Things to do in Southampton morning of cruise?

Will be staying at the holiday inn near the port next summer before a cruise. Recommendations of what to do the morning before boarding in Southampton? Maybe a good place for breakfast or some kind of sight seeing or other activity? The more nearby to the holiday inn & cruise port the better. Couple in our 30’s

Will be staying at the holiday inn near the port next summer before a cruise. Recommendations of what to do the morning before boarding in Southampton? Maybe a good place for breakfast or some kind of sight seeing or other activity? The more nearby to the holiday inn & cruise port the better. Couple in our 30’s

Breakfast is excellent value at a Wetherspoon pub called The Standing Order in the High street. A few minutes walk from the West Quay shopping centre

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Got to West Quay Marks & Spencers to get your 2 bottles of wine!

Will be staying at the holiday inn near the port next summer before a cruise. Recommendations of what to do the morning before boarding in Southampton? Maybe a good place for breakfast or some kind of sight seeing or other activity? The more nearby to the holiday inn & cruise port the better. Couple in our 30’s

The Holiday Inn actually has a great breakfast buffet. I wouldn't go somewhere else. We went to the Sea City Museum before our cruise. They had some really interesting exhibits on the Titanic. It is walking distance from the Holiday Inn and the Pier.

The Holiday Inn actually has a great breakfast buffet.

Yes, probably the best hotel breakfast in the city.:)

Southampton isn't a tourist destination, it's a working port city but it has plenty to amuse you for your short time.

In Bugle Street in "old town" Southampton & only a 5 minute walk from HI is the restored & quite splendid Tudor House

https://tudorhouseandgarden.com/

Well worth an hour or two.

Approach it via the city wall's West Gate (behind Grand Harbour Hotel) or along the waterfront opposite Royal Pier & alongside the little 13th Century stone Wool House (past cruisers may remember when it housed the city's maritime museum, it's now a pub/brewhouse called "the Dancing Man").

From either direction you pass the historic Duke of Wellington pub - divert down the path beside the pub for a quick look at the Medieval Merchant's house http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/medieval-merchants-house/ but it's only open at weekends.

Old town has a number of other interesting buildings, but there are more new buildings than old due to the blitz in 1941.

Old Town is divided from the broad main shopping street (Above Bar) and the big West Quay Mall by the remains of the city's northern wall and main entrance, the Bargate.

From HI to old-town to Bargate to West Quay & back to HI is only about one mile / 20 mins

At the far (northern end) of Above Bar is the post-war Civic Centre (topped by a tall white clock tower). It's mainly civic offices but has an art gallery etc, and the Sea City museum is attached to it. The museum majors on Titanic, mainly using dioramas and stories of the crew, most of whom were from Southampton. I rate it "OK", but not a patch on Belfast's Titanic museum.

That would add about 15 mins to your walk.

Alternatively continue along the waterfront on Town Quay past the Wool House, God's Tower, dock gates 5 & 4, and South-Western House (built alongside the old terminus rail station as the South-Western Hotel, where many Titanic passengers overnited) to the traffic lights at the entrance to Ocean Village. Turn left opposite Ocean Village into Royal Crescent Rd for the Solent Sky aviation museum in Albert Road.

https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/solent-sky-museum

It majors on local aircraft including the Spitfire (designed & built in Southampton) and exhibits include a flying-boat - Southampton was the UK's premier flying-boat port during their short period of popularity.

That would add about 25 mins / 1 1/4 miles to your walk.

This route includes all those places, trim it to suit your time & interests.

https://goo.gl/maps/7K8TD3SRNto

Other sights & diversions at http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/visit/things-to-do

JB :)

Breakfast is excellent value at a Wetherspoon pub called The Standing Order in the High street. A few minutes walk from the West Quay shopping centre

 

 

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I agree about the Wetherspoons if you want a cheap, but good breakfast and you would walk through the old town going to that part of the city, were you will find The Tudor House mentioned by John. We have stayed at the Holiday Inn a number of times and done breakfast in the hotel, elsewhere and even nipped out in the morning (or the previous evening) to get a 'picnic brunch' to take back to the hotel, which we have found fine when joining a cruise ship, considering you are fed as you embark. Depends how much you want to pay as the hotel breakfast does not come cheap - but then again not everyone are cheapies like us :)

Not sure what is called river view as I think all rooms on the higher floors have water view (may be wrong with that), but we like the rooms looking north as there is a great view over the river northbound and towards he docks, which is another reason why we often 'picnic ' in the hotel room, whilst seated by the window - the room chairs are comfortable. That view is also great at night when the area is lit up. The hotel charge more for the higher floors (I think floor 5 and above), but we have often got a free or good price upgrade as we are priority club menbers (IHG loyalty club).

 

Not sure what is called river view as I think all rooms on the higher floors have water view (may be wrong with that), but we like the rooms looking north as there is a great view over the river northbound and towards the docks,

:D :D

I guess that to a Wear-sider like Grapau this would be a "river view" :D

But it's Southampton Water, leading to the Solent, which separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland. The Isle of Wight is responsible for Southampton port being sheltered and having an almost-unique double-tide.

Yes, H.I. rooms at the front (south) look down Southampton Water. IMHO, more-interesting view than rooms at the back. And you can watch your ship coming in - if you're awake at daft o'clock in the morning.;p

Rooms at the back (north) overlook City cruise terminal - where the ship will be at its berth at a more-civilised time of the morning - and are probably more popular with cruisers.

JB :)

:D :D

I guess that to a Wear-sider like Grapau this would be a "river view" :D

But it's Southampton Water, leading to the Solent, which separates the Isle of Wight from the mainland. The Isle of Wight is responsible for Southampton port being sheltered and having an almost-unique double-tide.

 

Yes, H.I. rooms at the front (south) look down Southampton Water. IMHO, more-interesting view than rooms at the back. And you can watch your ship coming in - if you're awake at daft o'clock in the morning.;p

Rooms at the back (north) overlook City cruise terminal - where the ship will be at its berth at a more-civilised time of the morning - and are probably more popular with cruisers.

 

JB :)

After 43 cruises in balcony cabins we have seen plenty of water.My late father in law was with us about 15 years ago when we stayed in the holiday Inn and he was excitedly watching Oriana and other ships sailing past at 4.30 am.

We usually stay in the Premier Inn West Quay and go to Carluchios in West Quay for breakfast.

This May the night before our cruise we ate in one of the new restaurants attached to West Quay shopping centre.

Interesting John, yes we have been in a room looking up the River Test and the cruise terminal is in the foreground. Just checked the hotel's orientation with Google Earth. Looking towards Southampton Water, you would need to see over the cruise terminals to the south of Southampton, so you would be even more in need of a high room, whereas there is a clear view the other side (though restricted if ships are docked). If there are no ships docked (which is usual overnight), you get a clear view even from the lower floors of the hotel. Thinking again if we could not get an upgrade we always asked for floor 5, which was the highest floor with the basic priced rooms and the hotel always obliged.

We tend to cruise in the colder months, so short days, so I am not sure we would see much in the distance, when we arrive in the evening and we would not be awake before 7am when the ships come in. It is the view of the docks lit up at night and the water that largely attracts us as that is mainly when we are in the hotel, having picked up some cold beer etc. :)

We only saw ships docked in the morning as they sail before we would arrive. I can see summer cruisers may have a different priority.

 

It is the view of the docks lit up at night and the water that largely attracts us ............. :)

 

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You've just reminded me of New Years Eve in Southampton docks.:)

Nowhere near as noisy at midnight as it used to be, when ocean liners were in port overnite.

But nowadays I can still hear the cargo ships' horns from my place halfway down the Solent.

JB :)

We're booked for the Holiday Inn next month. I chose the rate that included breakfast, which was about £9 more than booked without and considerably less expensive than waiting to add breakfast later. Last year, we spent a little bit less for breakfast at McDonald's after staying at the Ibis Budget.

I go for a manicure and pedicure in the morning then we stock up on my drinks, nibbles and mixers for the cruise. After that, we go for coffee and a snack in the top floor cafe at John Lewis to get a view of the ship. A great way to spend the morning IMO!!

Have a walk round the old town walls and buildings. Our photos below.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/rrPXQDxJQyxwf23a7