This must be the first time a 'Boat Train' has stopped in the docks for quite a few years, since the 'Pullman' service was discontinued, unless I've not noticed. It certainly does not happen too often these days.

Originally Dover harbour could also be reached by a boat train.

[ 02-10-2008: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

I think the idea of a real boat train will do well. It should not be OE or something which is going to cost the earth, or just from London, but a plain ordinary train chartered for a specific cruise to and from S'ton which runs up central England through main hubs. This would do away with the many coach transfers which in themselves are onerous and take hours longer than a straight trip, with all the pick-ups, feeder coaches and so on.

Good luck to the travel co doing this. I hope people take advantage of the convenience it provides. If there was a train from my local station or nearest large hub it would be worth using.

Well...that was the day there was a train strike...needless to say I panicked...the option now was talking the bus (National Express)...and I got to the bus station and the buses were delayed , the queues long and i HAD to get to SOU on time or I was hooped.

Well, after a nerve racking day from start to finish, I made it to the ship w/ about 45 minutes until the ship sailed - a far cry from the HOURS I had planned for.

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Originally posted by PamM:
The last VSOE Boat Train was in Oct 25 last year [to QM2] with VSOE stating they would no longer be running them in future due to the poor numbers [25 passengers or so; probably to do with the high cost!].

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It certainly used to be a regular option and used to be in the Cunard brochure: I recall seeing a price in in the late 1990's of £200 per person, one way from London to Southampton. You did get a meal, though.

It would be a nice way to arrive!

[ 02-10-2008: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

If sailing from Southampton, a boat train would be a lovely, romantic idea for getting to the ship - in theory.

But in practice, it would mean that we'd have to get to a particular station at a particular time in order to get that one train, or we'd miss it. So our entire timetable would be geared to the time of the train.

In contrast, if we were to plan to get one of the ordinary trains (as we do), we can just turn up to Waterloo whenever we're ready. There's never more than 30 minutes to wait until the next fast train, which only takes 90 minutes. So it really doesn't matter whether we hit our target departure time, or whether unforeseen hiccups mean that we run 1½-2 hours late.

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Originally posted by Globaliser:
I wonder whether part of the demise of the boat train has come from the way we live our lives these days.

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Yes and one has to blame the convenience of the car.

However I'm sure a lot of Cunard passengers would buy into the idea of the romance of the train, after all they have already bought into the idea of the romance of the ocean Liner. However the prohibitive cost made it rather an expensive pre-cruise luxury.

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Originally posted by Globaliser:
[...]
But in practice, it would mean that we'd have to get to a particular station at a particular time in order to get that one train, or we'd miss it. So our entire timetable would be geared to the time of the train.[...]

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Originally posted by Ernst:
Were they doing the embarkation procedures while people were on the train so that one could walk straight aboard when arriving?

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We live however in the age of the convenience of the car...

...Perhaps the only way boat trains might come into their own one day is if travelling by car gets more and more expensive and prohibative.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Yes and one has to blame the convenience of the car.

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Cars are lovely as long as you are the only person around that has one. Once a few thousand friends turn up, it's an entirely different story !

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Interestingly I have seen many Cunard passengers using the relatively cheap 'National Express' coach from London to Southampton.

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But from London, I would think the train is far better, though I have not done it.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:
[QB](...)

But from London, I would think the train is far better, though I have not done it.

(...)QB]

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I did and it IS convenient, the only problem what to do with your luggage between the arrival at Southampton Station and the Terminal, when you first want to see something of the city itself, like visiting the lovely Maritime Museum. There is no luggage locker system in the whole of Southampton, and Cunard wasn't much helpful either !

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Originally posted by dougnewman:

In general I find trains far preferable to coaches, which I have no great love for!

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
A British 'Coach' is a 'Bus' to you.

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In cruise-speak, the lines and tour companies use the term 'motor coach' to describe a bus; I guess it sounds less mundane. But I'm still surprised at the number of American passengers who are expecting their motorcoach to be a train!

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Originally posted by Ernst:
What would be the difference to traveling with other trains??????

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Sometimes we have been on a train as early as 0930; other times we have not been able to get to the station before 1300. Either way, we have still got to the ship on time, without stress or worry - and without having to turn up to the station at a fixed time.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Interestingly I have seen many Cunard passengers using the relatively cheap 'National Express' coach from London to Southampton.

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Well considering the complete rip off Cunard charges for their transfers I also took a National Express Coach to Heathrow. Over 70 pounds for a bus ride less than 2 hoursis way over the top. While National Express charges around 10 pounds for the same ride.

I can remember in 2005 I was on a QE2 cruise which ended in Amsterdam. Nobody was aware that the ships docked in a container port far away from Amsterdam in the middle of nowhere. Cunard wanted to charge a very high fare for all disembarking passengers. Well nobody accepted that and in the end they charged far more less.

Nancy and I took the boat train several times in the 1970s. The best boat train however, was on SNCF, Paris to Cherbourg. You checked in at Gare St. Lazarre (or was it Gare du Nord?); your seat was in a compartment matching your ship cabin class; your baggage was checked in, and you would next see it in your cabin. Pre-embarkation papers were filled out en route, in your compartment, as I recall. There was an excellent French meal, and voila, Cherbourg. Beautiful!

But Scotland Yard was there at embarkation, as the IRA was still afoot.

[ 02-14-2008: Message edited by: Cambodge ]

The Stobart Pullman would be a nice way to arrive though.