Facts checked October 2026 against operator sources. Prices and times change, the booking page wins.
ABP publishes a provisional cruise ship schedule for Southampton that runs about three and a half months ahead and refreshes every ten minutes from the port's live system. It lists each call by ship name, berth, arrival, departure and agent. Berth is the clue to the terminal: 38/39 QEII, 46 Ocean, 101 City, 102 Horizon, 106 Mayflower.
The live schedule
ABP: Provisional Cruise Ship Schedule. Exact times appear under Planned Movements within six days of the call. Passengers should still confirm terminal and boarding time with the cruise line.
Ships based in Southampton in 2026
| Line | Ships from Southampton | Season |
|---|---|---|
| P&O Cruises | Arcadia, Arvia, Aurora, Britannia, Iona, Ventura | year round; Iona and Arvia carry about 5,200 guests |
| Cunard | Queen Anne, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria | year round; QM2 transatlantics to New York |
| Fred. Olsen | Balmoral, Borealis | year round |
| Royal Caribbean | Liberty of the Seas | summer 2026, first Royal Caribbean season here in 18 years |
| Celebrity | Celebrity Apex | 8 May to 18 October 2026 |
| Princess | Sky Princess, Majestic Princess | 32 departures in 2026 |
| MSC | MSC Virtuosa summer; MSC Preziosa winter 2026-27 | year round between the two |
| NCL | Norwegian Sky, Star, Sun | summer |
| AIDA | AIDAnova February-March; AIDAperla spring | shoulder season |
| Regent, Silversea, Oceania | selected calls | mainly summer |
What changes in 2027
MSC Meraviglia replaces Virtuosa from 18 May 2027 for a six-month season. Royal Caribbean swaps Liberty for Freedom of the Seas from May to October 2027. Princess grows to 45 departures. P&O keeps Britannia in Southampton through winter 2027-28.
The shape of the year
Summer Saturdays can see all five terminals in use at once; ABP recorded its busiest year yet in 2025 with over three million passengers and around 450 calls. December is quiet by comparison, mostly P&O, Cunard and MSC turnarounds, with the Christmas and New Year sailings leaving between 12 and 21 December. See Christmas in Southampton for the winter programme.
Before you sail
Cruise insurance that covers missed departures and medical care at sea is a separate product from a normal travel policy. Compare it once, before the balance is due.
Travel insurance: EKTAWhere can I see which cruise ships are in Southampton today?
ABP's Provisional Cruise Ship Schedule and the Vessels Alongside page on southamptonvts.co.uk, updated every ten minutes.
How far ahead is the Southampton cruise schedule published?
About three and a half months, with precise times only for the next six days. Berths are allocated up to two years ahead but not published.
Which cruise lines sail from Southampton?
P&O, Cunard and Fred. Olsen year round; Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, MSC, Princess, NCL, AIDA, Regent, Silversea and Oceania seasonally.