HMS Prince of Wales FAQs

The ship will be docked from Friday 28 February at the Liverpool Cruise Terminal. You will be able to see her in the River Mersey from 12.30pm on Friday 28 February and she will be quay-side from 2.00pm – please remember, these times are approximate and are subject to change!

To accompany HMS Prince of Wales, there will be a Naval village on the Pier head which will be open to the public at the below times:

• Friday 28 Feb 10.00 – 5.00pm
• Saturday 29 Feb 10.00 – 4:00pm
• Sunday 1 March 10:00 – 6:00pm

The ship plans to leave on Friday 6 March 2020 at 4.00pm though this is an expected time and is subject to change.

As this is a working Naval ship, there may be a need for the vessel to leave early – this is currently not planned however all visitors should be aware that this is always a possibility.

HMS Prince of Wales is a Royal Navy aircraft carrier and is the second of the Royal Navy’s giant new aircraft carriers.

At the time of writing, she is one of the most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK. Along with her sister ship HMS Queen Elizabeth, they are the largest ships ever built for the Royal Navy.

HMS Prince of Wales is visiting Liverpool in a demonstration of the Naval Service’s close ties with the city.

She is affiliated with the cities of Liverpool and Bristol which means that there is a close bond between the ship and the community of Liverpool.

Yes – the ship will be open to the public for a limited amount of time.

To access the vessel, you will need to have a ticket – entry will not be permitted to anyone who does not have a ticket.

All tickets are FREE of charge and have now been allocated. There are NO paid for tickets.

If you do not have a ticket to enter the vessel you will NOT be permitted entry.

Entry may be refused (terms and conditions will apply).

By accepting a free ticket to enter the vessel it is deemed that you have accepted the terms and conditions on Ticket Quarter and Culture Liverpool (as a department within Liverpool City Council) websites. If you would like to read these – please see our terms and conditions page here.

Yes – you must be aware of the terms and conditions for entry.

You MUST have a ticket for every person who wishes to board. If you do not have a ticket, you will NOT be permitted to board the vessel. It is your responsibility to ensure you have printed or can access your ticket on a mobile device.

Screen shots of tickets are NOT acceptable.

You are only allowed to bring one small bag on board (equivalent of A4 size or smaller).  If you bring a bag bigger than this you will NOT be allowed on board. This is YOUR responsibility to check – we are not responsible for your bags / luggage.

Photography and filming is allowed on board.

Small umbrellas will be allowed.

No food can be taken or consumed on board and the only drinks allowed are, sealed water bottles under 500ml in size.

No prams or pushchairs are allowed on board – there will be a buggy park in operation, but note children must be carried or able to walk.

Other prohibited items include glass bottles and anything that can be considered dangerous or a weapon.

Full, random searches will be in operation.

All visitors to the ship must be physically fit as there are steps to climb to get into the Aircraft hangar.

Accessible tickets have been made available to get an up close view of the Carrier (these have now all been allocated) but unfortunately due to the nature of the ships design, the only access onto the ship is via steps.

Unfortunately, all spare tickets which were returned to us have now been re-allocated. There are no more spare tickets being issued by Ticket Quarter.

If you have a spare ticket and would like to return it – please pass it to the ticket team who are on the ground. Ask a member of staff who will be able to direct you to them.

As this is a working ship, there are restrictions which limit the accessibility of the vessel due to space available on board.

There are allocated times for visitors with additional needs who will be able to view from the quay-side, however the vessel is not suitable for those with restricted mobility due to the number of steps to gain access to and from the ship.

We strongly advise that anyone who wishes to access the ship is physically fit and is able to manouvre around small enclosed spaces and non-adjustable vertical ladders.

There are a number of accessible tickets available which have been allocated which provide the opportunity to get an up close view of the Carrier from the quay-side during the times when the ship is open to visitors.

There are a number of accessible tickets which have been allocated which will provide a close up view from the quay-side during the ship opening times.

Outside of these ticketed areas, viewing is available the length of Princes Parade.

Due to the size of the vessel you will be able to view HMS Prince of Wales arrive and depart from the Wirral waterfront as well as see the ship when she is docked at the Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

Wirral promenade from New Brighton’s Fort Perch Rock, along to Woodside Ferry Terminal is the prime spot for viewing. If you need information or advice from members of the event team, you can find this at: Floral Pavilion, Vale Park Café, Wallasey Town Hall, Seacombe Ferry Terminal and Woodside Ferry Village. This will be available on the day that the ship is due in (28 February) and the day it departs (6 March).

If you are viewing from Wirral, please be mindful to the residents and businesses located along the waterfront when viewing and travelling to this magnificent moment.

Pets are not permitted access to the quay-side area.

Assistance animals are allowed quay-side (IF you have tickets however they will NOT be permitted on board the vessel).

Children and adults are all able to attend the event – both quay-side and on board (providing they have a ticket to gain entry on board). Please note children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Please be aware, if you are planning to visit the vessel, prams are not permitted on board and will have to be left within the ‘Buggy Park’ provided so please ensure personal belongings on the pram are kept to a minimum, as prams are left at the owners own risk. Only bags of A4 size will be allowed through the security checks to access the Ship.

Please note there is no baggage facility to leave bags.

Due to the nature of the ship, please note the times of arrival and departure may change but we will endeavor to keep you informed should this happen.

If the event needs to be cancelled, you will be informed no later than 24 hours prior to the event date.

When you order your ticket you are doing so in accordance with the terms and conditions on the Ticket Quarter website. These are also stated here on the Culture Liverpool website for your reference – Terms and Conditions here.

You can can view the ship from Princes Parade.

Please note there will be localised road closures in place for the duration of the visit. These road closures can be found here.

We recommend viewing the ship from Princes Parade.

RLB360, the tourist attraction in the Royal Liver Building, will also be open during the event. This is a ticketed attraction but provides arial viewing of the waterfront and vessel.

Get the best views of the HMS Prince of Wales Aircraft Carrier from the deck of the world famous Mersey Ferry. The 50 minute River Explorer Cruise will sail past Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront, HMS Prince of Wales and also features live commentary from a Blue Badge Guide on Saturday 29 February and Sunday 1 March. Daily cruises depart from the Pier Head Ferry Terminal every hour from 10am-4pm.

Tickets to get on board the Ship are free (6 tickets per transaction).

Please arrive within your allotted time slot. Due to airport style security checks, we ask that you arrive within the 15 min time slot else access to the ship might not be possible. Do not bring bags to the visit. No bags bigger than A4 size are allowed due to the high security of the ship

The ship can be viewed from Princes Parade at any point during her time alongside at Liverpool Cruise Terminal. It is free to board the ship (if you have a ticket) and view from the quay-side.

The Naval village on the Pier head will be open on Friday – Sunday) which is also free of charge.

• Friday 28 Feb: 10.00am – 5.00pm
• Saturday 29 Feb: 10..0am – 4.00pm
• Sunday 1 March: 100am – 6.00pm

Food and drinks concessions are available for you to purchase refreshments.

Yes – The Naval village on the Pier head will be open on Friday – Sunday) which is also free of charge.

Opening times for the Naval Village are:

• Friday 28 Feb: 10.00am – 5.00pm
• Saturday 29 Feb: 10..0am – 4.00pm
• Sunday 1 March: 100am – 6.00pm

In the Naval Village you will see

• Recruitment Trailers
• Lynx
• Gazelle
• Dive Tank
• Bomb Disposal Vehicle
• Royal Navy Diver
• Bungy Run
• RM Inflatable Dome
• An Offshore Raiding Craft
• Typhoon & Steps
• Dress up area
• MRV

There is no planned show or fireworks, instead we will have a Royal Navy village present on the Pier Head for everyone to come along and experience the event.

Yes there will be localised road closures during the time the ship is berthed alongside at Liverpool Cruise Terminal.

Road Closure information is available here. 

Limited blue badge parking will be available at St Nicholas place, plus over the weekend there will be limited blue badge parking in Water Street and Brunswick Street.  All on a first come first served basis.

Additional parking is available within the City center car parks.

There will be toilets available near to the public food and drink concessions on site.

If you are attending the event please be aware that in February the waterfront can get very cold. We strongly advise that you wear appropriate clothing suitable for the weather.

If you are boarding the vessel please be wear clothing and footwear that you are able to move in when climbing stairs and navigating your way around the ship.