Welcome to the Southampton cruise port guide. Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. It has a population of approximately 250.000. This historical town might be small but is quite remarkable. Excavations show finding of over 9000 years ago. Large saxon settlements, viking settlements and much more. The old town that still stands in Southampton today bares witness to these times gone by. Southamptons unique geographical location is and always has been an important port and therefore trade always thrived here in this small town. Even cruise ships take an important part in the history. It was the home port of the famous Queen Elizabeth 2 or better known as QE2. The Titanic even sailed out of this port carrying hundreds of crew members from Southampton with it. Also the historical Mayflower started its voyage from Southampton to take the pilgrim fathers to the United States of America. Southampton itself is not the most exciting town in the U.K. and if you are planning to stick around do make sure you either keep in mind to have an easy day or go into the amazing history behind the historical monuments that still stand today.

In Southampton you will find many docking opportunities. All docks are designed to get embarking guests on and disembarking guests off as fast as possible.

This Aida ship is docked at the QEII terminal. This one of several docks available in Southampton. You can always check online where your ship will dock.

Cruise Port Guide Southampton – England – UK: docked

Southampton has many cruise terminals. Where your ships is docking in Southampton will make a large difference in planning your day ashore. Along the shore line there are many different docking spots that can either be close to the city and facilities or not. Therefore it is always wise to check where your ship is scheduled through this LINK.

Please know the following berth belong to the following cruise terminal:

Berth 46, 47 = Ocean Cruise Terminal. Uses DockGate 4 From here it is 0,6 mile to walk to the city centre.

Berth 38, 39, 40 = QEII Terminal Uses DockGate 4 From here it is 1,3 mile to walk to the city centre.

Berth 101, 102 = City Cruise terminal Uses DockGate 8 or 10 From here it is about 0,5 mile to walk to the city centre.

Berth 105, 106 = Mayflower Cruise Terminal Uses DockGate 10 or 20 From here it is about 1,7 mile to walk to the city centre.

All the cruise terminals in Southampton are fully equipped to have even the biggest ship have 1000’s of guests disembark and embark the ship. Facilities for regular visitors are limited. There are usually maps, sometimes a tourist information and taxis at the terminal. Check with your ship if they will provide a shuttle service into town. When the ships dock at the terminals furthest away from the City, the Council’s Museum Service often (but not always!) runs a free shuttle bus that stops at Sea City, the Maritime Museum.

Taxis in Southampton

Taxis are available at all the cruise terminals. These are official taxis and officially they run on the meter and officially they take cash and credit card. However, it usually turns out a bit different. If the taxis are waiting at the dock for a long time they usually are not up for a 5 pound ride. Take into account the taxi prices should be:

City centre: 8 pound

Central Train Station: 8 pound

Southampton airport: 20 pound

London: 180 pound

Heathrow airport: 140 pound

Public Transportation

There is a train station in Southampton. From here you can take the train to several cities, the most important one being London. Plan your visit ahead of time through: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk The national express bus is a service that can take you to London or Heathrow. Take it from the coach station close to the train station. Take an 8 pound taxi from the terminal to get there. Check their timetables on: http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx