City Cruise Terminal, Southampton: postcode, dock gate and transfers
- ✓ TfL-licensed operator · licence 11588
- ✓ Fixed price per car, luggage included
- ✓ Flights tracked · 60 min free airport waiting
- ✓ Driver details sent before you travel
- ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours
The City Cruise Terminal is at Berth 101 in the Western Docks. Put SO15 1HJ in the satnav and use Dock Gate 10. Private transfers from Heathrow start at £153 per car, and from central London at £181.
SO15 1HJ
Then follow the port signs for Berth 101.
Dock Gate 10
Western Docks.
101
Shown on your e-ticket as the berth or terminal.
Princess
Princess, Royal Caribbean and NCL.
Where the City Cruise Terminal is
The City Cruise Terminal is in the Western Docks on Herbert Walker Avenue. You go in through Dock Gate 10. It is the closest terminal to Southampton Central station, which makes it the easiest one to reach by train.
Horizon Cruise Terminal shares the same dock gate, so check the terminal name on your e-ticket as well as the gate.
Terminal allocations change from sailing to sailing. Always go by the terminal and dock gate printed on your cruise documents, and follow the port signs once you are near the docks.
Fixed fares to the City Cruise Terminal
| Route | Saloon (up to 4) | MPV (up to 6) | Road distance | Typical drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | £153 | £168 | 69 miles | about 75–95 minutes |
| Gatwick | £198 | £213 | 93 miles | about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes |
| Central London | £181 | £196 | 84 miles | around 2 hours |
One-way fares per vehicle, luggage included, from our booking engine. The same fare applies in either direction. A return booked together is charged at 1.8 times the single fare. Weekday rush hours, Friday, weekend mornings and Christmas dates carry a surcharge, which the booking page shows before you pay.
Price your transfer Or call +44 20 8888 9988.
Which cruise lines sail from City Cruise Terminal?
It is most often used by Princess, Royal Caribbean and NCL. Lines do move between terminals, especially on busy days when several ships are in, so the terminal on your ticket is the one that counts.
Transfer guides by cruise line: P&O Cruises, Cunard, MSC, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity.
Vehicle drop-off and routing to the City Cruise Terminal
The City Cruise Terminal is at Berth 101 in the Western Docks, reached through Dock Gate 10 (sat-nav postcode SO15 1HJ). It is one of the port's older terminals, and the approach runs alongside West Quay Road, so cruise traffic shares the road with city-centre shopping traffic. Friday afternoons and bank holiday weekends are noticeably slower.
Cars drop off at an open-air kerbside lane next to the main entrance. Porters work at the kerb and take your tagged luggage straight to the ship's baggage cages.
The indoor waiting area is smaller than at the newer terminals, so arriving well before your cruise line's check-in slot often means waiting outside. We time your pickup so you reach the terminal close to your slot rather than joining the outdoor queue. See the Southampton cruise terminal postcodes for every terminal's gate and postcode.
Going home from the City Cruise Terminal
On disembarkation day your driver tracks the ship and waits at the terminal pick-up area, so you are not paying for a car while the port clears the ship. Most people are in the car between 08:00 and 10:15, depending on their luggage tag.
Return guides: Southampton cruise terminal to Heathrow, to Gatwick and to London.
City Cruise Terminal when the trains let you down in winter
Of all five terminals, City at Berth 101 sits nearest to Southampton Central, which is why so many passengers plan to take the train and hop across by taxi. In summer that often works. Around Christmas and New Year, though, engineering works and replacement buses cluster on the main lines, and a coach from somewhere north of Winchester can add an hour you never planned for. The station rank also empties quickly when a delayed train arrives full of cruise passengers.
A car from your door avoids the rail gamble altogether and brings you through Dock Gate 10 to the terminal entrance. On the return, the driver tracks your ship rather than turning up at a fixed time, so if a winter storm holds you offshore there is no second booking to make. For a family or group, one MPV moves six people and four large cases together.
- No connection at Southampton Central and no taxi rank queue
- Dock Gate 10 approach planned in advance, including for early dark starts
- Return pickup timed to the ship's actual arrival
Rail works also hit commuters between Hampshire and London, which is why our Winchester to London chauffeur route stays busy through the winter.
Questions
What is the postcode for the City Cruise Terminal?
Use SO15 1HJ and follow the signs for Berth 101. Check the postcode printed on your cruise e-ticket, as allocations can change.
Which dock gate is the City Cruise Terminal?
Dock Gate 10, in the Western Docks.
Which cruise lines use the City Cruise Terminal?
It is most often used by Princess, Royal Caribbean and NCL. Your e-ticket confirms the terminal for your sailing.
How much is a transfer from Heathrow to the City Cruise Terminal?
From £153 one way for a saloon (up to 4 people), per vehicle with luggage included. From central London it is from £181, and from Gatwick from £198.
Where do I park at the City Cruise Terminal?
Parking here is ABParking (Associated British Ports) long-stay parking beside the terminal. Off-site park and ride operators are cheaper but add a shuttle.
Do you cover City Terminal for festive sailings when rail engineering works are on?
Yes, and those are exactly the weeks when a car helps most. Rail engineering and bus replacements are concentrated in the Christmas and New Year period, while our journey is entirely by road. Book with your boarding time and we will plan a pickup that gets you to Berth 101 without relying on any train.
How will you know if our ship into City Terminal is delayed by winter weather?
Each return morning we check the ship's progress and dispatch the driver to suit. If wind or fog has slowed the approach, the collection time moves back, and you will not need to call anyone to rearrange. The car will be close to the terminal when you clear disembarkation.
More Southampton cruise guides
- Ocean Cruise Terminal guide
- QEII Cruise Terminal guide
- Horizon Cruise Terminal guide
- Mayflower Cruise Terminal guide
- All five Southampton cruise terminals
- Southampton cruise parking: CPS vs ABParking
- What time to arrive at the terminal
Southampton cruise terminals: Ocean Cruise Terminal, QEII Cruise Terminal, Horizon Cruise Terminal, Mayflower Cruise Terminal, All terminal postcodes.
Parking at the City Cruise Terminal
Driving yourself? Compare the port car parks, valet services and off-site options for the City Cruise Terminal in our Southampton cruise terminal parking guide, with current prices by terminal. For a door-to-ship car instead, see every area we cover.