As somebody who loves to cruise and who lives in the UK, I am constantly looking for the best cruise itineraries to set sail from the leading cruise port in the country- the port of Southampton.

Thankfully, it just so happens that the port is one of the leading ones in the world, with ships based there all year around and the majority of cruise lines either calling in there or basing ships there at different parts of the year.

It is also a port that offers everything from World Cruises to Mini Cruises and on budget lines to ultra luxury lines, so basically if you have somewhere you want to visit on a cruise, the chances are that you will be able to from Southampton and on a line and ship that is to your preference.

Based in Northern Europe, there are of course some areas that have much more variety of itineraries, including the Norwegian Fjords, the Med, the Canaries and visiting the rest of Northern Europe but Asia, Africa, North America, South America and even Oceania can be visited from the port.

Many of those latter ones will need a big budget and plenty of spare time, but many of the best itineraries from the port can be achieved on a regular budget and well within the usual 2 weeks most set aside to take off of work.

In this list, I will take you through what I believe the be the best itineraries which is of curse based on the sort of cruises that I like to do, so whilst they are the best for me, they may not be for you.

I like port heavy itineraries, so they will certainly feature more than ones with lots of sea days, but if you prefer it the other way around, hopefully this still acts as inspiration for you.

Our Top 10 Cruise Itineraries Sailing From Southampton In 2026

Southampton-Funchal (Madeira, Portugal)-Santa Cruz (Tenerife, Spain)-Mindelo (Sao Vincent, Azores)-Walvis Bay (Namibia)-Cape Town (South Africa)-Port Elizabeth (South Africa)-Durban (South Arica)-Le Port (Reunion)-Port Louis (Mauritius)-Colombo (Sri Lanka)-Port Klang (Malaysia)-Singapore-Hong Kong-Manilla (Philippines)-Benoa (Bali, Indonesia)-Darwin (Australia)-Airlie Beach (Australia)-Sydney (Australia)-Port Vila (Vanuatu)-Suva (Fiji)-Honolulu (Oahu, Hawaii)-Los Angeles (United States)-Puerto Quetzal (Guatemala)-Panama Canal Full Transit)-Willemstad (Curacao)-Oranjestad (Aruba)-Miami (United States)-Ponta Delgada (Azores, Portugal)-Southampton

For some a World Cruise is a dream getaway whilst for others, the thought of been on the same ship for months on end is something to dread.

That marmite nature of these cruises may make it a bit of a risky choice to be the number 1 on this list but for me, if I had the time and the money to do a World Cruise and to have lots of experiences along the way, I would absolutely love to do one.

Southampton tends to offer a few different ones each year, including full circumnavigations of the globe and partial World Cruises- usually between the port and Australia.

This one is the real deal however as you start from Southampton, then head south where you stop on Madeira, in the Canaries and in Cape Verde before arriving in Walvis Bay in Namibia on the African mainland.

You continue south for an overnight stay in Cape Town, one of the impressive arrivals on the adventure, and then head east around the coast of South Africa and enjoy a couple of stops in its largest coastal cities.

Durban is your final stop and from there, you head out into the Indian Ocean and to the luxury holiday hotspots of Reunion and Mauritius.

You continue east to Sri Lanka and its capital city of Colombo, and then keep going until you reach Port Klang, which gives access to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia.

Next, you have an overnight stay in both Singapore and Hong Kong, which really allows you to experience the best of both places as they really change when the sun comes down.

You now start heading south for a stop in Manilla, then in Bali before arriving in Australia and the Northern Territory capital of Darwin.

After a stop in Airlie Beach and Brisbane, you arrive for an overnight stay in Sydney before continuing on to Port Vila, in Vanuatu.

Your paradise island hopping continues in Fiji before you cross the international dateline and continue on to Honolulu and then to the US mainland for an overnight stay in the city of Angels.

From LA, you head south to the Mexican Riviera before crossing from the Pacific to the Atlantic with a full transit of the iconic Panama Canal.

Next you visit two of the ABC island, Curacao and Aruba, in the Caribbean before heading to Miami which after a day of exploring you head out into the Atlantic for your return to Southampton, with only a stop in the Azores along the way.

Southampton-Gran Canaria (Spain)-St Vincent (Cape Verde)-Recife (Brazil)-Salvador (Brazil)-Buzios (Brazil)-Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)-Santos/Sao Paulo (Brazil)-Montevideo (Uruguay)-Port Stanley (Falkland Islands)-Punta Arenas (Chile)-San Antonio/Santiago (Chile)-Coquimbo (Chile)-Arica (Chile)-Callao/Lima (Peru)-Fuerte Amador (Panama)-Panama Canal Transit-Oranjestad (Aruba)-Curacao-Grenada-Kingstown (St Vincent)-Bridgetown (Barbados)-Castries (Saint Lucia)-Antigua-St Maarten-Ponte Delgada (Azores, Portugal)-Southampton

I love cold weather cruises, especially in fjord regions where you get close to mountains, waterfalls and glaciers and this cruise offers plenty of that as you sail through Patagonia, but it offers so much more than that.

If you love sea days, you get plenty of those sailing across the Atlantic twice and if you love exploring big cities, you get to visit some of the biggest tourist cities in South and Central America.

Something I have always wanted to do is take a full transit of the Panama Canal and that happens late in this cruise giving you some to look forward to even as you start heading for home in an adventure that sees you make a beeline for the Canaries.

From there you continue south and across the Atlantic to Brazil, via Cape Verde and after a number of stops there, highlighted by a visit to Rio de Janeiro, you continue south to visit Uruguay and Port Stanley in the Falkland’s.

The ship then heads straight back to the mainland and to the beauty of Patagonia including a cruise around Cape Horn, along the Beagle Channel and through the Magellan Straits to arrive at Punta Arenas in Chile.

Expect to see lots of whales, dolphins, sea lions and penguins along the way and keep your camera at hand as you next visit the Amalia Glacier and the PIO X Glacier.

From there, the ship now heads straight up the coast of South America for a visit to Santiago, before continuing on to Peru.

Its straight up to Panama for that bucket list sail through the iconic canal before a few stop in the Caribbean, to top up you tan and do some gift shopping before heading back across the Atlantic to sail back to Southampton.

Southampton-Cartagena (Spain)-La Goulette (Tunisia)-Palermo (Italy)-Piraeus/Athens (Greece)- Istanbul (Turkiye)-Valletta (Malta)-Gibraltar-Southampton

If you have ever looked at itineraries sailing out Southampton, you will know that one of the most popular destinations is for ships to head down to the Med.

I have done one such cruise myself and the majority of itineraries will stay in the Western Med, some will head to Italy and the Central Med, but few will continue on to the Eastern Med, this itinerary does just that- and gives you the chance to visit 3 continents on one cruise!

On the way there and back, you also have some great stops, with a focus on ports of call that are full of history, this is a great itinerary if you either have an interest in the history of the region or if your idea of a great day ashore is exploring historical sites of interest.

Your adventure starts with some time at sea to get to know your ship before entering the Mediterranean and calling into Cartagena in Spain which has lots of great Roman sites within walking distance of the port.

You next head from Europe to Africa with a stop at Tunis, before a stop in Sicily and a day exploring the many tourist sights of Athens.

You then get an overnight stay in the incredible city of Istanbul, where you can take a ferry ride across to Asia and explore its many attractions including the beautiful Hagia Sofia.

You now turn around and head west, stopping in the Valletta, the historic capital of Malta and then straight onto Gibraltar in the entrance of the Med before heading back into the Atlantic and back to Southampton.

Southampton-Bergen (Norway)-Geiranger (Norway)-Olden (Norway)-Flam (Norway)-Zeebrugge (Belgium)-Southampton

I love the Norwegian Fjords and if the right deal on the right ship pops up, expect me to book an journey there but sadly I just wasn’t quick enough as outside of out of my reach suites, this one is now sold out and it’s no surprise.

Most shorter sailings to the fjords will stop at Haugesund and Stavanger on the way to and from the fjords themselves and then visit one or maybe 2 villages at the end of deep fjords but this one spends most of its time in the deep fjords giving you more time sailing in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.

Geiranger and Flam are amongst the most popular destinations in Norway and rarely feature on the same itinerary, whilst Olden and Bergen are amongst my personal favourites.

You may notice the slight outlier on this one and that is a stop on the way home in Belgium, but I also love Zeebrugge and the chance to go to Bruges should always be taken.

Southampton-Edinburgh (Scotland)-Srabster (Scotland)-Ullapool (Scotland)-Greencastle (Ireland)- Dublin/Dun Laoghaire (Ireland)-Holyhead (Wales)-Fishguard (Wales)-Waterford (Ireland)-Cork/Ringaskiddy (Ireland)-Portland (England)-Southampton

Britain and the island of Ireland have lots to offer visitors and is somewhere so many who live here overlook but many from across the globe are looking to explore it all and that is just what this itinerary has to offer.

If you are a local looking for an adventure closer to home, this is a great one to do just that as not only do you visit the many great coastal cities most cruises around these isles visit, this one goes really in-depth and visit England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Wales- including many of the least visited cruise ports on offer here.

Starting with a day at sea, you enter the North Sea and head up to Edinburgh, the historic capital city of Scotland before heading north to the Highlands.

Its straight over to beautiful County Donegal and the port of Greencastle, which gives easy access to Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland before heading to the Irish capital city of Dublin.

After a short cruise across the Irish Sea, you arrive in Wales before turning around and heading back to the south coast of Ireland.

After a stop in Portland on the south coast of England, you arrive back where you started in Southampton.

Southampton-St John’s (Canada)-Gaspe (Canada)-Quebec (Canada)-Sept iles (Canada)-Halifax (Canada)-Boston (United States)-New York (United States)-Newport (United States)-Sydney (Canada)-Southampton

If you don’t like to fly or don’t want the extra expense and hassle of a long-distance getaway but you have always wanted to visit Canada and the northeast of the United States, this is the itinerary for you.

I have personally cruised this region and have visited a few of the ports on this itinerary, and each was a great day, so I would love to do this cruise personally and especially with it taking place during the Autumn, or fall, when the region comes alive with a kaleidoscope of colours.

You start with a trans-Atlantic crossing before arriving in the stunning St John’s on Newfoundland and then you sail onto the mainland of Canada which includes a sail down the St Lawrence river for an overnight stay in Quebec- so practise your French!

You then sail back to the coast and stop in the city of Halifax before crossing the border and sailing down the coast of America for an overnight stop in Boston, one of my personal favourite US cities and then an overnight stay in New York- perfect for taking in a Broadway show or a sports match.

You then head back up to New England to see some more of the stunning scenery before stopping on Nova Scotia before starting your second crossing of the Atlantic and arriving back in Southampton with a SD card full of photos and memories to last a lifetime.

Southampton-Tenerife (Spain)-Bridgetown (Barbados)-Kingstown (St Vincent)-Castries (St Lucia)-Dominica-St Maarten-Ponta Delgada (Portugal)-Southampton

The Caribbean remains the go to place for winter sun but with most ships leaving the US and the difficulties associated with that for so many nowadays, it just really isn’t always worth the effort.

Thankfully, you can visit some of the most popular tourist spots in the Caribbean and avoid the hassle and expense of either flying to the US or to a departure port in the region.

Ideal for those who love sea days or who don’t like flying, this adventure breaks up the westbound crossing with a stop in Tenerife, before heading straight to Bridgetown in Barbados.

You then have a port intensive week visiting St Vincent, Saint Lucia, Dominica and St Maarten before heading back to Europe, with a stop in the Azores before arriving back in Southampton.

Southampton-Copenhagen (Denmark)-Gdansk (Poland)-Klaipeda (Lithuania)-Riga (Latvia)-Tallinn (Estonia)-Warnemunde (Germany)-Southampton

Scandinavia is an incredible place to visit, and the Baltic nations have lots to offer visitors including a unique culture, historical cites and lots of attractions but sadly, even on shorter itineraries of the region, the two tend to merge together.

You will often visit the likes of Stockholm and Helsinki on a Baltics cruise, or you will head over to Tallinn as part of a Scandinavian cruise, but with so much in both regions, they should be separate cruises for me to really make the most of your time in both and this itinerary takes in all of the Baltic countries.

This one starts with a stop in Danish capital city of Copenhagen as you enter the Baltic Sea before stopping in Gdansk in Poland and then you arrive for you first stop in the Baltic nations as you dock at the often overlooked Klaipeda in Lithuania.

This port intensive cruise sails overnight to Riga in Latvia before arriving for an overnight stay in the popular tourist destination of Tallinn in Estonia.

On your way home, you stop in Warnemunde, a great seaside resort in Germany that sadly over gets called Berlin in Itineraries despite been hours away and well worth visiting in its own right and then you sail through the North Sea and back to Southampton.

Southampton-Haugesund (Norway)-Skjolden (Norway)-Olden (Norway)-Alesund (Norway)-Reykjavik (Iceland)-Isafjordur (Iceland)-Akureyri (Iceland)-Southampton

Iceland is one of those places that can easily claim to be like nowhere else on earth as, well, it is.

It has an almost otherworldly feel to it and whilst its coastal port cities may not give you that impression, they are still beautiful in their own right.

This itinerary not only gives you the chance to experience Iceland and the Midnight Sun, but you can also take in the Fjords of Norway for a getaway full of mountains, fjords, waterfalls, glacier, volcanoes and beautiful vistas.

You start off by heading across the North Sea for a stop in Haugesund on the Norwegian coast, before continuing north to the idyllic village of Skjolden on the magnificent Sognefjord.

The next two days take in the incredible mountains that surround Olden before heading to the rocky surrounds and unique architecture of Alesund.

That is your last stop in Norway, so now its across the North Atlantic to Iceland starting with a day in the capital of Reykjavik before heading north to the beautiful Icelandic fjords.

After a visit to Isafjordur and Akureyri, it’s a straight line back to Southampton with 3 days at sea to make the most of your ship before departure.

Southampton-Madeira (Portugal)-Agadir (Morocco)-Casablanca (Morocco)-Tangiers (Morocco)-Lisbon (Portugal)- La Coruna (Spain)-Southampton

If you want to head south for some winter sun but have already exhausted the Med and the Canaries, this is an ideal itinerary for you as much of it is exploring the coastal cities of Morocco, somewhere so close to the UK but so often overlooked and missed out on.

You first cross the Bay of Biscay and continue onto Funchal on the island of Madeira where a slice of cake will be the best way to get over any rough seas in the notorious Bay of Biscay.

Your next stop in Agadir, a Moroccan city in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, the next day you visit the iconic Casablanca with a visit to one of its bazaars a must for visitors.

Continuing north, your last stop in the country sees you visit Tangiers before crossing back from Africa to Europe and a stop in the Portuguese city of Lisbon- one of my favourite’s cities in the continent.

Your last stop is La Coruna, in the north of Spain before heading straight back across the bay and to Southampton, well in time to get back to your families for Christmas with some presents from your adventure.