Deciding on Pre-Cruise tours in London - HELP!

[Twickenham]

If you read their website, it is not a HOHO bus. It is a tour of London for 3 hours.

 

If you look at their website, they have both.

[fabnfortysomething]

Apparently there is a new player in town - Golden Tours.

 

http://www.goldentours.com/London/Open_Top_Bus_Tours

 

Can't vouch for them, but they seem a bit cheaper.

 

we used goldentours for an inclusive trip from London to Harry Potter studios and found them good and used modern buses-they do a variety of tours so can only vouch for this one

 

an alternative tour is London duck tours-a 75 min road and river tour in amphibious vehicles-starts opposite London eye and goes past several tourist sites-certainly different

 

another suggestion is a bike tour-we used spokenmotion-they do several tours around central London and start off from Bermondsley tube station so you get to experience the east end of London contrasting with the affluent financial centre

[phabric]

we used goldentours for an inclusive trip from London to Harry Potter studios and found them good and used modern buses-they do a variety of tours so can only vouch for this one

 

Can you tell me about this tour as we were thinking about taking it?

[Peanutbrittle56]

As to the Military Tattoo, our ship (Celebrity Infinity) offers a variety of options on seating for under $200 per person, including the transportation from Greenock & back. They also offer the $799 per person VIP package, but they don't really make a compelling reason as to why you'd need to spend it. The tour description doesn't spell out what makes it VIP and what makes it worth $500 more. If you're looking at ship's excursions to the Tattoo, better make sure it is truly worth it before writing that check! We are taking the excursion, but not the VIP version. We are typically DIY tourists, but I think the distance from port (Greenock) and the timing of the event makes it worth the added confidence of a ship's tour.

 

The only reason I would even think about the extra cost for this trip is because one in our group cannot do much walking at all and the transfer van will drop us off directly in front of the venue without the walk uphill. There is also a reception afterward with some of the players. Lastly, it is covered as someone else has noted.

[fabnfortysomething]

Can you tell me about this tour as we were thinking about taking it?

 

if you go on the harry potter/warner studios website there is an option which includes transport from London. Golden tours is the approved tour company .I cant remember the exact price but we got on a coach near Victoria coach station and transferred to studios at Watford where we had pre booked tickets.

 

We thought the price was fair bearing in mind the additional cost of a train or car journey would have been

 

I'll try to post the link but don't know whether it will be allowed

http://templates.wbstudiotour.co.uk/leavesden/images/header/logo.png

[Bob++]

The Tatoo offers various VIP packages so you would have to check with the cruise line what they are planning.

 

You should note the following paragraph though:

"Dining packages located in the Castle will require some walking on steep and uneven ground and may not be suitable for those with limited mobility. "

[Lvntrvl]

We are a family of five traveling on your same cruise. In London, we are planning to use the HOHO bus. I booked tickets on the National Express on Monday 7/29/13 from Victoria Station to Dover Town Center for 5 GBP/person. We also booked tickets for the Edinburgh Tattoo the evening of 8/3/13 on http://www.edintattoo.co.uk and plan to do it on our own considerably cheaper than the ship shore excursion. They still had tickets available this am. Good luck.

[Peanutbrittle56]

How nice that you will be on the same cruise! We are all so excited! We will also be getting our tickets for the Tattoo online and using our own transport. What transfers have you found from ship to venue?

Nina

[Lexi731]

I have used golden tours during two trips now and found their tours to be very good. I've taken coach tours to Stonehenge, Bath and Oxford outside of London and took a walking tour of central London including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, just to name a few.

 

They pick up at most major Central London hotels and drop off either at the hotels or a tube station which will get you back to your hotel.

 

I recommend them as a good option for London if you wish to go on an organized tour.

 

Karen

[OCruisers]

We had the best time taking a "Black Cab" for the day. :)

Our cab driver was great. He picked up quickly on the type of things we loved and didn't really like to do.

We had such a good time we booked him for the next day to plan what he thought we'd enjoy outside of London.

It as a great decision and we had a wonderful time both days! :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Go-Bucks!]

If you only have one day, you can probably see a lot from the HOHO bus, but I doubt you will have any time to get off and actually visit any of the sights.

 

 

I just had to chuckle when I read this. :p On my first visit to London a few years ago, we were only there for exactly 24 hours, which also included sleeping overnight.

 

Here's what we did/saw during this time: sat through the beautiful evensong service at Westminster Abbey (no charge), London Eye, cruise down the Thames, Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London, walked around the Belgravia neighborhood, St. Paul's Cathedral and a tour of Buckingham Palace!! Yes, in one day you can definitely visit many sights. :D

[Cotswold Eagle]

I just had to chuckle when I read this. :p On my first visit to London a few years ago, we were only there for exactly 24 hours, which also included sleeping overnight.

 

Here's what we did/saw during this time: sat through the beautiful evensong service at Westminster Abbey (no charge), London Eye, cruise down the Thames, Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London, walked around the Belgravia neighborhood, St. Paul's Cathedral and a tour of Buckingham Palace!! Yes, in one day you can definitely visit many sights. :D

 

Well said :)