Five ways into this guide
Go straight to the question you came with. Each card jumps to its answer.
Lines that start here
Ambassador is the resident line. For US cruisers it’s mostly Viking, in 2027.
Jump to lines →The British Isles and Norway
Dublin, Belfast, Orkney, Edinburgh, Bergen, and on to Amsterdam or Venice.
Jump to destinations →One terminal, one car park
The terminal, the porters, the £11-a-night car park and the mile to the station.
Jump to the terminal →Flying into Heathrow
The booked car, the train chain and what each one costs.
Jump to getting here →Ten hotels, ranked
From Orsett to Tower Hill to Terminal 5, scored on what each one publishes.
See the hotels →In brief
Tilbury is a turnaround port, not just a stop. Cruise Europe calls it popular for Baltic and Northern Europe turnarounds, and Ambassador Cruise Line turns its ships round here. Forth Ports expects 106 cruise ships from 15 lines on the Thames in 2026, April to October, though that count includes the city moorings.
For US cruisers the picture is narrower — Ambassador sells mainly to British passengers. The US-market starts we found are Viking’s, from early 2027, with one Azamara sailing and a reported Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection season. For the rest of 2026 we found none.
This page is for starting or ending a cruise here. If your ship only calls for the day, our London (Tilbury) port-day guide covers the train into town and our shore excursion picks cover the tours.
Lines starting or ending cruises here in 2026–27
Deployments change every season, so this roster is dated and sourced, and it lives only here.
Checked on October 19, 2026 — only Viking’s route page comes from a line itself; the dates are from listings, so confirm before you book around them.
Viking sells “British Isles & Viking Shores” from London (Tilbury) to Amsterdam in 2027, 22 days, on its own site. Listings add Viking Libra from Tilbury to Bergen on March 31, 2027, Viking Vela to Amsterdam on April 2, 2027, and Viking Vesta to Venice on September 28, 2027. Viking also uses London (Greenwich) on other routes, so read your ticket.
Azamara Quest leaves Tilbury on June 28, 2027 for 14 nights in Northern Europe, per a Cruise Web listing. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is reported to make Tilbury a turnaround for its April to October 2027 Northern Europe voyages, per Aspire. Ambassador turns its ships round here for a mainly British market; Travel Weekly Asia lists Ambience and Ambition voyages from Tilbury in November 2026 and January 2027. Pick the ship first; the night follows from it.
Sources, read October 19, 2026: vikingcruises.com, The Cruise Web’s Viking and Azamara listings, Travel Weekly Asia’s Tilbury itineraries, Aspire (November 4, 2025) on Ritz-Carlton, Cruise Europe and Forth Ports. Deployments change; confirm your own ship and date before you book around it.
Where you can go
From Tilbury the 2027 Viking voyages run round the British Isles and up to Norway, then finish in Bergen or Amsterdam; the autumn one heads south to Spain and the Mediterranean, ending in Venice. The ports below are named on the sailings we found; one voyage won’t call at all of them.
Destinations
Where Tilbury sailings go
Ports named on the 2027 sailings we found. Check your own itinerary.
Showing all 9
Round the British Isles
5The first week of Viking’s 2027 spring voyages.
Norway and the North Sea
3Where the longer voyages carry on.
South to the Mediterranean
1Viking’s autumn 2027 voyage.
No destination matches that. Clear the filter to see all 9 again.
Entry: US citizens need a UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to visit, and have since February 25, 2026: the Home Office says airlines will stop you boarding without one. It costs £20 online or in the UK ETA app, lasts two years or until your passport expires, and a decision usually comes within a day but can take up to 3 working days, per GOV.UK. Wait for the confirmation email before you fly. The Home Office’s February release gave the fee as £16; GOV.UK’s apply page now says £20, so we use that.
For the rest of the map, see our Northern Europe cruise guide. Sailing from Southampton or Dover instead? Southampton and Dover have their own guides.
The London International Cruise Terminal
Capital Cruising, the cruise arm of the Port of Tilbury, runs the London International Cruise Terminal at Tilbury, Essex RM18 7NG. It has 350 m of floating quayside, a passenger reception and a grand hall, and Cruise Europe notes the building is Grade II* listed.
Drop-off is easy. Short-stay parking for drop-off and pick-up is beside the terminal, and Capital Cruising says porters can unload your luggage and take it to your cabin. Ambassador asks you to arrive within your allocated check-in window.
Getting out on foot isn’t. Tilbury Town station is about a mile away, roughly a 20-minute walk on Ambassador’s figure, with no signed or covered route — and the Gravesend ferry Capital Cruising still lists isn’t running, per Thurrock Council. Plan a taxi or bus 99 with bags.
| Quay | Where | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| London International Cruise Terminal | Tilbury, Essex RM18 7NG | 350 m floating quayside, reception and grand hall; porters; drop-off beside the terminal; long stay £11 a night, booked ahead |
| Tilbury Town station | St Andrews Road, RM18 7JH, about a mile away | c2c to Fenchurch Street; lifts to both platforms; bus 99 from the platform 1 stop, per c2c |
| London river moorings | Greenwich and Tower Bridge | Small ships only, per our port-day guide; Viking uses Greenwich on some routes |
Send us your ship and sail date and we’ll tell you which quay and which night. Ask us ↓
Sources: capitalcruising.co.uk, Cruise Europe, ambassadorcruiseline.com, c2c and vikingcruises.com, read October 19, 2026, and our port-day guide. We found no published bag-drop hours or luggage storage at the terminal. Confirm with your line — the quay can change with the ship.
Parking at the terminal
Capital Cruising sells long-stay parking at the terminal for £11.00 a night including VAT. You must book it ahead, and cruises of 30 nights or more get a lower rate. When it’s busy you’re sent to an overflow area with a free shuttle bus.
The M25 is about 7 miles away. If you come over the Dartford Crossing, pay the charge within 24 hours, per our port-day guide. None of our ten hotels offers parking for a cruise, so drive to the terminal, not to a hotel.
Getting here
Fly into Heathrow, or Gatwick if your airline goes there — we found no airport nearer Tilbury with US flights. Capital Cruising says five London airports are within an hour’s drive. A booked car is the simple way in; the train works, with changes, if you’re travelling light.
| From | Taxi | Public transport |
|---|---|---|
| LHR — Heathrow to the terminal | From £156.91 a saloon for three, about 1 hour 15 minutes, per City Airport Taxis. | Elizabeth line from £13.90, per Heathrow, change for West Ham, then c2c to Tilbury Town from £5.80 off-peak, per c2c. Then about a mile. |
| LGW — Gatwick to the terminal | From £134.70 a saloon, about 51 minutes, per City Airport Taxis. | A train to London, then c2c from Fenchurch Street or West Ham. We found no through fare. |
| Fenchurch Street — central London | From £70.20 a saloon between the terminal and central London, per City Airport Taxis. | c2c direct to Tilbury Town, about 40 minutes on average; a standard day single was £7.70 on September 22, 2026. |
Landing the day before? Booking.com lists airport taxis you can book ahead. See airport taxis on Booking.com →
Booking.com links are affiliate links: Seabound Journeys may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.
Tilbury Town has lifts to both platforms and a ticket office, per c2c; contactless works on c2c. Thurrock’s metered taxi tariff starts at £3.20, per the council. Heathrow to the ship has the rest.
The night before, ranked: we’ve scored ten hotels for the night before a Tilbury cruise, from Orsett to Tower Hill to Heathrow, on what each one publishes. None runs a ride to the ship, and none sells cruise parking. Five worth knowing:
| Hotel | Where | One thing to know |
|---|---|---|
| Orsett Hall | Prince Charles Avenue, Orsett | A spa and a restaurant, about 6.6 km from the terminal; first on our scoring. |
| Premier Inn Thurrock East | Fleming Road, Chafford Hundred | The closest of our ten, about 5.8 km, with a restaurant and family rooms. |
| Best Western Thurrock | Ship Lane, Aveley | Sells a stay, park and transfer package for flights and ferries. Ask if it covers Tilbury. |
| Four Seasons Ten Trinity | Trinity Square, by Tower Hill | The splurge, about 3 minutes from Fenchurch Street. |
| Sofitel Heathrow T5 | Terminal 5, Heathrow Airport | A covered walkway to Terminal 5, for a late landing. |
Planning a London (Tilbury) cruise?
Tell us your ship and date, and we’ll confirm Tilbury or Greenwich.
Most Tilbury questions come down to the flight, the ride and which night to arrive — send the ship and the date, and Seabound Journeys will sort the flight, the hotel and the car.
We say where each fact comes from, and date it.
London (Tilbury) FAQ
Where do cruise ships leave from in London?
Most big ships turn around at the London International Cruise Terminal at Tilbury, Essex, 22 nautical miles down the Thames from Tower Bridge, per Capital Cruising. Smaller ships use the Greenwich and Tower Bridge moorings; Viking uses Greenwich on some routes.
How far is Heathrow from the Tilbury cruise terminal?
About 112 km and 1 hour 15 minutes by car, per City Airport Taxis, which lists a saloon at £156.91.
Which cruise lines start cruises at Tilbury?
Ambassador Cruise Line is the resident line. For US cruisers, Viking sells 2027 voyages from London (Tilbury), and listings add an Azamara sailing in June 2027. The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection is reported to start using Tilbury in 2027.
Do I need an ETA for a cruise from London?
Yes, if you’re a US citizen flying in. The UK ETA has been required since February 25, 2026; it costs £20 and lasts two years, per GOV.UK.
How much is parking at the Tilbury cruise terminal?
£11.00 a night including VAT, booked in advance, per Capital Cruising. Cruises of 30 nights or more get a lower rate.
Can I walk from Tilbury Town station to the cruise terminal?
Yes, about a mile, roughly 20 minutes on Ambassador’s figure, with no signed or covered route. With bags, take bus 99 or a taxi.
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