The Greenwich Ship Pier is adjacent to the old Royal Naval College, the Cutty Sark and so much more that it will fill your day.
#Cruiseships do cruise into London. There are three main ports
- Tilbury
- Greenwich
- Tower Bridge
The Greenwich cruise port is odd in that there is so much to do and see, you are unlikely to go into central London.
The Greenwich Cruise Ship Pier or Greenwich Ship Pier is the world’s first floating cruise terminal, and it is operated by the Port of London Authority. The floating pontoon can accommodate vessels up to 228 metres in length and is in a wide section of the Thames.
The PLA’s cruise ship diary is here Greenwich Cruise Ship Diary – click here to Port of London diary
The Seaborn Venture, Viking Venus, and Viking Mars and Jupiter use Greenwich. Viking Cruise Chat Group
On the way in the ship sails between the London Flood Barrier which has been used many times since being built, past the O2 Arena and stops opposite the Sail Loft, just past the old Naval College, the famous Cutty Sark, and the turret of the Greenwich Foot Tunnel.
It is unlikely you will need to cross the pedestrian tunnel which opened in 1902 and sits 15m below The River Thames. It has a cast iron and concrete wall 32cm thick and is 370m long with an outside diameter of 4m and will take you to Island Gardens in Tower Hamlets. You do not have to take the steps as refurbished lifts opened in 2014.
Although not cheap, the Cutty Sark has many suggestions to keep you entertained from climbing the rigging to walking the deck. It was one of the last British Tea clippers built in 1869, the year the Suez Canal opened which along with the improved efficiency of steamships eventually reduced its being chosen for the Asia/China route. The ship went on to be used to and from Australia.
The stunning Royal Naval College, now known as the Old Royal Naval College, is in the main a university. You will walk past the many practice rooms of the music department. The three buildings that are open to the public are:-
- The Discover Greenwich Visitors Centre
- The Painted Hall
- The Chapel
The stunning Painted Hall reopened in 2019 after a two-year-long, award-winning conservation project. The room that was to be the dining hall for Greenwich Pensioners is the highlight of any visit to Greenwich.
It is the work of the first English artist to be knighted, Sir James Thornhill. His early 18th-century, epic painting in the hall features kings, queens, and mythological creatures on 40,000 square feet of walls and ceilings. These tell an incredible story of political change, scientific, and cultural achievements, as well as naval endeavours, and commercial enterprise. The central narrative focuses on the period when the United Kingdom was created and became a dominant power in Europe. The paintings celebrate Britain’s naval power. It also depicts the Protestant accessions to the throne of King William III and Queen Mary II in 1688, and George I in 1714. The work of art took 19 years to plan and complete at a cost the equivalent of about £1.5m in today’s money.
The Chapel of St Peter & St Paul was part Sir Christopher Wren’s original design for the Royal Hospital for Seamen at Greenwich. 2023 marks 300 years since his death. After a devastating fire, the Chapel was rebuilt in 1779 with a richly decorated ceiling, naval themes, and an exceptional altarpiece. The Chapel is regarded as one of the finest neo-classical interiors in existence and the space hosts daily services as well as many special events including recitals.
The Discover Greenwich visitor centre is free to enter and full of information and pictures so could be a starting point to your visit..
Rumours of a new cruise terminal should be ignored for a while, as the proposed new Greenwich Cruise Terminal which former Greenwich Council leader Chris Roberts first drew up has been formally scrapped. It fell short in several areas, the major one being no onshore power supply which would mean the ships would keep engines running throughout their time on the river pumping out pollution which London is trying to reduce. Former site owners Morgan Stanley had been reported as saying that development would not include the cruise terminal, and during the pandemic, the new owners of Enderby Wharf in Greenwich confirmed no cruise liner terminal after residents complained that it would cause significant environmental damage.
You will find memorials, statues, and plaques everywhere. Sir Walter Raleigh was an English statesman, soldier, writer, and explorer who was one of the key figures in the colonisation of America. Many of these walls hold mixed messages of success and conquering from a period some historians now label as our dark period of empire-building.
Nelson is well-featured in the pub next to the college, and many of the pubs in the area have shipping names and themes. A short visit to London is never enough but for ships stopping here at Greenwich, many guests will never get out of the borough that is full of ghosts and wine cellars.
