United Kingdom Cruise Comparison
1,189 upcoming sailings from 31 cruise lines
United Kingdom cruise port photos
Created by the Waterways Cruise content team and reviewed and fact-checked by J. Richard, Sr. Cruise Travel Agent and Founder of Waterways Cruise. Published · Last updated · About this page
At a glance: United Kingdom cruises on Waterways Cruise: 1,189 upcoming sailings from 31 cruise lines (28 ocean, 5 river, Emerald Cruises and Scenic Cruises in both). Lowest starting fares run from $179 per person (MSC Cruises) to $17,398 (Regent Seven Seas Cruises). Cunard lists the most sailings (142). 434 sailings start and 429 end in the United Kingdom.
Which cruise lines sail to United Kingdom, and how do they compare? This guide sorts the 31 lines with upcoming United Kingdom sailings by kind of cruise, then into ultra-luxury, luxury, premium and contemporary, and shows what each costs to start, how long their sailings run and which ships you would sail on. Every figure comes from the sailings we list today, so it moves as sailings are added and sold.
What counts as a United Kingdom cruise?
A sailing counts as a United Kingdom cruise if it will call at least once at a United Kingdom ship port. That covers ocean, river and expedition sailings, whether the United Kingdom is where the cruise begins, where it ends, or one stop on a longer route.
Of 1,189 upcoming sailings, 434 start in the United Kingdom, 429 end in the United Kingdom and 162 begin and end there. The other 488 (41%) visit the United Kingdom as a port of call on a longer route, often alongside France, Norway, Spain and other countries. Ocean and expedition sailings call at Southampton, Leith, Belfast, Kirkwall and Tortola Island BVI.
- United Kingdom cruise
- A sailing that will call at least once at a United Kingdom ship port.
- Starts in the United Kingdom
- The first stop is a United Kingdom ship port: 434 sailings.
- Ends in the United Kingdom
- The last stop is a United Kingdom ship port: 429 sailings, 162 of which also start there.
- Visits only
- United Kingdom is a port of call on a longer route: 488 sailings.
Ocean cruise lines in United Kingdom (28)
28 ocean and expedition cruise lines have upcoming sailings that call at United Kingdom: 1,151 in all. These sailings often call elsewhere too, most commonly France, Norway and Spain. The busiest ship ports are Southampton, Leith, Belfast, Kirkwall and Tortola Island BVI.
Scroll tables sideways on small screens.
Ultra-luxury ocean cruise lines (5)
Ultra-luxury lines sit at the top of the market. Five ultra-luxury ocean lines sail to United Kingdom, with 264 upcoming sailings between them. Seabourn Cruises has the most (119). Starting fares begin at $3,059 per person with Seabourn Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seabourn Cruises | 119 | $3,059 | 10–72 nights (typically 14) | 4 · Seabourn Ovation, Seabourn Pursuit, Seabourn Quest and Seabourn Venture |
| Regent Seven Seas Cruises | 78 | $17,398 | 10–24 nights (typically 12) | 7 · Seven Seas Explorer, Seven Seas Grandeur, Seven Seas Mariner, Seven Seas Navigator, Seven Seas Prestige, Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Voyager |
| Silversea Cruises | 50 | $4,400 | 10–25 nights (typically 12) | 7 · Silver Dawn, Silver Endeavour, Silver Nova, Silver Ray, Silver Shadow, Silver Spirit and Silver Wind |
| SeaDream Yacht Club | 12 | $9,719 | 7–11 nights (typically 7) | 2 · SeaDream I and SeaDream II |
| Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection | 5 | $9,800 | 7–12 nights (typically 9) | 2 · Ritz-Carlton Evrima and Ritz-Carlton Ilma |
Luxury ocean cruise lines (5)
Luxury lines sit just below ultra-luxury. Five luxury ocean lines sail to United Kingdom, with 190 upcoming sailings between them. Oceania Cruises has the most (101). Starting fares begin at $2,295 per person with Oceania Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oceania Cruises | 101 | $2,295 | 10–40 nights (typically 12) | 7 · Oceania Allura, Oceania Insignia, Oceania Marina, Oceania Nautica, Oceania Sirena, Oceania Sonata and Oceania Vista |
| MSC Explora Journeys | 40 | $4,020 | 7–19 nights (typically 7) | 5 · MSC Explora 1, MSC Explora 2, MSC Explora 3, MSC Explora 4 and MSC Explora 5 |
| Ponant Cruises | 35 | $4,240 | 7–11 nights (typically 7) | 7 · L'Austral, Le Bellot, Le Boreal, Le Bougainville, Le Champlain, Le Laperouse and Le Lyrial |
| Scenic Cruises | 8 | $6,463 | 9–11 nights (typically 11) | 2 · Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse 2 |
| Aurora Expeditions | 6 | $6,698 | 11–14 nights (typically 11) | 2 · Douglas Mawson and Sylvia Earle |
Premium ocean cruise lines (9)
Premium lines sit in the middle of the market. Nine premium ocean lines sail to United Kingdom, with 255 upcoming sailings between them. Viking Cruises has the most (86). Starting fares begin at $1,259 per person with Azamara Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viking Cruises | 86 | $2,299 | 9–26 nights (typically 12) | 13 · Viking Astrea, Viking Jupiter, Viking Libra, Viking Lyra, Viking Mars, Viking Mira, Viking Octantis, Viking Polaris, Viking Saturn, Viking Sea, Viking Sky, Viking Vela and Viking Vesta |
| Azamara Cruises | 56 | $1,259 | 10–46 nights (typically 11) | 3 · Azamara Journey, Azamara Onward and Azamara Quest |
| Crystal Cruises | 28 | $4,200 | 10–28 nights (typically 10) | 2 · Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony |
| Hapag-Lloyd Cruises | 24 | $4,516 | 10–19 nights (typically 13) | 5 · Hanseatic Inspiration, Hanseatic Nature, Hanseatic Spirit, ms Europa and ms Europa 2 |
| Windstar Cruises | 19 | $2,018 | 4–20 nights (typically 3) | 4 · Star Legend, Star Pride, Wind Spirit and Wind Surf |
| Quark Expeditions | 17 | $3,726 | 8–18 nights (typically 18) | 1 · World Explorer |
| Lindblad Expeditions | 14 | $6,750 | 7–11 nights (typically 7) | 3 · Lord of the Glens, National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Explorer |
| Atlas Ocean Voyages | 7 | $5,988 | 9–11 nights (typically 9) | 2 · World Navigator and World Voyager |
| Emerald Cruises | 4 | $4,795 | 7–14 nights (typically 14) | 2 · Emerald Kaia and Emerald Sakara |
Contemporary ocean cruise lines (8)
Contemporary lines are the most accessible tier. Eight contemporary ocean lines sail to United Kingdom, with 439 upcoming sailings between them. Cunard has the most (142). Starting fares begin at $179 per person with MSC Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cunard | 142 | $249 | 4–40 nights (typically 14) | 4 · Queen Anne, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria |
| Princess Cruises | 113 | $909 | 10–46 nights (typically 15) | 12 · Caribbean Princess, Coral Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, Enchanted Princess, Island Princess, Majestic Princess, Regal Princess, Sapphire Princess, Sky Princess, Star Princess and Sun Princess |
| Holland America | 58 | $969 | 10–29 nights (typically 14) | 7 · ms Eurodam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Nieuw Statendam, ms Oosterdam, ms Rotterdam, ms Volendam and ms Zuiderdam |
| MSC Cruises | 54 | $179 | 4–20 nights (typically 7) | 9 · MSC Euribia, MSC Magnifica, MSC Meraviglia, MSC Opera, MSC Preziosa, MSC Sinfonia, MSC Splendida, MSC Virtuosa and MSC World Europa |
| Norwegian Cruise Line | 42 | $599 | 7–14 nights (typically 10) | 15 · Norwegian Aura, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Gem, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Luna, Norwegian Pearl, Norwegian Prima, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Viva |
| Celebrity Cruises | 15 | $644 | 7–13 nights (typically 13) | 6 · Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Xcel |
| Royal Caribbean | 11 | $549 | 3–12 nights (typically 7) | 6 · Freedom Of The Seas, Grandeur Of The Seas, Liberty Of The Seas, Mariner Of The Seas, Rhapsody Of The Seas and Vision Of The Seas |
| Virgin Voyages | 4 | $1,668 | 6–10 nights (typically 8) | 4 · Brilliant Lady, Resilient Lady, Scarlet Lady and Valiant Lady |
Other ocean cruise lines (1)
These lines have not yet been placed in a style category. One other ocean line sails to United Kingdom, with 3 upcoming sailings. Starting fares begin at $1,450 per person with Star Clippers.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Clippers | 3 | $1,450 | 5–9 nights (typically 5) | 3 · Royal Clipper, Star Clipper and Star Flyer |
River cruise lines in United Kingdom (5)
5 river cruise lines have upcoming sailings that call at United Kingdom: 38 in all. Emerald Cruises and Scenic Cruises appear in more than one list, so the line counts by kind add up to more than 31.
Scroll tables sideways on small screens.
Luxury river cruise lines (1)
Luxury lines sit just below ultra-luxury. One luxury river line sails to United Kingdom, with 27 upcoming sailings. Starting fares begin at $5,977 per person with Scenic Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scenic Cruises | 27 | $5,977 | 13–34 nights (typically 17) | 10 · Scenic Amber, Scenic Diamond, Scenic Gem, Scenic Jade, Scenic Jasper, Scenic Jewel, Scenic Opal, Scenic Pearl, Scenic Ruby and Scenic Sapphire |
Premium river cruise lines (4)
Premium lines sit in the middle of the market. Four premium river lines sail to United Kingdom, with 10 upcoming sailings between them. Avalon Waterways has the most (5). Starting fares begin at $3,831 per person with Emerald Cruises.
| Cruise line | Upcoming sailings | Lowest starting fare | Typical length | Ships |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avalon Waterways | 5 | $5,351 | 10–19 nights (typically 10) | 3 · Avalon Artistry II, Avalon Poetry II and Avalon Tapestry II |
| Emerald Cruises | 3 | $3,831 | 10–13 nights (typically 10) | 1 · Emerald Luna |
| Riviera Travel | 1 | $7,590 | 11 nights | 1 · Tauck MS Serene |
| Viking River Cruises | 1 | On request | 11 nights | 1 · Viking Radgrid |
United Kingdom cruise ports
Every United Kingdom ship port with upcoming sailings has its own guide. The number beside each port is how many upcoming sailings call there (sailings, not individual port visits).
Coastal and island ports (66)
- Southampton 476
- Leith 256
- Belfast 215
- Kirkwall 193
- Tortola Island BVI 192
- Lerwick 161
- Dover 144
- London 117
- Greenock 114
- Invergordon 112
- Aberdeen 100
- Stornoway 89
- Portsmouth 86
- Liverpool 77
- Falmouth 74
- Isle of Man 70
- Greencastle-Londonderry 67
- Guernsey Island 63
- Isle of Mull 62
- Holyhead 52
- Ullapool 52
- Fowey 45
- Montserrat Island UK 44
- Fair Isle 42
- City of London 40
- Portland 40
- Isle of Noss 37
- St Kilda Islands Scotland 36
- Iona 34
- Isle of Skye 31
- Newcastle upon Tyne 31
- Plymouth 31
- Eigg 30
- Lundy Island England 26
- Rathlin Island 25
- Fort William 24
- Oban 24
- Skomer Island 23
- Isle of Staffa 22
- Dundee 20
- Nightingale Island 19
- Isle of Wight 17
- Arran 16
- Inverness 13
- Tresco 11
- Isle of Bute 10
- Dartmouth 9
- Portrush 9
- Lunga Island Scotland 8
- Fishguard 7
- Poole 6
- St Marys Island England 6
- Bangor 5
- Isle of Canna 4
- Kyle of Lochalsh 4
- Scrabster 4
- Westray Island Scotland 4
- Fort Augustus 3
- Foula Island Scotland 3
- Great Yarmouth 3
- Inverie 3
- Islay 3
- Stromness 3
- Isle of Barra 1
- Torbay UK 1
- Warrenpoint 1
See them all in the United Kingdom cruise port guide, or browse every sailing on the United Kingdom cruises page.
How to choose a United Kingdom cruise line
- Most listed sailings: Cunard lists the most upcoming United Kingdom sailings (142).
- Lowest starting fare: MSC Cruises, from $179 per person.
- Style: sort by category first. Star Clippers has no style category yet, so its 3 sailings are shown under Other and left out of the style totals. Ultra-luxury lines: 5 lines, 264 sailings, from $3,059. Luxury lines: 5 lines, 217 sailings, from $2,295. Premium lines: 12 lines, 265 sailings, from $1,259. Contemporary lines: 8 lines, 439 sailings, from $179. Other lines: 1 line, 4 sailings, from $1,450.
- Kind of cruise: ocean ships cover the coast and islands; river ships sail the rivers.
- Where you start: if you want United Kingdom as your first or last port, filter the sailings by Starting in or Ending in United Kingdom on the United Kingdom cruises page.
How we calculated these figures
- Upcoming sailing: an itinerary with at least one departure date from today onward, counted once however many departure dates it has. Sailings that have passed drop out each day.
- United Kingdom cruise: a sailing that calls at least once at a United Kingdom ship port. A sailing "starts" or "ends" in the United Kingdom when its first or last stop is a United Kingdom ship port.
- Lowest starting fare: the lowest "from" price among that line's upcoming United Kingdom sailings, per person based on double occupancy, in US dollars. Under our Cruise Disclosure, prices include all applicable taxes and fees. Fares still depend on cabin category and date, so treat them as a starting point for comparison, not a quote.
- Typical length: the range covers the middle 80% of that line's sailings (the shortest and longest tenth are left out), and "typically" is the most common length.
- Kinds of cruise: A sailing is in exactly one kind, so the totals by kind add up to the 1,189 sailings above. Ocean: sailings on ocean-going ships, including expedition ships and ferries. River: sailings on rivers, canals and lakes. A river itinerary that also includes a coastal leg counts as river. A line that sails more than one kind appears in each list, with its sailings split by kind. Totals by kind count each sailing once.
- Style categories: Ultra-luxury, Luxury, Premium and Contemporary are Waterways Cruise's own groupings of cruise lines, not an industry standard.
- Freshness: the sailing data is refreshed daily from the sailings we list; figures here were calculated on .
Frequently asked questions about United Kingdom cruises
Which cruise lines sail to United Kingdom?
31 cruise lines have upcoming United Kingdom sailings on Waterways Cruise: 28 sail ocean or expedition itineraries and 5 sail river itineraries. Emerald Cruises and Scenic Cruises appear in more than one list, so the line counts by kind add up to more than 31. Cunard lists the most sailings (142).
How much does a United Kingdom cruise cost?
Starting fares begin at $179 per person, double occupancy, with MSC Cruises. Fares depend on the line, the cabin and the sailing date, so the best way to see current rates is to request exclusive rates for the dates you want.
Which cruise lines are ultra-luxury and luxury in United Kingdom?
Ultra-luxury ocean lines: Seabourn Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Silversea Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club and Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection. Luxury ocean lines: Oceania Cruises, MSC Explora Journeys, Ponant Cruises, Scenic Cruises and Aurora Expeditions. Luxury river lines: Scenic Cruises.
Can you start or end a cruise in United Kingdom?
Yes. 434 of 1,189 upcoming sailings start in the United Kingdom and 429 end there; 162 do both. The other 488 (41%) visit the United Kingdom as a port of call on a longer route.
Want help choosing?
Our advisors compare sailings, cabins and fares across all of these lines.
Request exclusive ratesPlan your United Kingdom cruise
United Kingdom cruise port guide
Cruise ports, what to see, history and practical advice.
United Kingdom cruise port guide →Created by the Waterways Cruise content team and reviewed and fact-checked by J. Richard, Sr. Cruise Travel Agent and Founder of Waterways Cruise.
Published September 9, 2026 · Last updated October 31, 2026
Fares, availability and itineraries change often. Confirm current details with your cruise line or a Waterways Cruise agent before you book.
Cruise Disclosure
Good to know: Prices are quoted per person based on double occupancy and include all applicable taxes and fees. Availability and prices can change quickly, so please continue through the booking process to confirm the latest availability and pricing before you pay.
We work hard to make sure everything on this website is accurate and up to date. However, some information may be incomplete or inaccurate, including details supplied by third parties or otherwise outside our control, and we cannot be held responsible for such errors. We work with 41 cruise line operators, that are providing cruises on 585 ships visiting 1,731 ports across 7,194 unique cruises, creating 13,822 itineraries. This is a great deal of data to continually update daily from our suppliers. If a pricing error, misrepresentation, or omission occurs, we reserve the right to adjust the pricing, correct the information, or cancel or decline any booking made in error, with notice to you. Thank you for your understanding!