Before My Cruise

If you have any medical or mobility needs you should have contacted us prior to booking. If you haven't already made us aware then you must do this as soon as possible after booking. This is because we need to ensure that the cruise line is aware and can accommodate your request. If you have not already made us aware of your medical or mobility needs please click here to fill out the Manage My Trip form and we will do our best to assist you.

If you will be bringing a wheelchair or mobility scooter onboard you should have contacted us prior to booking. If you haven't already made us aware then you must do this as soon as possible after booking. This is because we need to ensure that the cruise line is aware and can accommodate your request. If you have not already made us aware of your wheelchair or mobility scooter please click here to fill out the Manage My Trip form and we will do our best to assist you.

Depending on the destinations that you will visit on your cruise, you may need a VISA in order to travel. To make sure you are fully prepared, we strongly recommend that you visit the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website for all the latest travel, health and VISA information if you are travelling to a destination outside the EU.

Please be aware that it is your sole responsibility to obtain any required VISAs for your cruise. We recommend that you check in plenty of time before your holiday so that you can obtain any VISAs or permits that are necessary for your cruise.

Travel insurance is required by all passengers on a cruise. We recommend that you purchase your travel insurance prior to making your booking to make sure that you can get cover for the entirety of your cruise, particularly if you are concerned about attaining travel insurance if you have any pre-existing medical conditions. If you do not purchase travel insurance prior to your booking, please do it as soon as possible after you book your cruise.

Things you should consider when purchasing travel insurance are medical conditions, COVID-19 cover and financial protection for at least the entire cost of your holiday.

If you are yet to book your travel insurance find out more about a provider that Seascanner highly recommends: https://www.seascanner.co.uk/travel-insurance

Booking cruise transfers is optional, but if you prefer not to drive to your cruise departure port, or if driving is not an option, opting for a cruise transfer can offer various benefits and conveniences. This service takes you from a specific location, like your home, airport, hotel, train station, or another designated meeting point, directly to the cruise port where your ship is docked, or vice versa.

If you haven't arranged cruise transfers or are considering doing so, find out more about a provider that Seascanner highly recommends here: https://www.seascanner.co.uk/cruise-transfers

You can spend as much or as little as you would like to when on your cruise. When it comes to budgeting, you may want to consider drinks, shore excursions, specialty restaurants, onboard shopping, days out in port, gratuities (if applicable), spa and beauty treatments, Wi-Fi and laundry services. 

It’s a good idea to think about what you will be doing onboard before you set sail on your cruise. This will help you decide on a budget as you will be more aware of what you would like to purchase on your cruise.

If you don’t want to splash out all at once on your cruise, you can add certain things to your booking before you set sail to help you spread out the cost. These include things like drinks packages, shore excursions and gratuities (if applicable). If you would like to add anything on to your booking before you set sail, please fill out the Manage My Trip form and we will get in touch with you to let you know what’s possible.

The majority of cruise lines prohibit their guests from bringing alcohol onboard when they embark on their ship. However, some cruise lines do allow passengers to bring a bottle of wine or champagne with them. If you’re thinking about taking alcohol onboard your cruise, we recommend that you check with the cruise line to see if you’re allowed.

There isn’t a simple yes or no answer to this question unfortunately. However, most cruise lines who sail from the UK provide tea and coffee making facilities in their cabins. Some cruise lines, such as P&O Cruises, always include these facilities in their cabins, no matter where they are sailing to and from.

If you find yourself without a tea and coffee making facility in your cabin, there’s no need to panic. There are plenty of places on a ship where you can make yourself a tea or coffee, so you don’t have to worry about going without whilst on your holiday.

All the details you need to know about embarking on your cruise can be found in your Cruise Personaliser and on your tickets. This should include which cruise terminal you are sailing from. You will also find stewards dotted around the cruise port who are on hand to assist you with getting to the appropriate cruise terminal.

You can travel to Southampton by train, coach, car or an aeroplane.

The Port of Southampton is situated just a couple of miles away from the train station. If you are travelling by train to Southampton Central station, you can either walk or take a taxi to the cruise terminal. A taxi would take you about 10 minutes from the train station to the cruise terminal.

There are various coach companies that operate from all over the UK taking passengers to the Southampton cruise terminal. You can either organise this independently or see if the cruise line you are sailing with operates a nearby coach service.

If you are thinking of driving down, there are various car parks available at Southampton cruise terminal. This can be booked online with various providers.

Finally, if you live further afield, then you may have to fly to Southampton. Southampton Airport is situated 5 miles away from Southampton cruise terminal. After you land at Southampton airport, your best option is to take a taxi to the cruise terminal. This will take you around 15-20 minutes.

If you’re struggling to find an answer to your question, please return to our frequently asked questions page by clicking here. If you are unable to find an answer to your question, our customer support team will be more than happy to help you.

If you have made a booking with us already and want to discuss this with us, please click here to fill out the Manage My Trip form with all of the details requested.

If you are yet to make a booking with us, please click here to contact us and submit your enquiry. We will be in touch with you as soon as we can.