You now can take a boat tour to see all the empty cruise ships
Cruising fans don't have many options these days for getting aboard a cruise ship. But now they at least can get up close to one -- assuming they can get themselves to the U.K.
A ferry company based near the cruise hub of Southampton, England, has started up "ghost ship tours" to take tourists to see all the empty cruise vessels that have been anchored offshore during the cruising shutdown.
Christchurch, England-based Mudeford Ferry is offering the two-and-a-half-hour outings on days when the weather isn't too windy. The trips begin at Mudeford Quay in Christchurch and take place on a 20-person vessel that's normally used for ferry service in the area.
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Christchurch is about 24 miles from Southampton, which is one of Europe's biggest cruise departure ports.
Among the ships that have been anchored off Christchurch in recent months in what is known as Poole Bay are Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria; and P&O Cruises' Britannia, Aurora, Arcadia and Ventura. As of this week, there also were three Marella Cruises vessels in the mix and even a Carnival Cruise Line ship, Carnival Valor.
Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles
The Carnival Valor, notably, is far from its normal home. The ship usually sails out of New Orleans. Carnival has sent some of its ships on long voyages around the world to repatriate crew to their home countries, and some of the vessels remain anchored in far-off lands.
Two Royal Caribbean ships -- Anthem of the Seas and Allure of the Seas -- also are anchored just a few miles away from the other vessels off the coast of Bournemouth, England. A Norwegian Cruise Line vessel, Norwegian Star, is not far away along the waterfront of Southampton.
Mudeford Ferry says passengers on its tours are getting unobstructed views of the giant vessels from very close up. The company says it's allowed to approach within 50 meters (about 164 feet) of the ships.
A photo the company posted on Facebook this week showed ghost ship tourists ogling one of the P&O Cruises vessels from just in front of its bow.
The tours cost 20 British pounds for adults (about $26) and 10 British pounds for children (about $13). There's no food or drink on board, but passengers can bring their own and make a picnic out of it.
None of the vessels that are anchored off the coast of England have sailed with passengers since March when the entire cruise industry shut down due to the coronavirus outbreak.
While some cruising has resumed in parts of Europe, ships still aren't sailing out of the U.K. Cruising also remains on hold out of North America ports.
The ships that are anchored off the coast of England aren't complete ghost ships. While there are no passengers on board and most crew members have been sent home, the vessels still are manned by a small staff who maintain machinery and monitor safety equipment.
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- SkyMiles aren't the most valuable airline currency
- Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 in purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months.
- Receive a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate each year upon renewal of your Card. Payment of the government imposed taxes and fees of no more than $80 for roundtrip domestic flights (for itineraries with up to four flight segments) is required. Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. See terms and conditions for details.
- Enjoy your first checked bag free on Delta flights. Plus enjoy Main Cabin 1 Priority Boarding and settle into your seat sooner.
- New: Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels.
- Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets.
- Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.
- Enjoy a per-visit rate of $50 per person for Card Members and up to two guests to enter the Delta Sky Club when traveling on a Delta flight.
- Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® after you apply through any Authorized Enrollment Provider. If approved for Global Entry, at no additional charge, you will receive access to TSA PreCheck.
- Earn up to 20,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) with Status Boost® per year. After you spend $25,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year, you can earn 10,000 MQMs up to two times per year, getting you closer to Medallion® Status. MQMs are used to determine Medallion® Status and are different than miles you earn toward flights.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- $250 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees