There is a real pleasure in boarding a ship from a British port. The holiday begins the moment you walk up the gangway – no airport queues, no security theatre, no jet lag on arrival. Princess Cruises has long understood this.
Sailing from Southampton with Princess Cruises puts some of Europe's finest destinations within reach. And with three ships in Southampton in 2027 and 2028, you have access to one of Princess Cruises' most comprehensive European programme to date.
Princess Cruises sailings from Southampton in 2026
This year, two ships – Majestic Princess and Sky Princess – operate from Southampton. Both vessels accommodate around 3,600 passengers and belong to Princess Cruises’ Royal Class.
Prior to the launch of the Sphere Class (Sun Princess and Star Princess), Royal Class vessels were the newest and largest in the Princess Cruises fleet – but maintained the sophisticated feel of their predecessors.
On board, expect spacious public areas and multiple pools, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues. Highlights include the lively Piazza atrium at the heart of the ship, Movies Under the Stars on the upper deck, the Crown Grill speciality restaurant, Sabatini's Italian Trattoria and the Wake View Bar – one of my favourite spots on the Royal Class ships. Royal Class ships also feature the SeaWalk, a glass-bottomed walkway extending over the ocean.
Here are the destinations on offer:
2026 British Isles sailings
This year, you can sail British Isles itineraries on Majestic Princess, which is ideally suited for this destination – it’s the only ship with a Hollywood Pool Club, which features a covered freshwater pool and steaming hot tubs surrounded by comfortable loungers, modern sculptures and topiaries.
The British Isles sailings are 12 nights long and include stops in Falmouth (Cornwall, England), Cork and Dublin (Ireland) and Glasgow and Edinburgh (Scotland). These voyages, which run until late August, also call at Le Havre in France for excursions to Paris.
2026 Mediterranean sailings
You can reach the Med from Southampton, although that usually means a two-week cruise with stops along the way on the Atlantic coast of France or Spain, in places such as Cherbourg, La Coruña or Cadiz.
All Princess Cruises 2026 Mediterranean sailings from Southampton are on Sky Princess. The 14-night Mediterranean Adventurer sailing on 18 July stops in six ports across France, Spain and Italy.
The 14-night Spain, France and Portugal with Total Solar Eclipse voyage, departing on 8 August, is a real highlight; it combines the best of a no-fly Mediterranean cruise with a chance to witness this summer solar eclipse at sea.
2026 Northern Europe, Norwegian Fjords & Scandinavia sailings
Finally, you can also travel north onboard Sky Princess, with a mix of sailings covering a wide range of destinations.
You have a choice of seven-night sailings and longer 12- to 14-night voyages to the Norwegian Fjords or Scandinavia.
Some cruises also combine destinations, including the 14-night Icelandic Fjords and British Isles, the 28-night Scandinavia and Western Europe Adventure and the 27-night Northern Europe and Canary Islands Grand Adventure.
My personal favourite: the 14-night Search for the Northern Lights sailing. Departing from Southampton on 10 October, this cruise sails all the way to Tromso, above the Arctic Circle.
Princess Cruises sailings from Southampton in 2027
In 2027, both Majestic Princess and Sky Princess return to Southampton and are joined by Regal Princess, another Royal Class ship. A third ship means even more options if you’re looking for a no-fly cruise from Southampton.
Princess Cruises’ 2027 season is also defined by longer itineraries that often combine several regions of Europe, such as the British Isles and the Norwegian Fjords, the Mediterranean and the Baltic, or Scandinavia and the Norwegian Fjords.
These longer itineraries are first class if you’re looking for sailings delving into a huge variety of landscapes and cultures.
Here are the destinations on offer:
2027 British Isles sailings
Next year, Majestic Princess will continue to operate around the British Isles. The 12-night British Isles with France and Belfast remains the backbone of the season. But this time, shorter seven-night sailings covering England and Ireland only are also available.
Regal Princess will also operate British Isles sailings in 2027. The eight-night Irish Counties and Scottish Shores voyage takes you to Cork, Dublin, Belfast and Glasgow. Longer cruises are also available, including a 15-night Northern Capitals and British Isles sailing, a 25-night British Isles and Viking Fjords explorer and a 35-night British Isles, Norway and Iceland Explore.
2027 Mediterranean sailings
In 2027, you can sail to the Mediterranean from Southampton onboard Sky Princess or Regal Princess.
Sky Princess reprises its 14-night Mediterranean Adventurer itinerary while adding a stunning 31-night Mediterranean Marvel voyage. The latter takes you to phenomenal ports and cities across Spain, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece and Malta.
Regal Princess is another option from Southampton, along with the Mediterranean Adventurer. This 15-night itinerary covers port calls at some of the Med’s most beautiful islands, such as Sardinia, Corsica and Ibiza.
Also scheduled are a series of combined itineraries, including a 22-night Mediterranean and Northern Capitals Explorer, a 29-night and a 37-night Mediterranean and Baltic Explorer, and two Ultimate European Journeys lasting 56 and 64 nights.
2027 Northern Europe, Norwegian Fjords & Scandinavia sailings
All three Princess Cruises ships sailing from Southampton in 2027 cover all or parts of Northern Europe.
In addition to its British Isles sailings, Majestic Princess has a 10-night European Capitals sailing to Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Zeebrugge, Hamburg and more. Worth noting that you can also book a 12-night Oktoberfest European Capitals with an overnight in Hamburg coinciding with the famous beer festival.
Majestic Princess also offers a 14-night Iceland and Norway voyage and a 14-night Search for the Northern Lights cruise.
The Sky Princess schedule features a mix of seven-night Norwegian Fjords and Scandinavia itineraries, or the exciting opportunity to combine both into a 14-night Norwegian Fjords and Scandinavia sailing.
Two Midnight Sun voyages to Norway, a 14-night and a 28-night (which also covers Scandinavia) option, are also available on Sky Princess.
Regal Princess covers a range of Northern Europe itineraries, including seven-night loops to the Norwegian Fjords or the region’s fascinating cities such as Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Hamburg.
Other standout Regal Princess sailings include a 17-night North Sea and Viking Fjords voyage and a range of longer cruises combining Scandinavia and the Baltic, Scandinavia and the Norwegian Fjords, the Baltic and the Mediterranean, and more.
2027 Canaries and Southern Europe’s Atlantic coast sailings
A handful of sailings to other destinations are also available from Southampton in 2027. You can sail to the Atlantic coast of France and Spain for seven nights or embark on a 12-night Canary Islands voyage on Sky Princess.
Princess Cruises sailings from Southampton in 2028
In 2028, Southampton will welcome Caribbean Princess, a Grand Class ship, which will join the returning Sky Princess and Majestic Princess.
The 2028 programme features another strong and varied line-up covering a wide array of Southern and Northern Europe.
Here are the destinations on offer:
2028 British Isles sailings
Once again, British Isles sailings are onboard Majestic Princess, with a similar range of popular roundtrips from Southampton.
The seven-night Ireland and England voyage returns, calling at Falmouth, Cork, Dublin, Belfast and Liverpool.
You can also book the 12-night British Isles with France and Belfast in 2028, with stops in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland. An 11-night Irish Counties and Scottish Shores voyage completes the Majestic Princess line-up.
A couple of sailings are also available onboard Caribbean Princess. The eight-night Circle Ireland is the perfect cruise if you want to deepen your knowledge of the landscapes and culture of the Emerald Isle. The 15-night Northern Capitals and British Isles Adventure voyage takes in ports in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. Do note that this is a one-way sailing ending in Copenhagen.
2028 Mediterranean sailings
At the time of writing, Sky Princess is the only ship covering the Mediterranean from Southampton.
You can book a 14-night Mediterranean Adventurer for travel in April, August or September. This sailing calls in Cadiz (for Seville, Spain), La Seine (for Toulon, France), Livorno (for Pisa and Florence, Italy), Civitavecchia (for Rome, Italy) and Ajaccio (Corsica, France).
2028 Northern Europe, Norwegian Fjords & Scandinavia sailings
There is a wide range of options if you want to sail to Northern Europe from Southampton in 2028, with all three ships covering the regions for parts of 2028.
Sky Princess offers the most variety with sailings to the Norwegian Fjords, the Baltic and Scandinavia, in addition to combined itineraries to Scandinavia and the Norwegian Fjords and the Baltic and Northern Europe. A 14-night Midnight Sun sailing is also available.
Majestic Princess focuses mainly on Norway with a couple of 14-night Search for the Northern Lights sailings and a 14-night voyage combining Iceland and Norway. Majestic Princess also reprises its 12-day Oktoberfest European Capitals itinerary.
Finally, Caribbean Princess covers the Northern European capitals with seven- and 14-night options. The ship also offers combined itineraries including a 21-night European Capitals and Baltic Explorer, a 29-night Scandinavia and British Isles Explorer and a 31-night Scandinavia and Viking Fjords Explorer.
A range of Northern Europe Explorers (39 or 41 nights) and Ultimate European Journeys (48 or 49 nights) are also available on Caribbean Princess.
2028 Canaries and Southern Europe’s Atlantic coast sailings
A seven-night Spain and France roundtrip cruise to La Coruña (Spain), Bilbao (Spain), Le Verdon (for Bordeaux, France) and Cherbourg (France), and a 12-night Canary Islands cruise are available on Sky Princess.
For a holiday that begins the moment you leave home, cruising from Southampton makes it the perfect option. Visit the Princess Cruises website to explore itineraries, dates and availability.
Enjoyed this story?
Choose World of Cruising as a Preferred Source on Google News to keep up to date with our latest articles
Set as preferred source
