Southampton, England - The UK's busiest cruise port

Introducing the Cruise Port of Southampton

The Port of Southampton found fame in the 20th century as the UK's most important port of departure for the great cruise lines. In terms of number of passengers, the busiest route used to be the cross-atlantic voyage to the United States. However in 1939 the first ever Pan Am flight across the Atlantic heralded the end of this remarkable era of sea travel. In the following years Southampton reinvented itself as a major embarkation port for cruises.

The port is split between the Eastern Docks and Western Docks. The Western Docks are the location for the Mayflower and City Cruise Terminals, the Eastern Docks the location for the QE2 and Ocean Cruise Terminals.

The Eastern Docks saw perhaps Southampton's biggest moment in history. In 1912 the Titanic departed from White Star Dock (near today's Ocean dock) on its maiden voyage. When the ship went down, of the 1500 lives lost, 500 were crew who lived in Southampton and the impact on the city was long-lived.

You Choose The Cruise
Cruises from Southampton include the Baltic Sea, Canary Islands, round Britain, Norwegian Fjords and the Mediterranean. Transatlantic and longer cruises are also available. If you're UK based cruises departing from Southampton could not be easier, due to its excellent rail and road links. For a comprehensive list of cruises leaving from Southampton see Cruises From Southampton.

A selection of routes available would be
2 Night Short Break (PO Ventura) (Southampton, Zeebrugge, Southampton)

Canaries Spring Cruise (Fred Olsen Black Watch) (Southampton, Funchal, St Cruz De La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Agadir, Arrecife, Southampton)

Western Mediterranean (PO Oceana) (Southampton, Gibraltar, Cartagena, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Monaco, Barcelona, Cadiz, Southampton)

Norwegian Fjords (PO Ventura) (Southampton, Bergen, Flam, Olden, Stavanger, Southampton)

Baltic (PO Arcadia) (Southampton, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Oslo, Kristiansund, Southampton)

Guide to Southampton Cruise Terminals
Eastern Docks
Queen Elizabeth II Terminal, Berths 38 and 39
The QE2 terminal was opened in 1966 by the Queen. The terminal is the home of Cunard's cruiseliners, Queen Mary II, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. Facilities include a short stay car park, a bar, a taxi rank and a cafe. The viewing area is not open to visitors.

Ocean Cruise Terminal, Berth 46
The original Ocean Cruise Terminal was a designer Art-Deco construction. Unfortunately this was demolished in 1983 The replacement building, completed in 2009, is a total change from its namesake, being a huge modern design with simple curved lines. Facilites available are a cab rank, a short stay car park, and a restaurant and bar.

Western Docks
City Cruise Terminal, Berth 101
This Terminal has undergone an ambitious renovation to double its size. It can now handle the largest 'Freedom Class' ships of RCI. Facilities available are a short stay car park, a taxi rank, a bar and cafe. Closeby Mayflower Park is a great place to watch ship sailings.

Horzion Cruise Terinal Berth 102
Horizon cruise terminal was inaugurated in 2021, thanks to a partnership between Norwegian Cruise Line, MSC Cruises, and the port. The two level terminal offers a full range of modern facilities..

Mayflower Cruise Terminal, Berth 106
The Mayflower Cruise Terminal, opened in 1960, has long been associated with the P&O fleet of cruise ships. Facilities include a taxi rank, a bar and cafe, and viewing gallery.

Sightseeing in Southampton
Southampton is normally viewed as a port of departure, and not many cruise passengers linger to investigate the city itself. Though if you've spare time at one or the other end of your cruise, there's plenty to do and see.

Old Town
In the medieval era, the town was surrounded by a fortified wall with imposing gate buildings. The 'Bargate' at the northern end of the old town, is still Southampton's most famous building. The building is a good location to start the walk of the city's walls. Stop at the guardtowers, the remains of the castle, the West Gate, the remains of the and God's House Tower where you'll find is home to} the local Archaeological Museum (free). Other noticable places include the fully restored Medieval Merchants House, the Maritime Museum in the old Wool House (free entrance), with its Titanic exhibits, and the beautiful Tudor House, a (free) museum with peaceful grounds.

Shopping Centers
The city's main retail center, Above Bar, is where you'll find the main high street chains. An alternative destination is Ocean Village which has undercover outlets, a peaceful marina and many bars and excellent restaurants. Another possibility is the modern West Quay retail center which features leading chain stores.

Art Exhibitions
Southampton Art Gallery has a good reputation for its collection of pre-Raphaelite art.

Aviation Museum
The Solent Sky Aviation Museum showcases the innovative work of R Mitchell, the Spitfire's creator.

The Titanic Trail
Walk around the trail finding out about places with connections to the Titanic. The walk commences at the Musicians Memorial and stops at the Maritime Museum, situated in the Wool House, which showcases the history of the tragic voyage.

The New Forest
An enchanting area known for its unique heathland, and ancient arrangements of animal pastures.

Getting to Southampton's Cruise TerminalsBy Car
The M27 motorway, linking places along the south coast of England, passes to the north of the city. The M3 motorway links Southampton to London and also, by linking to the A34 road with the Midlands and North. The M271 motorway, a spur of the M27, connects it with the Docks and city centre.

By Rail
Direct trains link Southampton with London, and many other parts of the UK. There is an every 30 minute service between London Waterloo and Southampton Central station. Rail routes run east towards Portsmouth, north towards the Midlands, and west to cities such as Salisbury, Bath, and Bristol.
From outside the train station you can either catch a taxi, or there is a free CityLink bus service between the rail station and Town Quay every quarter-hour.

By Aeroplane
From London Heathrow Airport There is a National Express coach to and from Heathrow Terminal every hour.
From London Gatwick Take the train to Southampton Central station.
From Southampton Airport Catch a taxi to the port. The airport is well served, with planes from Belfast, Jersey, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Guernsey, Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester, Isle of Man, Aberdeen and Liverpool.

Cruise Port - Barcelona, Spain

Introduction

Barcelona is Spain’s second-largest city and the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia, a defiant and independent region of Spain, which has a distinct culture, language, and history. Situated on Spain's southern coast, its climate is perfectly Mediterranean, sea breezes chasing away the heat. It’s the perfect location for a vacation, spending time by strolling the boulevards, shopping, relaxing at a café, sampling Spanish fare for dinner, and visiting fantastic sights.

You Choose The Cruise

There's an extensive range of cruises available which stop at many diverse destinations. The most popular is a trip around the Western Mediterranean. Alternatives include the Canary Islands, North Africa, or longer trips to the Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Islands. A typical Western Mediterran cruise would call at ports like Valencia, Palma de Mallorca, Marseille, St Tropez, Monaco, Portofino, Livorno, Amalfi, Sorrento, and Civitavecchia. For a complete listing of cruises departing from Barcelona, see cruises from Barcelona.

A map of the Port of Barcelona

Barcelona Cruise Terminals

Ships berth at Port Vell. The area has become a tourist attraction in its own right with a large Maremàgnum shopping mall with a fun IMAX theater, and Europe's largest aquarium. Port Vell leads directly onto Las Ramblas, the main Barcelona street packed with cafes and entertainment that leads into the heart of the city. Las Ramblas is alternately called the singular form, La Rambla.

The port has 8 terminals at Port Vell, split into 3 locations.

Adossat Quay
Cruise Terminals A, B, C and D are located at the Adossat Quay and are furthest away from the city. Terminal D is also called Palacruceros. Shuttle buses make the short trip from these cruise terminals to the start of Las Ramblas.

World Trade Center Terminals N, S
There are 2 terminals in the World Trade Center or WTC pier which are called North, and South. The East quay provides an extra berth. From these it is an easy walk to Las Ramblas.

Port Vell Quay
Across from the World Trade Center Terminal. This ferry terminal is only occasionally employed for cruise ships.

Each terminal possesses a dedicated taxi rank. Other information

For the port website, see Port Of Barcelona.

Sightseeing in Barcelona

Barcelona takes at least a week to tour, many days longer than the single day cruise ship passengers have. Be sure to include well-known destinations such as La Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's much photographed church, the medieval Barrio Gothic district, and the Picasso museum. Don't forget to head up to Montjuic for a wonderful view over the whole of the city and the surrounding hills and ocean.

Las Ramblas
A fabulous promenade leading from Port Vell to Placa de Catalunya, right in the middle of old Barcelona. It's packed with cafes, shops, florists, street entertainers, and Boqueria, a charming market. Halfway up Las Ramblas is the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona's magnificent opera theater. Las Ramblas ends at the Placa de Catalunya, a huge square surrounded by shops and cafes.

La Sagrada Familia
Barcelona's funkiest church was designed by the famous Gaudi. Work began in 1883, and the imaginative building is only now nearing completion. Don't miss features like the nativity-themed facade, the mosaic bell towers, and massive doors representing faith, hope and charity.

Barri Gotic
In Barcelona's gothic quarter, the buildings date back to the 13th century. The streets are narrow and winding and packed with busy life. Art lovers will enjoy the Museu Picasso, showcasing the works of Picasso. Another must-see is the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia, a magnificent example of early-European architecture.

The Museu d'art Contemporani de Barcelona

This shining white glass and concrete building towers over Old Barcelona. The Contemporary Art Museum collection, beginning around 1950, includes many works from Catalan, by artists like Antoni Tapies and works by International names such as Miguel Barcelo.

La Pedrera
Gaudí realised a fantastic house with undulating, lifelike curves for the property developer Pere Milà Camps. La Pedrera was Gaudi's last work before dedicating all his time to the Sagrada Família.

Parc Guell
A real treat for Gaudi fans, Parc Guell is a pleasant town park. The planting is imaginative and colorful, but the number one attraction are Gaudi's buildings, such as faux temples and mosaic seats.

Montjuic
The area of Montjuic rises 700 ft above the city's port and is filled with boutiques, galleries, cafes and museums. Don't miss the Museu Arqueologic which showcases a diverse range of items from prehistoric cultures from Catalonia and the Balearic Isles. Another super art museum is the Museu Nacional d'art de Catalunya, which highlights Romanesque works.

Getting to the Port

From the City to the Port
Walking
The WTCcruise ship terminals are the nearest to the foot of Las Ramblas, being approximately a 5-minute walk. However, the Adossat quay cruise ship terminals, A, B, C, and D, are a lot further and you need to catch a shuttle bus named the Blue Bus, which picks ups at the memorial to Christopher Columbus and deposits you at Adossat dock.
Metro
The Drassanes station (Green Line, L3) is no more than five minutes by foot from the Christopher Columbus memorial.
Taxi
It's easy to take a taxi from Barcelona's center to the port. This is not expensive, cost around eight euros, and fast, generally under a quarter of an hour. .

Travelling from the Airport to the Port
By bus
Catch the Aerobusline A1 from terminal 1, line A2 from terminal 2 to Placa Catalunya in Barcelona, service approximately every 10 minutes, then travel by metro to Drassanes. From Drassanes walk to the statue of Christopher Columbus. Get on the Blue bus to take you to your cruise terminal.
Taxi
The quickest method for travelling from the airport to the port is a taxi. The trip takes about 25 mins and will cost you about thirty euros in total. The cost will include per-bag supplements and additional airport and cruise terminal levies.

Cruise Departure Port - Dover, England

Introduction

The town of Dover is located at the outlet of the River Dour, after which the town takes its name, on the southern coastline of the county of Kent in Britain. On a clear day you can look across the English Channel from the cliffs above Dover and see France, which is only 21 miles away. Every day throughout the year, numerous cross-Channel car and truck ferries voyage between Dover and the French ports of Boulogne, Dunkirk and Calais. Both to the west and east side of Dover rear the stunning White Cliffs, which are composed of chalk. The Latin word for white is albus, and in ancient times England was called Albion.

Even long ago in Anglo-Saxon times Dover was an important center, well ordered with a metalworks, a large church, a busy port and a mint. King Henry VIII had a keen interest in Dover, having held the position of Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports before he ascended the throne. He specified additions to Dover castle, and the building of extra heavy gun batteries overlooking the docks. During both World Wars Dover was one of the largest military centers in England. Huge numbers of soldiers with their armaments made the crossing between Dover and France.

Today Dover’s role as a major port continues, and over 60% of the 18 million passengers who cross the Channel every year do so from the town. The town’s modern cruise terminals have attracted many cruise lines including Fred Olsen, Princess Cruises, Carnival Cruises and Saga Cruises, who all use Dover as a UK turnaround port.

You Choose The Cruise

Cruises from Dover visit a large number of exciting destinations. Pick a cruise to the warm Mediterranean and sightsee around world-renowned cities like Rome, Dubrovnik, Barcelona and Athens. Cruise south to the wonderful Canary Islands, and find moon-like landscapes and subtropical greenery. Head east into the Baltic to view magnificent St Petersburg with its exquisite Church of our Savior on Spilled Blood and enormous Hermitage art museum. Circumnavigate the British Isles and appreciate these charming islands off Europe’s mainland.

Cruises from Dover shows all the cruise departures from Dover.

Cruise Terminals

In 1988 the Channel Tunnel scheme began building work. The Port of Dover, anticipating the tunnel as a major risk to its vital cross-channel business, planned to branch out with the opening of a cruise port and a marina.

Cruise Terminal 1

In 1994 the old Marine Railway Station at the Western docks was converted into cruise terminal 1. Lots of the Edwardian features are still in place and give a flavor of a bygone era. Services comprise of cafeteria, security, post box, check-in desk, restrooms and taxi rank.

Cruise Terminal 2

Rising demand from the cruise lines led to the construction of cruise terminal 2, just further along from cruise terminal 1, in 2001. The terminal offers all the necessary facilities including an information point, check-in desks, snack machines and restrooms.

Parking

The cruise port’s 1120 capacity car park is next Cruise Terminal 1, so no transfers are required. Porters will take care of your bags. The car park has been given the Park Mark for secure parking.

For the port website see Port of Dover.

Sightseeing In Dover

Dover Castle
Dover Castle ranks among the largest castles in England. It stands proudly on top of the White Cliffs, watching guard over the bustling port below. Your sightseeing ticklist includes the Guest Chamber, the King’s Kitchen, the King’s Brewery, the King’s Chamber, the King’s Hall, the Great Tower, the medieval tunnels and the Guest Hall. The castle is a steep climb up from the town, but you can catch a bus instead of walking.

White Cliffs Of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are five miles of magnificent coastline today under the protection of the National Trust. One idea is to take the bus to St Margaret’s Bay, then hike the 3 miles back to Dover following the well-signed path along the cliff tops. The cliffs were the inspiration for the 1942 Vera Lynn World War Two song, There’ll Be Bluebirds Over the White Cliffs of Dover.

Dover Museum
Dover Museum premier exhibit is a Bronze Age Boat, the world's oldest known seagoing boat and a major archaeological discovery. The boat was originally constructed using oak timbers tied together by yew lashings. The museum is a five minute walk from the cruise dock.

Traveling to Dover Cruise Port

By Car
On the M2/A2 from Canterbury
Follow the A2 (Jubillee Way) down into Dover town. Coming to a roundabout turn left onto the A20 with a sign for Cruise Terminal. Keep to the A20 for around 2 miles as it follows the bay. Then at a roundabout, take the 2nd exit along Viaduct St signed for Cruise Terminals. Carry along this for half-a-mile to arrive at Cruise Terminal 1.
On the M20/A20 from Ashford
Head along the A20. Shortly before arriving in Dover town a roundabout has a right hand exit signed for the Cruise Terminals. Take this and drive for half-a-mile to arrive at Cruise Terminal 1.

By Train
Southeastern trains provide a convenient service by high speed train from London St Pancras and Stratford International to Dover Priory railway station. Journey time is just over one hour. Once at Dover station there are taxis which can transfer you to the cruise port, about 10 minutes away.