Very early this morning, Viking Sky sailed into the Thames River on its way to London. Russell Lee provided commentary of the sail-in, but I decided not to get up at 5:30 am to join those gathered in the Explorers’ Lounge to watch. When Tim and I sailed up the Thames in 2022, I did watch the sail-in, since it occurred during the afternoon, a much more reasonable time of day.
Although most cruise ships dock at the London Cruise Terminal in Tilbury, some can sail farther upriver and anchor in Greenwich. Because of its size, Viking is one of them. We moored in the middle of the Thames, adjacent to a pontoon operated by the Port of London, and local tender boats ferried us to and from the shore.
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| Viking Sky Moored in the Thames River (photo taken two days later) |
Because Tim and I had previously taken the included excursion, we simply wandered into Greenwich on our own, passing the Cutty Sark on our way.
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| The Clipper Ship Cutty Sark |
Greenwich is a borough of London that is known for its rich maritime history, and Maritime Greenwich has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is UNESCOs description of Maritime Greenwich:
The ensemble of buildings at Greenwich, an outlying district of London, and the park in which they are set, symbolize English artistic and scientific endeavour in the 17th and 18th centuries. The Queen's House (by Inigo Jones) was the first Palladian building in England, while the complex that was until recently the Royal Naval College was designed by Christopher Wren. The park, laid out on the basis of an original design by André Le Nôtre, contains the Old Royal Observatory, the work of Wren and the scientist Robert Hooke.
Maritime Greenwich includes many historic buildings that represent the city’s maritime importance. The unique architecture, designed landscape, and association with the British monarchy over the centuries are just some of the features that make Maritime Greenwich a unique and significant place.
After walking through the charming city, Tim returned to the ship while I decided to revisit some of the buildings in Maritime Greenwich, especially the Old Royal Naval College, a grouping of buildings that is arranged symmetrically around a Grand Axis and that evolved over the centuries. I made a mental note to myself to return to the Queen’s House for a tour.
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| Entrance to the Old Royal Naval College |
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| The Old Royal Naval College |
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| More Views of the Old Royal Naval College |
In the evening, Tim and I dined at The Chef’s Table for the Great Britain III: Cuisine from an Island Nation menu. We met Guest Chef Karen Burns-Booth as we entered the restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed the meal that she had created.
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| Chef Jamal and Guest Chef Karen Burns-Booth |
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| Great Britain III: Cuisine from an Island Nation Menu, with Descriptions of the Five Courses Pictured Below |
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| Amuse Bouche, First Course, Granita, Main Course, and Dessert |
Today marked the end of our fifth World Cruise segment, from Cape Town, South Africa, to Greenwich (London), England. Up next is Greenwich to Bergen, Norway. I had hoped to get a screenshot of the map that illustrates this segment, but the Ship Tracker has not been functioning. Instead, I’m including a section of the World Cruise map.
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| Segment 5 - Cape Town to Greenwich (London) |
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