Parking for a P&O cruise from Southampton

P&O is the busiest cruise line out of Southampton. Iona, Arvia, Britannia, Ventura, Azura, Aurora, and Arcadia all sail from here. If you are booking parking for a P&O cruise, this page covers the practical things to know.

Which terminal will my P&O ship use

P&O uses three of the five Southampton cruise terminals regularly:

Ocean Cruise Terminal is the most common P&O berth. Iona, Arvia, Britannia, and Ventura sail from here often.

Mayflower Cruise Terminal handles Aurora and some Ventura sailings.

Horizon Cruise Terminal occasionally hosts a P&O sailing when the others are full.

Your booking confirmation from P&O names the terminal. If it does not, the port's published schedule typically appears a week before sailing.

Whichever terminal your ship uses, we cover it. The /cruise-parking/p-and-o/ page shows the breakdown by ship and terminal.

What kind of cruise is a P&O cruise

P&O is the mass-market UK cruise line. The customer base is heavily British, the food is recognisably British (alongside international options), and the itineraries are largely Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Caribbean, and the Canaries.

The age range is wide. P&O attracts families, retired couples, and everything in between. The newer ships (Iona and Arvia) lean younger and more family-oriented; the older ships (Aurora, Arcadia) lean older.

For parking purposes, this means:

• The luggage volume varies. Family bookings on Iona or Arvia bring more bags than a retired couple on Aurora.
• Mobility considerations matter on the older-ship sailings. Mobility-related parking questions come up a lot for Aurora and Arcadia.
• Drive distance varies. P&O attracts customers from across the UK; we see arrivals from the Midlands, the North, Scotland, the South West, and London in roughly equal proportion.

Best service for a P&O cruise

For most P&O customers, the choice between Meet & Greet and Park & Ride comes down to the same factors as any other cruise line: luggage, budget, and how much margin you have on cruise day.

Meet & Greet works particularly well for:

• Iona and Arvia family bookings with significant luggage.
• Aurora and Arcadia bookings with mobility considerations.
• Britannia premium cabin guests on a tight pre-board schedule.

Park & Ride works particularly well for:

• Two-passenger sailings on any P&O ship.
• Cruises of 10+ nights where the daily price gap adds up.
• Customers comfortable with a 10-minute shuttle at each end.

P&O sailing schedules and patterns

P&O runs a near-continuous cruise schedule from Southampton through the year:

Spring (March-May): Canaries, early Mediterranean, occasional Caribbean repositioning.

Summer (June-August): Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords, Baltic.

Autumn (September-October): Mediterranean, Iceland, occasional repositioning.

Winter (November-February): Caribbean (fly-cruise), longer Mediterranean voyages, and a small number of Round Britain cruises.

A 7-night Mediterranean from Southampton in July is the most common single P&O booking we see.

P&O check-in timing

P&O typically opens check-in 11:00 am or 12:00 pm for a 4:00 pm sail-away. Suite passengers and frequent-cruiser tier members often get an earlier window.

For most P&O customers, the standard 90-minute arrival guidance applies: arrive 90 minutes before your sail-away time.

If your cabin grade gets you an earlier check-in window, you can adjust your parking handover slot to match. The 30-minute slot system handles this.

Drop-off at the Eastern Docks (Ocean Terminal)

Ocean Terminal is at Berths 46-47 in the Eastern Docks, accessed through Dock Gate 4. The approach from the M27 is A33 (Platform Road) southbound, with the dock gate signposted.

The short-stay car park at Ocean is one of the busiest at Southampton during P&O embarkations. The drop-off is straightforward but expect a queue at the dock gate during peak times.

Drop-off at the Western Docks (Mayflower)

Mayflower Terminal is at Berth 106, accessed through Dock Gate 10 off West Quay Road. The approach is the same as for Horizon and City Terminal.

Mayflower's short-stay car park is generally less congested than Ocean's, partly because Aurora and Arcadia sailings are smaller passenger counts than Iona and Arvia.

Frequently asked

Can I book parking before P&O confirms my terminal? Yes. The terminal can be added or adjusted later. Our booking flow lets you set it; if it changes, contact us.

Do P&O Loyalty members get a parking perk with you? Our returning customer discount is separate from P&O's loyalty program. The two do not stack but the discount applies to your second booking with us.

What if P&O changes the ship for my cruise? Same dates, different ship may mean a different terminal. Contact us with the new ship and we update the booking.

What if my cruise sails on a Friday or Saturday in summer? Peak embarkation day. Book early; Meet & Greet slots fill faster on these days. Park & Ride almost always has availability.

Booking

The quote tool returns the flat price for your specific P&O sailing. The booking flow asks for the ship and terminal; both feed into the slot assignment.

For specific questions about a P&O sailing or an unusual situation, the contact page has the office number.