Southampton Cruise Port Terminal Guide 2024

Table Of Content

• MSC Cruises launches diverse 2026 summer itineraries from Southampton UK
• Information for Passengers Joining a Cruise in Southampton
• Construction on Second Chinese-Built Cruise Ship Well Underway
• Future Developments for Southampton Cruise Terminals
• The Essential Guide to All Southampton Cruise Terminals
• QEII Cruise Terminal Southampton

There are no direct shared van shuttle style services available. While you could theoretically rent a car at either Heathrow or Gatwick (several Southampton hotels offer 'cruise & stay' parking packages), it's far easier to pre-arrange a taxi. Read on for our breakdown of the Port of Southampton, including address information, cruise line terminals, directions, services and more. Southampton is widely recognised as the cruise capital of Europe.

MSC Cruises launches diverse 2026 summer itineraries from Southampton UK

The port has excellent road and rail links to major cities all over the UK. NO - There is no direct train service between Heathrow and Southampton. The Horizon terminal is fitted with shore power and has more than 2,000 roof-mounted solar panels, allowing it to generate more power than it uses daily. In October 2018 started the GBP 12 million (2-year) reconstruction project via partnership with P&O Cruises (Carnival UK). Following the upgrade, Ocean Terminal now can handle bigger liners, among which P&O UK's newest ship Iona (2021).

Information for Passengers Joining a Cruise in Southampton

Each cruise ship call in Port Southampton generates an economic impact of about GBP 2,5 million. The Southampton Central train station is serviced by direct trains from London, Gatwick Airport and other major stations around the south of the U.K. Taxis are readily available at Southampton International Airport, Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

Port of Southampton makes way for world's largest containerships - WorldCargo News

Port of Southampton makes way for world's largest containerships.

Posted: Thu, 04 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Construction on Second Chinese-Built Cruise Ship Well Underway

In early-April 2021, ABP started an online contest for the name of the building. Fans had the chance to win a 7-night free cruise for two in a balcony cabin (roundtrip from Southampton) by simply submitting their name suggestions for the terminal before April 28. After receiving 4000+ name suggestions, in May ABP announced the facility's name - "Horizon Cruise Terminal".

Future Developments for Southampton Cruise Terminals

Hythe is your typical British seaside town and it’s definitely worth giving up a few hours of your day to enjoy. All five terminals are also easily accessed via public transport links, although, we would recommend using a taxi to get from Southampton Central train station if you have a lot of luggage. Many other cruise ships include Southampton on their maiden voyage as a prestigious port of call. The inaugural visit will be marked with the presentation of a plaque from Port Southampton.

Opened in 1966, this terminal occupies Berths 38 and 39 near the Grain Terminal and is part of the Eastern Docks area. Entry is via Gate 4, like Ocean Terminal users, but the road continues for almost 1km (over half a mile) before reaching the docks and cruise terminal at the end of the peninsula. There has also been several new ships entering the waters with sailing out of the city. Since spring 2020, P&O Cruises’ Iona, the largest-ever ship purpose-built for the UK market, has been based in its homeport of Southampton. In December 2022, Southampton also saw the launch of Arvia which also has had several sailings out of the city.

Southampton suffering some of the worst cruise ship pollution in Europe - study - Transport & Environment

Southampton suffering some of the worst cruise ship pollution in Europe - study.

Posted: Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

At Western Docks please look for Gate number for your cruise line. In 2017, the port handled some of world's largest boxships - MOL Triumph and MOL Trust (each with TEU capacity containers). The largest ever to visit the port boxship so far - Milan Maersk (20568 TEUs) - docked here on November 7, 2017. The Triple-E class vessel has LOA length 399 m (1309 ft), width 59 m (194 ft), above waterline height 60 m (197 ft). As cruise port, Southampton handles 500+ ship calls and 2+ million passengers annually.

QEII Cruise Terminal Southampton

There are dozens of other hotels and Bed & breakfast accommodations in the city, but the above are some of the closest. We suggest making reservations as early as possible – when the port is busy, the hotels can quickly become full weeks in advance. Tudor House & GardenTudor House & Garden is a Grade I listed building located in St Michael’s Square on Bugle Street. It was established as Southampton’s first museum in 1912 and today offers visitors a glimpse into more than 800 years of history.

StonehengeA prehistoric UNESCO World Heritage Site (added to the list in 1986) known the world over, it is believed to have been constructed between 3000 B.C. You can easily take a 5 hour tour from Southampton to visit Stonehenge, with an additional stop in Salisbury. LondonThis one is self-explanatory, it’s the UK’s capital city and bursting with things to see, do, eat and experience. Trains from Southampton Central run throughout the day to London Waterloo. New ForestNew Forest National Park, the New Forest Wildlife Park, Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway and the National Motor Museum can all be found in the New Forest area. We would recommend doing further research on this before departure and making a plan of exactly what you want to see and do during your time in the area.

Southampton is far warmer in the summer months and therefore you’ll find more outdoor things to enjoy, including festivals and events. But we think Southampton is a great place to visit at any time of the year because there’s always something to do. SeaCity MuseumSeaCity Museum tells the story of the people of the city, their fascinating lives and historic connections with Titanic and the sea. They bring maritime history to life through an interactive experience designed for all ages and it’s absolutely worth visiting.

It is permanently positioned at the quay and provides the docked ships with ship-to-shore passenger access. The list of UK cruise lines (with regular departures out of Southampton) includes Cunard, P&O UK, RCI-Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Princess, AIDA, MSC, NCL-Norwegian, Fred Olsen, Saga UK, Marella UK. Port Southampton (locode GBSOU) is currently the UK's largest seaport, handling annually over GBP 40 billion of exports. Southampton is also UK's largest port for vehicle exports and home to UK's second-largest containership terminal (after Felixstowe) handling annually ~1 million TEU-containers. Check if your cruise terminal has a security screening (City Cruise Terminal for example does this) before proceeding to check-in counters.

Cruisers can pick up hot and cold drinks, sandwiches and snacks from Ceanos Snack Bar which operates in the Arrivals Lounge and the First Floor Departures Lounge when ships are in dock. Southampton Port is spread over a huge area so you don’t want to be dropped off at the wrong terminal. Ascertaining the correct cruise terminal in Southampton also helps you find the best cruise parking that is closest to your ship’s berth. The essential guide and travel tips on all Port of Southampton cruise terminals.

This allows even the largest cargo vessels and cruise ships to access the port for up to 80% of the time. Port Southampton has 5 cruise terminals in addition to passenger ferry terminals, container terminal and drydock facilities for marine vessel refurbishments and repairs. Major turnaround/departure cruise ports in the UK are England's Bristol, Dover, Harwich, Hull, Liverpool, Tilbury-London, Newcastle and Portsmouth, and Scotland's Leith-Edinburgh and Greenock-Glasgow. Cruise ships generally arrive and depart from the berth or cruise terminal allocated to their cruise line. However, in exceptionally busy times, or when work has to be scheduled, cruise ships can be diverted to another berth by the Port Authority. Check out your cruise paperwork so that you know exactly which terminal to head for on arrival.

Quayconnect operates a FREE bus service between Southampton Central train station, West quay Shopping Centre and the Red Funnel/RedJet pier. We always recommend spending some time online doing research on your cruise ports ahead of departure, it allows you to then manage your time in ports to your best advantage. There are also some hotels outside of the city that offer cruise specific packages, usually with the inclusion of car parking for 2-weeks. Cruise ships visit and depart the city throughout the year, with the summer being incredibly busy for those escaping on Mediterranean cruises or Norwegian Fjords and Baltic cruises. The cooler autumn and winter months are usually when you’ll see an increase in sailings to places such as the Canary Islands and across to the Caribbean.

Large glass windows allow you to watch the ship being loaded with provisions and luggage. Southampton cruise terminals have been part of cruising history for over 180 years. Long before air travel, anyone wanting to cross the Atlantic did so on some of the world’s most famous ships, including the RMS Queen Mary, QE2 and the ill-fated Titanic. Isle of WightIf time allows, you could also visit the Isle of Wight. Red Funnel ferry services operates from Southampton (close to the Ocean and QEII terminals) via the RedJet and the Red Funnel vessels.

Southampton was a significant natural port as long ago as the Norman Conquest in 1066 and was a point of departure for the Mayflower pilgrims as they set sail for a new life in America in 1620. In 1835, the Southampton Docks Company was formed and the first dock opened in 1842 with rail links to London. The Thornycroft shipbuilding yard flourished from 1904 to 2004, building and repairing ships.