London-Tilbury

Tilbury sits on the north bank of the River Thames, about 25 miles downstream of London Bridge. It is London's principal cruise port, usually serving as a turnaround port where cruises depart and return. The Port of Tilbury is located on the River Thames in Essex and serves as the principal port for London.

The cruise terminal here has a long and distinctive history. Tilbury opened berths specifically for P&O in 1916, and a large new passenger landing stage was constructed and opened in May 1930. Tilbury operated as London's passenger liner terminal until the 1960s. For many people, Tilbury was their point of emigration to Australia under an assisted-passage scheme, and they embarked on ships such as RMS Mooltan. The HMT Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks on 22 June 1948, bringing the first group of post-war West Indian immigrants to the UK. The passenger landing stage was reopened as the London Cruise Terminal in 1995 and has since been rebuilt and refurbished as the London International Cruise Terminal.

The terminal is straightforward to reach. The nearest railway station is Tilbury Town, approximately a 20-minute walk from the terminal, with direct trains from London Fenchurch Street and Southend. From the port, passengers can travel on Thames Clippers river bus service to Greenwich in 35 minutes and to Tower Bridge in 50 minutes, making it easy to explore central London before or after your voyage. The setting itself, sheltered on the tidal Thames with good river access, means large modern ships can dock without the constraints that sometimes affect ports further upriver.