Southampton, England
Southampton has one of the largest ports in the UK and is one of the main embarkation ports for cruise ships in the UK and northern Europe. Cruise destinations from Southampton include cruises to Northern Europe and the Baltics; Portugal, Spain & Canary Islands, Mediterranean , the Caribbean, Transatlantic, South America and round the world cruises. It is an ideal location to embark for UK travellers on convenient no fly cruises as well as visitors from all around the world who wish to visit the iconic and historical sites in the UK before taking a cruise.
Southampton Cruise Port
Southampton has five cruise terminals so it's best to check with your cruise line before you arrive. (Mayflower Terminal, City Cruise Terminal, Ocean Cruise Terminal, QEII Cruise Terminal and Horizon Cruise Terminal).
Southampton train and coach stations are a short distance away, although distance varies depending on the exact cruise terminal. Horizon Terminal is the closest and approximately 1 mile away from the bus and train stations and the QE2 is the furthest and around 2 - 2.5 miles away.
Certain cruise lines also offer free coach transfers within the UK as part of their package. There are also companies who offer cruise transfers from around the UK. National Express also have direct routes from different locations in the UK such as London, Birmingham and Oxford.
If travelling from outside of the UK, London Heathrow is 15 miles west of Central London and around 75 miles away from Southampton cruise port.
London Gatwick is 27 miles south of Central London and around 80 miles away from Southampton.
London Heathrow can be reached direct through most of the major airlines and countries throughout the world.
London Gatwick is also served by some of the major airlines as well as some low cost airlines operating in Europe such as Easy Jet, Ryanair, Vueling and Wizz Air.
Other airports that are close to London are London City, London Luton and London Stansted.
How to get there
Southampton is ideal for UK travellers wishing to take a no fly cruise with various travel options.
Car - Southampton is located on the south coast of England and the cruise can be reached by the route that takes you onto the M27, M271 and then the A33 which leads to the cruise terminals through either Dock Gate 10 (Mayflower, Horizon and City Cruise Terminals) or Dock Gate 4 (Ocean and QEII Cruise Terminals).
ABParking is an official parking provider at Southampton Cruise Port and provides parking for the cruise lines of Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Fred Olsen, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line.
Holiday Extras are another company that provides parking packages as well as hotel stay and park packages (some of the packages include the taxi transfer to and from the cruise terminal).
Train - Southampton train station is located a short distance from Dock Gate 10, and is also well situated for Dock Gate 4. All terminals are around 1 to 2 miles from the train station. There is a taxi rank at the train station and travel time is around 5 to 15 minutes to the cruise termnals depending on traffic. Train services are available from all over the UK.
Coach - The are coach transfer companies within the UK who work with the cruise lines on tranfers.
- Coach Connect provides transfers for Cunard Line, P&O Cruies and Princess Cruises with pick up points country wide. The coast depends on the pick up location.
- Eavesway provide coach transfers for Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Fred Olsen Cruises, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and MSC Cruises. Pick up points are mostly from the North West and Yorkshire through to the midlands.
The two above would provide transfers direct to the cruise terminal and the cost may be included in your cruise package.
- National Express - Coach transfers are available from cities and airports around the UK with direct or indirect services to Southampton Coach Station.
Megabus - This is another option for travel to Southampton with calls at stations throughout the UK.
It is best to check on the websites of National Express and Megabus for the travel options. Southampton Coach Station is also located close to the cruise terminals with a taxi rank outside. The travel time should 10 to 15 minutes depending on traffic.
If travelling through public transport, then it would probably be a good idea to travel to Southampton the day before in case of any delays and to avoid any unwanted stress the day of embarkation.
Airports -
Southampton airport caters for some internal UK flights and short haul flights from EU countries.
- Aer Lingus from Belfast City and Dublin
- Logan Air from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, & Newcastle.
- Easy Jet from Belfast & Glasgow
Transport options to get to the port from Southampton airport include:
- Train - Southampton Airport Parkway to Southampton Central Station takes around 10 minutes
- Bus - U1C service runs from the airport to the city centre and waterfront with the U1A service running in the opposite direction.
- Taxi/Uber - Takes around 20 to 30 minutes to get to the port depending on traffic.
London Heathrow Airport
If travelling internationally, then you will most likely to arrive into London Heathrow Airport that has flights from the leading global airlines from all over the world.
- National Express
- From the Heathrow bus station at terminals 2 & 3. Travel time is around 2 hours 15 minutes.
- Take the bus from Victoria Coach Station if you are staying in London. The travel time is approximately 2 hours 20 minutes.
- Train
- From London Heathrow Terminals 2 & 3 Train Station to Southampton Central which can take around 2 hours.
- From London Paddington or London Victoria the journey takes approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours
- From London Waterloo, the journey can take between 1 hour 15 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Taxis/Uber
- Taxi from Heathrow can cost around £200 for a one way journey to Southampton
- Ride share option such as Uber from Heathrow can cost around £100 for a one way journey Southampton
Gatwick Airport
- National Express
- Transit time from London Gatwick to Southampton Cruise Terminal can range from 4 to 5 hours.
- Train
- The train from London Gatwick to Southampton Central will take around 2 hours.
- Taxis/Uber
- Taxi service from Gatwick airport to Southampton Cruise Port can cost over £200 for a one way journey.
- Ride share option such as Uber from Heathrow can cost £110 upwards for a one way journey Southampton
Where to Stay
There are numerous options for staying in Southampton before or after your cruise with some offering sleep/park/cruise options.
There are a number of hotel chains around Southampton Cruise Port, as well as some that are located just outside of Southampton.
IHG Hotels & Resorts (Holiday Inn & Holiday Inn Express)
- Holiday Inn (Southampton) is close to the port as well as both the train and coach stations. Cruise packages are available which includes a stay and parking for 10 or 15 days. There is also a taxi transfer available to the cruise terminal before and after your cruise.
- Holiday Inn Express (Southampton West) is around 5 miles from the port and situated on the M271. It is around a 15 to 20 minute journey.
- Holiday Inn Express, Southampton Junction 7 is around 5 to 6 miles away from the port. The hotel also has cruise packages available for 4, 8 and 15 nights.
Hilton Hotels (Doubletree & Hilton)
- The Doubletree by Hilton Hotel is close to the M3/M27 to the north of Southampton and is around 20 to 30 minutes away from the port. There are cruise packages available for a one night stay and park for 15 days which includes breakfast
- The Hilton Southampton Utilita Bowl hotel is located on the M27 to the east of Southampton and is around 30 to 40 minutes away depending on traffic. There are also cruise packages available for a one night stay with parking for 8 or 15 days.
Accor Hotels (Novotel & Ibis)
- Novotel Southampton is close to Dock Gate 10 as well as the train and coach stations. Cruise packages are available for a hotel stay and parking for 4, 8 and 15 days. Some packages may include breakfast and a free taxi to the cruise terminal.
- Ibis Southampton Centre & Ibis Budget is located next to Novotel. A cruise package is available for 8 or 15 nights with a hotel stay and parking.
Signing up and becoming a member on IHG Hotels & Resorts, Hilton and Accor Hotels can help with member rates which provide a discount.
Other hotels
- There are 3 Premier Inn Hotels located around Southampton City Centre, although none have on site parking, so parking will be offsite. These could be good options if you are travelling the day before and arriving at the train or coach station.
- Premier Inn Southampton North is located close to the M3, M27 and M271 motorway. This hotel does have car parking overnight and is around 15 to 25 minutes away from the port depending on traffic.
- Moxy Hotel - The hotel is part of Marriott International and is four star hotel located around 10 minutes away from the cruise terminals. The hotel was built in 2020 and has 208 rooms on 7 floors. There is no parking at this hotel.
- Leonardo Royal Hotel - four star hotel located around 10 minutes away from the cruise terminals.
- Ennios Boutique Hotel - Adult only five star hotel that is around 5 to 10 minutes away from all cruise terminals.
- Harbour Hotel & Spa Southampton is a five star hotel located in Southampton Marina and 10 minutes away from the cruise terminals.
What to do
Southampton city centre is within walking distance of the port, train station, coach station and some of the hotels that offer a stay/park/cruise package.
Some of the attractions in Southampton are:
- Southampton Castle
- Constructed in the 11th century after the Norman conquest of England.
- Southampton Old City Walls
- A 1.25 mile perimeter which has 13 towers remaining and 6 city gates.
- St Mary's Church
- Located on Castle Way and was built in the 11th Century.
- Tudor House and Garden
- The most historical building in Southampton and built in the 15th century. The restored home is now a museum with items on display belonging to past residents of Southampton.
- Sea City Museum
- Museum dedicated to the tradegy of the Titanic which features a 1:25 scale model of the ship. You can learn about life on board the ship and how the tradegy effected the local people of Southampton.
- There are also exhibits showing the history of SOuthampton from the Romans through to World War 2.
- Southampton Art Gallery
- Free to enter and was opened in 1939. Exhibits included sculptures, photography and traditional paintings.
- Mayflower Theatre
- Opened in 1928, its the largest theatre on the South coast and shows include musicals, ballet and dramas.
- Solent Sky Museum
- Shows the history of the RAF and is home to 20 aircraft from World War 2.
- Self Guided Walks
- Include the Titanic Trail, QEII Trail and the City Walls walk.
- West Quay Shopping Centre
- Located close to the city centre and has over 100 shops including dinning options.
- Bedford Place
- Cafe's, restauarnts, bars and shopping and located to the north side of East Park.
- Oxford Street
- Cafe's, restauarnts, bars and shopping and located close to Dock Gate 4.
- Ocean Village Marina
- Located close to the Ocean and QEII cruise terminals, the marina is surrounded by shops, bars, restaurants as well as a cinema. It also contains a £50m luxury spa hotel complex.
Popular cruise ships sailing from Southampton
There are multiple choices when cruising from Southampton with a variety of itineraries, cruise lines and cruise ships. Below are the the most popular cruise lines and ships that sail from Southampton on return and one way itineraries.
Cunard Line
- Queen Mary 2
- Current embarkations from Southampton through to January 2026 on a range of itineraries that include Transatlantic crossings to New York, and cruises taking in Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Mediterranean & Western Europe, Canary Islands as well as Canada and New England.
- In January 2026, she will be sailing a 108 night westwards round the world sailing.
- She will be back in Southampton from April 2026 on Transatlantic sailings to New York and round trip sailings to the Caribbean, Northern Europe & Western Europe and Canada & New England.
- Queen Anne
- Cunard's new ship will make her maiden voyage in May 2024 with a Western Mediterranean sailing. Embarkations in Southampton are available through to January 2025 to destinations that include Northern Europe, Western Europe, Canary Islands and the Mediterranean.
- In January 2025, Queen Anne will depart Southampton on her maiden round the world voyage sailing westwards for 107 nights.
- From April 2025, she will be back in Southampton with voyages to Northern Europe, Western Europe, Mediterranean and the Canary Islands through to December 2025, before she departs on her second round the world voyage in January 2026.
- From April 2026, she will again be sailing out of Southampton to Northern Europe, Western Europe, Mediterranean and the Canary Islands through to December 2026.
- Queen Victoria
P&O Cruises
- Arvia
- Iona
- Britannia
- Ventura
- Arcadia
- Auroa
MSC Cruises
- Virtuosa
- Preziosa
Princess Cruises
- Sky Princess
- Regal Princess
- Emerald Princess
- Caribbean Princess
- Island Princess
- Sun Princess
Norwegian Cruise Line
- Norwegian Prima
- Norwegian Dawn
- Norwegian Star
- Norwegian Getaway
- Norwegian Pearl
- Norweigian Aqua
- Norwegian Bliss
- Norwegian Encore
Royal Caribbean
- Independence of the Seas
- Anthem of the Seas
- Serenade of the Seas
- Brilliance of the Seas
Celebrity Cruises
- Celebrity Apex
Disney Cruise Line
- Disney Dream
- Disney Getaway
P&O Iona
P&O Iona sails out of Southampton all year round where you can cruise to the following destinations
- Canary Islands, Atlantic Coast of Spain, France & Portugal
- 2025 - March; September to December
- 2026 - February to May, August and October to December
- 2027 - February and March
- Caribbean
- 2026 - January
- 2027 - January
- Northern Europe & Baltic
- 2025 - November
- 2026 - February, March & October
- 2027 - February & March
- Norway & Iceland
- 2025 - April to September
- 2026 - April to September
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