Western Docks · Terminals 1 & 2 · Dover · Kent CT17 9TF
Dover: the port where you sleep at home
Everyone sailing from Southampton or Liverpool spends the night before in a hotel. Dover is in Kent, forty minutes from Canterbury and an hour from Medway, which means a Kent passenger wakes up in their own bed on the morning of the cruise.
From Canterbury, and around an hour from Medway. No hotel the night before, no five-hour drive, and no early start beyond a normal one. For a Kent cruise passenger, sailing from Dover is worth a good deal.
Which terminal, though
Dover has two cruise terminals in the Western Docks, and they are not the same building.
Western Docks
The former Dover Marine railway station. Check your ship's terminal.
Also Western Docks
A short distance from Terminal 1, and a different drop point.
Eastern Docks
A common and frustrating mistake. The ferries are elsewhere entirely.
So tell us
One line at booking, and the drop is set correctly.
Across Kent to Dover
The shortest cruise journeys we run, and the only ones that never leave the county.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Dover & Deal | 3 miles | 10–20 min |
| Canterbury & Whitstable | 17 miles | 30–45 min |
| Ashford & Tenterden | 24 miles | 35–50 min |
| Folkestone & Hythe | 9 miles | 20–30 min |
| Faversham & Sittingbourne | 32 miles | 45–60 min |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 41 miles | 50–70 min |
| Rochester & Chatham | 45 miles | 55–75 min |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 57 miles | 65–90 min |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 64 miles | 75–100 min |
The return is the part to book now
Ships dock when they dock, and the guide covers how we handle that.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book the return with the outbound | Rather than arranging it from the ship |
| Ships dock early morning | Usually, and disembarkation runs in waves |
| Delays happen | Weather and port traffic. We plan for it |
| Luggage on the way back | The same as on the way out, plus whatever you bought |
| Our cruise guide | Covers check-in windows, luggage and late docking in detail |
Sailing from Dover
The local advantage is real
Sailing from Southampton means a hotel the night before or a very early start; sailing from Liverpool means an overnight without question. Dover means getting up at a civilised hour and being at the terminal in under an hour from most of the county. For a Kent household choosing between an identical itinerary from two ports, that is worth factoring in.
Say which terminal, and say cruise not ferry
Two mistakes we see. Dover has two cruise terminals in the Western Docks and they are different drop points. Separately, the ferry port is in the Eastern Docks, which is a different part of Dover altogether. Your cruise documents name the terminal. One line at booking and neither problem arises.
Book the return at the same time
This is in our cruise guide and it is worth repeating. Arranging the homeward leg while you are at sea is harder than arranging it now, and a ship docking at seven in the morning is not the moment to be finding a vehicle. We book both legs together and plan the return around a realistic disembarkation.
Luggage is the constraint, not the seats
Cruise passengers travel with more than almost any other group we carry, and a party of four with a fortnight of cases is not a four-seat job. The guide covers this properly. Tell us the number of cases as well as the number of people and we will size it correctly.
Dover cruise questions
Our local port.
How far is Dover from the rest of Kent?
Forty minutes from Canterbury, around an hour from Medway and an hour and a half from the far west of the county. It is the only cruise port where Kent passengers sleep at home.
Which terminal do we need?
Dover has two cruise terminals in the Western Docks and they are separate drop points. Your cruise documents name it, so tell us at booking.
Is the cruise terminal the same as the ferry port?
No. Cruises sail from the Western Docks and ferries from the Eastern Docks, which are different parts of Dover. It is a common and frustrating mistake.
Should we book the return now?
Yes, with the outbound. Arranging the homeward leg while you are at sea is harder, and a ship docking at seven in the morning is not the moment to be finding a vehicle.
What if the ship docks late?
It happens, and we plan for it. Our cruise transfer guide covers how the return is handled in detail.
How much luggage can we bring?
Tell us the number of cases as well as passengers. Cruise passengers carry more than almost any group we take, and it changes the vehicle.
Can you do very early morning pick-ups?
Yes, and from Kent addresses that is a normal start rather than a middle-of-the-night one, which is the point of sailing from Dover.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed at booking for both legs.
Ports and terminals
Sailing from Kent and beyond.