Southampton - Cunard to Celebrity - time to see the town?

[stiej]

We are arriving into Southampton on the same day we board our Celebrity ship. I didnt know if there would be time to go into Southampton and perhaps see the Titanic museum or some of the city sights prior to boarding our other ship. Also, would we possibly be able to go to the Celebrity pier, drop off our luggage and then go into town? Does anyone know how the travel logistics would work for that? Is the Cunard pier walking distance to Celebrity. If we needed to take a cab, what type of currency do they take? Credit cards or just paper money. This is my first trip to Europe so please be gentle with my lack of knowledge :)

[msg_girl]

Not a straight forward answer I'm afraid unless you let us know which Ships and the date. You can see the schedule on this site http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

Some docks are within easy walking distance, others not so. I would advise trying to be one of the last off so that you can go to the dock for the new boarding and drop off your luggage without getting too tied up with those getting off!

City and Ocean terminals are easy to walk back to the city centre, Mayflower is possible but isn't very nice - over a mile through the docks, can't comment on QEII since I haven't been through that dock. But if you've taken a taxi to drop off your luggage it would easily wai while you do that and then drop you back in town.

Taxi will take payment in pounds - most also take credit cards but possibly only chip and pin cards (I understand only a very few US credit cards are chip and pin - you can search for a discussion on this subject on CC).

See map here http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/admin/content/files/PDF_Downloads/Up%20to%20date%20port%20plan.pdf

Have a good cruise (or two). G.

[tartanexile81]

It would certainly be possible to have a walk around Southampton but you might not have as long as you had hoped and also you won't see the Titanic Museum as it is in Belfast.

 

Your luggage is taken from you as you arrive at check-in at Southampton but you might need to get a taxi from your disembarkation point to your embarkation terminal as it's a very big port. Follow the link that msg_girl posted so you know. It's unlikely check-in will start much before 11:30 -12 and I really don't know what time the luggage collection starts outide.

 

There will be lots of taxis dropping off so you'd probably be able to pick one up but if you can't one of the biggest companies in Southampton is West Quay cars, and if you call them on 02380 999999 from inside the terminal they'll meet you. We use them when we sail from Southampton and they seem fine. Mind you, there's not a lot to do in Southampton so the ideal thing to do would be to go by train to Portsmouth where there is an historic naval dockyard with HMS Victory and the Mary Rose.

Hope that helps.

[John Bull]

Celebrity almost always berth at City cruise terminal, the easiest for the city centre.

Cunard is likely to be Ocean terminal or QE11 terminal. QE11 is deep in the docks but wherever you berth, with luggage you'll need a short taxi hop to City cruise terminal so it makes no odds. Plenty of taxis at the terminal, under £10 to City terminal.

 

But MSG Girl has put her finger on the main difficulty - your luggage.

 

Try to offload your bags at the bag-drop at City cruise terminal soonest. But don't register at this time - it will be time-consuming, & complicated to come out of the security/registration process without boarding the ship. Certainly 11.30 will be no problem to drop your bags off but if you want to try earlier they may accept. If they don't, get the taxi to take you just a few hundred yards back to the De Vere Grand Harbour hotel, which will hold luggage for non-residents at £5 per bag. After visiting the town you can then collect your luggage on your way to the ship - by taxi or a level & easy ten minute walk hotel-to-ship.

 

The old-town sights (city walls, water gate, Tudor Merchant's house. Medieval merchants house, Bargate, etc), and the modern city centre shops are just behind the De Vere Grand Harbour, or a 10 minute walk from the City pier.

But if you prefer to visit the Sea City museum, which is alongside the Civic Centre at the north end of the city centre & a 20 min walk from City terminal or the de Vere Grand Harbour, you'd save some time by getting the taxi driver to drop you there after disposing of your bags.

Titanic is very much the core of the Sea City museum, it's very interesting with plenty of photos, dioramas & stories, but very few artefacts.

 

Do bear in mind that, despite having dropped your bags earlier, latest registration for your Celebrity cruise is likely to be 90 minutes before sailing. So the earlier you can get shot of your bags the better - even then you're unlikely to have time for both old town & the Sea City museum. Your choice is likely to be influenced by the time available & the weather - Sea City would be a firm favourite in wet weather.

 

The simple little map at the bottom of this webpage shows the locations of the cruise terminals, the De Vere (blue 6) & Sea City museum (yellow F)

The old town sights are broadly between yellow D & yellow H

http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_accommodation.htm

 

Southampton visitor info at

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/visit/things-to-do/walks-and-tours

 

JB :)

[stiej]

We are at the QE2 Terminal on Cunard and then onto City for Celebrity. What are the general fares for taxis? We werent going to get many pounds for the trip. What do you think would easily cover our fares with tips?

[stiej]

I think i would like to go to the Bargate market - would that be something we could do if we dropped the bags at De Vere and walked? Are cabs easy to get at De Vere back to city terminal? I love open air markets and seeing true local fare.

[John Bull]

We are at the QE2 Terminal on Cunard and then onto City for Celebrity. What are the general fares for taxis? We werent going to get many pounds for the trip. What do you think would easily cover our fares with tips?

 

A taxi from QE11 to town or City terminal or De Vere would be under £10.

From town to City terminal would be about £7.

The De Vere can call you a taxi, cost is likely to be the minimum - about £5. But once you're at the De Vere & you can see the distance to the ship you may feel it's an easy walk.

 

Taxi tip for a short hop is usually just rounding-up to the nearest pound - the whole tipping culture is much lower in the UK than your side of the Pond. Anywhere from zilch to 10%.

 

In the UK & the rest of Europe, hail a taxi only for in-town trips - up to about 4 miles. For any great distances & especially for instance an airport transfer or a day tour by car, pre-book over the internet because a metered cab at the rank or hailed in the street will cost megabucks.

 

I think i would like to go to the Bargate market - would that be something we could do if we dropped the bags at De Vere and walked? Are cabs easy to get at De Vere back to city terminal? I love open air markets and seeing true local fare.

 

The Bargate is only a ten minute walk from the De Vere.

The best of the market days are actually when sellers come over from France from time-to-time to set up stalls selling cheeses, crepes & such.

The market won't take up much of your time, but it's conveniently located at the join between the city's main shopping street, called Above Bar (blitzed in WW2 and re-built in the 1950s) and the Below Bar district, with the city's few historic sights.

Climb the city wall by the Bargate/market & walk it round to the West Gate & on to the Water Gate, then walk back to Bargate via the recently-restored Tudor house in Bugle Street & the High Street. Only takes about 15 to 20 minutes unless you stop

 

Southampton isn't a tourist city, but it has enough to keep you amused for a day or two.

 

JB :)

[gosport11]

correct link http://www.oceans-southampton.com/baggage-hold-facility/ for a left luuggage place in town :)

[John Bull]

correct link http://www.oceans-southampton.com/baggage-hold-facility/ for a left luuggage place in town :)

 

 

Hi neighbour,

Yes, that's a new store in High Street, opened a few months ago.

I didn't mention it cos I don't know how good/reliable it is, & cos it's not a 24/7 service (though the hours are OK for the OP), but mainly cos the De Vere is so handy for City cruise terminal.

 

JB :)