Facts checked October 2026 against operator sources. Prices and times change, the booking page wins.
The oldest of the five terminals and the furthest from the station. Budget a taxi rather than a walk with luggage.
Address and how to find it
QEII Cruise Terminal, Berth 38/39, Test Road, Southampton SO14 3GG. Enter Dock Gate 4, take the second exit at the first roundabout, continue about a mile along Test Road; the terminal is on the right. On foot: 1 mile from Dock Gate 4, about 20 minutes. Bus: Platform Tavern stop (routes 19, 19A, U1A, U1C, U1E) is a mile away; Southampton NOCS (U1A, U1E) 0.7 miles.
Opened
1966, upgraded 2003 and 2016.
Cruise lines
Cunard (Queen Mary 2 is a regular at berth 38/39), P&O, with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Silversea, Regent and Oceania on some calls. Assignments are not fixed, so trust the terminal named in your boarding documents.
Getting here on embarkation day
| From | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Southampton Central | Taxi from the rank (south exit) or walk | 2.5 miles, 45-50 minutes on foot, 5-10 minutes by taxi |
| Southampton Airport | Taxi, or train to Southampton Central (7-16 minutes) then taxi | about 20 minutes, 5.2 miles |
| Heathrow | Pre-booked car via M3, or National Express route 032 to the coach station then taxi | 1 h 25 by car; 1 h 25 to 1 h 50 by coach |
| Gatwick | Pre-booked car, or train via Clapham Junction to Southampton Central | 1 h 45 by car; about 2 h by train |
| London Waterloo | South Western Railway to Southampton Central, then taxi | 1 h 12 to 2 h by train |
Parking
CPS (the Carnival UK parking operator) parks cars inside the port for P&O, Cunard and Princess sailings; quote per cruise. Every terminal has a short-stop drop-off lane at the entrance for unloading luggage. See cruise parking in Southampton for prices and the off-site alternatives.
Next step: get to the terminal without the queue
Pre-booked cars meet you at Heathrow, Gatwick or Southampton Central and drive straight to QEII Cruise Terminal. Prices are fixed when you book, drivers track the flight, and the car waits if you are late. Taxis from the rank at Southampton Central cost around £10 and take 5-10 minutes.
Port transfers: KiwitaxiCompare drivers: GetTransferSleep near the port the night before
Most ships board between 11:00 and 15:00. A hotel within a mile of the docks turns embarkation day into a short taxi ride, and several of them sell park-and-cruise packages with parking for the length of the voyage.
Hotels near the terminals: Booking.comHostels and budget rooms: HostelworldWalking distances and drive times are from ABP's passenger directions dated July 2025; line assignments from the ABP provisional schedule for October 2026 to January 2027.