29 Dec 2024
Avoid this guided tour at all costs.
First and foremost, this was not a cruise but merely an Uber Boat ride, which costs $10 per person and took up 45 minutes of the two-hour schedule. Upon arriving in Greenwich, the guide appeared to be unprepared and seemed lost. She had to ask locals for directions to the market and how to take a bus to the observatory.
If your goal is to visit the Greenwich Observatory, skip this tour entirely. You can watch the time ball drop and take photos at the unofficial Meridian Line outside the observatory on your own, free of charge. The tour neither includes tickets to the observatory nor offers any science-related introductions.
The Queen’s House portion of the tour was equally disappointing. Instead of providing a meaningful introduction, the guide had us sit and watch a video at the entrance and then read from its script. When asked questions about the paintings, she simply read the descriptions posted on the walls. Both the Queen’s House and the video are free to access, and the guide added no value to the experience.
The only redeeming part of the tour was a few interesting stories she shared during the Uber Boat ride. Beyond that, it was a complete waste of money and nowhere near worth the hundreds of dollars spent. We requested a partial refund but were denied. Very disappointing.