Sailing from Southampton Cruise Terminal gives cruise passengers many options to get to their cruise at different price points, risk levels and timing.  On a summer Sunday, there are thousands of cruise passengers, generally with the big checked bags and extra luggage, making their way to multiple ships leaving port that day.

Here are your options to travel from London to Southampton Cruise Port:

• Stay overnight at a local Southampton hotel – can be expensive and needs to be booked far in advance
• Cruise shuttle from the airport via the cruise line tour offerings (cruise line guarantee)
  • Shuttle leaves day of cruise but you can arrive a few days in advance (recommended) and then go back to the airport to meet the cruise shuttle (I’ve done this in a few cities)
• Private Car/Taxi
• Daily scheduled bus service from London to Southampton Central, transfer by taxi to the port
• Daily Train service from London and other cities to Southampton Central, transfer by taxi to the port or 30-minute walk
  • Check all sources for scheduled train disruptions, railworks, strikes or other actions that may interfere with your travel dates before booking train tickets.

As I booked my cruise less than a month out, I didn’t have the Southampton hotel or airport cruise shuttle options available so I stayed in London and booked my 9 a.m. train ticket from Waterloo to arrive by noon. The ship check-in started at noon and ended at 3pm so I felt I had given myself a good cushion for disruption (spoiler alert – there was a disruption).

I woke up to a message that my train to Southampton was canceled due to disruption on the line near Southampton. I was told to go to Waterloo station to find another train to board with my ticket. The UK train system no longer surprises me; it infuriates me and confounds me and my heightened passion on the absurdity of the trains amuses my UK friends.  I could share so many stories of disrupted train travel in the UK over the years but apparently nothing I experienced was really that bad according to my friends as I did get notice as the actions, disruptions, strikes, etc. which are scheduled in advance for the most part. That brings me no comfort, to be honest, as I’ve needed to resort to more expensive taxis to get where I need to go.

Waterloo Train Station – Train to Southampton Central (for Cruise Passengers)

Arriving at Waterloo Station, I read the departure boards to see what my train options to Southampton would be since my train canceled.  I saw the next train was thirty minutes later so milled about the area to make a run for it when the boarding started. Imagine this, hundreds of cruise passengers with the big bags, limited seats and limited storage options – you’d run to be first onboard as well.   A couple approached me to ask about the train and we realized we would be on the same cruise to Norway/Iceland.  I explained that our tickets can be scanned at the gate (confirmed with train staff ahead of time) and that the train had 10 cars with five cars going to Southampton and the other cars splitting off at one point to go elsewhere (I stopped questioning this logic). When boarding was announced, I lost them at the ticket barriers and thought they’d catch up but didn’t see them on the train which was teeming with people in every car.  I boarded car 5, which would become car 1 when the train split according to staff.  Sadly, this train was not equipped with luggage space, which you’d think they’d have on a Sunday when thousands were going to the cruise terminal.  The train felt more like a commuter train with 2-2 seating and a rack above your seat for storage or under the seat.

I found a seat near the exit door and put my luggage initially on the adjacent seat (wishful thinking) then under my feet (barely fitting) and my backpack above.  One couple had four large suitcases and the husband was left to stand and attend to them in the area between cars.  Everyone was chatting about the absurdity of it all and eventually the train pulled away a few minutes late.  The conductor walked about at first before we hit the more commuter part of the stations/stops when the aisles would fill with passengers standing between stops.   The people ebbed and flowed until it seemed only cruise passengers were left. At one point, the disruption in the rail lines by Southampton became more evident online and folks were worried. The conductor said “when the cars split, this won’t be car 1 to Southampton as you were told, it’s going to be Car 1 to x destination”.  I mentally prepared how to exit at the train station and whether or not there would be space in the other cars to Southampton.  While I was calculating all options and potential options at the train station, the conductor returned to announce “the train will just end in x town”.

UK Train Ends Short of Southampton Central Train Station

I’m sorry what?  The train is just ending in a random town and everyone will need to explode out (we were packed in like a can of biscuits) and find their own way to Southampton?  Welcome to the UK folks where it’s ok to end the train service in a random town and let you fend for yourself.  How is that even allowed?  Seriously how is a train company allowed to strand you in a town without a way to your ultimate destination?

My friends were nonplussed “because this happens a lot, upside you get a refund” they said.  I didn’t care about $20, I wanted to arrive in Southampton as planned.  But that wouldn’t be the case. I looked at this little town/village on google maps and wondered how many taxis exist to serve hundreds of cruise passengers and their very big luggage (small cars don’t have much boot/trunk) space.  According to Uber, not many.

I managed to exit the train rather quickly as I was keen to get to the taxi rank as soon as possible. Weirdly I heard someone yell my name on the platform and I looked up to see that couple I met in the station.  They said to come with them so I ran toward them.  I had to carry my checked bag up the flights of stairs and then down on the other side.  They had managed to pre-book a taxi and we were going to be able to skip the taxi lines which were already long from other trains that stopped short.  For all the travel disruptions and ridiculousness, I generally encounter this was the first time I was rescued and it was lovely. The train stopped about 25 minutes driving away from Southampton cruise terminal.  The taxi driver said he was going to be busy today having already dropped off other cruise passengers.

Once at the cruise terminal, the couple left me and I didn’t see them again on the nearly two-week cruise.

I’m sure you are thinking “she should have taken the bus or a taxi from London when the train was disrupted” and I thought the same thing until I learned there was an accident on the motorway blocking traffic for miles and hours.  No matter what transit mode you chose that day, everyone was delayed.  Cars and busses backed up, trains stopping short, taxis running back and forth from multiple towns.

Cruise Ship Delayed Departure from Southampton

Since the cruise ship was required to wait until all the cruise sponsored shuttles and tours arrived/returned there was ample time for everyone to find their way to the ship. I met one woman who had the worst travel journey – her flight out of Philadelphia was delayed so much due to weather that she missed the cruise shuttle at the airport.  She called the cruise ship line and was told to get a cab to port unaware of the accident.  This was her first international flight, first trip to London and first cruise as she had just quit her long-term job due to burnout. She said she was the last passenger to arrive before they closed down the check in area and escorted her to boarding.  I met her at dinner and every part of her story stressed me out. For many people we had a collective stressful experience whether by rail, bus or car that day but very quickly as we heard the horn and pushed away from the dock that stress melted and we were officially on our cruise vacation to Norway & Iceland on the NCL Prima.