Intercruise Coach - Liverpool to Southampton

[Slowboater66]

Hi all, have any of you used the Intercruise coach service Liverpool to Southampton recently? My wife and I are using this service in May and, having looked at the pick-up point (Norton Street), find that apart from an elongated bus stop there are no facilities at all. If the weather is OK then there should not be a problem, but with three or four cases plus bags once we get there (by taxi) if it is raining or windy it will be very unpleasant. Would be interested in hearing any (helpful) advice,

Thanks in anticipation,

Edited February 1, 2018 by Slowboater66
Forgot to include departure Pick-up point

[tring]

Are you sure you have the correct location - there appears to be a bus station in Norton Street:-

 

http://www.118118.com/liverpool/bus-coach-operators-stations/100261679-national-express.html

 

Not used the coach myself - only found this from a web search. Must admit much prefer to go down by train and stay a night in a hotel ourselves, which extends the holiday rather than have to get up ridiculously early for a coach ride. Train from Liverpool would be our recommendation every time.

[Slowboater66]

Hi Tring, thanks for your reply, but having looked likewise on google I went over (we live on the Wirral) to check it out. There is, as I said, an elongated bus stop with just a normal small shelter, but no signs or information. When I went into a nearby café I was told that National had stopped using Norton Street 12 months ago, having transferred down to the Liverpool 1 bus station. I have yet to contact Intercruise but thought I'd see if anyone else had used Norton Street recently. Certainly, if the weather was to be anything like recently, waiting there with luggage and bags out in the open would not be the best way to start a journey down to Southampton.

[snaefell]

There used to be a bus station for National Express but that was flattened about a year ago,as has been said Nat Express decamped to Liverpool One.

If what you say is true you won't be alone,when we got the coach down to Southampton with Eavesway a few years ago it picked up outside Chester Station where there are no shelters either,lucky it was a nice day,similar with Cruise Connect who pick up from an hotel car park outside Chester,again no shelters.

[Slowboater66]

Thanks snaefell, looks like we'll just have to hope for the best. I was hoping that Pick-up might have changed to L'Pool1 where there is plenty of shelter.

[Mrs Tinkywinky]

We went down to the pick up at the Holiday Inn outside Chester last year , picked up by Intercruise. We had a choice of where we could be picked up , either Chester or Liverpool. I knew that National Express had moved to Liverpool One and that Norton Street was no longer a bus station.

Could you change to Chester as a pick up ? If it did pour down then at least you could wait inside the hotel in reception. I used the loo there anyway.

[Slowboater66]

We live in Moreton, so Liverpool is not too bad except for the location. It's £20/£25 for taxi there as against goodness knows how much for Chester. If our children didn't live in Sheffield and Kent we would have preferred the Chester pick-up, so Liverpool it will need to be, but thanks for your suggestion.

[tring]

I did not know about the move to Liverpool One bus station by National Express, but have found some reviews and there seem to be a lot of complaints saying there are no toilets and that it is exposed to the weather (looking at pictures Nat Ex just have bus stops with a bit of a cover over like the city buses which leave from Liverpool One). So nothing like Norton Street Bus Station.

 

If you do have to go to Norton Street, as you have described, I would suggest you consider taking a taxi to a Merseyrail station that does not need stair access and taking Merseyrail to Lime Street Station, (which is not far from Norton Street, if you use the side entrance from the station by The Empire Theatre), so you may be able to get luggage that distance (or perhaps get a taxi the short hop from Lime Street Station to Norton Street).

 

There are toilets in Lime Street Station (cost 30p nowadys) or you could go into the new (ish) Weatherspoons at the station for a coffee and use their loos (stairs needed to access their loos though), which would be our choice.

 

From the underground there is lift access to Lime Street Station main concourse, as there is at Hamilton Square station as well - though you would need to search for the lift at both stations (commuters will all head for the escalators and short staircases). There may also be a station much nearer to your home that also has access to the trains without stairs. You would need to check of course and better rechecking a few days before you go - there has been a lot of work going on that has affected access to various stations recently, as you will know.

 

Always risky using the road tunnel by Taxi if going over for a specific time, so we would always prefer to get to Liverpool a bit early and have a coffee anyway.

 

If your departure is transferred to Liverpool One, I think the nearest toilets will be in John Lewis (if they are open) - but not totally sure of that as we rarely use buses from there. We use Lime Street Train Station a fair bit for long distance train travel.

 

Taxi's are a whole lot cheaper if you do not ask them to go through the tunnel to Liverpool.

 

Hope your journey goes well and enjoy the cruise.

Edited February 3, 2018 by tring

[Slowboater66]

Thanks Tring, we are familiar with the lift from Merseyrail up to Lime Street Station, and also the side exit adjacent to The Empire, and will certainly consider that. The likely deciding factors are going to be the departure time from Norton Street and the weather forecast for that morning. Whichever way we go, I'm sure we'll have an exciting first cruise! Thanks for your suggestions.

[tring]

Glad the idea may be useful to you. If you have a lot of luggage, you may well need a taxi to Norton Street as it is uphill a bit and I am not sure of the quality of the paving there to drag cases.

 

Short journeys are not popular with taxi drivers of course but I find a decent tip helps :):)

[Yesrock52]

We used Eavesway about a year ago and were picked up outside the Liverpool Empire, which while not ideal does provide some cover and is only around the corner from Norton st.

[Cruising Nomads]

Think you might find at the new National Express stop at Liverpool One that the building across the road from the stop contains a booking office, waiting room with seats, toilets and if my memory serves me right a vending machine.

[snaefell]

Reasl pity they don't do a Birkenhead pick-up,Hamilton Square would be so much handier for you guys than crossing the water

[Mrs Tinkywinky]

The Chester pick up originates in Bangor/Llandudno and is Intercruise.

However last year some friends of ours were picked up in Liverpool by Eavesway. They had to pay about £80 for the return journey but we could have either free car parking included for 2 weeks in Southampton or return bus. So does it depend on whether it is free or not as to whether you get Eavesway or Intercruise?

[tring]

The Chester pick up originates in Bangor/Llandudno and is Intercruise.

However last year some friends of ours were picked up in Liverpool by Eavesway. They had to pay about £80 for the return journey but we could have either free car parking included for 2 weeks in Southampton or return bus. So does it depend on whether it is free or not as to whether you get Eavesway or Intercruise?

 

Do P&O still use Eavesway? I thought they replaced them with another company (presumably intercruise), but perhaps I am wrong.

 

Fred Olsen started using Eavesway after I though P&O had ditched them. It may be that your friends were on a Fred cruise.

[Josy1953]

Do P&O still use Eavesway? I thought they replaced them with another company (presumably intercruise), but perhaps I am wrong.

 

Fred Olsen started using Eavesway after I though P&O had ditched them. It may be that your friends were on a Fred cruise.

P&O did replace Eavesway with Intercruises several years ago. Eavesway still take P&O passengers to Southampton but as they are no longer the company used if you choose to take free transport as your select fare benefit. You can choose to take additional OBC and book Eavesway and pay the coach fare yourself. Intercruises are given preference at the docks because they are the P&O's preferred partner.

[Mrs Tinkywinky]

So do you know where Eavesway will pick you up in Liverpool?

[BrianI]

So do you know where Eavesway will pick you up in Liverpool?

Eavesway website says outside Empire theatre, Lime street

http://www.eaveswaytravel.com/po-princess-timetables-2018

Brian

[Slowboater66]

Yes, happy enough about that. Under cover and all the facilities - drinks and loos etc in station - and seemingly a more professional approach by Eavesway.

[Slowboater66]

I've now booked with Eavesway, so we can now get on with deciding which trips we may take at the ports of call.

 

Thanks very much for your input(s),

 

slowboater66