one. Whilst part of the shipment arrived into London in relative good time to customs clear and transfer to our warehouse, the remainder of the goods arrived into Southampton on Monday 2nd April as LCL cargo (consolidated), which meant it had to be devanned (broken down from the container) and customs cleared before delivery could be executed. The Memorial Cruise was leaving port on Easter Sunday, 8th April, and therefore the UK was shutting down for the long weekend on Thursday 5th April!

We had just four days to work with so our import department used their expertise, charm and powers of persuasion to have the container discharged from the vessel and transferred as quickly as possible to the consolidator for unloading. They expressed the urgency to the consolidator, explaining that the shipment was desperately important, particularly in light of our city’s historical connection with the world famous RMS Titanic, and their assistance unpacking the container quickly would be greatly appreciated.

The hard work and pressure paid off and subsequently the items were delivered to the                                          port agent on Wednesday 4th April !! We were delighted to be a small yet important part of this operation and we hope the passengers on-board the Titanic Memorial Cruise thoroughly enjoyed the event.

The cruise itself sailed from Southampton Port to New York, visiting en route Cobh in Ireland, sailing onto the coordinates of the sinking of Titanic and penultimately Halifax (Nova Scotia) before turning around in New York and returning to Southampton. The cruise vessel is the Balmoral, operated by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines.

You can view the BBC News Titanic 100 mini site here with interesting features, analysis and coverage of the memorial cruise.