Currency
British Pound Sterling (GBP)
Language
English
Time Zone
GMT (UTC+0)
Best Time to Visit
May–Sep
Typical Duration
14 nights
Price Range
$1,211–$9,990 per person
Port Type
Departure & Port of Call
Tender Port
No
Portsmouth is a historic naval port offering easy access to the English Channel and Northern European cruises, with iconic attractions like the HMS Victory and rich maritime heritage.
Cruises that visit Portsmouth
- cruises to Portsmouth
- Portsmouth sailings
- Portsmouth cruises
- 7-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 7-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 7-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 7-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 8-night Seabourn cruise
- 8-night HX Expeditions cruise
- 9-night Holland America Line cruise
- 10-night Holland America Line cruise
- 12-night Silversea cruise
- 12-night Poseidon Expeditions cruise
- 13-night HX Expeditions cruise
- 13-night Holland America Line cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Seabourn cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 14-night Holland America Line cruise
- 14-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
- 15-night Holland America Line cruise
- 19-night Viking Ocean Cruises cruise
Build Your Day in Portsmouth
Cruise calls are short. Set your ship's arrival time, pick the stops you care about, and we'll show whether they realistically fit before departure.
Ships typically depart around 6:00 PM
Usually about 10 hours ashore
Embarkation port — worth arriving early
Embarkation port — worth arriving early
Getting around:
Gunwharf Quays
Ok Designer outlet , lots of shops and a beautiful view of harbour
Open · Closes 8 PM
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
... full day out at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard so much to see and do
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
Spinnaker Tower
Spinnaker Tower is a must-see attraction for anyone visiting Portsmouth.
Closed · Opens 10:30 AM Wed
West Wittering Beach
Very nice sandy beach, lots of space to set up and a lovely shallow sea.
Cascades Shopping Centre
It's got clean toilets and plenty of shops and a Boswells cafe.
Closed · Opens 8 AM Wed
Royal Navy Museums: HMS Victory
All Portsmouth Historic Dockyard attractions are for best recommendations.
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
Zizzi - Portsmouth
We came in for a quick meal - food came out quickly and was delicious.
Mary Rose Museum
Lots of things to do and watch historical events and see the Mary Rose
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
South Parade Pier
Theres loads of rides and a lovely cafe at the end of the pier.
Portchester Castle
A quiet retreat amidst the urban sprawl around Portsmouth harbour waters.
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
Port Solent - The Boardwalk Shopping Centre
Lits of good shopping and great eating with lovely views of the marina.
Open · Closes 10 PM
Clarence Pier
Lovely pier, massive arcade wide variety of food and is decently priced.
Southsea Common
Great place to swim and fab eateries...
Las Iguanas - Portsmouth - Gunwharf Quays
Vibrant Latin American chain restaurant
Canoe Lake
A few activities including a Swan/duck boat.
Primark
Huge range of products, mostly clothes, at reasonable prices.
Closed · Opens 9 AM Wed
Spice Island
Great area of Old Portsmouth with a few pubs and great sea views
The Still & West, Old Portsmouth
A fabulous pub, with a spectacular view over Portsmouth Harbour.
The Old Customs House, Gunwharf Quays
Awesome pub, lovely service, 5 cask taps on and all great beers served fresh
UMAMI Street Food
Great value for money, best peri peri chicken in Portsmouth.
The D-Day Story
Loads to see and take in, some great exhibits, knowledgeable staff.
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
Blue Reef Aquarium Portsmouth
There is plenty to see, learn and activities to take part in throughout.
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
Scarlet Tap
Thursday nights are great with 5 pound cocktails :)
Ocean Retail Park
Clean and tidy, plenty of parking and quite a selection of shops.
Closed · Opens 9 AM Wed
Fuegos Street
One of the best salads in Portsmouth, great peri peri chicken.
Royal Navy Museums: HMS Warrior
Such a great place visit and loads to do in the dockyard.
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
Portsmouth International Port
An hour between docking at Portsmouth and getting through passport control.
The Briny
Best place in Portsmouth for a dinner with friends, family or for a date.
Brewhouse & Kitchen - Portsmouth
West Coast IPA was one of the best pints I have had in years.
The Bridge Shopping Centre
Clean and tidy collection of small outlets and a coffee shop alongside ASDA.
Open · Closes 8 PM
Banana Tree Portsmouth
Great food, well presented & very relaxed but attentive staff.
The Dockyard Pub Portsmouth
Great atmosphere, amazing service, Laura pulls the best pints
Algarve's Grill
Portsmouth's best dinner with attentive staff.
Brasserie Blanc Portsmouth
I stayed in Portsmouth for three weeks and had the most satisfying meal.
The A Bar
Fantastic food, excellent staff, very knowledgable on the food being served.
Rapscallions Southsea
Huge rum list available, great cocktails and the atmosphere was so fun!
Lee on the Solent beach
steepish shingle beach ⛱️, clean calm water, near to shops and cafés
Huis Belgian Bar & Kitchen
Great beer, great food, especially the French Onion Soup - highly recommend.
Giggling Squid - Portsmouth
Great evening perfect atmosphere, Great service and food was outstanding.
The Alchemist Portsmouth
Wonderful cocktails Wonderful food Wonderful staff Wonderful meal
Eastney Beach
the beach was clean, and the parking was easy to access.
Farm Kitchen
Tasty, well presented and authentic food served by a friendly team of staff.
The Canteen
Friendly staff serving great coffee and tasty food in a stunning venue..
Closed · Opens 8 AM Wed
Round Tower
A great place to just sit and watch the boats and ferries going to and fro.
The Bridge Tavern
The best fish n chips in Portsmouth huge portions.
Royal Navy Museums: Portsmouth
Entry included as part of the ticket for all the Dockyard attractions.
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery
Brilliant full of history of Portsmouth and its free entry
Temporarily closed
Croxtons Kitchen & Tap House
Lovely people, lovely surroundings and cracking grub and shant.
King Street Tavern
EXCELLENT SERVICE, BEER SUPERB.
Southsea Coffee
Delicious food, great coffee in a cosy environment with friendly service.
Closed · Opens 8:30 AM Wed
H&M
Wide range of clothes and prices are fair.
Closed · Opens 9 AM Wed
Portsmouth Natural History Museum
Brilliant to visit especially for the kids the butterfly house
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
Portsmouth Cathedral
Free to visit and easy to stop into while exploring the city.
Closed · Opens 10 AM Wed
Natty's Jerk
Nice food and very unique experience for Portsmouth.
Baffled Coffee
Fantastic food, superb coffee and lovely staff.
Closed · Opens 7 AM Wed
The Spinnaker Café
Very comfortable beach themed café with lots of natural light;
Closed · Opens 8:30 AM Wed
The Hole in the Wall
Just bloody gorgeous beer and a quiet warm atmosphere.
Viet Quan - Vietnamese Street Food
Freshly cooked, great portion sizes, excellent prices.
Becketts Townhouse
The food was amazing, the venue was clean and everyone was catered for.
Southsea Beach
The pier beach is clean , sandy and well maintained.
The Rocka Restaurant
Lovely atmosphere, friendly attentive staff and excellent food.
Outside-In Food Court
It has its own atmosphere, the food is really good and at reasonable prices.
Maya
Delicious and beautifully presented food, tastycocktails and great service.
Eastney Naturist Beach
Lovely beach, safe and dog friendly.
Hill Head Beach
Quiet nice affordable cafes clean beaches plenty of places to park
Ottoman Kitchen Portsmouth
Great atmosphere, diligent service and the food was outstanding.
36 On The Quay Restaurant with Rooms
We had the 8 course taster menu which was incredible.
Seafront Steps
Another great bonus is how close it is to the parking area.
Lush Bites Portsmouth
Lovely friendly staff, great food and reasonable priced.
SAND Cafe
Delicious coffee, amazing pastries, and such friendly staff!
Closed · Opens 8 AM Wed
Fat Olives
Gorgeous gorgeous food.. very high quality, melt-in-the-mouth experience.
The Coffee House
Clean, relaxing and top service, great coffee and amazing sweet treats!
Closed · Opens 9 AM Wed
Ugly Bird Japanese Restaurant
Every dish we tried was delicious and beautifully presented.
Smoke and Mirrors
Fabulous food, wonderful cocktails and the service was excellent.
Closed · Opens 6 PM Wed
Dark And Dirty Coffee
Excellent coffee served by the most friendly and lovely people!
Closed · Opens 9 AM Wed
River Island
Best shop in Portsmouth, great costumer service
Closed · Opens 9 AM Wed
Maddie's
Lovely dog friendly café, the Matcha was so good and the decor was adorable!
Mint Velvet Portsmouth
Staff are so helpful and as always high quality clothes
Closes soon · 7 PM
Restaurant 1865
Very elegant setting, well cooked presented and tasty food.
Hotwalls Beach
Went with a group to do a beach clean great spot and very clean
Open now
Burrfields retail park
Good range of shops but gets very busy and parking can be an issue
Open now
The Restaurant at Hambledon Wine Estate
Very attentive staff, beautiful setting and great food & incredible wines.
Closed · Opens 10:30 AM Wed
The Portsmouth Ghost Walk
Fantastic tours/ walks and stories.
The Rooftop
Top night, great live music and great cocktails 🕺🏼🎶🍹
Closed · Opens 4 PM Sat
Chimes Restaurant
Dine-in
Closed · Opens 8 AM Wed
Opening hours are indicative — always confirm before you go. Travel times are estimates from Google Maps.
Portsmouth
is an embarkation port. Many cruises start or end here —
it's worth arriving a day early or extending your stay to explore beyond a single port day.
About Portsmouth
Portsmouth stands as a vibrant cruise destination in Northern Europe, welcoming five major cruise lines including Viking Ocean Cruises, Seabourn, Holland America Line, Virgin Voyages, and Silversea. While primarily a port of call rather than an embarkation point, Portsmouth offers passengers convenient access to 38 upcoming cruises, with most voyages spanning 14 nights to exciting destinations like Barcelona, Bergen, Cartagena, Málaga, and Zeebrugge. The port enjoys peak popularity during spring and early autumn months, from March through May and again in August and September.
Stepping ashore in Portsmouth, cruise passengers discover a historic maritime city steeped in naval heritage. The waterfront itself captivates visitors with iconic attractions and excellent shopping, while the charming city center lies just a short walk away, offering everything from traditional pubs to contemporary dining. Whether you're seeking a few hours of exploration or a full day of discovery, Portsmouth delivers the perfect blend of history, culture, and modern amenities that make it a memorable cruise port experience.
Stepping ashore in Portsmouth, cruise passengers discover a historic maritime city steeped in naval heritage. The waterfront itself captivates visitors with iconic attractions and excellent shopping, while the charming city center lies just a short walk away, offering everything from traditional pubs to contemporary dining. Whether you're seeking a few hours of exploration or a full day of discovery, Portsmouth delivers the perfect blend of history, culture, and modern amenities that make it a memorable cruise port experience.
Cruise Lines at Portsmouth
- Viking Ocean Cruises (26 cruises)
- Holland America Line (12 cruises)
- Seabourn (5 cruises)
- HX Expeditions (2 cruises)
- Aurora Expeditions (1 cruise)
- Poseidon Expeditions (1 cruise)
- Silversea (1 cruise)
Cruises Departing From Portsmouth
Cruises Visiting Portsmouth
Ship Schedule at Portsmouth
Portsmouth Location
Other Cruise Ports in England
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Portsmouth known for?
Portsmouth is famed for its naval heritage, HMS Victory, Mary Rose, Spinnaker Tower, and its waterfront.
Where is Portsmouth located?
Portsmouth is a city on Portsea Island in Southern England, United Kingdom.
What are the must-see attractions in Portsmouth?
Must-see attractions include HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, the Mary Rose, Spinnaker Tower, and Dickens' birthplace house.
How tall is the Spinnaker Tower?
Spinnaker Tower stands 560 feet (about 170 meters) tall.
What is notable about Portsmouth's naval history?
It houses the world’s oldest dry dock and a long naval heritage.