About Portsmouth Cruise Port
Where it is
Portsmouth International Port sits at the head of Portsmouth Harbour (PO2 8SP, Wharf Road) — both a cruise embarkation port and a Ferry terminal to France, Spain and the Channel Islands. Cunard, MSC, Saga, Marella (TUI) and Fred Olsen sail seasonal cruises from here; Brittany Ferries (St Malo, Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre, Santander, Bilbao) and Condor (Channel Islands) operate year-round ferry routes from the same facility.
How to get there
From Southampton: M27 east (J1 to J11) — around 40 minutes. From Heathrow: M25 / M3 / M27 — around 2h. From Gatwick: M23 / M27 — around 1h 45m. From central London: A3 / M27 — around 2h. The terminal sits at the head of the harbour with a compact forecourt drop-off; pre-booked transfers drop directly at the cruise check-in entrance.
Cruise vs ferry — which terminal?
Portsmouth International Port handles both cruise (Cunard, MSC, Saga, Marella) and ferry (Brittany, Condor) services from the same site. The cruise check-in is in the main terminal building; the ferry passenger area is separate. Tell us at booking which one and we drop at the right entrance. Wightlink Isle of Wight ferries operate from a different, smaller facility (Portsmouth Harbour, separate from PO2 8SP).
Which cruise lines sail from Portsmouth
Cunard (Queen Anne — first ship to use Portsmouth from 2024), MSC Cruises (occasional UK turnarounds), Saga (Spirit of Adventure, Spirit of Discovery), Marella TUI (Marella Discovery, Marella Explorer), Fred Olsen, plus expedition-style smaller cruise lines. Itineraries focus on Northern Europe, Baltic, Norway and Iberian peninsula.
What is included
Fixed price covers M27 tolls, the Portsmouth International Port drop-off fee, meet-and-greet at the airport of origin (where applicable), flight tracking, luggage handling at the terminal and 60 minutes free wait on inbound flights. For ferry sailings, sailing-timed pickup is built in.