British Isles Explorer Cruise

[Twitchly]

What about Liverpool? That’s the port I’m most at loose ends about. We’re not Beatles fans, so that’s out. Other Viking excursions include Knowsley Hall or Arley Hall, which I’m not familiar with. Thoughts?
 

We’re open to doing a non-Viking tour, or just doing our own thing if we had some idea where to go. Part of me is thinking this might make a nice sea day since we have only one during the cruise. Recommendations welcome.

[Jim Avery]

3 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

What about Liverpool? That’s the port I’m most at loose ends about. We’re not Beatles fans, so that’s out. Other Viking excursions include Knowsley Hall or Arley Hall, which I’m not familiar with. Thoughts?
 

We’re open to doing a non-Viking tour, or just doing our own thing if we had some idea where to go. Part of me is thinking this might make a nice sea day since we have only one during the cruise. Recommendations welcome.

Haha, the Magical Mystery Tour is fun but you need to like Beatles music.  Liverpool has some good historical places on the waterfront.  The Three Graces are large old buildings that can be toured.  The Cunard Building is one of them.  We found some interesting shops and a nice waterfront pub with good food just north of the pier.  If you want to get a bit further afield take the ferry cross the Mersey (bet you hear the song onboard) over to the national Canalboat Museum at Ellesmere Port.  The canals played an important part of the industrial age.  Again, nice pubs near there.🍺

[JerryInIL]

We just booked August 2023 Bergen to London.  The 2 night London extension for $999 seems pricey so we will likely diy for a week.  Lots of research to do.  

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

Haha, the Magical Mystery Tour is fun but you need to like Beatles music.  Liverpool has some good historical places on the waterfront.  The Three Graces are large old buildings that can be toured.  The Cunard Building is one of them.  We found some interesting shops and a nice waterfront pub with good food just north of the pier.  If you want to get a bit further afield take the ferry cross the Mersey (bet you hear the song onboard) over to the national Canalboat Museum at Ellesmere Port.  The canals played an important part of the industrial age.  Again, nice pubs near there.🍺

 

Liverpool - definitely going to Anfield for a stadium tour and hopefully a rendition of Jerry & the Pacemakers "You'll Never Walk Alone". After Anfield, a visit to one of the pubs in the new Royal Albert Docks area. Might even go check out the old Gladstone Dock, which is where I paid-off my first ship on Christmas Eve 1975.

 

This is similar to when we visit Greenock, a visit to Ibrox and lunch is a must. One of the nieces normally picks us up and we provide the lunch.

[CurlerRob]

4 hours ago, Twitchly said:

What about Liverpool? That’s the port I’m most at loose ends about. We’re not Beatles fans, so that’s out. Other Viking excursions include Knowsley Hall or Arley Hall, which I’m not familiar with. Thoughts?
 

We’re open to doing a non-Viking tour, or just doing our own thing if we had some idea where to go. Part of me is thinking this might make a nice sea day since we have only one during the cruise. Recommendations welcome.

Some years ago, we were on a HAL cruise round Britain. In Liverpool, we enjoyed a tour that drove into Wales, took a steam railway and visited Chirk Castle.  The Horseshoe Pass tour offered by Viking is not the same, but looks somewhat similar, or you may be able to find a private tour that is more like the one we had.

 

In Belfast, if you are not already decided, the Titanic museum can easily swallow most of a day - if you like maritime history, it's absolutely outstanding. No need for the ship tour if you want more free time - buy your tickets in advance online and just get a cab for the short drive once off the ship. (I enjoyed our cab driver so much that I offered him a few quid "for his breakfast". That landed me a personal reference to a couple of his favourite pub owners - or perhaps relatives!) Gotta love the Irish! 🍺🥌

[DGHOC]

10 hours ago, Twitchly said:

What about Liverpool? That’s the port I’m most at loose ends about. We’re not Beatles fans, so that’s out. Other Viking excursions include Knowsley Hall or Arley Hall, which I’m not familiar with. Thoughts?
 

We’re open to doing a non-Viking tour, or just doing our own thing if we had some idea where to go. Part of me is thinking this might make a nice sea day since we have only one during the cruise. Recommendations welcome.

These ladies produce a travel blog that includes flying visits to particular cities. This one is for Liverpool.

As Andy said, the Royal Albert Docks is an interesting area.

 

https://www.ladieswhattravel.com/10-things-to-do-in-liverpool-that-arent-beatles-related/#

[kcpvwill]

We are from the northwest of  UK and Viking does a tour from Liverpool to Port Sunlight and Ness gardens.  We have been to both places before as they are only a 1 hour drive from home and really enjoyed them.  I suggest you read the Viking description to see if it is your type of trip.  Not many people in the UK would even know of these let alone have been there unless they are local.  We were in Port Sunlight last week and it has a wonderful feeling of oldie worldliness.  Hardly anyone was there.  This time we were meeting my sister so we did not do the Lady Lever Art gallery (except the café for lunch) but did walk around the village which was built by the Victorian, Lord Leverhulme, for the workers in his soap industry.  

[molymoo]

11 hours ago, Twitchly said:

What about Liverpool? That’s the port I’m most at loose ends about. We’re not Beatles fans, so that’s out. Other Viking excursions include Knowsley Hall or Arley Hall, which I’m not familiar with. Thoughts?
 

We’re open to doing a non-Viking tour, or just doing our own thing if we had some idea where to go. Part of me is thinking this might make a nice sea day since we have only one during the cruise. Recommendations welcome.

https://www.visitliverpool.com/blog/read/2018/06/sailing-into-liverpool-what-to-do-on-a-day-in-port-b304

[sugarside]

Personally I would choose between Chester and the Welsh heritage steam train,but Arley Hall is well worth a visit and has lovely gardens.

It depends on your likes which you go for.

We got fed up of hearing about the Beatles on our day there with Viking.

The included coach tour does feature about all aspects of Liverpool and you will see all the sites worth seeing,just shut your eyes when they drive you along Penny Lane 😂😂😂

[molymoo]

1 hour ago, sugarside said:

Personally I would choose between Chester and the Welsh heritage steam train,but Arley Hall is well worth a visit and has lovely gardens.

It depends on your likes which you go for.

We got fed up of hearing about the Beatles on our day there with Viking.

The included coach tour does feature about all aspects of Liverpool and you will see all the sites worth seeing,just shut your eyes when they drive you along Penny Lane 😂😂😂

Funny ... we will be on our second British Isles Explorer cruise soon but it will be our first time in Liverpool.  For "logistical" reasons Liverpool was skipped on our previous cruise and we went to Glasgow instead.  Big Beatle fan here so I probably won't be "fed up" as you were but I had much the same feeling in Barcelona about Gaudi.  I know (and I have been told in no uncertain terms by some on the book of faces site) that Barcelona is about more than Gaudi ... but ... you wouldn't know it by the tour guides!  

[duquephart]

On 6/12/2022 at 3:22 PM, molymoo said:

We were on an extension staying in a hotel close to the restaurant.  Others were dressed much the same … no one was really dressed up.  

 

Looks like a 10 minute walk from the terminal.

[molymoo]

2 hours ago, duquephart said:

 

Looks like a 10 minute walk from the terminal.

Sounds about right … and we were staying at the Thon Opera Hotel right next to the train station. 

[JerryInIL]

Is it advisable to depart LHR on a weekday rather than a weekend during the summer?

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, JerryInIL said:

Is it advisable to depart LHR on a weekday rather than a weekend during the summer?

 

At least pre-COVID, in my experience, LHR was crowded regardless of the day of the week, as it operates at almost full capacity.

[DGHOC]

6 hours ago, JerryInIL said:

Is it advisable to depart LHR on a weekday rather than a weekend during the summer?

Most definitely Jerry, the flight situation here is truly tricky at the moment. C is still causing major issues with airline staff and airport and security staff so delays and cancellations are rife. Weekends are the busiest travel days and we tend to book early flights as it's more likely they'll just be delayed rather than outright cancelled.

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

On 6/12/2022 at 4:21 PM, Twitchly said:

What about Liverpool? That’s the port I’m most at loose ends about. We’re not Beatles fans, so that’s out.

We will also be in Liverpool....and are not Beatles fans.  I have cousins there so we will meet up with them and I asked what would be a good thing to do.  They suggested setting off on foot and exploring, so that is what we are planning on.  We will include two things, a good coffee shop, and I've already bought an engraved love lock as I hear there is a good place along the wharf for that.  

 

Some of the most memorable times we've had are at ports where we did not have plans and set off on foot.  

[JerryInIL]

For disembarkation in Greenwich, does Viking provide any transportation to the city for those staying in London on their own extension?

[Heidi13]

3 hours ago, JerryInIL said:

For disembarkation in Greenwich, does Viking provide any transportation to the city for those staying in London on their own extension?

 

Nothing available at the end of the World Cruise.

 

You have the DLR (Tube) a couple hundred yards from where you come ashore and on the same pontoon where you disembark the tenders, you can catch one of the river boats down the Thames to Tower Hill, Westminster, etc.

[JerryInIL]

18 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Nothing available at the end of the World Cruise.

 

You have the DLR (Tube) a couple hundred yards from where you come ashore and on the same pontoon where you disembark the tenders, you can catch one of the river boats down the Thames to Tower Hill, Westminster, etc.

Thanks.  Also, will there be cabs, shuttles waiting near the dock, or do we need to pre-arrange for transport to our hotel?

[Jim Avery]

2 minutes ago, JerryInIL said:

Thanks.  Also, will there be cabs, shuttles waiting near the dock, or do we need to pre-arrange for transport to our hotel?

You might luck out and get a cab but most transportation is hired cars and coaches for those with included Viking transport to the airport.  Smith's is a good car service.

[Heidi13]

2 hours ago, JerryInIL said:

Thanks.  Also, will there be cabs, shuttles waiting near the dock, or do we need to pre-arrange for transport to our hotel?

 

In addition to Jim's suggestion for a car service, we have used Addison Lee on previous visits to London and were happy with them.

[Jim Avery]

Ha, I was going to recommend them as well but couldn't remember the name....🍺

[CurlerRob]

3 hours ago, Jim Avery said:

You might luck out and get a cab but most transportation is hired cars and coaches for those with included Viking transport to the airport.  Smith's is a good car service.

I believe I read elsewhere that Smith's was recently closed ... TripAdvisor entry seems to indicate that as well ... 🍺🥌

[Jim Avery]

Sorry to hear but not surprised given the last few years.  Th3y always did good work for us.

[haydn12]

We used Addison Lee a few years ago.  The cost was quite reasonable with great service.