We like cruising quite a bit, but one of the things to know about cruise lines is that they will put major destinations on the itinerary that they show you, and then in parentheses put the place they are actually going to dock.
For example a cruise might list: Edinburgh (South Queensferry). Then when you are on board the shore excursions manager will let you know how difficult it will be to actually get to the city or site that you want to see and will offer to sell you an excursion to get you there. This is the case with the port of South Queensferry when you actually want to be in Edinburgh.
What we have found is that it is almost never as difficult to get around as the cruise lines make it out to be. Of course what they really want is to sell shore excursions, so this makes sense. We generally just look online for how to get from the port to the destination. South Queensferry is a little different though because we couldn’t find anything online about how to get where we needed to go, except some very complicated railway instructions. This is why I am writing this post to help you out.
If you arrive at South Queensferry on a cruise ship you will have to tender in from the ship to the port itself on little tender boats. Tendering in is included in the cost of your cruise, but the added complication can increase your stress of wondering if you will have enough time in the city.
You do not need to be worried though because, like most ports, the people of South Queenferry and very invested in getting you where you want to go (Edinburgh). Upon arriving at the dock you will be greeted by several people selling you tickets to board shuttle buses that will take you into the heart of the city.
I don’t know if the price varies from day to day, but we paid about £10 per round trip ticket. This is a far cry from what the cruise lines will charge you even for a shuttle bus.The people in the area know exactly when a cruise is going to dock and ready to board the busses when the first tender boats arrive. They also time their return busses to get you back to the dock before the last tender leaves for the ship.
