Cruises from Portsmouth

Portsmouth is a city on the South Coast of England, in the county of Hampshire; it is generally known by its nickname, “Pompey”. Portsmouth made its name as a naval port and is also the location for the oldest ‘dry dock’ in the world, which is still used to this day.

The earliest known history of the port dates back to pre Roman times, although most of these records were destroyed in the Norman Conquest of 1066. Portsmouth is one of the main ports for the Royal Navy in Britain. Some of their most famous ships can be found in the dockyard, such as the “HMS Victory” and the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s flagship, which sank off the coast and was raised by the Navy in 1982. These ships are part of the Royal Naval Museum and are preserved in immaculate condition. Visitors are allowed to walk onto the HMS Victory, where they can discover what it was like to be a naval officer during the 1800’s. There are also many artefacts and exhibits charting the history of the Royal Navy and its noted figures, including the Battle of Trafalgar and one of its most celebrated heroes, Admiral Nelson. Another popular attraction among tourists is the D-day Museum, which displays artefacts from the Second World War.

As Portsmouth has seen many settlers in its time, there is an abundance of historic buildings located in the city centre. There are two cathedrals in the city – The Anglican Cathedral of St. Thomas and The Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. In 1927, when the Church of England’s local diocese in Winchester was divided, the Cathedral of St. Thomas was erected to serve the Diocese of Portsmouth. The Roman Catholic Cathedral was founded in the city in 1882, by Pope Leo XIII, as it was then forbidden for a Roman Catholic bishop to serve in locations where there was already an Anglican minister.

Fans of football can go to see Premier League matches at Portsmouth FC. The team’s stadium, Fratton Park, is served by the Fratton Park railway station and is less than a twenty-minute train ride from the city centre. Tickets for Portsmouth FC home games can be purchased through the team’s website, www.portsmouthfc.co.uk.

There are plenty of options when it comes to hotel accommodations, with Holiday Inn, Hilton Hotels, and Marriot branches in the city. Being a seaside town, there is also a range of guesthouses and bed and breakfasts to choose from.

There is reliable transport available throughout the city, with bus services provided by First Hampshire and Dorset and Stagecoach. There are also national coach services connecting Portsmouth to London and the north of England. There are several railway stations that operate services to London, Cardiff, and Brighton and day trips to the Isle of Wight can be made via the ferries that leave from the port. The nearest airport is Southampton, which provides flights to destinations in mainland Europe and across the UK.