Southampton has long been home to commercial shipping in the UK. One of England’s busiest ports it comes into its own when talking cruise passenger numbers. Ships such as the Titanic have set sail from Southampton with many becoming household names. The Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mary, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas and vessels from the likes of MSC and Princess Cruises regularly depart full of people.

As a busy cruise terminal – Southampton is often referred to as the London cruise terminal, it sees a vast number of passengers throughout the course of a year with many choosing to stay for a night prior to embarking on their trip. There is plenty to do in the city with much of the activity close by where the ships dock. Indeed we can berth up in the heart of the port in amongst the cruise ship berths so visiting Southampton during your charter works well.

There are also a number of marinas in Southampton including Ocean Village, home to the Harbour Hotel. We regularly use Ocean Village as the start and end port for charters in the Solent.

As a shopping destination Southampton’s largest venue would have to be West Quay. A short walk or hop on the bus from either Ocean Village or the Town Quay marina, West Quay is home to a number of well known shops and outlets. There is also a large retail park to the rear of West Quay.

Southampton is also home to the Southampton Boat show every September. One of the largest gatherings of boats in the world Southampton sees thousands of boats on display from small canoes and dinghies through to massive motor and sailing yachts. Many of the craft are displayed afloat in the purpose built marina located at Mayflower Park.

The city of Southampton has a number of architectural features to explore as well as the recently opened Seacity Museum which details the city’s maritime history with particular attention to the Titanic.

There are also lots of places to eat and grab a drink in the city. Most of the major names are there as well as some excellent independent venues, so whether it’s ribs and wings, an Italian or something more traditional your skipper will be happy to advise.