Town dubbed ‘UK’s cruise booking hotspot’ retains crown

Residents of Fareham in Hampshire booked more cruise holidays per head this year than any other place in the country, according to cruise.co.uk.

Located between the cruise hubs of Southampton and Portsmouth, cruise.co.uk said those living in Fareham had “a wealth of at-sea holiday options” on their doorstep.

In second place was Southampton, the country’s largest busiest cruise port with five terminals handling around 1.8m passengers per year.

Chichester in West Sussex claimed third spot – a rise of 12 places on cruise.co.uk’s 2022 list, while fourth and fifth places were taken by Barnsley and Chorley.

Bridgend, Eastleigh, Ashford, Bromsgrove and Solihull rounded out the top 10.

Cruise.co.uk managing director Tony Andrews said: “There’s no doubting the popularity of cruise in Fareham. It’s the booking capital of the UK and clearly its residents know just how enjoyable a holiday at sea is. It’s no surprise to see Southampton appear high up our list, with such a wonderful range of cruise ships so close to hand. And word has clearly spread in Chichester, with the city one of our biggest movers to land third place.

“The popularity of a cruise among Barnsley and Chorley locals is less obvious, but clearly there is significant demand for a sea escape, even in areas with no obvious coastal connection. Both towns regularly appear in our top 10 booking hotspots, so this is part of a marked trend rather than a one-off.

“We’re expecting more people in the UK to have taken a cruise in 2023 than ever before, with our top five booking hotspots leading the way.”