P&O Cruises transfers to Southampton cruise terminal
- ✓ 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
Fixed-fare private transfers to your P&O Cruises ship, from Heathrow (from £146), Gatwick, London and the home counties. Your driver takes you to the right dock gate and terminal, and collects you when the cruise ends.
Navigating staggered arrival for P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises runs some of the largest passenger turnarounds in Europe: Iona and Arvia each carry around 5,200 guests. To prevent gridlock across the port, P&O uses staggered check-in times shown in your booking and the P&O app. For a typical late-afternoon sailing, arrival slots usually start from around 11:00 or 12:00 and are allocated by cabin grade and Peninsular Club tier.
P&O ships use several Southampton berths, most often the Ocean Cruise Terminal (Berth 46/47) and the QEII Cruise Terminal (Berth 38/39). Always check the terminal on your boarding documents.
Because thousands of passengers aim for the same boarding hours, the M3, M27 and A33 into Southampton get busy on P&O turnaround days, especially Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings. We build that into your pickup time and check your boarding slot before the day, so you arrive inside your window rather than queuing outside the terminal hours early.
Which terminal does P&O Cruises use?
Southampton is P&O Cruises' home port, and most of its fleet starts and ends its cruises here. Iona and Arvia each carry over 5,000 passengers, so embarkation and disembarkation days are busy.
| Terminal | Dock gate | Postcode | From Heathrow | From Gatwick | From central London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Cruise Terminal | Dock Gate 4 | SO14 3QN | £146 | £193 | £176 |
| QEII Cruise Terminal | Dock Gate 4 | SO14 3GG | £148 | £193 | £176 |
Saloon fares, one way per vehicle, luggage included. An MPV for up to 6 people is £15 more. The terminal on your e-ticket is the one that counts, because allocations change by sailing.
Tips for P&O Cruises passengers
On the big ships, the walk-off queue on disembarkation morning can take up to 40 minutes. Book the car for when your luggage tag is called, not for when the ship docks.
Arrive at the check-in time on your e-ticket, not earlier. The terminals stagger arrivals, and turning up early usually means waiting in the car or in a queue. See what time to arrive at Southampton cruise terminal.
P&O Cruises coach transfer or a private car?
P&O Cruises and other lines sell coach transfers from the airports and some UK towns. They are good value for one person. For two or more, compare the per-head price. A fixed-fare car picks you up from your door, leaves when you are ready and drops you at your dock gate. On the way home it waits for you rather than for the last passenger on the coach. The numbers are in cruise line transfer vs private car.
If you would rather drive, P&O Cruises passengers use CPS valet parking. The prices are in the Southampton cruise parking guide.
Getting home after the cruise
Your driver tracks the ship and waits at the terminal, with no waiting charge while the ship clears. See Southampton cruise terminal to Heathrow, to Gatwick and to London, and the earliest flight you can book.
P&O Cruises transfers for winter, festive and longer voyages
P&O is the line most closely tied to Southampton, and its ships keep sailing from the port long after the summer holidays end. Whether you are joining Iona or Arvia, Britannia, Ventura, Azura, Arcadia or Aurora, a winter departure still needs getting to, and the terminal varies by ship and sailing. Check the one named on your documents and let us know at booking; we will plan the approach to the right dock gate.
Winter embarkation days bring their own pressures: darker starts, fog on the M3 and heavier cases packed for both sunshine and cold. A saloon suits up to four people and two large cases, while an MPV handles six people and four cases. When you come back, your driver tracks the ship, which normally docks by about 06:00 but can be held up by storms in the Channel or the Bay of Biscay.
- Pickup timed to your P&O check-in window
- Room in an MPV for the luggage that comes with longer voyages
- Return collection adjusted if the ship berths late
- A fixed per-vehicle fare, paid by card or to the driver
Flying somewhere warm instead this winter? Our airport transfers use the same drivers and fixed-fare approach as our P&O runs.
Questions
Which Southampton terminal does P&O Cruises sail from?
Usually the Ocean Cruise Terminal or QEII Cruise Terminal. Check your e-ticket, because terminal allocations change by sailing.
How much is a private transfer from Heathrow to a P&O Cruises cruise?
From £146 one way for a saloon (up to 4 people), per vehicle with luggage included. From central London it is from £176, and from Gatwick from £193.
Where do P&O Cruises passengers park at Southampton?
P&O Cruises passengers use CPS valet parking. Off-site park and ride is cheaper but adds a shuttle.
Can the driver collect us from the ship at the end of the cruise?
Yes. The driver tracks the ship and waits at your terminal, with no waiting charge while you disembark.
Do you run transfers for P&O's Christmas and winter cruises?
Yes. P&O sails from Southampton through the winter, including festive itineraries, and we plan those journeys the same way as summer ones. The main difference is timing, as we allow more margin for darkness and fog. Your fare is agreed before travel, per vehicle rather than per person, with luggage included.
Do you monitor the ship's progress if winter weather delays a P&O homecoming?
We do. On your return morning the driver checks where the ship is and when it is expected alongside, and if bad weather has slowed it the pickup is moved back. There is nothing for you to arrange, and you will not be waiting outside the terminal in the cold.
More Southampton cruise guides
- Cunard transfers from Southampton
- MSC Cruises transfers from Southampton
- Royal Caribbean transfers from Southampton
- Princess transfers from Southampton
- Celebrity transfers from Southampton
- All cruise line transfers
- All five Southampton cruise terminals
Transfers by cruise line: Cunard, Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Fred. Olsen, Disney Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises.