Greenwich Cruise Ship Terminal

Hi - We are on the British Isles cruise May 5 - May 19 (Viking Sun) embarking from Greenwich. I believe the actual terminal/pier is very near the Greenwich Observatory but I have no exact location. Does anyone know where the actual pier/terminal is?

Google Maps shows two piers in the area but I'd like to make sure as we are planning excursions from where the ship is docked and I need to know what is within walking distance to the pier/terminal.

Thanks for any help.

There is no actual Cruise Ship Terminal at Greenwich. On Google Maps enter Greenwich Pier which is where the both tourist boats and the splendid Thames Clipper service dock. There will be a large tent just outside the Discover Greenwich Visitor Centre on the grass area where you will check in. You will be just next to the Cutty Sark and actually inside the gates of The Old Royal Naval College. The ship will be moored on the river just opposite a pub called The Sail Loft also shown on Google Maps. You will tender but it is a very short distance.

The visitor centre has lots of information, and some interesting displays. You can visit the wonderful Painted Hall and the Chapel just a few steps away from the tent. Both are free.

There used to be a Tudor Palace just there where both Henry VIII and Elizabeth !st were born. It was replaced in around 1696 by a series of buildings designed by Christopher Wren (who also designed St Paul's Cathedral). There is an iconic photo that Viking use of the ship on the river showing the lovely buildings with the Queen's House in between. The Queens House and Maritime Museum are also free to enter.

The Observatory is a 10 minute walk (uphill) through lovely Greenwich Park. Intestesting buildings and artefacts, plus a Planetarium. There is an entrance fee for that.

Lovely views of the historic buildings in Greenwich with the Canary Wharf area of huge skyscrapers behind.

In Greenwich there is a historic covered market, selling different things on different days. Also visit St Alphege's church. All within easy walking distance.

If you plan to go into London then the best transport is definitely the Thames Clipper Service. Much quicker than any other method and a lovely scenic ride under Tower Bridge.

I hope you enjoy your time in Greenwich.

Thank you Mrs. Miggins -- this will be most helpful for our Viking cruise in August too.

Thank you also Mrs. Miggins. We will be embarking in Greenwich August 25, for our British Isles cruise. We arrive 2 days prior and will stay at Novotel Greenwich.

We also have arranged to have a private driver take us to Bath and Stonehenge for a day tour. I assume it will be a long day? I did quite a bit of research and most say it is 2 hours from Greenwich to Stonehenge?

I hope I am correct.

Hi Portofino,

Yes it will be a long day. Greenwich is to the east of central London and Stonehenge and Bath are west. There are two possibilities by road, one will take you through the middle of London, which may be good if you have not visited before but generally means a longer time than if the car takes you via the M25 all around the southern perimeter of London then onto the M3. I think two hours is a fairly conservative time to Stonehenge. We have a weekend home in Greenwich but our family house is down the M3 at Camberley. Therefore we do the first part of your journey on a weekly basis. We think we are doing well if if takes us 1 hour 30 minutes. I would estimate Sonehenge would take a further 45 minutes at least. From Stonehenge to Bath is another hour.

Much as I love Greenwich and assuming you are arriving at Heathrow it may be worth booking a hotel there and doing your trip from there if they are your 'must see's'. Do you want to visit Bath because of the Roman Baths or because of Jane Austin ?

It does have lovely Georgian houses and a good cathedral, but there are other country towns that may be a little nearer.

Thank you again for this great info.

Visiting Bath would be primarily for the architecture as I have read so much about it.

Stonehenge is the priority and I have spent enough time in London therefore, it is not important.

We arrive in the evening into Heathrow and was planning on taking a taxi or driver to Greenwich that night and relaxing the next day exploring the Greenwich area.

The day after we were planning our long day with the driver and plan to embark the following day. You have given me many things to think about. :) Looking forward to visiting your city of Greenwich. It sounds lovely.

Salisbury is only 10 miles from Stonehenge. This has Medieval houses and a beautiful cathedral. However if Bath is on your wishlist then of course that must be your destination. However if the journey has proved too much by the time you get to Stonehenge then Salisbury might prove a delightful alternative.

Enjoy your stay in Greenwich ! We are going on our third Viking cruise over New Year but we also love Azamara and have read many of your comments on that board too.

Yes, Salisbury was my backup plan. Would love to see the cathedral. Greatly appreciate the input and you have helped greatly.

Called Viking and got the postal code for where to be dropped in Greenwich if making your own transfers

SE 10 9HT. Hope that helps when trying to book a private transfer.

Little over a week away and finally here after booking so long ago. Looking forward to being on Viking again.

Just had a wonderful weekend in Greenwich. Fantastic weather and of course the London Marathon on Sunday. Went into central London on the Clipper on Saturday evening. The South Bank was jumping, lots of tourists, many different languages. The Americans behind me at the Anchor pub bar were surprised that Lasagna was listed as a British Speciality - so was I - but we do eat a lot of Italian. They also asked about the drink Pimms - lovely on a summer's evening. Sun was setting as we returned under Tower Bridge. Tourists took many great photos.

Viking reception is usually in a large tent outside the Greenwich Visitor Centre which is next to The Cutty Sark.

Hoping you have a lovely time in Greenwich and London and the weather stays kind.

I'm thinking that if I get to Cutty Sark, and we're mobile (rolling bags and good walkin' folk) we CAN find our way to the boarding point without TOO much trouble????? (daylight hours!!!!)

Just info about postal code for those doing their own transfers from Heathrow or central London. I'm mobile too but not 40 miles worth,

The postcode will be useful for those driving themselves, or using Uber, or a taxi. However the Cutty Sark ship at Greenwich is an iconic monument and black cab taxi's will certainly have no problem. It takes around 1.5 hours from London Heathrow through central London (22 miles) or our usual route of around the M25 the orbital road around London (65 miles) Of course if you are coming from Central London then Greenwich is only around 6 miles but might still take 30 minutes or so.

There will be Viking personnel right by the Cutty Sark to take care of your luggage. The tender station is right there too, just next to the regular Thames Clipper and Tourist Boat jetty. The ship will be in full view a couple of hundred yards away. The Visitor Centre with lots of information and displays is also just a few steps away. Not sure of your dates but May 7th is a public holiday and there will be many stalls and street entertainments over that weekend.

Have a great time - we will wave at the ship and look forward to our third Viking cruise over New Year.

Well, I think Mrs. Miggins gave you all you need to know, but since I didn't read that before I started writing, I'll just leave what I wrote:

We boarded the ship in Greenwich last year and it was really easy. We took a car service (Blackberry Cars, I think) from Heathrow to Greenwich Pier, where the Cutty Sark is. It was easy selecting our destination from the list Blackberry provided, although now I don't remember if it was "Greenwich Pier" or something else. However, if you speak to them or a taxi driver/car service driver, just tell them that you want to be dropped as close to the Cutty Sark as possible.

The weather on the weekend day we embarked was utterly fantastic, and the ride from Heathrow took longer than it apparently does. A lot of patience was required. The car wasn't allowed to get right up to the big white tent where we checked in for our cruise, but it was less than a minute's walk to there, so it wasn't bad, even with luggage. I remember the tent as being more or less behind and to the right of the Cutty Sark. Then it was another minute's walk or less through throngs of people to get to the ramps that go down to the Thames Clipper boats. There were one or two Viking reps stationed at the ramps for the Clippers to make sure Viking guests went down the right ramp - to board the Clippers bound for Viking rather than London or the other direction on the Thames. It was then a few minutes before the Clipper loaded up and left, and a minute or two before it stopped at a big platform next to the ship. All in all, it was a fairly easy embarkation, despite having to take a short boat ride and deal with platforms and docks.

I loved being right there in Greenwich - much nicer than having to get from a far-away port like Southampton into London. You can see London in the distance from the ship. Sailaway is nice, too, with nice views of the gorgeous buildings along the water in Greenwich. I found going through the Thames Barrier pretty interesting, too.

I may have a screenshot of where Viking ties up in the Thames, but it really isn't needed, as you'll simply want to get yourself to the Greenwich Pier for check in. If you want to go back out into London, you can either take a Clipper or Docklands Railway, which I believe comes right to Greenwich, a short walk from the Pier You can also walk through a spooky tunnel to a stop that's across the Thames, and go from there. There's also a nice park over there, with a good view of the ship.

My Greenwich/London photos are here: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/london__greenwich_&page=all

The Viking ships in Greenwich are tendered in the river and are right in front of the Cutty Sark. Many of the water taxis on the Thames stop right there. Easy access to Tower Bridge and beyond.

Well the ship was looking splendid at anchor on the Thames over the weekend. Greenwich and London very warm and sunny with lots and lots of tourists. Had a conversation with a lovely couple from the US who were waiting to embark. Wishing I could sneak on board but really looking forward to returning to Viking at New Year. Azamara and Scenic in the meantime. Hope everyone enjoyed wonderful Greenwich.