Thinking about booking a cruise from Southampton? For many UK travellers, it’s one of the easiest ways to start a holiday.
You can drive to the port, hand over your luggage and walk straight onto your ship — no airport security, no flight and no airport transfers.
Southampton has cruises throughout the year to destinations across Europe, the Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Caribbean and beyond.
Here’s everything you need to know about cruising from Southampton.
Why Cruise From Southampton?
The biggest advantage is simple: you don’t have to fly.
For us, this makes the start of the holiday much less stressful.
You can:
- Drive directly to Southampton
- Park at the port
- Hand over your main luggage
- Keep your hand luggage with you
- Walk into the terminal
- Go through security
- Board the ship
And that’s it. Your holiday has started.
Which Cruise Lines Sail From Southampton?
You’ll find a wide choice of cruise lines sailing from Southampton, including:
- P&O Cruises
- Royal Caribbean
- MSC Cruises
- Celebrity Cruises
- Princess Cruises
- Cunard
- Fred. Olsen
- Norwegian Cruise Line
Each cruise line offers something different, so it’s worth looking at the ship, itinerary and what’s included rather than simply choosing the cheapest cruise.
Where Can You Cruise From Southampton?
There are cruises to suit everything from a short break to several weeks.
Northern Europe
Shorter cruises can visit destinations such as:
- Amsterdam
- Rotterdam
- Bruges
- Hamburg
- Copenhagen
These can be a good option if you’re new to cruising or only have a limited amount of time.
Mediterranean
Longer cruises can head south through Europe and into the Mediterranean.
Depending on the itinerary, you could visit:
- Barcelona
- Valencia
- Lisbon
- Gibraltar
- Marseille
- Naples
- Rome
Some itineraries combine Spain, Portugal and the Mediterranean into one trip.
Canary Islands
Canary Islands cruises are particularly popular during the winter.
Itineraries can include Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Madeira, giving you the chance to enjoy some winter sunshine without having to fly there.
Transatlantic Cruises
If you have more time, Southampton is also a popular departure point for Transatlantic cruises.
You can cross the Atlantic and continue into the Caribbean or North America.
These cruises usually include several sea days, so they’re ideal if you enjoy spending time onboard as much as visiting different destinations.
Should You Stay In Southampton The Night Before?
Unless you live locally to Southampton, we’d recommend staying in a hotel the night before your cruise.
It takes away a lot of unnecessary stress on departure day.
The last thing you want is to be stuck in a long traffic jam on the morning of your cruise, watching the time tick away and worrying about missing your check-in time.
By staying locally the night before, you can have a relaxed breakfast, make your way to the port and start your holiday without worrying about the journey down.
We did this ourselves and actually really enjoyed being in Southampton the day before.
One of the things we loved was being able to sit at the port and watch the cruise ships. If you’re excited about your cruise, there’s something pretty special about seeing the ships up close and knowing you’ll be boarding one the following day.
We stayed at the Village Hotel, just outside the main city centre. While the hotel itself was fine, we probably wouldn’t recommend it for a cruise because of its location.
There are plenty of hotels much closer to the port, including options within walking distance of the cruise terminals.
If you’re booking a hotel the night before, we’d recommend choosing somewhere close to the port rather than simply looking for the cheapest room.
How Do You Get To Southampton?
By Car
For many people, driving is the easiest option.
Southampton is well connected to the motorway network and is convenient for travellers from the Midlands, London and the South of England.
If you’re driving, allow plenty of time for your journey.
Traffic and delays happen, and the ship won’t wait for passengers who arrive late for check-in.
This is another reason we recommend staying locally the night before if you’re travelling any significant distance.
By Train
Southampton Central is the nearest main railway station to the cruise port.
From the station, you can take a taxi to your cruise terminal.
If you’re travelling by train, check your cruise documents to see which terminal your ship is using before booking your onward transport.
Parking At Southampton Cruise Port
If you’re driving to Southampton, we’d recommend looking at the official port parking options for your cruise lineand booking in advance.
We used ABParking when we cruised from Southampton with Royal Caribbean, and the process was incredibly simple.
We parked up, opened the boot of our car and the porters took all our main luggage for us.
We were then left carrying just our hand luggage.
From there, we literally walked across the road and straight into the terminal.
The whole process took no more than 25 minutes from parking the car, getting through security, boarding the ship and completing the muster station.
And then we were at the poolside bar.
For us, this is one of the biggest advantages of cruising from Southampton.
It was far less stressful than flying.
There’s no airport parking shuttle, no checking bags in at a busy airport, no airport security queue, no sitting around at the gate and no flight to worry about.
You park your car, your main luggage is taken care of, you walk into the terminal and you’re on holiday.
We’ve only cruised from Southampton with Royal Caribbean so far, but after that experience, we’d happily do it again.
Obviously, the parking arrangements will depend on your cruise line and terminal, so check the official parking options for your particular sailing.
Which Southampton Cruise Terminal Will You Use?
Southampton has several cruise terminals, including:
- City Cruise Terminal
- Mayflower Cruise Terminal
- Ocean Cruise Terminal
- Horizon Cruise Terminal
The terminal you use depends on your ship.
Check your cruise documents before travelling so you know exactly where you’re going.
Don’t assume all cruise ships leave from the same terminal.
What Happens When You Arrive?
The exact process varies slightly between cruise lines, but generally you’ll:
- Arrive at the port
- Drop off your main luggage
- Park your car if you’re driving
- Check in
- Go through security
- Board the ship
- Complete your muster requirements
Once you’re onboard, your holiday has officially begun.
Your main luggage will normally be delivered to your cabin later, so keep anything you need for the first few hours in your hand luggage.
What Should You Keep In Your Hand Luggage?
Keep anything you might need before your main luggage reaches your cabin, including:
- Passport
- Medication
- Phone charger
- Swimwear
- Change of clothes
- Travel documents
- Anything valuable
Don’t put anything essential in your main suitcase.
If your cabin isn’t ready immediately, you’ll still have everything you need while you explore the ship.
Do You Need A Passport?
For most cruises from Southampton, you’ll need a valid passport.
The requirements depend on your itinerary and the countries you’re visiting, so check the requirements for your specific cruise before travelling.
Is Cruising From Southampton Worth It?
From our experience, absolutely.
We’ve only cruised from Southampton with Royal Caribbean so far, but we were really impressed by how easy the whole process was.
Staying in Southampton the night before meant we didn’t have to worry about traffic on the morning of the cruise. We could relax, enjoy the city and sit by the port watching the ships before our own cruise.
Then, on cruise day, parking with ABParking was simple. We handed over our main luggage, carried our hand luggage across the road and walked straight into the terminal.
Within around 25 minutes, we’d parked the car, cleared security, boarded the ship and completed our muster station.
Then we were sitting at the poolside bar.
Compared with flying, it was so much less stressful.
If you’re considering a cruise from Southampton, we’d definitely recommend arriving the day before if you don’t live locally and using the official parking arrangements for your cruise line.
Southampton makes cruising from the UK incredibly straightforward.
Looking For A Cruise From Southampton?
There are plenty of cruise lines, ships and itineraries departing from Southampton, so choosing the right one can take some time.
At Tom & Maria Travel, we can compare the options and help you find a cruise that suits what you’re looking for.
Whether you’re looking for a short European break, a Mediterranean cruise, winter sun in the Canary Islands or a longer Transatlantic adventure, get in touch and let us help you find your next cruise from Southampton.
