Cruise Overview

London is at the top of the “must see” list for cruise passengers from around the world – and arriving in London by water is certainly an experience that’s hard to beat.

The city’s cruise capability was boosted in 2004 by the launch of a unique new facility, the world’s first floating cruise terminal. Now, with the 2012 Olympics very much in mind, the Port of London Authority (PLA) has been busy identifying additional moorings for cruise ships, to complement those already available. Six years in advance, the PLA already has eight cruise ships booked in for the Olympics.

The whole range of cruise business is handled within the Port of London, from short package-type cruise “hops” to the most exclusive vacation voyages. The city is served by five international airports, at Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City, and there are also excellent transport connections by road and rail, including fast direct Eurostar rail links to Paris and Brussels.

The floating terminal ‘Welcome’, designed and purpose-built by the PLA, has proved an outstanding success, attracting a good deal of interest from cruise operators and from other ports around the world. Measuring 50 metres by 14 metres, with full facilities for turnround and transit calls, the terminal is used by passengers beginning and ending their cruises in central London.

Built to provide an airport type layout, it features the very latest security screening, segregating passengers and their luggage. Depending on the draught of the ship, it can be used at both Tower Bridge and Greenwich Ship Tier.

The first arrival after the launch of the ‘Welcome’ in summer 2004 was ResidenSea’s ‘The World’ and this prestigious caller made a return visit in July 2005, staying in London for another five days.

London offers true diversity in terms of sights to see and cruise facilities to make use of. The Greenwich Ship Tier can accommodate vessels up to 240 metres in length, while niche vessels can continue upstream to the Pool of London, either to use the Lower Pool or to travel through Tower Bridge itself and moor alongside ‘HMS Belfast’, directly opposite the Tower of London. The London Central Cruise Moorings are operated on behalf of the PLA by Cory.

Downriver at the Port of Tilbury, cruise ship calls at the listed 1930s-built London Cruise Terminal have been steadily increasing in recent years. The port handled 60 calls in 2006 and Forth Ports, which owns the Port of Tilbury, has plans to invest in cruise facilities in readiness for the 2012 London Olympics.

Tilbury offers the convenience of being close to London’s M25 orbital motorway and just 25 miles from central London. It is ideally located for operators starting and finishing shorter cruises - for example, to Scandinavia and other parts of Europe. It offers easy access and good parking facilities, an attractive option for passengers from the whole London area and beyond.