What are the Benefits of sailing from a UK port

There are several pro’s and cons to sailing from a UK cruise port – totally depending on what is most important to you.

The first significant positive is that for the majority of peaople it is an opportunity to enjoy a no fly cruise. So for guests that do not want to fly or for those who perhaps do not like the airport experience a no fly cruise is a great way to see the world or get to warmer climates.

The other main advantage relates to the more generous luggage allowance. On a no fly cruise there really is no luggage restrictions and whilst some cruise lines may impose a limit it would be 4 – 5 greater than the usual 20 kgs imposed by airlines. So if you really do want to take the kitchen sink a no fly cruise is perfect for you. However do remember that your stateroom on board ship will be restricted on wardrobe / cabin space.

Whilst the cruise itself may be more expensive to sail out of a UK port you will avoid the cost of the flights so this may still place a sailing out of the UK at a cost advantage.

Obviously it is mainly the British cruise lines that sail out of the UK so look for P&O Cruises, Cunard and Fred Olsen, though more cruise lines are now using UK ports as a host for at least 1 ship particularly during the paek Mediterranean season.

The main itineraries for UK embarkations include The Mediterranean, Canary Islands ,Norwegian Fjords and Transatlantic cruises.

Perhaps the only disadvantage of sailing from a UK port is the climate. It generally takes 2 full days and nights to reach the Mediterranean from Southampton. Sailing across the Bay of Biscay can be quite rough and so for sun worshippers just be aware that it may take 2 days before it is warm and calm enough to sunbathe on deck and the same may apply to your return sailing.

The potentially rougher seas may also increase the risk of sea sickness. It is not a particularly pleasant feeling but soon dissapears once you are in calmer seas or on land. There are also several remedies that other guests have informed us help to prevent sea sickness – always handy to take some on board just in case. Amazon offer a good range of sea sickness patches, tablets and bands – see here. If you do suffer from sea sickness and have no remedies available to you the ships medical facility will be able to help you – though at a cost !

Most guests sailing out of the UK will sail from Southampton – the UK’s busiest cruise port. On a busy changover day there can be as many as 6 ships docked at the various terminals at Southampton Cruise Port. Traffic can be very slow and hectic – while Google maps would suggest it takes about 15 minutes to travel the couple of miles from the end of the M27 to the port it has taken us over 3 hours in the past due to traffic.

So if you are travelling to Southampton cruise port on the day we would suggest allowing plenty of time for your journey. However we prefer to stay the night before in one of the hotels at the port. Expedia offer a full portfolio of Southampton Cruise Port hotels – see here

P&O and Cunard often offer car parking for the duration of your cruise adjacent to the cruise terminal but for guests who would prefer to park and stay outside of the city centre Holiday Extra’s have some great stay and park deals available – see here