The Mayor of London recently gave final approval for a cruise terminal to be built in
Greenwich in time for the 2012 Olympic Games.
Construction is due to start later this year
at Enderby Wharf, and the facility will
eventually include a hotel, homes, a public
square and even a new street.
Although ships can currently moor at
Greenwich, or upstream at Tower Bridge if
they are small enough, there is no berth at
either location.
As the first international cruise liner
terminal on the Thames, Greenwich will be
able to accommodate vessels up to 240
metres long (about the length of a P&O Australia ship) with a maximum capacity of
1500 passengers.
Maritime attractions
I spent a few days in the area to check out its potential for a pre-cruise or post-cruise
stay.
First of all, Greenwich is easy to reach from the city centre by public transport: it is
accessible by Dockland Light Rail as well as express overland British Rail trains.
From Heathrow, the journey can be cumbersome with luggage as you need to switch
lines from the Tube; by taxi, it costs about £50 ($80) which is worth it after the long
flight from Australia.
Regular riverboat services are also available to Greenwich from Westminster,
Embankment, London Bridge, Bankside and Tower Piers.
The new terminal will be within walking distance of the local attractions: the National
Maritime Museum, which houses the Maritime Galleries, the Royal Observatory and
Planetarium, and the 17th-century Queen’s House.
All of these venues are on the same block and can be visited in one day if you start
early enough.
The main museum building (free entry) has fantastic displays including the
‘Waterline’ exhibition of historic cruise photography from 1925-1970.
You can also stand on the (imaginary) prime meridian line, where the longitude is 0°
and which the International Date Line and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) follows.
For a second day out, take a walk along the river to Christopher Wren’s Old Naval
College and the Painted Hall.
Then continue on to the world’s last tea clipper, the 140-year-old Cutty Sark, which
re-opens to the public next spring after major conservation work.
There is a definite maritime theme in Greenwich – and what a wonderfully nautical
way to extend your cruise holiday on land.
How to see Greenwich
To sail in the UK before the Olympics madness, Voyages of Discovery has an 11-night
‘Heritage of the British Isle’ cruise from London to Portsmouth, departing 26 May 2012,
which will anchor off Greenwich for the celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth II’s
diamond jubilee.
See www.voyagesofdiscovery.net.au.
For details about Greenwich’s
attractions, see
www.visitgreenwich.org.uk and
www.nmm.ac.uk.
Where to stay
Novotel Greenwich has free internet in
the lobby, a gym and restaurant.
Discounts and free breakfast are
offered for two-night stays, and you can
book online at www.novotel.com.
