What's That Ship in Liverpool? Logos Hope, the Floating Bookshop

The ship arriving at Liverpool Cruise Port on Thursday 22 October is Logos Hope, a floating bookfair with more than 5,000 titles, and you can walk on board for £1 from Friday 23 October to Thursday 5 November 2026. No booking: just turn up during opening hours.

Spotted it from the Pier Head or the ferry, or looking for something different to do with the kids over half-term? Below are the opening times, prices, guided tours, access and what is on board.

Logos Hope Liverpool dates, times and prices

• Where: Liverpool Cruise Port, Princes Parade, L3 1DL, on the waterfront north of the Pier Head.
• Open to the public: from 1pm on Friday 23 October to Thursday 5 November 2026.
• Tuesday to Saturday: 10am to 10pm.
• Sunday: 1pm to 10pm.
• Last entry: 9.30pm.
• Closed to the public: Mondays (26 October and 2 November) and Thursday 29 October.
• Entry: £1 per person, paid on the day. No booking needed.
• Guided ship tour (optional): £5 adults, £2 children aged 5 to 16, free for under-5s. Book ahead.

Those are the times listed on Operation Mobilisation's Liverpool page, which says the ship opens on 23 October and departs on 5 November. Hours on the final day have not been published separately, so if you are planning to go on Thursday 5 November, check before you set off.

The £1 fee is what OM lists for everyone. The Liverpool Echo reports that under-12s and over-65s get in free. Bring a pound per person anyway in case the concession is not offered.

What is Logos Hope?

Logos Hope describes itself as the world's largest floating bookfair. GBA Ships, the organisation that runs it, says the ship carries more than 5,000 titles and stays in each port for about two weeks.

The ship is part of the ship ministry of Operation Mobilisation (OM), a Christian mission organisation. GBA Ships says its crew are unpaid volunteers from around 60 nationalities. That faith side is part of the visit: the Liverpool programme includes worship nights, a Sunday service and church conferences alongside the bookfair.

Liverpool is the sixth stop on the ship's 2026 UK tour, which OM calls Waves of Hope. It follows London, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Cardiff and Belfast, and the next stop listed after Liverpool is Douglas on the Isle of Man.

What you can do on board

A standard £1 visit covers the bookfair and café, which share a deck. OM's visitor information lists:

• the bookfair, with books for adults and children across a wide range of subjects
• cultural performances and interactive displays
• the Hope Café, which serves drinks, light snacks and cakes
• a programme of ticketed or registered events, from children's sessions to conferences

The Echo's report says the stock covers children's books, science and technology, arts and cookery, faith, languages and personal development. Expect a mix of everyday reading and Christian titles.

Logos Hope ship tours

The bookfair and café are open to anyone who pays the entry fee. To see more of the ship, you need a guided tour.

OM says tours last about an hour, run in small groups of seven and visit a range of areas on board, with tea or coffee at the end. Tickets are £5 for adults, £2 for children aged 5 to 16 and free for children aged 4 and under. Book through the Logos Hope Liverpool booking page.

The booking page says the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.

Is Logos Hope good for families?

Children are welcome on board, but OM says they must stay with an adult for the whole visit.

The visit falls across October half-term, and OM has two children's sessions called Kids on Deck for ages 4 to 11, with stories and activities about life on a ship that sails the world:

• Sunday 25 October: doors 2.30pm, programme 3pm to 5pm, in the Hope Theatre on board. Register for 25 October.
• Wednesday 28 October: 10.30am. Register for 28 October.

OM asks for children to be accompanied by a parent or carer, and asks families to register in advance. A cultural evening called Meet the World is also listed for Sunday 25 October at 6.30pm.

For a cheap half-term outing, £1 to browse a ship full of books is hard to beat. Pair it with a waterfront walk or a free museum and you have a day. Our Liverpool October half-term guide has more ideas.

Accessibility

Access to the ship is more limited than at a normal venue, so read this before you go.

• OM says access to the Cruise Port is by a ramp whose angle changes with the tide. It is least steep at or near high tide, so visitors with reduced mobility may find it easier then. You can check Liverpool tide times on the National Tidal and Sea Level Facility site.
• The bookfair and café are on the same deck.
• All other decks, including the event spaces and tour route, are reached by stairs.
• If you use a wheelchair or have access needs, OM asks you to email [email protected] before your visit so the team can advise you.

Getting to Liverpool Cruise Port

There is no public parking at the Cruise Port, according to OM. Paid parking is available in the city centre, but Princes Parade can get busy when there are other waterfront events.

The easiest way in is by train or on foot. OM says James Street station and bus interchange are under ten minutes' walk away. From the Pier Head, follow the river north past the Royal Liver Building to Princes Parade.

If you are not used to getting around the city without a car, our Liverpool public transport guide covers trains, buses and tickets. The ship's visit also overlaps with River of Light, so the waterfront could be busier than usual in the evenings.

Logos Hope history: from Baltic car ferry to bookship

GBA Ships' history page says it was built in Rendsburg, Germany, in 1973 as the car ferry Gustav Vasa, sailing between Malmö in Sweden and Travemünde in Germany.

In 1983 it was sold to the Faroese company Smyril Line and renamed Norröna, running summer routes linking the Faroe Islands with Shetland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. GBA Ships bought the ship in 2004.

A long refit followed, starting in Croatia in 2005. The old car deck was split with a new deck to create the public visitor area, and an extra deck was added for a school for the children of families serving on board. The ship entered service as Logos Hope in February 2009, replacing the older Logos II. The Echo notes that Logos II visited Liverpool in 2005.

Figures are from GBA Ships' technical specifications. OM says nearly 11 million people have visited the ship since 2009.

Who will enjoy a visit

If you like books, ships or a cheap hour out on the waterfront, it is worth the £1. Families with younger children get the most from the Kids on Deck sessions, and the guided tour is the only way to see beyond the bookfair deck.

Go in knowing it is a Christian mission ship. The faith events are separate sessions you register for, but they are a large part of the programme, and religious titles sit alongside the general stock.

Check the tour status page on the day, then head for Princes Parade. For other ships due in, see our Liverpool cruise ship arrivals schedule.