Cheap Round the World Cruises from the UK

Round the World Cruises from the UK: What to Expect

Every sailing departs from Southampton and heads out across three or more continents, calling at ports that a two-week holiday could never reach. Voyages run from 44 nights up to 124 nights, with a median of around 75 nights at sea — long enough to feel genuinely immersive rather than merely well-travelled. Of the sailings available, some return to Southampton at the end, while others finish in ports such as Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore and Hamburg — so it is worth checking the end point before you book. On a one-way sailing finishing abroad, you will need a flight home; our team can arrange that, along with any hotels or transfers, so the return leg is never a loose end you have to solve yourself.

Which Cruise Lines Offer Round the World Sailings from the UK?

The lines sailing round the world from Southampton represent some of the most established names in British cruising. Cunard offers the largest share of departures, followed by P&O Cruises and Cruise1st Packages — which bundle your cruise with flights, hotels and transfers as one holiday — and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines. Each line has its own character, its own cabin style and its own approach to a voyage of this length, so choosing between them matters as much as choosing the itinerary.

Cunard

Cunard is the dominant line, with sailings aboard Queen Anne and Queen Victoria. If you are looking for a grand, formal world cruise experience — Gala evenings, white-gloved afternoon tea, tiered dining by cabin grade — this is the line that has defined it for generations. The fleet’s newest ship, Queen Anne, launched in 2024 and completed Cunard’s four-Queens fleet; its Art Deco interiors and British White Star Service carry the house style into a thoroughly modern ship, with 15 restaurants including Sir Samuel’s steakhouse, Aji Wa Japanese dining, and a Golden Lion pub overseen by Michelin-starred chef Michael Roux. The Mareel Wellness Spa spans an entire upper deck, with a Himalayan Salt Sauna, cold therapy room, hydrotherapy pool and the glass-domed Pavilion pool venue — generous facilities for a passage of several months. You can explore Queen Anne’s cabins and deck plans before you book.

Queen Victoria brings a different character: the Royal Court Theatre is the first at sea to feature private boxes, hosting West End-calibre productions nightly, while the largest ballroom at sea is the setting for Cunard’s famous Gala evenings with a live orchestra. Dining runs across Britannia, Princess Grill and Queen’s Grill restaurants — the most traditional class-dining arrangement afloat. See Queen Victoria’s cabins and deck plans for the full layout.

P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises sails its world itineraries aboard Arcadia and Aurora, both classic British ships that have completed multiple circumnavigations. Arcadia is the larger of the two: its 3-tier Palladium theatre, Marco Pierre White’s Ocean Grill restaurant and onboard hydrotherapy pool make it a comfortable home for three months at sea. Aurora is a mid-sized, classic ship with a distinctly British character — the kind of ship where you quickly feel at home, which matters a great deal on a very long voyage. Both depart from Southampton, and world cruises from Southampton with P&O are among the most popular options for UK travellers who want to board close to home.

How Much Does a Round the World Cruise Cost from the UK?

Round the world cruises from the UK start from £4,750 pp* — that is the lowest published fare available, based on 2 people sharing. Given that voyages can last well over 2 months, that works out at strong value per night compared with a series of shorter holidays to the same regions. Prices vary considerably by cruise line, ship, cabin grade, voyage length and fare type, so the range across available sailings is wide. Discounts are available on a number of departures: up to 23% off on one departure, though most discounted sailings are reduced by around 2% from the price previously listed for that cabin grade. The Cunard Saver fare — paying in full at booking in exchange for a pre-allocated stateroom — is worth considering if you have flexibility on your exact cabin position.

As a guide, cruises from Southampton at the shorter end of the world-cruise range sit at 44 nights, while the longest itineraries stretch to 124 nights. If you are not ready for the full circumnavigation, cheap cruises under £599 pp* give a sense of what shorter sailings offer at value fares — a useful comparison point when budgeting.

Cabin Grades: What Do You Get on a World Cruise?

Choosing the right cabin matters more on a long voyage than on a two-week holiday — you will spend more time in it, and the grade you pick shapes your dining and on-board routine. Below are the cabin grades available on Queen Anne, Queen Victoria and Arcadia.

Queen Anne Cabin Grades

• Britannia Inside (IA) — 13.7 m²: the entry grade, with a dedicated cabin steward available 24 hours and daily turndown service. Compact but well looked-after.
• Britannia Deluxe Ocean-view (EA) — 21.9 m²: around 3 m² more space than a standard ocean-view cabin, with a separate seating area and natural light. A meaningful step up for a long voyage.
• Britannia Club Balcony (A1) — 21.9 m²: exclusive access to the Britannia Club Restaurant with a reserved table, giving a more intimate dining experience than the main Britannia Restaurant.
• Queens Grill Grand Suite (Q1) — 133.8 m²: the largest suite category on the ship, with more than twice the space of the Master Suite. See Queen Anne’s full cabin and deck plan for details.

Queen Victoria Cabin Grades

• Britannia Deluxe Inside (GB) — 19.2 m²: midships on Deck 1, designed to minimise ship movement — a practical choice for a very long crossing.
• Britannia Ocean-view (EB) — 18.3 m²: noticeably more spacious than standard ocean-view grades, with around 3 m² more living space.
• Britannia Club Balcony (A2) — 24.0 m²: exclusively on Deck 8, the highest deck position of Britannia Club Balcony cabins, with shorter routes to upper deck areas.
• Queens Grill Grand Suite (Q1) — 122.5 m²: two separate rooms, a private dining room and a spacious lounge — the most generous suite on board. Full layout at Queen Victoria’s cabin and deck plans.

Arcadia Cabin Grades

• Inside Cabin (OA) — 19.0 m²: 2 m² more floor space than standard inside grades — noticeably roomier for the same price point on a long voyage.
• Sea View Cabin (LB) — 17.0 m²: natural daylight and an unobstructed sea view through a window — the essential step up from an inside cabin.
• Deluxe Balcony Cabin (EA) — 24.0 m²: a private balcony for fresh sea air and breakfast without sharing the public decks.
• Suite (B1) — 56.0 m²: dedicated butler service included throughout the voyage — the one cabin category where personalised attention is built in. See Arcadia’s cabins and deck plans for the full layout.

What Do Cunard Fares Include?

Cunard offers several fare types on its world cruise departures, and the right one depends on how much flexibility you want. The Cunard Fare — available on all sailings regardless of when you book — lets you choose your stateroom number, gives you priority consideration for upgrades, and keeps a low 15% deposit with a flexible balance payment date. You can amend your booking up to the balance due date, and the fare includes complimentary shuttle buses at ports. Fare types such as the OBC + Drinks, Coach + Drinks and Car Parking + Drinks packages fold extra benefits into the same flexible framework, so the choice is really about which additions suit how you are travelling to Southampton.

The Cunard Saver fare works differently: you pay in full at booking and accept a pre-allocated stateroom in exchange for the line’s lowest possible price. If your priority is keeping the cost down and you are relaxed about which specific cabin you end up in, it is worth asking our team to compare the Saver and standard Cunard Fare for your chosen sailing.

Why Book a World Cruise with Cruise1st?

As one of the UK’s leading cruise specialists, we know these ships and itineraries in detail — the difference between a Grill suite on Queen Victoria and a Britannia Club cabin, or between a Saver and a flexible fare, is exactly the sort of thing our team works through with you before you commit. That kind of expert advice is what separates a specialist from booking direct with a cruise line.

Because all these sailings leave from Southampton, most of Britain can reach the port by road or rail — no flight to worry about at the start. If your world cruise finishes in a port abroad, we will arrange the return flight, any hotels you need either side, transfers and travel insurance as part of the same booking. Cruise1st Packages bring all of that together — cruise, flights, hotels and transfers — so you get one holiday rather than a collection of separate bookings to manage. We are rated 4.5/5 on Trustpilot from over 7,000 reviews, and we are ABTA and ATOL protected.

For a broader look at what is available, world cruises covers the full range of routes and lines, and world cruises from Southampton focuses specifically on sailings that leave from the UK’s most popular departure port. If you prefer a no-fly holiday closer to home before committing to a circumnavigation, our no-fly all-inclusive cruises from the UK and no-fly all-inclusive options are worth exploring alongside.

Round the World Cruise Ports: Where Do These Sailings Go?

All departures leave from Southampton — you can board by car, by National Rail, or by coach, and be at sea the same afternoon with no airport at either end. The itinerary then calls at ports across multiple continents; the exact route varies by sailing and by cruise line, so checking the full port list for your chosen voyage is always worthwhile.

Where a sailing ends also varies. Some return to Southampton for a true round trip; others finish in ports such as Sydney, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore or Hamburg, Germany — making them one-way voyages where you will need to arrange a return. Of the sailings on sale, 6 are round trips and 8 are one-way. Our team can book the return flight and any hotels in the disembarkation city as part of your holiday, so nothing is left unplanned.

If you are drawn to a particular part of the world — say, the circumnavigation of Australia — you may also find the Australia circumnavigation page useful for comparing routes that focus on that region.

Top World Cruise Options and Alternatives

A full world cruise is the flagship option, but it is not the only way to experience long-haul sea travel from the UK. Some travellers choose a sector of a world voyage — joining or leaving at an intermediate port — which can make a long itinerary more accessible in both time and budget. Others prefer a Mediterranean cruise from the UK, a Mediterranean cruise in 2026 or an Arctic cruise from the UK as a stepping stone to longer voyages.

For P&O sailings in particular, last-minute P&O cruise deals can represent strong value if your dates are flexible. And if Southampton is your preferred departure port, 2027 cruises from Southampton shows the full range of itineraries — short and long — leaving from the same terminal as these world voyages. Cunard sailings specifically from Southampton are listed on our Cunard cruises from Southampton page.

Explore the full range of cruises from the UK or browse all cruises to see what else is available across every region and budget.

*Prices are per person based on 2 people sharing, and are subject to change. This price is not kept up to date and therefore does not reflect live pricing and availability. Prices and any discounts shown were checked on 14 October 2026.

Where a discount is shown, it is a reduction from the price previously listed for that cabin grade on that sailing, not a comparison between cabin grades or against a brochure rate. Discounts and prices shown are not kept up to date: the reduction available now may be smaller, or may have ended, and prices may have changed.