Cruises from London Tilbury in 2026 & 2027

Cruises from London Tilbury

London Tilbury has a quiet charm that sneaks up on you. It’s not flashy; it’s not trying to compete with the bigger ports—it just gets on with being itself. Tucked just 25 miles from London, this historic port has a way of making you feel like you’re stepping into a piece of maritime history before your adventure even begins. There’s a certain romance in setting sail from a place steeped in heritage, where the ghosts of explorers and traders seem to linger in the salty air.

What Tilbury might lack in size, it more than makes up for in character. The smaller ships that depart from here offer a cosier, more intimate experience—none of the towering mega-liners, just a more personal touch. It’s the setting where you’ll recognise familiar faces on board by the second day, and the crew will somehow remember how you like your coffee.

From Tilbury’s unassuming docks, you can head north to the breathtaking fjords of Norway, weave through the colourful cities of Scandinavia, or soak up the charm of the Baltic capitals. For something closer to home, cruises around the British Isles offer a fresh perspective on familiar places like Plymouth—or imagine waking up to views of the Isles of Scilly, where life moves at a blissfully slow pace. Then there’s the Med, the Caribbean or a winter cruise to the Canary Islands.

If you’ve got a bit of time on your hands, starting or ending your trip in London is a treat in itself. A wander along the South Bank or a pint in one of those tucked-away pubs that London does so well feels like the perfect way to bookend a cruise from such a historic and unhurried port. Tilbury may not shout for your attention, but once you’ve sailed from here, it’s hard not to feel a bit nostalgic for its quiet charm.