Facts checked October 2026 against operator sources. Prices and times change, the booking page wins.
Winter is the quiet season at the port: a handful of turnarounds a week instead of five terminals full, and a Christmas and New Year programme that leaves between 12 and 21 December. The city itself has the Christmas market on the High Street and Above Bar, Westquay's late opening and the Old Town lit for the season.
Christmas and New Year sailings 2026-27
| Ship | Departure | Itinerary |
|---|---|---|
| Cunard Queen Mary 2 | 12 December | transatlantic to New York |
| P&O Aurora | 14 December | 14 nights, Baltic Christmas markets; also 5-night Christmas and New Year breaks to Zeebrugge and Hamburg |
| P&O Iona | 18 December | 16 nights Atlantic Islands, New Year in Lisbon, from £1,399 |
| Cunard Queen Anne | 20 December | Canary Islands |
| P&O Ventura | 21 December | Canary Islands |
| P&O Aurora | 2 January 2027 | 75-night Grand Tour |
| P&O Arcadia | 6 January 2027 | 106-night world cruise |
| MSC Preziosa | through the winter | UK winter programme |
| AIDAnova | January 2027 | winter season from Southampton |
The city in December
- Westquay opens 09:00-20:00 Monday to Saturday and 11:00-17:00 on Sunday, with later hours in the run-up to Christmas.
- SeaCity, Tudor House and Solent Sky keep their normal hours except over the bank holidays; the art gallery is free.
- The walled Old Town and the Dolphin on the High Street are the places for a pre-sailing dinner.
Practicalities for a winter cruise
Daylight ends before 16:30, the M3 is busy on the Friday before Christmas, and hotels near the docks are cheap compared with July. A pre-booked car from the airports is worth more in December than in summer because coach and train timetables thin out over the holiday.
Christmas on board versus in port
The 14-night Baltic market cruises on Aurora reach Copenhagen, Tallinn and Hamburg before Christmas, while the Canaries sailings on Queen Anne and Ventura spend Christmas Day at sea or in Funchal. Passengers on the 12 December Queen Mary 2 crossing arrive in New York on 19 December. All the December departures leave from Ocean, Mayflower or QEII, the Carnival UK terminals, so the Western Docks hotels are a taxi ride rather than a walk.
Are there cruises from Southampton over Christmas 2026?
Yes: P&O Iona (18 December, Atlantic Islands), Aurora (14 December, Baltic markets, plus 5-night breaks), Ventura (21 December, Canaries), Cunard Queen Anne (20 December, Canaries) and Queen Mary 2 (12 December, New York).
Is Southampton port busy in December?
No. It is the quietest month, with a handful of turnarounds a week against five terminals in use on summer Saturdays.
Is there a Christmas market in Southampton?
Yes, on the High Street and Above Bar in the city centre through December, with Westquay's late opening alongside.
Winter logistics
Fixed-price transfers that run on bank holidays, and hotels by the docks at off-season rates.
Transfers to the port: KiwitaxiHotels near the docks: Booking.comWinter cruise insurance: EKTA