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.
For more cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's new cruise newsletter.
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.
Planning a cruise for the coming year? These stories will help:
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels |
| 1X | Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases
Rewards Rate
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets |
| 3X | Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels |
| 1X | Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases |
Intro Offer
For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account openingEarn 80,000 ThankYou® points60,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$95Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Excellent, Good
Why We Chose It
The Citi Premier’s 3 points per dollar spent across a wide range of popular categories is one of the more lucrative offerings in the world of points and miles. The Citi Premier comes with a $95 annual fee and is currently offering a solid sign up bonus of 80,000 points after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months. It also has some valuable transfer partners to make the most of your rewards. Add in access to Citi Entertainment plus a $100 hotel credit for any single-stay hotel booking that exceeds $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through the Citi travel website, there are few reasons why the Citi Premier should not be in every traveler’s wallet.Pros
- Earns 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels.
- $100 annual hotel savings benefit (on single hotel stay bookings of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, booked through thankyou.com)
- Points transfer to 16 airline programs, from JetBlue to Virgin Atlantic.
- World Elite Mastercard benefits, extended warranty, damage and theft protection.
Cons
- $95 annual fee
- Lacks travel protections that other travel rewards cards come with
- For a limited time, earn 80,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
- Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Hotels
- Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
- Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
- 80,000 Points are redeemable for $800 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com
- No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
- No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases