Princess 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 Princess 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.
Aligning your transfer with Princess MedallionClass
Princess Cruises passengers are given an arrival time through the MedallionClass app before departure. To keep the terminal from overcrowding, port and ship staff stick closely to these staggered times, and early arrivals may be asked to wait.
Princess ships that regularly sail from Southampton, such as Sky Princess, use several terminals. Check your boarding documents and see which terminal your ship uses.
Many Princess guests fly into Heathrow or Gatwick before the cruise, so we time transfers around flight arrival and immigration. Princess itineraries include several "Dress to Impress" nights, so guests often travel with extra luggage and evening wear. Your chauffeur handles garment bags and cases with care and hands them to the porters at the kerbside drop-off.
Which terminal does Princess use?
Princess Cruises sails from Southampton, usually from the Ocean Cruise Terminal in the Eastern Docks or the City Cruise Terminal in the Western Docks.
| Terminal | Dock gate | Postcode | From Heathrow | From Gatwick | From central London |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Cruise Terminal | Dock Gate 4 | SO14 3QN | £146 | £193 | £176 |
| City Cruise Terminal | Dock Gate 10 | SO15 1HJ | £153 | £198 | £181 |
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 Princess passengers
Ocean and City are on opposite sides of the port, with different dock gates. Give your driver the terminal from your e-ticket when you book.
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.
Princess coach transfer or a private car?
Princess 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, Princess 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.
Princess sailings from Southampton after the summer rush
Princess is best known in Southampton for its summer programme, but the work does not simply stop in September. Late-season voyages, repositioning voyages that take a ship across the Atlantic or south towards warmer water, and the occasional festive itinerary all still need a car to the quayside. Princess ships usually use Ocean Terminal at Berth 46/47, reached through Dock Gate 4 in the Eastern Docks, and that stays the same whatever the weather. What changes is the drive itself: darker mornings, slower going on the M3 when fog settles, and more luggage per passenger.
Cold-weather cruising means bulkier cases. A winter coat for the walk to the terminal, layers for a chilly sail-away and lighter clothes for the warm end of the trip take up more room than a summer wardrobe, so check the vehicle size before you book. A saloon takes up to four people with two large cases; an MPV takes up to six people with four. If you have already had your Medallion posted out for MedallionClass, keep it in your hand luggage rather than in a case that disappears with the porters at Ocean Terminal.
- The car is warm before you get in, so nobody stands about at Ocean Terminal in a cold wind waiting for a lift.
- Your driver watches the inbound flight and the ship's progress, so a storm-delayed docking simply moves the pickup.
- No connecting train to miss when winter engineering works put replacement buses on the line.
- Heavy coats and extra cases go in the boot at the same fixed fare agreed before travel.
Outside the cruise season the same drivers handle Southampton to Heathrow chauffeur runs and wider airport transfers, which is useful if your winter holiday begins with a flight rather than a ship.
Questions
Which Southampton terminal does Princess sail from?
Usually the Ocean Cruise Terminal or City Cruise Terminal. Check your e-ticket, because terminal allocations change by sailing.
How much is a private transfer from Heathrow to a Princess 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 Princess passengers park at Southampton?
Princess 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.
Can you take us to a Princess repositioning voyage or late-season sailing?
Yes. We book Princess transfers in the shoulder and winter months exactly as we do in summer, at a fixed fare per vehicle with luggage included. Tell us the ship and the sailing date and we time the pickup to your check-in, leaving a little extra margin on dark mornings when the M3 can slow right down in fog or heavy rain.
What happens if rough weather makes our Princess ship late back into Southampton?
Your driver follows the ship's progress rather than relying on the printed arrival time. Ships returning to Southampton are usually alongside by about 06:00, but an Atlantic storm or strong winds in the Solent can push that back. If the ship docks late, the pickup moves with it and you are met at Ocean Terminal once you have cleared the building with your cases.
More Southampton cruise guides
- P&O Cruises transfers from Southampton
- Cunard transfers from Southampton
- MSC Cruises transfers from Southampton
- Royal Caribbean transfers from Southampton
- Celebrity transfers from Southampton
- All cruise line transfers
- All five Southampton cruise terminals
Transfers by cruise line: Cunard, P&O Cruises, MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Fred. Olsen, Disney Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises.