In 2025, the UK is firmly in favour with the several of the big cruise lines. Some are adding ships, others are opening up regional ports, and a few are clearly hoping to charm first-time cruisers out of the airport queue and onto the gangway.

And it makes sense. Travellers are tired of chaotic check-ins, last-minute gate changes and £11 croissants at Terminal 5. Cruise brands have responded, not just with slogans, but with ships. Homeporting here, tailoring itineraries for British tastes, and in some cases, trying very hard not to look like cruise lines at all.

So, who’s actually backing Britain this year? Here’s the state of play...

MSC Cruises: supersize me (from Southampton)

If you like your holidays with LED staircases, Cirque-style shows and the option to order Champagne by robot, MSC might be more your tempo. MSC Virtuosa is back for another summer season sailing from Southampton, and it’s clear the Swiss-Italian-owned line is making serious moves to court British guests.

There’s onboard fish and chips now. Yorkshire Tea in the cabins. Even an actual curry night. Whether that’s a cultural nod or a PR ploy, the bookings suggest it’s working.

This is cruising for people who want Vegas at sea, but without the jet lag.

Cunard: a classic rewrites itself

This summer, all eyes are on Queen Anne, Cunard’s first new ship in over a decade, launching from Southampton with a certain amount of fanfare (and, one imagines, a well-pressed waistcoat or two).

Cunard is perhaps the most famously British of all cruise lines, but don’t let the heritage fool you. Queen Anne is all soft tones, contemporary art, and surprisingly forward-thinking design. There’s a wellness studio. The spa uses seaweed. One of the bars specialises in Champagne and caviar, another in negronis.

If this is tradition, it’s had a very nice facelift.

P&O Cruises: home advantage

Of course P&O is on this list. They practically invented it. But what’s interesting is how hard they’re working to keep the UK traveller engaged — not just with convenient departures from Southampton, but with a kind of cruise that’s increasingly attuned to 21st-century tastes.

More short cruises. More themed sailings. More smart choices on board (Iona and Arvia now have rum distilleries, for one thing).

They’re not reinventing the wheel — just making sure it rolls a bit more smoothly from British shores.

Fred. Olsen: flying the flag (just not literally)

Fred. Olsen has long known the value of a no-fly cruise. This year, they’ve doubled down with departures from Liverpool, Newcastle, Dover and Rosyth, offering neatly curated itineraries that favour scenic coastline over flashy capitals.

The ships are smaller, the crowd loyal, and the itineraries increasingly themed; wildlife watching, Northern Lights chasing, and even a “Mystery Cruise” for those who’d rather not Google every port in advance.

In an industry that’s often trying to out-wow itself, Fred’s quietly reassuring approach feels like a clever bet, especially for travellers who want their trip to feel like a conversation, not a circus.

Ambassador: cruising for the people

Tilbury isn’t usually the start of great adventures, that is, unless you’re boarding Ambience or Ambition. Ambassador Cruise Line, the plucky newcomer with a fondness for kettle-boiled charm and proper Yorkshire tea, is leaning into the regional thing with full force.

This year, they’re sailing from Newcastle, Belfast, Dundee, and even Bristol. The pricing’s smart, the itineraries practical, and the vibe is very much “this your favourite cruise line that you haven't yet heard of".

In a sea of steel and screens, Ambassador’s vintage hospitality and warm welcome is refreshingly analogue.

Everyone else: quietly eyeing the opportunity

Lines like Princess, Holland America, Celebrity and Norwegian aren’t shouting quite as loudly, but the signs are there. More ships stopping in Dover. More one-way itineraries that begin or end in the UK. More British-targeted advertising that doesn’t involve someone in a captain’s hat pointing at a map.

It feels like a soft power play: if you want to cruise without leaving the country first, the options are expanding. And you don’t have to compromise to do it.

The message from the cruise industry is clear: they’re not just passing through the UK, they’re investing in it. And for British travellers, that means more choice, less hassle, and the very real possibility of starting your holiday without setting foot inside an airport.