Horizon 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 Horizon Cruise Terminal is at Berth 102 in the Western Docks. Put SO15 1AW in the satnav and use Dock Gate 10. Private transfers from Heathrow start at £153 per car, and from central London at £181.
SO15 1AW
Then follow the port signs for Berth 102.
Dock Gate 10
Western Docks.
102
Shown on your e-ticket as the berth or terminal.
MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises and NCL.
Where the Horizon Cruise Terminal is
The Horizon Cruise Terminal is in the Western Docks, next to the City Cruise Terminal on West Bay Road. You go in through Dock Gate 10. Horizon is the newest of the five terminals. It opened in 2021 and is the one MSC usually uses.
City 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 Horizon 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 Horizon Cruise Terminal?
It is most often used by MSC Cruises 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.
Arriving at the Horizon Cruise Terminal
The Horizon Cruise Terminal opened in 2021 at Berth 102 in the Western Docks and is reached through Dock Gate 10 (sat-nav postcode SO15 1AW). It was built for large modern ships, with a roof covered in solar panels and a layout designed to move big passenger numbers quickly.
Cars pull up outside the terminal building, where porters take your tagged luggage at the kerb, so it is a short walk from the car into the check-in hall. Inside there is plenty of seating and multiple security lanes.
Port staff may hold back vehicles that arrive long before boarding starts, especially while the previous sailing's passengers are still leaving, so a pickup timed to your check-in slot makes for a smoother start. Lines that regularly use Horizon include MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Going home from the Horizon 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.
Horizon Terminal transfers for winter and Christmas Day sailings
Horizon Terminal opened in 2021 at Berth 102 and is usually used by MSC, sharing Dock Gate 10 with City Terminal next door. MSC Preziosa sails on Christmas Day, which makes the Western Docks one of the few places in Britain where people are setting off on holiday on 25 December. Always confirm the terminal on your boarding documents, but if it says Horizon, expect quiet roads into the city and a quayside full of cheerful passengers.
As there is little or no rail service on the day, a private car is the realistic way to get there from London, Heathrow or Gatwick. MSC uses staggered boarding times, so give us your slot and we will plan the pickup around it. Fog on the M3 and frost on rural approaches are the usual winter variables, and the car will already be warm when it pulls up outside your door.
- Christmas Day pickups planned around your MSC boarding slot
- Approach through Dock Gate 10 straight to Horizon
- An MPV for families travelling with presents and winter coats
- Return collection matched to the ship's real arrival time
Flying in or out around an MSC cruise? Our airport transfers cover the London airports all year, including the quieter weeks after the festive season.
Questions
What is the postcode for the Horizon Cruise Terminal?
Use SO15 1AW and follow the signs for Berth 102. Check the postcode printed on your cruise e-ticket, as allocations can change.
Which dock gate is the Horizon Cruise Terminal?
Dock Gate 10, in the Western Docks.
Which cruise lines use the Horizon Cruise Terminal?
It is most often used by MSC Cruises and NCL. Your e-ticket confirms the terminal for your sailing.
How much is a transfer from Heathrow to the Horizon 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 Horizon 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.
Can you get us to Horizon Terminal on Christmas Day?
Yes. With trains largely absent on 25 December, a pre-booked car is the dependable option, and we plan these runs well in advance. Send us your boarding slot, pickup address and luggage count, and we will agree the vehicle and a fixed fare before the holiday so nothing is left to chance.
What happens if our ship back into Horizon is late because of winter storms?
Your driver tracks the ship and leaves to meet its revised arrival rather than the original time. MSC homecomings normally berth early in the morning, but winter weather can delay that considerably. Either way, the pickup is matched to when you actually reach Horizon, so you will not be left waiting outside.
More Southampton cruise guides
- Ocean Cruise Terminal guide
- QEII Cruise Terminal guide
- City 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, City Cruise Terminal, Mayflower Cruise Terminal, All terminal postcodes.
Parking at the Horizon Terminal
Driving yourself? Compare the port car parks, valet services and off-site options for the Horizon 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.