This is the last in a three-part series on cruising the British Isles. After beginning in Viking Cruises’ home port of Bergen, Norway, we’ve travelled to Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and Ireland. Our last leg of the 15-day cruise brings us to our final three destinations: Liverpool, Dover and Greenwich (London), England.
After a full day exploring Liverpool, I’m relaxing in my state room moments before our ship is scheduled to cruise away on the famous River Mersey toward the Irish Sea.
Suddenly, I hear loud music outside and rush to the balcony for what turns out to be a memorable farewell of the Viking Saturn from Liverpool, thanks in part to the Merseybeat.
On the dock are loud speakers blaring a Beatles song, of course, since Liverpool is the birthplace of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison.
More than half-a-century after the Beatles disbanded in 1970, the Beatles remain one of this city’s biggest draws.
Earlier in the day, my daughter and I visited a museum called The Beatles Story, Liverpool at the rejuvenated Royal Albert Dock, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city.
Afterwards, we made the pilgrimage to The Cavern Club, where the Beatles regularly performed in their hometown in the 1960s. (Because the Beatles are so vital to Liverpool’s tourism, the club was rebuilt in the 1980s using the same design and most of the original bricks.)
With all Viking Cruises, passengers have the option of taking the included tour or paying extra for a special tour while at a destination. In Liverpool, one of the special excursions is the “Beatles Experience” with opportunities to visit places like Penny Lane and Strawberry Field that inspired their songwriting.
Since I previously took my own “Magical Mystery Tour” while in Liverpool, on a different visit to England, I opted to do Viking’s included excursion instead. The three-hour city bus tour included short stops to see places like Liverpool Cathedral, Britain’s largest cathedral that began construction in 1904 but wasn’t completed until 1978, and St George’s Quarter with many examples of beautiful, Victorian-era architecture as well as a guided walk through historic Albert Dock.
Named for Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert, who officially opened it in 1846, the dock is also the site of the Maritime Museum, where we spent some free time learning about Liverpool’s proud seafaring past.
Liverpool was once a hub for transatlantic crossings when most people left Europe by ship for America and the new world. During the 19th century two of the greatest Atlantic shipping lines, Cunard and White Star Line, which built the Titanic, were based in Liverpool. And a little known fact is Liverpool is the Titanic’s home port, despite never visiting its shores. (The Titanic was actually built in Belfast, Northern Ireland, which we had visited earlier during our cruise, and where we saw Titanic Belfast, a museum which also has the restored Titanic tender SS Nomadic, the last remaining White Star ship in the world. )
When the tour ended we continued sightseeing since the Viking Saturn was within walking distance from Albert Dock. Our explorations began by walking to the Beatles bronze statue and past some of Liverpool’s striking waterfront buildings, like the Royal Liver Building, with two mythical Liver birds nicknamed Bella and Bertie, on top. Our tour guide earlier explained the female bird faces the sea to ensure seamen return home safely while the male bird faces inland, watching over the seamen’s families. Legend has it, if they were to ever fly away, Liverpool would cease to exist.
We returned in plenty of time for the ship’s 7 p.m. departure. In those last moments in port. I look out at Bella and Bertie as one more song is played for us and dock workers unfasten the mooring lines — the only step of a docking process that looks the same as it did several centuries ago.
The song is Ferry Cross the Mersey, by Gerry and The Pacemakers. It seems a fitting choice after our day in Liverpool with lyrics like these: “People around every corner seem to smile and say ‘we don’t care what your name is boy we’ll never turn you away.’ So I’ll continue to say, here I always will stay. So ferry cross the Mersey and always take me there — the place I love.”
After our musical sendoff from Liverpool, we are on our way to the port of Dover and enjoy the only full day at sea on the itinerary. So far, during the trip, we’ve had nine port of calls, not including our embarkation in Bergen, Norway, with just two more to go in Dover and Greenwich (London).
Viking Cruises is a destination-focused cruise line, and has a large fleet of both ocean and river cruise ships that take guests to 88 countries on seven continents. Every passenger’s journey is different based on what they choose to do. Personally, I like to keep a busy schedule and never miss a port excursion, sometimes even opting to do two on the same day.
The one “sea day” meant I was forced to stay on board. But with a luxury ship like the Viking Saturn, I really had no complaints.
What I like about a Viking ocean-going ship is not only its modern, Scandinavian-design but the fact it’s modestly sized. The ship has a 950-passenger capacity and a crew of around 500.
All of the Viking ships have designs that are nearly identical, according to Viking chairman and CEO Tor Hagen.
“There is a deliberate familiarity to our ships. We want you to know where to go; we want you to feel at home,” Hagen has said in the past.
He also pointed out Viking doesn’t try to do it all, which is why the ships are for adults only and do not have casinos on board.
I’ve come to prefer a smaller cruise ship, where I’ve found it’s easy to find places to lounge. On a Viking ship, my two favourite places for relaxation are the two-level observation Explorer’s lounge, with floor-to-ceiling windows, or the Wintergarden, where I’ve enjoyed many an afternoon tea, with decadent desserts and finger sandwiches. And while I brought my swimsuit, I never once dipped my toes in the ship’s pool. I was more focused on exploring destinations during the day and in the evening attending daily enrichment and port talks. The talks are designed to help guests make the most of their cruise by immersing themselves in a destination’s history and culture.
Dover
Our arrival in Dover is timed to see the city’s majestic white cliffs as the ship makes its way past the white limestone bluffs around 8 a.m. that day. As we edge closer to the dock, on the narrowest part of the English Channel 32 km. from continental Europe, we clearly see Dover Castle, a medieval fortress built in the 12th century. The massive fortress has protected the country from invaders throughout its 2,000-year history, including being a command centre during the Second World War.
In Dover, known as the “Key to England,” we do both the included excursion, which is visiting the nearby city of Canterbury, and a special excursion, where we paid extra to visit Leeds Castle in Kent.
In Canterbury, made famous by Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, we stroll around the city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with our guide explaining some of the city’s main sights with time on our own to explore the labyrinth of medieval streets and shops and visit Canterbury Cathedral.
We return to the ship after the 3.5-hour tour in time for lunch then leave for an afternoon at Leeds Castle, built on an island in the middle of a lake and considered one of the most romantic castles in England. Once owned by Henry VIII, Leeds Castle was the home of Anne Boleyn, when she was one of Katherine of Aragon’s maids of honour. Leeds Castle’s last owner was a wealthy Anglo-American heiress, Lady Olive Baillie, who turned the castle into her country house after buying it in 1926. Before her death in 1974, she established the Leeds Castle Foundation to preserve the castle, its collections and interiors for the public.
Greenwich
Not all of the Viking Saturn’s port calls are to a dock, which was the case in London, when the ship anchors just off shore of Greenwich the day before our cruise ends. Greenwich is the home of the Prime Meridian Line, separating the eastern and western hemispheres, so when we get to shore my daughter and I make sure to get a photo of us together but with one standing in the eastern hemisphere and the other in the western hemisphere.
Greenwich is also home to the historic Cutty Sark, built in 1869 and one of the last tea clippers — masted sailing ships designed to hold as many chests of Chinese teas as possible as they travelled the trade routes between Europe and the East Indies.
We also have time to visit the National Maritime Museum and the Queen’s House, a bright white villa created in the 1630s and once a retreat for Kings and Queens. Located in the centre of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site the Queen’s House contains a world-class art collection, including the famous Armada portrait of Elizabeth I, once owned by Sir Francis Drake’s descendants.
• Sept. 7: Cruising from Norway to Scotland
• Aug. 30: Exploring myths and legends in Northern Ireland, Wales and Ireland
Kim Pemberton was hosted by Viking Cruises, which did not review or approve this article. Follow her on Instagram at kimstravelogue.
