If you are considering taking the Queen Mary 2 or another cruise ship departing from Southampton, England, about 2 hours south of London, we suggest an alternative city to stay in before or after your cruise – Portsmouth, England; a beautiful city, particularly in warmer months, with quite a number of interesting museums along with many options for shopping, eating, and just walking around — an excellent place to visit.
Our second cruise on the Queen Mary 2 began with a terrific flight to London on JetBlue Airways, followed by an easy rail connection from London Heathrow Airport via London Waterloo Train Station to Portsmouth.
We have been told by another Delta agent that Portsmouth, located only 14 miles from Southampton, is a terrific town to visit and ‘hold over’ for a cruise from Southampton, and we were not to be disappointed.
The beginning of our visit to Portsmouth was our arrival at the Portsmouth Marriott Hotel, about 10 to 15 minutes outside downtown but located in a large commercial area.
Our tour of Portsmouth started with a visit to Gunwharf Quay, located along the banks of the Solent Strait. This modern outdoor shopping center also offers several harbor cruises. We decided to take one of the one-hour cruises available.
On our second day, we visited the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, which houses the famous clipper ship, the Mary Rose, as well as the retired HMS Warrior and HMS Victory warships. In the downtown area there are quite a number of ocean-themed historic museums to visit. We were also able to view the tallest structure in Portsmouth, the Spinnaker Tower.
We walked from the dockyard across downtown Portsmouth to an area called “Old Portsmouth”, again on the Solent Strait, which has quite a number of restaurants and bars, all very historic, beautiful, and interesting.
A great museum to visit in Portsmouth is the D-Day Story Museum. Other museums worth exploring include the National Museum of the Royal Navy and the World War One Remembrance Centre. Portsmouth is the birthplace of Charles Dickens, and you can visit his museum there. There are many ferries along the strait, including ferries that go to the famous Isle of Wight – another terrific location to visit, but mainly in better weather in the Summer and Fall.
The main story of this town continues to be the people of Portsmouth. They were very friendly, proud of their city, and hospitable. One couple volunteered to take us back to our hotel from ‘Old Portsmouth’ via the historic Southsea Castle that we would have missed. They also offered to take us to a nearby tavern for some refreshments.
On our departure day for the Queen Mary 2, our Uber ride was simple, about 1/2 hour in duration, and directly to the Queen Mary 2. You can take a train from Portsmouth to Southampton, but Uber is considered to be a much more efficient way of going.
We’ve already written about a cruise on the Queen Mary 2 (February 2025), but just to reiterate, it is a terrific 7-day nonstop oceanic cruise across the Atlantic to Brooklyn, New York. It is elegant, not overly expensive, and absolutely worthwhile. This cruise has no scheduled stops, but rest assured, there is plenty to keep you occupied each day. One highlight is a special, almost ceremonial, English tea every afternoon. This delightful event features a variety of offerings, including a course of tea sandwiches, a course of English scones, and a course showcasing a wide selection of desserts.
