First cruise from Southampton: questions and answers

These are the questions people ask before a first cruise from Southampton, answered from the lines' own pages. The answer often depends on the line, and more than first-timers expect: a P&O cruise runs in pounds with tips covered, while a Cunard or Princess cruise from the same port runs in US dollars with a daily charge on top. Every price below was checked on 1 November 2026. We are an independent site, not a cruise line or a travel agent.

What time should I arrive at the cruise terminal in Southampton?

Arrive at the time on your boarding pass and no earlier. Most lines we checked use arrival slots, and coming early can mean waiting outside. P&O says it may ask you to leave the terminal area and come back at your time.

Line	What it says about arrival
P&O Cruises	Arrive at the allocated time on your boarding pass, set by cabin section and Peninsular Club tier. A party with different times can all come at the later one
Cunard	Arrive at the time on your boarding pass. Embarkation usually runs from about midday to about 4.30pm
Fred. Olsen	One-hour check-in slots, and no arriving before yours. Freedom Fare guests can see theirs at least 12 weeks ahead, Saver Fare guests about 3 weeks ahead
Princess	Arrive within your assigned check-in window
Royal Caribbean	Arrive in the slot you chose in the app. Be checked in and on board at least 90 minutes before the port closes for boarding
Celebrity	Be checked in and on board at least 90 minutes before the published sailing time
Norwegian	Arrive at least 1 hour before your embarkation time if you checked in online, or 2 hours if you did not. Be on board 1 hour before departure

Which terminal do I go to in Southampton?

Go to the terminal on your boarding documents, because Southampton has five and the same ship can use different ones. Between November 2026 and March 2027, ABP's schedule has Aurora at berths 106 and 102 and Queen Victoria at 106, 46 and 38/39.

ABP calls that schedule strictly provisional, so a ship's last berth tells you little about its next one. Fred. Olsen tells guests their terminal comes with their cruise tickets. You can see the berth for your date on the calendar, which runs through 31 March 2027, and our terminal guide has each address.

Do I need a passport for my first cruise?

Almost certainly, even on a cruise round the British Isles. P&O and Cunard ask for one on every sailing, and the passport rules vary by line and itinerary. Our cruise documents guide has the table by itinerary and what each line asks for, including the 3-month and 6-month rules.

What happens to my luggage at the terminal?

You label each bag at home, hand it over at the terminal and next see it at your cabin. Bags travel separately from you, so keep your passport, medicines and anything you need that afternoon in your hand luggage.

Line	Limit from Southampton or UK ports	At the terminal
P&O Cruises	No limit on the number of bags, but each case under 23kg and everything must fit in your cabin	Leave labelled cases at the bag drops outside the terminal, then go to check-in
Cunard	No limit on the number of bags, each case under 23kg	Porters take labelled bags, which are scanned and loaded
Fred. Olsen	90kg of luggage from UK ports	Porters collect bags at the drop-off area. Carry suit and dress carriers as hand luggage

When do I check in online?

As soon as your line opens it, because that is usually when you get your boarding pass and luggage labels. P&O and Cunard both open online check-in 21 days before you sail, and both want you to print the pass and labels yourself.

Fred. Olsen posts luggage labels about two weeks before sailing. Princess lets you print tags from 75 days before sailing once your booking is paid in full. Cunard also wants a registration form for anyone under 18, from 14 days before embarkation.

How much does a cruise from Southampton really cost beyond the fare?

Budget for gratuities, drinks, excursions and getting to the port. At the rates published on 1 November 2026, gratuities alone come to between US$224 and US$280 for two people over seven days on the lines that add them. P&O, Fred. Olsen and MSC include them on UK bookings.

Line	Daily gratuity per person, checked 1 November 2026	Two people, 7 days, lowest rate, our arithmetic
P&O Cruises	None expected, see the tipping answer below	None
Fred. Olsen	Included in the fare	None
MSC	Included in the fare on its UK site	None
Disney	US$16 a night recommended	US$224
Cunard	US$18 Britannia and Britannia Club, US$19 Grills	US$252
Princess	US$18, US$19 mini-suites, US$20 suites	US$252
Royal Caribbean	US$18.50, US$21 suites	US$259
Celebrity	US$19.50, US$20.50 Concierge and AquaClass, US$24.50 The Retreat	US$273
Norwegian	US$20, US$25 The Haven and suites	US$280

Cunard's UK site quotes its charge in US dollars too.

Drinks packages are the next big line. P&O's start from £49 a person a day, checked 1 November 2026, so seven days at that rate comes to £343 a person, which is our arithmetic. Cunard sells Signature Packages, and its Premium upgrade adds £10 a person a day. Fred. Olsen's Freedom Fare includes selected house beer and wine by the glass with lunch and dinner, and its Premium Drinks Package costs extra. Prices change, so check your own line's page.

Excursions cost extra as well. P&O and Fred. Olsen both list them as extras, and we quote no typical figure because each one is priced by port. Fred. Olsen runs a free shuttle when a port is more than a mile from the ship. Its Colours & Tastes speciality dining is £20 a person booked ahead or £25 on board, checked 1 November 2026, rising to £25 and £30 for cruises booked after 5 January 2027.

The fares on this site are starting fares in US dollars for North American buyers, read 2 November 2026. British buyers should check the line or a UK travel agent. P&O and Fred. Olsen fares are not on this site. Then add the cost of parking, the train or coach and any hotel the night before.

Do you tip on P&O Cruises?

No. P&O's tipping page says gratuities are included in the price of your holiday and tipping is never required, which is the main difference from the US-style lines. Those lines add a daily amount to your onboard account automatically unless you change it.

On the US-style lines you can usually change the daily charge. Royal Caribbean and Celebrity call gratuities optional and let you change or remove them at Guest Relations until the morning you leave the ship. Princess calls its amount adjustable.

Some purchases carry their own gratuity. Royal Caribbean adds 18% on drinks and specialty dining and 20% on spa services, and Celebrity adds 20% on the same kinds of purchase. On Fred. Olsen, where tips are in the fare, any extra is your choice, in person or through your onboard account.

What currency is used on board ships from Southampton?

It depends on the line, and sailing from England does not make it pounds. P&O and Fred. Olsen run in sterling. Cunard, Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian run in US dollars.

Line	Onboard currency, on its own pages
P&O Cruises	Pounds sterling, cash free, with no foreign exchange on board
Fred. Olsen	Sterling
Cunard	US dollars on all its ships
Princess	US dollars unless noted
Royal Caribbean	US dollars
Celebrity	US dollars
Norwegian	US dollars on all its ships

Cunard is the one to watch. Its UK fares are in pounds and its ships sail from here, yet its onboard account is in dollars. Celebrity warns that your card provider may add a foreign exchange fee, so check yours before a dollar sailing. Disney's UK pages quote gratuities in US dollars and do not name an onboard currency for Southampton sailings.

Do I need a plug adaptor on a cruise ship?

Not on P&O or Cunard for UK plugs. P&O has UK three-pin sockets on all its ships, and Cunard uses both UK 3-pin and US 2-pin sockets. Princess, Fred. Olsen and Norwegian are different, so check before you pack.

• P&O Cruises. UK three-pin sockets on all ships. Britannia's shaver socket is the US two-pin type.
• Cunard. UK 3-pin and US 2-pin sockets, with USB sockets only on Queen Anne.
• Fred. Olsen. Round 2-pin continental sockets, 220V and 60Hz, on all ships. One FAQ says Bolette and Borealis also have a UK 3-pin socket, and another names only Bolette. A limited number of adaptors can be hired from Guest Services.
• Princess. 110-volt, 60-cycle current with standard US plug fittings.
• Norwegian. Standard 110-volt outlets, and its UK page also gives 220V. Some high-voltage hair dryers, rollers and razors may need a converter.
• Celebrity. Dual-voltage 110/220 outlets. It says to check your appliances and pack a travel adaptor.

We found no published socket type for MSC, Royal Caribbean or Disney. MSC's arrival times, luggage limits, onboard currency and age rules were not on any page we could open, so check those in your booking documents.

Leave the extension lead at home. Fred. Olsen bans multi-plug devices, including extension leads, cube adaptors and surge protectors. Royal Caribbean bans extension cords and power boards, and Cunard bans surge-protected extension leads. Fred. Olsen accepts single adaptors with a UKCA or CE mark, and P&O says adaptors must have the CE mark.

How rough is the Bay of Biscay in winter?

It can be very rough, though we found no official source that gives the odds for a winter crossing. The Admiralty's Bay of Biscay Pilot, quoted by the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch, says the bay is "well known for its extremely rough seas".

One ship's voyage plan in that report put the leg from Cape Finisterre to Ushant at about 390 nautical miles, or just over 24 hours at 16 knots. As a rough guide, that is about a day each way on a sailing to northern Spain or beyond.

That report, published in March 2026, is about a cruise ship caught in a storm in November 2023, so it does not describe a normal crossing.

The Met Office issues a shipping forecast four times a day that includes sea area Biscay, so you can see the outlook before you sail. Our cruise documents guide covers why insurance matters on a ship.

Can children sail, and what are the age limits?

Most lines take babies from 6 months, and many raise that to 12 months on long crossings. Fred. Olsen's minimum is 12 months on two of its three ships, and its third ship, Borealis, is adults only. P&O's Arcadia and Aurora have mostly been 18 and over too.

Line	Youngest who can sail	Other rules
P&O Cruises	6 months, or 12 months on certain cruises	Most Arcadia and Aurora cruises are for over-18s. From December 2026, selected holidays on both ships are open to all ages
Cunard	6 months, with 12 months on certain voyages	Under-18s must travel with someone aged 18 or over
Fred. Olsen	12 months, on Bolette and Balmoral only	Borealis is adults only. The Little Skippers children's programme has ended
Princess	6 months, or 12 months on transatlantic and remote itineraries	Under-21s must share a cabin with someone aged 21 or over. Youth programmes start at age 3
Royal Caribbean	6 months, or 12 months on transatlantic cruises and any with 3 or more sea days in a row	Those who do not meet the rule are refused boarding
Celebrity	6 months, or 12 months on the same kinds of cruise as Royal Caribbean
Norwegian	6 months, or 12 months with 3 or more sea days in a row
Disney	6 months on most itineraries	Oceaneer Club is for ages 3 to 10

Count the sea days on your itinerary if you have a baby. The 3-day rule on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Norwegian can catch a cruise that is not a transatlantic.

How do I get to Southampton for a cruise?

By car, train or coach from within Britain, or by air from further away. Our guides cover cruise parking, the train and coach and airports. Fred. Olsen tells its guests to book ABP parking at least 48 hours ahead to guarantee the rate.

If you have not picked a sailing yet, the schedule lists cruises with fares and the calendar shows every ship, including P&O and Fred. Olsen.