Photos of Cruise Port Southampton and Independence of the Seas

This week we are going beyond the ships themselves and looking at the cruise port of Southampton, England. Now, few people set out with the goal of spending their vacation/holiday in Southampton. However, it is Britain’s primary cruise port and so cruisers often spend time there before or after a cruise.

While Southampton is not a tourist destination, it is tourist friendly. There are a variety of hotels and places to eat. In addition since Southampton is the large shopping center for southern England, it has lots of stores ranging from traditional high street stores to vast modern shopping malls.

Due to the fact that Southampton was - - and still is - - an import seaport, it was heavily bombed during World War II. Consequently, much of the city dates from the post-war period. However, I was surprised to find how many historic properties still exist. Indeed, Southampton reportedly has the most amount of medieval city walls in England.

Southampton is also not far from a number of places of interest including Stonehenge, the Isle of Wight, the naval museums at Portsmouth, Salisbury cathedral, and Winchester. A little further away but still within day trip range is the metropolis of London and all it has to offer.

My photo tour of Southampton begins at http://beyondships.com/Ports-Southampton-1.html

One of the ships that sails out of Southampton is Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. Now the world’s second largest cruise ship, Independence has modern lines but with a hint of the style of traditional ships, especially in the bow area. This lends itself to photographs and I have now added a page of photos of her taken in Florida and in Southampton to the Independence of the Seas section of Beyondships. It appears at http://beyondships.com/RCI-IOS-Photos1.html

Photo Essays of Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria

I have just returned from a series of cruises over in Europe. Since the purpose of my trip was to see ships, I decided to go to Europe by ship. Accordingly, I booked two transatlantic voyages on Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.

This turned out to be a quite fortuitous choice. On the day I left for Europe, the volcanic eruptions in Iceland closed down the airways and they remained closed for the better part of a week and it was difficult to get a flight for sometime thereafter. If I had chosen to fly, I would have missed at least the first and maybe more of my European cruises.

In addition to avoiding the difficulties associated with flying these days, QM2 is a delightful experience. There is always something going on. On this particular voyage there was a group of jazz musicians from Julliard both performing and answering questions. There were also talks on politics, history and astronomy given by various professors that were intellectually stimulating. Then there are the dinners and receptions given in the grand style.

When we arrived at the eastern end of the crossing in Southampton, England, we found that Cunard’s Queen Victoria was also in port. Although somewhat smaller than QM2 (90,0000 gross tons vs. 150,000), QV is an impressive ship. She also carries forward the prestige and history of the Cunard Line.

There are many ship enthusiasts living in and around Southampton who come out on a regular basis to see the seemingly ever-growing number of cruise ships that call in Southampton . However, the presence of two Cunard Queens in the port is enough to draw people from all over England. Indeed, Blue Funnel Line, which runs tours of the harbor was able to fill three tour boats with Cunard fans.

It was a beautifully clear but cold day and the air was crystal clear. Consequently, the conditions for photographing the ships were excellent. I have posted a photo essay showing the ships at their berths and then as they got underway. It is at http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-TwoQueens.html

The return voyage westbound across the Atlantic a month later also had a special ending. Due to an accident involving another ship, the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal where QM2 usually docks could not accommodate the great ocean liner. As a result, midway across the Atlantic it was announced that QM2 would be docking at Pier 90 in Manhattan rather than in Brooklyn.

This caused a frenzy of activity as Cunard employees both onshore and on the ship worked to avoid any inconvenience to passengers that could have resulted due to the change in destination. However, it also caused enthusiastic expectations amongst the passengers.

Most of the great ocean liners of the past docked in Manhattan. Indeed, for some four decades, when she came to New York, Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) docked at the very pier that QM2 would be docking at.

Aside from history, docking in Manhattan requires a ship to sail up the Hudson River as the world famous New York skyline unfolds in spectacular fashion. As it turned out, it was a clear Spring day and the soft light of dawn colored the City as QM2 made her way to her berth.

I have put together a photo essay which shows some of the sights that the passengers experienced on this unforgettable journey. http://www.beyondships.com/QM2-Manhattan.html