Tilbury Cruise Terminal (London)

London Cruise Terminal, Ferry Road, Tilbury, Essex, RM187NG

Tilbury holds an endearing place in many people's hearts as the main port for immigrants to Australia and the arrival point of the famous Windrush bringing emigrants from the West-Indies. Due to its fantastic location and history, it's no surprise Tilbury is now dubbed 'the quay to the capital'and serves as the main London cruise terminal.

See all our amazing deals for cruises from Tilbury.

Cruise lines and destinations from Tilbury

The most regular cruise line sailing from Tilbury is Fred Olsen, using the port as a handy base for many of their cruises from UK year round. However, in the peak summer months many other cruise lines’ ships depart from Tilbury such as Silversea, Voyages to Antiquity, NCL, Azamara and Regent. With its proximity to London and the ease with which this cruise port can be accessed, Tilbury is a great place to embark.

• Year-round: Fred.Olsen, Viking
• Summer: Silverseas, Voyages to Antiquity, NCL, Azamara, Regent

 

In the colder months sailings are usually around the British Isles and Northern Europe while in the summer destinations are not simply limited to the Mediterranean. In the summer, itineraries from Tilbury range as far as the Caribbean, Canaries, and Central and South America including the Panama Canal. In addition, Australasia, the Pacific Islands and Asia are even options from Tilbury as part of a World Cruise.

 

• British Isles: Invergordon, Skye, Dublin, Cork, Liverpool, Scilly
• Northern Europe: Iceland, Norwegian Fjords, Baltics, St Petersburg, Stockholm
• Caribbean: Bahamas, Jamaica, Cuba, St Kitts, Barbados
• Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Philippines, Japan

How to get to Tilbury Cruise Terminal

As one of the UK’s major ports for not only cruising but also cargo ships and ferries, Tilbury's surrounding area and port facility has fantastic connections by wither road or public transport.

By Car

• If travelling from south of the Thames, head to Dartford and cross the Queen Elisabeth II bridge. Then head east on the on the A13 towards Tilbury.
• From the north, take the M25 clockwise and head east via the A13 before turning south towards Tilbury on the A1089. From here, the town and port are clearly posted with the entrance gate on the right just before the station.

There are five possible car parks to be allotted in at Tilbury Port. Car parks 3 and 2 are the closest and 1 the furthest to the cruise terminal but there are transport vehicles to collect your bags and shuttle buses to take you on to the terminal.

By Public Transport

Tilbury Town is the closest train station to the terminal located around a mile away. From Tilbury Town station you can get the 99 bus to Tilbury Cruise Terminal. The bus journey is non-stop and takes about 2 minutes.

There are plenty of parking facilities for a reasonable price of around £11 per day if you book in advance. The facility is fully secure and located within the dock complex. In addition, a five minute shuttle bus service is on hand to take passengers from their car park to the terminal building.

If looking for something to eat close to the cruise terminal, the World’s End pub serves hearty pub grub only a few minutes’ walk east open between noon and 9pm.

Tourism: what to do and see in Tilbury

For those with time to kill before or after your cruise, nearby Tilbury Fort is well worth a look for those interested in English History.

	Times	Prices
Tilbury Fort	10am-5pm	Adults: £6.20 Kids: £3.70 Concessions: £5.60

Meanwhile, at under an hour away, a stop off in London is simply a must to see world-famous sights such as Big Ben, Westminster, The London Eye, Madam Tussauds and natural history, Victoria and Albert, and British Museums.

	Times	Prices	Info
V&A Museum	10am-5.45pm (open until 10pm on Friday)	Free	Historic artefacts from around the world.
Natural History Museum	10am-5.50pm	Free	Dinosaurs and animal evolution.
British Museum	10am-5.30pm (open until 8.30pm on Friday)	Free	Historic artefacts from around the world.
London Eye	Varies	Adult: £25.20 Kids: £20.70	Great views of London.
Tower of London	9am-5.30pm (10am Sunday and Monday)	Adult: £22.70 Family (2 adults, up to 3 kids) £57.80	History of England.