Port Review: Southampton, England

Southampton is the United Kingdom’s major cruise port, and a pleasant city of around 250,000 people with a few points of interest despite the fact that much of its historic medieval buildings were destroyed in WWII. The city of Southampton is a modern and bustling place to visit, filled with huge shopping malls, modern buildings and an interesting historical maritime history. It was the main port for trans-Atlantic traffic between Europe and New York, and today major cruise lines including Cunard and P&O have ships based here. 

The Facts

Location: The south coast of England.

Language: English.

Currency: British Pound.

Docking/Anchoring: Southampton has four cruise terminals which are spread out, but they’re all around five minutes by taxi to the city centre. Most cruise ships will operate a shuttle.

Transport: The public transport in and around the city of Southampton is excellent and buses, coaches and trains are all in plentiful supply.

Don’t Miss

The SeaCity Museum is the city’s premier tourist attraction which showcases Southampton’s key role in Britain’s maritime history, including an interactive scale model of Titanic which was christened here. 

The Civic Centre is home to the Guildhall, library and many significant events throughout the year.

Ocean Village is a trendy marina development full of waterfront attractions, restaurants, bars, cinemas and shops.

Best Photo Op

Some of Southampton’s medieval Town Walls remain intact, and Bargate is a building in the CBD which was part of the old fortification.

Shopping

The CBD is a good place to start with retail shops selling clothes and Bedford Place is where you’ll find independent up-market business, while there are department stores along Queensway and on Oxford Street there is a host of independent boutiques, salons and bars. WestQuay in the heart of the CBD is a relatively new mega-shopping mall with 150 shops including John Lewis and Marks and Spencer along with a handful of designer boutiques.

Food and Drink

There are themed pubs, designer cafes and good restaurants throughout the city, and Bedford Place and Oxford Street are perhaps to the two best areas in the CBD with a broad range of alternatives.

Pick of the Excursions

It’s just over an hour to London and if you’re offered shore excursions then a day trip to the British capital is the most popular tour if you have never visited before.

Half day shore excursions are also usually offered to the mythical Stonehenge and the ancient city of Salisbury, both set in the picturesque English countryside.