27 March 2026
The Port of Dover will kick-start its 2026 cruise season on 1 April, with Viking Vela visiting for the first of 115 cruise calls throughout the 30th anniversary year of cruising in Dover.
This season will also mark a fifth consecutive year of growth, with around 200,000 cruise guests, and 22 cruise lines sailing to and from the Garden of England for cruises exploring Northern Europe, the Norwegian Fjords, the Baltic Sea, and the British Isles.
The Port will see its first ever four cruise ship day in May, with the arrival of Celebrity Eclipse, Viking Sky, Ponant Le Bellot and HX Expeditions MS Fram, which will also host CLIA’s third Expedition Summit on board. The second English Heritage and Azamara Cruises AzAmazing event will take place at Dover Castle on 2nd July, following its success in 2025.
Peter Wright, Head of Cruise at the Port of Dover said:
“We are thrilled to launch another great season for Dover Cruise on our milestone 30th anniversary year and look forward to celebrating with our cruise lines and their guests through the many special events and multiple ship days that are taking place here.
“We will also see an impressive range of ship size and style across the 22 cruise lines visiting, and are proud that they are all choosing us to help shape their own unique travel experiences. Thank you to the cruise lines who have been part of our journey and growth over the past 30 years – we are excited to see where the future will take us.”
Other highlights include 18 double cruise ship days, two triple cruise ship days and six inaugural calls. Holland America Line will once again operate a full season from Dover with Nieuw Statendam, six of Viking’s ocean ships will sail in for a large set of transit calls, and Carnival Cruise Line, Saga Cruises, AIDA and Seabourn will all return regularly throughout the season.
Karen Farndell, Holland America Line associate vice-president of sales and marketing for the UK and Ireland, said:
“We’re thrilled to be returning to Dover during the port’s anniversary year. After a hugely successful 2025, when we sailed across Europe from Dover for the first time in 10 years, Holland America will be back for an even longer season in 2026. Guests will set sail on a series of seven and 14-day voyages including to the Norwegian fjords, Iceland and Canary Islands from April to October.
“And we’ll also be returning next year, given our confidence in the local market and the positive feedback we’ve received from visitors to the area. The port are a brilliant team to work alongside and we can’t wait to welcome our guests back from next month.”
2026 inaugural calls include Sapphire Princess, TUI Mein Schiff 2, Silversea Silver Spirit, MS Europa 2, Scenic Eclipse and Viking Mira. To see the full cruise schedule and dates, go to Cruise – Schedule & Tickets