Guides
Getting to the ship in Southampton
The schedule tells you when to sail. These guides cover the rest: which of the two terminals you need, parking, the three airports, hotels the night before, the documents to bring and where each route goes. Each one lists its sources and the date we last checked them.
Southampton cruise terminals: which one your ship uses and how to get there
Southampton has five cruise terminals. Queen Elizabeth II and Ocean are in the Eastern Docks through Dock Gate 4, and City, Horizon and Mayflower are in the Western Docks, about 1.3 miles away by road. Ships change terminal, so go by your boarding pass or cruise ticket, not by where your line usually docks.
Updated 2026-11-01
Southampton cruise parking: who runs it, what it costs and how to book
Your cruise line decides who parks you inside the port. CPS runs valet parking for P&O Cruises, Cunard and Princess, at £9.50 to £20 a day on P&O's page, checked 1 November 2026, and ABParking runs the port's car parks for most other lines. Outside the port, Southampton Park and Cruise published £99 for 7 days, shuttle included, on the same date.
Updated 2026-11-01
Hotels near the Southampton cruise port
The closest hotels depend on your dock. voco Southampton, Novotel and the two ibis hotels are a 10-minute walk from the Horizon terminal in the Western Docks. The White Star Tavern and Second Nature are 9 minutes from the Ocean Terminal in the Eastern Docks. All times were measured on OpenStreetMap on 1 November 2026.
Updated 2026-11-01
Southampton park and cruise hotels compared
Chilworth Manor and New Place include up to 14 days' free parking with transfers to the terminal. Hilton Southampton Utilita Bowl and Leonardo Royal sell packages of up to 21 nights or days. Read what each includes before you book, because several don't include a transfer both ways. Details are from each hotel's own site, read 1 November 2026.
Updated 2026-11-01
Southampton Airport hotels for a cruise
If you land at Southampton Airport the night before you sail, a hotel by the airport works, but a hotel in the city puts you closer to the ship. The four here are a 17 to 28 minute drive from the terminals without traffic, measured on OpenStreetMap on 1 November 2026.
Updated 2026-11-01
From Heathrow, Gatwick and Southampton Airport to the cruise terminals
The nearest airports with flights from North America are Heathrow and Gatwick, because Southampton Airport is short-haul only. Heathrow is about 65 to 70 miles from the terminals, about 1 hour 25 minutes by road on ABP's figure. On 1 November 2026 a fixed-fare saloon from Heathrow was £150 for the car, or the coach was from £15.49 a person plus a short taxi.
Updated 2026-11-01
Southampton cruise port by train and coach, and the last mile to your terminal
Take the train to Southampton Central, then a short taxi. Fast trains from London Waterloo take about 1 hour 15 minutes, and no public bus or train reaches a terminal door. From the Midlands and the North, cruise coaches go straight to the ship for £83 to £150 return a person on 2026 prices, checked 1 November 2026.
Updated 2026-11-01
No-fly cruises from the UK: which lines sail from Southampton
A no-fly cruise starts and ends at a UK port, so you reach the ship by car, train or coach. Southampton is the main departure port, with over three million cruise passengers in 2025 on ABP's figures. P&O, Fred. Olsen, Cunard, Princess, MSC, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian and Disney all sail from there.
Updated 2026-11-01
Norway cruises from Southampton: how long they take and what each length reaches
A 7-night Norway cruise from Southampton reaches the fjords between Stavanger and Alesund, with one sea day each way. The Arctic Circle takes at least 12 nights, and the North Cape or Iceland usually 14. Fares for 7 nights started at US$839 per person on 2 November 2026.
Updated 2026-11-01
Mediterranean cruises from Southampton: why they take two weeks and what you see
A Mediterranean cruise from Southampton usually takes 14 nights, because the first Mediterranean port comes on day 6 and the trip home takes four or five days. That leaves five to seven sea days and usually four or five days in Mediterranean ports. Fares for 14 nights started at US$1,249 per person on 2 November 2026.
Updated 2026-11-01
Transatlantic cruises from Southampton: Queen Mary 2 crossings and the other routes
Queen Mary 2 sails from Southampton to New York in 7 nights with no stops, and our schedule lists 20 direct crossings. They are one-way, so you fly home or book the 14-night round trip, which spends one day in New York. Fares ran from US$399 to US$1,839 per person on 2 November 2026.
Updated 2026-11-01
Southampton cruise season: what sails each month
Southampton has cruises all year. Norway and the Baltic run mainly from May to September, the Mediterranean is busiest in May and September, and winter brings short Northern Europe trips, the Canaries and long voyages leaving in January. Our schedule lists 718 sailings, with fares from US$129 per person on 2 November 2026.
Updated 2026-11-01
First cruise from Southampton: questions and answers
Arrive in the slot on your boarding pass, not before it. P&O and Fred. Olsen charge in sterling on Southampton sailings, while Cunard, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian charge in US dollars. Those five add a daily gratuity from US$18 a person, checked 1 November 2026.
Updated 2026-11-01
Cruise documents from Southampton: passport, EES, ETIAS, ESTA and the UK ETA
British citizens need a passport on almost every cruise from Southampton, and it should have 6 months left after they get home, because several lines ask for that. On 1 November 2026, EES does not usually apply to a round trip from a UK port and ETIAS is not running yet. North Americans flying in need a UK ETA, which costs £20.
Updated 2026-11-01
