Which Southampton Cruise Terminal? A Full Berth-by-Berth Guide (101, 46, 106 + Cruise Lines)

"Southampton cruise port" isn't actually one building — it's five separate cruise terminals, spread across two dock areas on opposite sides of the city, each with its own berth number, dock gate, and postcode. Turn up at the wrong one on embarkation morning with a full car and a hard check-in deadline, and you're looking at a detour through Southampton city-centre traffic that you really don't have time for.

This guide breaks down every terminal — Berth 101, Berth 46, Berth 106, Berth 102 and Berth 38/39 — exactly where each one is, which cruise lines typically use it, and how to confirm your specific terminal before you travel, so which southampton cruise terminal you need is never a last-minute guess.

The Golden Rule First: Terminal Assignments Are Not Fixed

Before the breakdown, the single most important thing in this whole guide: cruise lines are not permanently tied to one terminal. P&O might sail from Ocean Terminal one week and Mayflower the next. Cunard's usual home is QEII, but not every sailing. MSC has used City, Horizon and other terminals depending on the day. The pairings below are genuinely useful general patterns — but the only source that reflects your specific sailing is the berth number printed on your e-ticket or boarding pass, checked again a few days before you travel.

Southampton's Five Cruise Terminals at a Glance

• City Cruise Terminal — Berth 101 · Western Docks · Dock Gate 8 · SO15 1HJ

• Horizon Cruise Terminal — Berth 102 · Western Docks · Dock Gate 10 · SO15 1AW

• Mayflower Cruise Terminal — Berth 106 · Western Docks · Dock Gate 20 (also reachable via Gate 10) · SO15 1HJ

• Ocean Cruise Terminal — Berth 46/47 · Eastern Docks · Dock Gate 4 · SO14 3QN

• QEII Cruise Terminal — Berth 38/39 · Eastern Docks · Dock Gate 4 · SO14 3GG

Notice the split: City, Horizon and Mayflower sit in the Western Docks, while Ocean and QEII sit in the Eastern Docks — on the opposite side of the city centre. Confusing "Ocean Terminal" with "Southampton cruise port" in general and heading for the wrong docks is the single most common terminal mistake passengers make, and it isn't a five-minute fix once you've done it — it's a proper drive back around through town.

The Terminals, One by One

City Cruise Terminal — Berth 101 (Western Docks)

City Cruise Terminal is entered via Dock Gate 8, address SO15 1HJ. It's one of the terminals within realistic walking distance of Southampton city centre and Southampton Central station — around 15 minutes on foot if you're travelling light, though most passengers with luggage will want a short taxi ride instead. City Terminal, alongside neighbouring Mayflower, is closest to the coach station, Southampton Central railway station, and hotels including the Novotel, Ibis and Holiday Inn.

Typical users: MSC Cruises, Royal Caribbean, and P&O on some sailings.

Horizon Cruise Terminal — Berth 102 (Western Docks)

Horizon is Southampton's newest terminal, entered via Dock Gate 10, address SO15 1AW. Like City Terminal, it sits in the Western Docks corridor, relatively close to the city centre.

Typical users: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises, and Fred. Olsen on some sailings.

Mayflower Cruise Terminal — Berth 106 (Western Docks)

Mayflower is entered via Dock Gate 20, though Dock Gate 10 also reaches it — worth flagging clearly to your driver, since this is the terminal that most often catches people out on which gate to use. Address: SO15 1HJ.

Typical users: P&O Cruises and Disney Cruise Line, with Cunard and Royal Caribbean also using it on some sailings.

Ocean Cruise Terminal — Berth 46/47 (Eastern Docks)

Ocean Cruise Terminal sits on Cunard Road, entered via Dock Gate 4, address SO14 3QN. This is the first of the two Eastern Docks terminals — a genuinely different part of the port to City, Horizon and Mayflower, roughly a mile from Southampton Central station in the opposite direction. On "double header" days, when both Eastern Docks berths (Ocean and QEII) are in use at once, Dock Gate 4 can get congested — if traffic is heavy, it's sometimes quicker to be dropped near the pedestrian entrance by the National Oceanography Centre and walk the last short stretch.

Typical users: P&O Cruises, Cunard, and Princess Cruises.

QEII Cruise Terminal — Berth 38/39 (Eastern Docks)

Named after the historic liner, QEII Terminal shares Dock Gate 4 with Ocean Terminal, but is a different berth — 38/39 rather than 46/47 — and about a mile further along Test Road from the gate. It's the traditional home of transatlantic Cunard sailings, with 1,000 seats in the check-in hall and VIP lounges for suite passengers.

Typical users: Cunard (including Queen Mary 2 transatlantic crossings), Fred. Olsen, Saga, and other smaller or boutique lines.

Which Cruise Line Uses Which Southampton Cruise Terminal?

Here's the same information flipped around by cruise line, since most passengers search for their own line first:

• P&O Cruises — most commonly Ocean Terminal (Berth 46) or Mayflower Terminal (Berth 106), with City Terminal used on some sailings.

• Cunard — historically based at QEII Terminal (Berth 38/39), including Queen Mary 2 transatlantic departures, though other terminals are used occasionally.

• Princess Cruises — typically Ocean Terminal (Berth 46) or QEII Terminal (Berth 38/39).

• MSC Cruises — frequently City Terminal (Berth 101) or Horizon Terminal (Berth 102).

• Royal Caribbean International — usually Horizon Terminal (Berth 102), City Terminal (Berth 101), or Mayflower Terminal (Berth 106).

• Celebrity Cruises — commonly Horizon Terminal (Berth 102) or City Terminal (Berth 101).

• NCL (Norwegian Cruise Line) — varies by sailing, most often City, Horizon, or Mayflower terminal.

• Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines — typically QEII Terminal (Berth 38/39) or Ocean Terminal (Berth 46).

• Disney Cruise Line — usually Mayflower Terminal (Berth 106) or Ocean Terminal (Berth 46).

• Saga Ocean Cruises and smaller/boutique lines — most often QEII Terminal (Berth 38/39).

Remember: these are patterns, not fixed assignments. If a cruise line has two ships in Southampton on the same day, they will use two different terminals — so even loyal passengers on the same cruise line shouldn't assume they'll get the same terminal as last time.

How to Confirm Your Exact Terminal Before You Travel

Given how much the assignment can move around, check in this order of reliability:

1. Your e-ticket or boarding pass. This is the only document that reflects your specific sailing, and it names the terminal directly. Screenshot it.

2. Your cruise line's app or "manage my booking" portal. This usually mirrors your e-ticket and updates automatically if the terminal changes.

3. The Southampton VTS cruise ship schedule. Associated British Ports (ABP) publishes a provisional daily schedule showing which ship is at which berth — cross-reference the berth number against the table above to identify the terminal. It's genuinely useful for confirming, but it's provisional, so treat your e-ticket as the final word.

4. Your transfer provider. If you've pre-booked a private transfer, hand over your terminal and berth details in advance rather than on the morning — a driver who already knows whether you need Western Docks or Eastern Docks, and which dock gate, removes one more thing to think about on travel day.

A Note on Dock Gates (Because They Matter More Than the Terminal Name)

Taxi drivers, sat navs and traffic marshals respond far better to a dock gate number than a terminal name, so it's worth knowing both:

• Dock Gate 4 covers both Eastern Docks terminals — Ocean and QEII.

• Dock Gate 8 reaches City Terminal.

• Dock Gate 10 reaches Horizon Terminal (and can also reach Mayflower).

• Dock Gate 20 is the primary route into Mayflower Terminal.

There's no single "Western Docks gate" the way there is for the Eastern Docks — so if your terminal is City, Horizon or Mayflower, confirm the specific gate rather than just heading for "the Western Docks."

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many cruise terminals does Southampton have?

  Five — City (Berth 101), Horizon (Berth 102), Mayflower (Berth 106), Ocean (Berth 46/47) and QEII (Berth 38/39). City, Horizon and Mayflower are in the Western Docks; Ocean and QEII are in the Eastern Docks on the opposite side of the city.

• Which southampton cruise terminal does P&O use?

  Most commonly Ocean Terminal (Berth 46) or Mayflower Terminal (Berth 106), with City Terminal used on some sailings. Always confirm the exact terminal on your e-ticket, since P&O does not sail from the same terminal every time.

• Which terminal does Cunard use in Southampton?

  Cunard's traditional home is QEII Terminal (Berth 38/39), including Queen Mary 2's transatlantic crossings, though other terminals are used occasionally.

• What terminal does MSC Cruises use in southampton cruise port?

  MSC most frequently uses City Terminal (Berth 101) or Horizon Terminal (Berth 102), though this varies by sailing.

• Which berth does Royal Caribbean use in Southampton?

  Royal Caribbean commonly uses Horizon Terminal (Berth 102), City Terminal (Berth 101), or Mayflower Terminal (Berth 106), depending on the specific sailing.

• Where does Princess Cruises depart from in Southampton?

  Princess Cruises typically sails from Ocean Terminal (Berth 46) or QEII Terminal (Berth 38/39).

• Are Southampton's cruise terminals close together?

  Not really. City, Horizon and Mayflower sit together in the Western Docks, while Ocean and QEII sit together in the Eastern Docks, on the other side of the city centre. Mixing up the two dock areas means a genuine detour through Southampton, not a short walk.

• What's the most reliable way to find out which terminal I need?

  Your e-ticket or boarding pass — it's the only document tied to your specific sailing. Your cruise line's app is the next best source, followed by the ABP/Southampton VTS cruise schedule, which lists berth assignments for a given day.

Whichever of the five terminals you're sailing from, a pre-booked private transfer means you never have to be the one working out Eastern Docks versus Western Docks on the morning — just send us your terminal and berth details in advance, and we'll take care of the rest.