10 of the best cruises from Southampton for 2025 and 2026
When you book a sailing out of the UK's largest cruise port, your holiday can start even closer to home without the hassle of airports, which is particularly appealing if you're travelling with young children. It's easy to reach Southampton by car or train, and helpful terminal staff will be waiting to get you on to your ship as quickly as possible. Here's our pick of some of the best cruises from Southampton for 2025 and 2026.
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Get a taste of the renowned Cunard line on a four-night trip to Amsterdam and back on the Queen Victoria. You'll take in the city's charming canals and bridges, with time to explore at your own pace. Discover its famous galleries where you can admire the work of the Dutch masters, take a stroll through the vast Vondelpark, or sample the local beer and bitterballen (deep-fried meatballs). And while at sea, indulge in the institution of afternoon tea served in the grand Queens Room, or curl up with a book in the impressive library, grandly spanning two decks.
Visit Zeebrugge and Cherbourg on MSC Cruises' shiny MSC Virtuosa, which is sailing out of Southampton this autumn. The trip offers a range of excursions such as a Belgian chocolate experience in Bruges (with tasting, naturally), a trip to Brussels, or a tour of the picturesque Saire Valley. Back on board, head to the Starship Club and order a drink from Rob, the first-ever humanoid bartender at sea.
Discover the delights of Scotland and Ireland this summer on Norwegian Cruise Line's laidback Norwegian Dawn, where you can dress up or down as you please. Combine city life in vibrant Dublin and Edinburgh with the natural beauty of the Isle of Skye. Top heritage attractions for excursions include Edinburgh Castle and Powerscourt near Dublin, with its renowned gardens. As an added bonus, the cruise also visits Amsterdam (Ijmuiden), Zeebrugge and Le Havre.
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Enjoy summer sunshine in some of the Mediterranean's hotspots on this two-week sailing on Sky Princess. From the Spanish city of Cadiz you can head inland to Seville to explore the 15th-century cathedral and test out some tasty tapas. Check out the Gothic Quarter and Sagrada Familia in Barcelona on your next stop, before heading to Toulon in France and then Italy, where you can glimpse the leaning tower of Pisa and see the sights of Rome. A soujourn in Sardinia completes the itinerary before you head for home. There's plenty to keep everyone happy on the ship too — from the spa and casino to the dedicated kids' spaces.
Delve into the perennially popular Canary Islands on this autumn sailing on Celebrity Apex. A day stop in Lisbon offers the chance to discover the vibrant Portuguese capital, before calling at Gran Canaria, Tenerife — where you can visit Mount Teide, Spain's highest peak — and more. In Madeira, explore the island by cable car and wicker toboggan, or go for a wander around the beautiful botanical garden. If all that sightseeing wears you out, recharge your batteries in the ship's spa, before toasting your trip with a glass of something cold while soaking up the views from the cantilevered Magic Carpet.
For the ultimate escape from the British winter, follow the sun on board the 5,200-passenger Iona, one of the biggest ships built specifically for the UK cruise market. This epic 35-night voyage will call at Tenerife en route, with visits to St Kitts, Barbados, St Lucia, St Martin, Antigua and more, before heading back to Southampton via La Coruña in Spain.
If you're quick you may still be able to catch this golf-themed Azamara sailing, which visits top courses in England, Ireland and Scotland in mid July. One of a series of cruises run in conjunction with specialist PerryGolf, everything is taken care of including transportation to courses, green fees, buggies and the all-important 19th hole post-round drinks. The cruise calls at Liverpool, Dublin and Aberdeen among other stops, with excursions available for non-golfing partners, and ends in Edinburgh (Leith). If you get into the swing of a golf-cruise holiday and are happy to fly to alternative departure ports, other itineraries include Spain, the Caribbean, Australia and Japan.
Norway is home to the world's highest concentration of fjords, including some of the deepest and longest. The best way to explore them and get up close is on a cruise. Stops include Haugesund, where you can visit a Viking village or admire the cascading Langfoss waterfall. There are more thrills on board the fun-loving Independence of the Seas with its dual racer water slides, arcade, and the FlowRider surf simulator.
The luxury cruise line Regent provides passengers with the choice of exploring ports in different ways on this sailing aboard the 496-guest boutique ship Seven Seas Navigator. In Narsaq, Greenland, for example, you can book an iceberg cruise by Rib or try a tasting menu of local bites. Meanwhile, in Reykjavik, there are more than 20 excursions to choose from, including whale-watching, a glacier safari, and a visit to the famous Blue Lagoon. Other stops on the 20-night itinerary include Ireland and Scotland, with the cruise finishing in Edinburgh (Leith).
Sail closer to home on Oceania Vista with a relaxed summer voyage around the coast of Ireland, departing in mid August. Stops include the pretty fishing village of Killybegs in Co Donegal, where you can get a sense of the town's history and see the world's largest hand-knotted loom at the Killybegs International Carpet Making and Fishing Centre. You'll also drop by Cork, Galway, Belfast in Northern Ireland, Douglas on the Isle of Man, Dublin, Waterford and Plymouth. Meanwhile, you can dine around the world when you're back on the ship, as Oceania Vista's restaurants include the pan-Asian Red Ginger, Italian Toscana and all-American Ember.
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