First cruise from London? Answers for first-time cruisers

Short answers for a first cruise from London, written for travelers flying in from the US or Canada. Where a rule belongs to one cruise line, such as boarding times or tipping, we quote that line's own page and name it, because the six lines on our schedule do not all work the same way.

Which London cruise port does my ship leave from?

Your booking names it. Every cruise on our schedule leaves from Dover, Greenwich or Tilbury, and each line uses one or two of them:

Port	Lines on our schedule	Sailings	Round trip or one-way
Dover	Holland America, Carnival, Seabourn, Azamara, Regent	95	Mostly round trips
Greenwich	Viking, Seabourn	40	One-way
Tilbury	Viking, Azamara	22	One-way

Viking sails from two of them, and its itinerary pages write "London (Greenwich)" or "London (Tilbury)", so check the name after "London". Southampton is a separate port and is not on this site. The ports guide compares Dover, Tilbury and Greenwich.

How far is my cruise port from central London?

Greenwich is the closest by train, and Dover is the longest trip. On the operators' pages, read November 9, 2026:

• Greenwich. Southeastern says the train from Greenwich to London Bridge takes about 10 minutes. The Greenwich guide covers where the ships board.
• Tilbury. c2c gives an average of 40 minutes from London Fenchurch Street to Tilbury Town, with a train every 30 minutes. You still have to get from the station to the terminal, and the Tilbury guide covers that last stretch.
• Dover. The Port of Dover puts Dover 76 miles southeast of London, with high-speed trains to London St Pancras International taking 66 minutes. It says the cruise terminals are a 30 to 40 minute walk from Dover Priory station, with taxi ranks at the station and at the terminals. See London to Dover and Heathrow to Dover.

Do I need a UK ETA for a cruise from London?

Most likely, yes. GOV.UK says you usually need an electronic travel authorisation, an ETA, rather than a visa if you are from the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia or certain other countries. It also says you need one if you are only passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing your journey. On November 9, 2026, an ETA cost £20 and let you travel to the UK for up to 6 months.

Apply before you fly. The documents guide covers the ETA, passports and the rest of the paperwork.

Should I fly to London the day before my cruise?

Yes. Holland America says it always recommends arriving in the departure city one or two days before the cruise, to adjust to the time change, get your bearings and leave a buffer for flight delays.

The flying guide covers which airport to use, and the hotel guides cover London and Dover.

What time should I get to the ship?

At the time your cruise line gives you. Each line sets it its own way, on its own pages read November 9, 2026:

• Holland America. It gives every guest a check-in time, usually about two weeks before sailing, and asks you to arrive no earlier than 20 minutes before it. Check-in generally runs from noon until 90 minutes before departure.
• Viking. Embarkation begins at 11:00 am. If your stateroom is not ready, you can leave your luggage at the terminal and look around, but you must be back on board at least two hours before departure.
• Azamara. Embarkation begins at 2 pm local time and runs until 90 minutes before departure.

For Carnival, Seabourn and Regent, use the time in your cruise documents.

How does a one-way cruise from London work?

It leaves London and ends somewhere else, so you fly home from that city, not from London. 83 of the 157 sailings on our schedule are one-way. On November 9, 2026, every sailing from Greenwich and Tilbury was one-way, and Bergen and Belfast were the most common end ports, with 25 and 12 sailings.

• Book the right ticket. An open-jaw ticket flies you into London and home from the end city. Check the end port on the sailing page before you buy it.
• Viking Air. Viking's FAQ says roundtrip airport transfers are included when you buy flights through Viking Air.
• Leave time. Seabourn recommends at least 3 to 5 hours between the ship and your flight, at both ends of the cruise.
• Every end port. The northern Europe guide lists where each one-way trip finishes and who sails it.

What does the starting fare on this site include?

Each fare is a starting fare per person in US dollars, for the cheapest cabin listed on the day we checked, with taxes and port fees included. For today's schedule that day is November 9, 2026. The fares come from Cruisebound, a US cruise agency that sells to buyers in the US and Canada. We are an independent schedule, not a cruise line or a travel agency.

• The cheapest cabin differs by line. On November 9, 2026, Holland America's, Carnival's and Azamara's starting fares were mostly for interior cabins, Viking's almost all for balcony cabins, and Seabourn's and Regent's for suites.
• It is not live. Fares change daily, so check the current price before you book.
• It is not the whole trip. Gratuities where a line charges them, drinks you buy on board, flights, hotels and the trip to the port are extra.

The lowest starting fare on our schedule is $783 per person, and the lowest per night is $78. The cheap cruises page sorts every sailing both ways.

Why does the cruise line say 15 days when this site says 14 nights?

Viking counts days and we count nights. Its own page sells the 14-night British Isles & Ireland trip from London (Greenwich) to Belfast as 15 days. Sailings on our schedule run 7 to 42 nights, and 69 of them are 14 nights. The cruise length pages group them by length.

Are gratuities included on a cruise from London?

Not on Viking, Holland America or Carnival, which add a daily amount to your onboard account. Seabourn, Azamara and Regent say gratuities are included or not expected. On each line's own page, read November 9, 2026:

Line	Gratuities
Viking	Recommended $20 per person per night, added to your shipboard account at that rate unless you prepay. Viking says the amount is your choice
Holland America	US $18.00 per guest per day outside suites and US $20.00 in suites, added daily and adjustable on board
Carnival	$17.00 per guest per day in standard staterooms and $19.00 in suites, for guests aged 2 and older, prepaid or added to your Sail & Sign account
Seabourn	Tipping is neither required nor expected
Azamara	All onboard gratuities included in every fare, for housekeeping, dining and bar staff
Regent	All gratuities included in the fare, except for Serene Spa & Wellness services

Two lines also add a service charge to extras. Holland America adds 20% to drinks and specialty restaurant charges and 18% to spa and salon services, and Carnival adds 20% to drinks and specialty dining.

Are drinks included?

On Viking, Seabourn and Azamara, some are, according to each line's own page:

• Viking. Wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, and tea and coffee at any hour. Its Silver Spirits Beverage Package, for unlimited drinks in every bar and lounge, cost $27 per night on Viking's page on November 9, 2026.
• Seabourn. It lists premium spirits and fine wines as complimentary on board at all times.
• Azamara. Select standard spirits, international beers, and one red and one white wine by the glass each day.

Holland America and Carnival both add a 20% service charge to the drinks you buy. For Regent, check with the line.

What currency is used on board?

US dollars, on the lines whose pages say. Viking, Holland America and Seabourn each say prices and onboard accounts are in US dollars. Carnival's Sail & Sign account is cashless, and cash deposits at Guest Services must be in US dollars. Carnival also says it does not exchange currency on board on Europe cruises, and suggests the ATM on board or in port for euros. For Azamara and Regent, ask the line.

Prices in our guides for trains, taxis and hotels are in pounds, as each operator prints them, with the date we read them. We do not convert them to dollars, because the exchange rate moves.

When is the best time to cruise from London?

Late March to October, when almost every ship leaves. Our schedule starts on March 31, 2027, and most departures fall between June and September. The season guide covers each month, the midnight sun in Norway and Viking's northern lights trips in winter.