Cruise Travel....

PORT OF THE MONTH:
SOUTHAMPTON

Great Britain's Historic Cruise Capital
is Making Waves Once Again

Long haven for ships dating back to the days of the Titanic, to the Mayflower, and even earlier--Great Britain's cruise capital of Southampton is again making historic waves with a wide variety of exciting renovations and additions to an already long list of attractions to be enjoyed while (or should we say "whilst" like the British?) in the city.

From before the Titanic to the recently launched Queen Elizabeth, and scores of other classic ocean liners in between, the international maritime city of Southampton has been Europe's traditional embarkation or disembarkation point for trans-Atlantic cruises. More recently, the bustling port city of about 250,000 has also become the hub of Northern Europe cruising, with close to two dozen different ships from many lines making more than 300 calls annually at Southampton's four cruise terminals (and a fifth one is coming in 2013).

With P&O Cruises and Cunard Line traditionally using the port, Royal Caribbean International now offering year-round service with the Independence of the Seas, Celebrity Cruise's Celebrity Eclipse homeporting in summer, and MSC moving its operations over from Dover, Southampton expects more than 350 cruise-ship calls this year. That means thousands of passengers from near and far are learning more about Southampton's history--and future.

That future includes a recently announced fifth $45-million cruise terminal capable of handling ships carrying up to 4,000 passengers. It will be located in the Western Docks area between the existing City and Mayflower Terminals. (One interesting tidbit regarding the new terminal is that the huge baggage hall will process tomatoes imported from the Canary Islands in winter months when cruise business is reduced.)

Other recent Southampton cruise news brought the doubling of "boat train" service for the city and its cruise passengers. These dedicated passenger trains operate to and from Glasgow Central (via Manchester and Birmingham) and take hundreds of passengers to Southampton, where they typically detrain adjacent to or near their ship. From these cities in the past, many passengers (and their bags) had to make a number of different air, car, rail, and taxi journeys to get to and from historic Southampton.

Situated on the site of the Roman port of Clausentum, the current city of Southampton is located at the confluence of the River Test and River Itchen just north of the English Channel and French Normandy. With stone walls surrounding much of the Medieval Old Town and buildings that date back to the 11th century, Southampton's past is as much alive as its future, thanks to phenomenal preservation efforts.

Water has influenced Southampton for centuries. Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower set sail in 1610 from near the city's historic Westgate, next to Westgate Hall, and many more ships would eventually follow them across the Atlantic. During the Victorian era, the famed White Star Line moved its headquarters to the port city from Liverpool. Eventually, of course White Star's Titanic would leave Southampton on the ship's ill-fated crossing (after picking up mail and passengers in Cherbourg, France, and Queenstown [now Cobh], Ireland).

Much of the city's titanic-sized maritime history can be explored at the fascinating Southampton Maritime Museum on Town Quay Road near the cruise- ship piers. It's housed in a 14th century former wool warehouse and part of the "Southampton Titanic Trail," and even those with a passing interest in maritime history will want to see the museum's major collection of general nautical memorabilia and exhibits relating to the area--and specifically the Titanic Exhibition upstairs. Museum highlights include a 1:600 model of the port built for the 1939 New York World's Fair; various ship models (including the Queen Mary); and an audio program that includes memories of Titanic casualties and survivors from Southampton.

As part of the city's renovations and additions in coming years, the Titanic exhibits will be greatly expanded at a new Southampton attraction called the Sea City Museum. With plans to open in spring 2012, Sea City will feature permanent and traveling exhibitions that will tell the story of the city's seaworthy history.

Other parts of the multi-stop "Southampton Titanic Trail" focuses on the wide range of connections between the city, the people, the ship, and the tragedy, but there's also much to see on the trail related to Southampton's connections to maritime history in general. Most of the trail's highlights can be reached on foot. It starts at Southampton Tourist Information Centre, 9 Civic Centre Road, where Trail maps are available, as well as much more information about a Southampton visit.

If it's a weekday, the Civic Centre (across the street from the Tourist Information Centre) will be bustling--it's #1 on the trail map. Upstairs, near the door into the Council Chamber, the Titanic Postal Workers Memorial commemorates the three American and two British postal workers who died on the Titanic. The rear of the Civic Centre building holds the excellent City Art Gallery.

Across the street from the City Art Gallery is West Park, where there's a large Cenotaph (a World War I and II memorial) that served as the model for the more famous London Cenotaph. Nearby, in front of the solicitor's (attorney's) office, look for the Titanic Musicians Memorial, #2 on the trail map. (The original memorial was destroyed during World War II.) Besides the opening bars from Nearer My God To Thee, the Cenotaph has carvings of an iceberg, a grieving woman, and the names of all the musicians who went down with the ship--including bandleader Wallace Hartley.

Next, the Titanic Engineer Officers Memorial (#3 on the map) can be found across the street from the Cenotaph in East Park. An angel plays center stage on this monument, but be sure to look for the names of engineer officers whoʉie‰Êon the ship--including designer Thomas Andrews and Archibald Frost and Robert Knight from ship builders Harland and Wolff.

The walk next leads along the busy Above Bar pedestrian shopping street and through one of the city's famed stone gates (Bargate, circa 1180) to the next trail stop, another memorial at the remains of Holy Rood Church (#4). This trail section also includes part of Southampton's pedestrian "QE2 Mile," which features varied plaques marking key events in Southampton's marine-based history.

Just inside the gate to the Holy Rood remains, look for the Titanic Crew Memorial, which commemorates the crew, stewards, and fireman of the liner. The ship is depicted at sea and there's a "talking post" adjacent to it that tells the story of the Titanic and Southampton.

Next comes Town Quay, where lots of ships of all sizes are typically docked. The Red Funnel Terminal is here, with its frequent ferry departures to the Isle of Wight (a popular day trip or longer for visiting cruise ship passengers). Ferries also head to the nearby--and quite quaint--town of Hythe.

Just west on Town Quay Road, the aforementioned Maritime Museum is #5 on the trail map. A bit further is Mayflower Park (yes, that Mayflower), which offers one of the best places to view ships calling on Southampton (including the Queen Mary 2, for those not lucky enough to be onboard). Mayflower Park is one of the areas targeted by city officials as ripe for commercial and residential development with a view.

Backtracking to the Town Quay area, #6 on the trail is The Grapes Public House. Four original members of the Titanic's crew (including three brothers named Slade) evidently imbibed at The Grapes too long on the day the liner set sail and thankfully missed the boat. This is a great place to enjoy a local beer and examine the pub's detailed Titanic plans.

Nearby and next to the old Docks Railway Station is the former First Class South Western Hotel (now simply called South Western House and #7 on the trail). This is where White Star chairman J. Bruce Ismay and many wealthy passengers stayed the night before the voyage.

The former headquarters building of White Star Line (in 1912) can be seen at Canute Chambers (#8) on Canute Road. Here the citizens of Southampton gathered after news of the sinking spread--the names of survivors were posted on a large blackboard just outside the building. There's a memorial plaque on the structure now.

The last official stop on the trail requires permission to visit and is most likely not worth the effort to all but the most serious Titanic buffs. There's a security checkpoint at Dock Gate 4 (#9 on the map), where access might be granted there to see the Titanic Memorial just inside the gate--and maybe even to see the Titanic's berth.

Many maritime history buffs will also want to head to Cobwebs at 78 Northam Road. Since 1975, this store, situated in a Victorian building in the old Northam neighborhood, has lived up to its motto: "We Specialise in Ocean Liner Memorabilia." For sale are many mementos from the likes of White Star, Cunard, Union Castle, P&O, and other famous lines.

Other points of interest in Southampton include: various city walls, gates, and towers (most dating from the 12th and 13th centuries); the newly reopened and renovated 15th century Westgate Hall (formerly Tudor Merchants Hall); Tudor House Museum & Garden (reopening in summer 2011); St. Michael's Anglican Church (with portions dating to 1070); the excellent Museum of Archaeology; Solent Sky (an aviation museum); British-style shopping at The Mall, WestQuay, Bargate, and Above Bar Street (the places for a Southampton souvenir); the newly renovated and bustling Guildhall Square (including a new Arts Complex that's in the works) area at the heart of the city's Cultural Quarter; acres of parks; lots of pubs and restaurants with maritime connections like the White Star Tavern; and the University of Southampton (Queen Mary 2 lead designer Stephen Payne is an alumnus).

In addition, Jane Austen fans will want to ask for a map of the "Jane Austen Heritage Trail," which includes many Austen connections to Southampton (she lived at No. 2 Castle Square for more than two years; it's now the site of Bosun's Locker pub). Austen danced in the beautiful ballroom of the historic Dolphin Hotel, which is now open again for business as a Mercure hotel and features value-packed pre- and post-cruise packages. The Dolphin is located near Holy Rood Place, which is also part of Southampton's urban rejuvenation.

Of course, there's lots more nearby, making it tempting to follow two or three nights in Southampton with an even longer stay further afield. Possibilities include the aforementioned Isle of Wight; Portsmouth; Romsey; historic Winchester; New Forest (created by William the Conqueror in 1079 and now a beautiful national park); the picturesque Hamble Valley and coastline to the east; and even Greater London, which is less than 80 miles to the northeast. But if it's a pre-cruise stay, just don't miss the ship back in merry old (and new) Southampton!

Know Before You Go

*Ships That Call: Among the lines with ships that call on Southampton are Celebrity, Cunard, Fred. Olsen, MSC, P&O, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean International, Seabourn, and Silversea.

*Weather: It's relatively temperate in Southampton year-round, but visitors should always be prepared for precipitation.

*Money Matters: They still use the pound sterling in Southampton and throughout Great Britain. ATMs are generally available, and credit cards are generally accepted, except at smaller shops and markets.

*For More Information: Contact your travel agent of the Southampton Tourist Information Centre (Cruise Travel Magazine), 9 Civic Centre Road, Southampton, SO14 7FJ, United Kingdom; or log on to www.visit-southampton.co.uk.