Tilbury cruise port
The cruise port at Tilbury, London, England
Where is Tilbury?
Tilbury is the working port of London—largely a commercial container port, but also with a few berths for passenger ships—located on the Thames River 43 km (27 miles) east of London, just outside the M25 ring road.
What cruise itineraries use Tilbury?
Ships sail in and out of Tilbury for the U.K., Northern Europe, the Baltic, Scandinavia and the Artic, the Mediterranean and Canary Islands, and even some Transatlantic.
Which cruise lines use Tilbury?
Cruise and Maritime Voyages and Fred Olsen Cruise Lines both operate ships out of Tilbury.
How can I get from Tilbury to London?
BEST: Private transfer: 50–75 min; £17–£32
You can get a transfer from any downtown London hotel to the Tilbury cruise port.
Since you are splitting the price of the full vehicle, the more people in your party the cheaper the per-person rate is, from as much as £32 ($45) per person for just a couple to as low as £17 ($24) per person if 8 are traveling together.
CHEAPEST: Train: 55–65 min; £15–£27
You can catch a half-hourly c2c train from London's London Fenchurch Street station (near the Tower of London) direct to the Tilbury Town station.
The ride takes 39–41 minutes and costs £7.70.
(Yes, the time and cost totals in the heading above are higher than that, but that's because they also add in the time and expense to get a taxi or Tube between your hotel and and Fenchurch Street station—plus the taxi on the Tilbury end.)
The cruise terminal is about a mile from the train station, so you're looking at a 15–20 minute walk—or, with luggage, a taxi is your best bet; it only takes about 5–10 minutes, and should cost around £5–£7.
Drive: 50–75 min
If you have a car, take teh A13 off teh M25 motorway and exit soon after at A1089 / Dock Approach Rd.
- CruiseDirect.com - One of the top cruise discounters in the business, consistently underselling the higher rack rates you'll see posted on the web sites of the cruise companies themselves. CruiseDirect.com even has a last-minute page with discounts on soon-to-leave ships.Partner
- Cruisecompete.com - You know the commercials for LendingTree.com? That whole "When banks compete, you win..." spiel? Well this the same thing for cruises. You put in the date and destination and ship (any or all of those), and it sends your cruise request to a whole bunch of cruise brokers and discounters. Each of them then contacts you with a quote on how little they can do that cruise for you. Basically, it does the shopping around for you, pretty cool, huh? Partner
- Priceline.com - The famous discounter of hotels rooms also does cruises.Partner
- CruiseCritic.com - Editorial site with ship reviews, plenty of good crusing intel, and very active forums. (Disclosure: I have written for them, and have several friends on the editorial staff.)
- Singlescruise.com - Books groups of singles (ages 21 on up, but mostly 35–55) onto cruise ships, offering its own onboard program of events and mixers—and, most importantly, matching you with a same-gender cabinmate (of roughly the same age) so you don't have to pay the dreaded "single supplement."
Related
From the Tube (Underground, or subway) and the bus (double decker or otherwise) to taxis, shared "Boris" bikes, and other transportation options in London
General tips of similar interest
Book your own cruise excursions for up to 40% less than the cruise ships charge
If it's one of the seven deadly sins—gluttony (booze; food), greed (gambling), sloth (spas), extravagance (shore excursions)—it's how a cruise lines makes all its profit
