post cruise tours of London?

[kac0426]

I'm very interested in the 7 night transatlantic from New York to Southampton. But, when I arrive in Southampton I'd want to stay a few days and see England. Does Cunard offer any post-cruise tours? I would have thought they would, but can't seem to find anything on their website about it.

[Cruise NH]

Go to their website click on 'The Cunard Experience' and then 'Land Tours'. They don't offer tours per se but do put together transfers and hotels.

 

Honestly, you can probably do better on your own as far as the hotel goes. You can book a Cunard to downtown London transfer then go to the hotel of your choosing. There are lots of tour opportunities in London.

 

If you want to do a tour of England then you will have to do some research to see if you can hook up with an operator like Rick Steves or Trafalgar...and I'm sure there are a lot of others.

 

Good luck and enjoy your vacation!

[BigMac1953]

Hi

 

You don't really need Cunard. They would charge a small fortune anyway.

 

Get yourself into London, but list the attractions that you're interested in first.

 

You might even want to take in a show? Much better than NYC.

 

The tube system is fast and efficient. There are also plenty of HoHo buses.

 

A very good way of seeing the centre is to take the Thames Clipper from Embankment, and travel to Greenwich. It's about £12 round trip and you get a great view of many attractions. Avoid the tourist boats. The Clipper is a river bus.

 

Have fun

 

Stewart

[jimmybean]

I think it is great that you want to stay a while and see some of England after your crossing. It is a lovely country!

 

I agree with other posters that you could find less expensive sight-seeing help than what will be offered by Cunard. Depending on your resourcefulness and fitness, it might be very do-able to sightsee on your own. And, if you just need generalized assistance, there is the "hop-on-hop-off" bus tour, which would take you to most notable sites.

 

BigMac1953's suggestion of seeing a show is excellent. You can book your tickets, on-line, before you go and have them waiting at the box office.

 

The tube/underground/subway (whatever you want to call it) is marvelous and not that difficult to maneuver, if you are independently minded. If you require more assistance, you can learn tour opportunities over the internet or at your hotel.

 

It is also great that you will be on a crossing! Wonderful experience! You will enjoy!

[kac0426]

Thank you, everyone, for the kind replies.

 

Unfortunately, I was born without any sense of direction whatsoever, so I was nervous about navigating London myself without some sort of tour to follow. That's why I was hoping Cunard had some sort of post-cruise tour I could arrange. I will keep looking into it to see what my tour options are, even outside of Cunard.

[Cruise NH]

I did come across this company that might offer some of what you would like.

 

http://tour-england.com/2014/01/04/sightseeing-tours-and-transfer-service-from-southampton-docks-cruise-terminal/

 

Once in London, you can easily connect with tour operators to see London, Windsor castle and other places within a drive. Try grey line tours for example.

[john watson]

Thank you, everyone, for the kind replies.

 

Unfortunately, I was born without any sense of direction whatsoever, so I was nervous about navigating London myself without some sort of tour to follow. That's why I was hoping Cunard had some sort of post-cruise tour I could arrange. I will keep looking into it to see what my tour options are, even outside of Cunard.

 

London is best and easiest done with a hotel and then use public transport. Look at the Transport for London website. The Subway; or London Underground or Tube is the world's easiest system and the maps have been colour coded for each line and each line has a name to look for at the stations when more than one line is serving that station then they call them westbound and eastbound or northbound and southbound. The whole set up is designed so non-English speaking people can also use it.

 

This is the site: https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track

 

Regards John

Edited March 15, 2016 by john watson

[jimmybean]

Thank you, everyone, for the kind replies.

 

Unfortunately, I was born without any sense of direction whatsoever, so I was nervous about navigating London myself without some sort of tour to follow. That's why I was hoping Cunard had some sort of post-cruise tour I could arrange. I will keep looking into it to see what my tour options are, even outside of Cunard.

 

Your position is totally understandable, kac0425. You don't want to be missing out, because you have gotten lost somewhere--wasting your time.

 

London is so huge and so historic. There is so much to see and do. No tour will be able to include "everything." I suggest you identify some "must-sees" and book a tour that includes these sites, then resign yourself to a return visit ;) to see more. :)

 

Our favorite experience in London, as Stewart mentioned, was taking the Thames boat to Greenwich. Seeing London from the river finally gave me some perspective as to where various locations sit in relationship to each other. It's not a "tour" with someone on the loudspeaker, pointing things out, but it would be pretty difficult not to recognize London bridge and the Gerkin building. If you don't book an organized tour every day you are in London, it could be something to consider doing.

 

Also, again, do consider going to the theater. I agree with Stewart: better than NYC (which in no way demeans NYC). London theater is just pretty fabulous.

 

In the 1970s, my aunt and uncle were in London for only two days and booked a private tour---just the guide and themselves. From their descriptions, the memories were worth the price. Looking for a private guide might also be something for you to consider. We tell you that a Cunard tour might not be worth what they charge, but having your own guide might be.

 

The important thing is to plan something that will be right for you.

 

Jimmybean.

[LondonTowner]

If you want to do a tour then do some research on Google or look on the London Forum on Tripadvisor. Yes, London is a huge city but has one of the best public transport systems in the world.

 

I would take a coach or the train to London from Southampton. Book a hotel anywhere within the Central Line on the Underground map. I have no idea of your budget, but Premier Inn Hotels can be had for a reasonable price, but you need to book well in advance.

 

You could do days out in and around London or take a tour visiting various places in England.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Thank you, everyone, for the kind replies.

 

Unfortunately, I was born without any sense of direction whatsoever, so I was nervous about navigating London myself without some sort of tour to follow. That's why I was hoping Cunard had some sort of post-cruise tour I could arrange. I will keep looking into it to see what my tour options are, even outside of Cunard.

 

I think the hoho bus would be a perfect start for you. I think you can get a 2-day pass. So ride the whole loop the first time to get your bearings, then choose places to get off and see the sights up close. If you've got a smartphone that will "roam," the map app will save you if you get lost.

 

I agree with the other posters who say that London has an excellent transport system. I don't think I can post a link, so google London Toolkit and you'll find a site that gives good explanations of the system and the various kinds of transit cards you can get.

 

I also echo the recommendation for Premier Inns. They're clean, comfortable, and reasonably prices. No frills like a health club. But, honestly, who needs to run on a treadmill when you can walk in a fantastic city!!!!

 

There are more historic sites and museums than you will have time for, so think about what interests you most and don't overwhelm yourself with things to do in any day. Take time to just look and wander. We always take at least a half day to walk along the south bank of the Thames.

 

London theater is great. It used to be a bargain, but prices are starting to catch up with New York. If you like chamber music, check out Saint Martin in the Fields. They do lovely candlelight concerts in the church.