Harwich Port - London Cruise Terminal

Harwich International, Parkeston, Harwich, Essex CO12 4SR

See all cruises from Harwich.

Cruise lines and destinations from Harwich

As a cruise port, Harwich is relatively small in the number of cruise ships departing. Compared to other UK ports such as Southampton and Portsmouth, Harwich's destinations are fairly limited, mainly focusing on nearby destinations such as British Isles cruises as well as trips to Northern Europe such as the Baltics and Scandinavian Fjords or Iceland and the Kiel Canal in Germany. Meanwhile, just some of the fantastic European cities you can discover from Harwich include Copenhagen, St Petersburg and Helsinki.

• Britain: Liverpool, Scotland, Newcastle, Scilly
• Europe: Iceland, Norway, Russia, Germany

 

Getting to Harwich Cruise Port

By Car

If driving to Harwich, the route is direct and well sign-posted with connections easily followed using the Sat Nav address CO12 4SR. Traffic could get a bit congested around the town as one of the UK’s busiest shipping ports but routes are well connected owing to the port’s large intake of trade goods. From all directions, the best route by road is to head for Colchester and then take the A120 to Harwich.

By Public Transport

Via train, there are great connections from London Liverpool Street to Harwich International train station, located right at the port, with Greater Anglia trains. This could be either a direct service or with a quick stop at Manningtree station but either way, the journey time is around 90 minutes. If arriving by plane, London-Stansted is the closest airport at 50 miles away. To drive there from the port take an hour along the A120 via Colchester. Public transport such as rail is slow and depends on multiple connections so a pre-booked taxi transfer is the best option from the airport.

Harwich Cruise Terminal Facilities

Upon arrival there is fantastic baggage handling assistance from the drop-off area to the check-in. The Terminal building has a lounge, café and bar, along with a tourist information centre, internet café, cash and vending machines, a currency exchange and photo booth. Within walking distance there is also a Morrisons supermarket where you can buy anything you forgot to pack or last-minute provisions.

There is no shortage of parking options with 24-hour service for £8.60. Signs for the car park are clearly signposted on approach.

Disabled access is well thought-out though out the embarking and disembarking process. Harwich port facility has easy access lifts, disabled toilets before and after check-in, and staff assistance throughout. There is also disabled long and short-stay parking with ‘help’ buttons on the pay and display machines as well as wheelchairs, valet parking and priority boarding available. Of course, to make the best use of these great services, please inform us upon booking of any special assistance you require.

 

Tourism: what to do and see in Harwich

Harwich is connected to the famous Mayflower sailing with the Pilgrim Fathers to the New World. Although the legendary voyage set sail from Plymouth in 604, prior to that the captain John Carpenter and his ship the Mayflower hailed from the town and traded out of Harwich and London. If you’re looking to sightsee locally, the history of the Mayflower is a must free guided tours of Harwich in peak summer months.

In the surrounding area, Sutton Hoo’s ancient Saxon burial sites are a must at an hour’s drive away. Meanwhile, Ipswich, Saffron Walden and Colchester are quintessentially charming English towns close by.

Local sights in Harwich:

 

	Times	Prices	Information
Harwich Redoubt	10am-4pm	Kids: Free Adults: £3	Military fort
Maritime Museum and Lighthouse	11am-3pm	Kids: Free Adults: £1	History museum
Mayflower Heritage Centre	10am-4pm	Free	Life-sized replica of the famous vessel