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American seeking UK cruise advice/recommendations.


AdventureLover67
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I am currently researching both trans-Atlantic and in country cruises in England. A friend has an interest and I'd like to know of any recommendations and how you would categorize your experience (formal, casual, family, etc.).

There would be no children travelling and generally she enjoys experiencing new cultures, relaxing and is very active. Excursions would be a must.

Thank you for any input you may offer! :)

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I am currently researching both trans-Atlantic and in country cruises in England.

 

The only regular transatlantic crossings are made by Cunard's QM2. This is a formal line and I expect a lot different than Disney.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "in country cruises in England" :confused: Do you mean a Round Britain cruise? (England, Scotland & Ireland). Cunard do those a couple of times a year as do P&O and other cruise lines.

 

So, does your friend want to sail to England then take another cruise from here? Or does she want to fly over and then cruise from here?

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I assume you are making that common mistake that many North Americans make when you say England but mean Britain and probably Ireland as well? :confused:. They do this repeatedly on the West Wing (just catching up on it on itunes) and it is so irritating, particularly when used by the so-called "English" ambassador to the US. Phew, glad I got that off my chest :D

 

Princess and MSC are doing Round Britain cruises this year. MSC has multi-nationalities onboard but is predominantly Italian and Princess you will know. There are also various smaller lines which offer this type of cruise and some of them specific to areas such as the Scottish Islands. Some are smaller, more exclusive upmarket and others are cheaper on older ships, and aimed predominantly at the UK market.

 

What sort of thing would she be looking for?

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Thank you both for your replies.

 

Yes, she has expressed an interest in visiting Great Britain and perhaps Wales, Scotland or other surrounding areas. I apologize for being vague, but I wasn't sure what ports were included on each line. I'm sure some cruises have much more expansive ports of call than others.

 

I'm not sure if she has decided which location to begin her cruise in. Right now all options are a consideration, I believe. She is a remarkably intelligent woman and enjoys sampling the various cultures abroad, so excursions are certainly a consideration.

 

Thank you again for taking the time to respond to my post, and if you have any suggestions regarding specific lines I would greatly appreciate your input.

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As Ray's answer, Cunard is the only line which offers fairly regular trans-Atlantic crossings - New York to Southampton. It's one of the more formal & traditional lines.

Other ships do offer occasional trans-Atlantics "re-positioning" cruises, normally to Europe in the Spring & the other way in the Fall, as they switch from a winter season in places like the Caribbean to bases in the UK & the Mediterranean for the summer season. That won't work both ways with one vacation, but mebbe a re-positioning cruise one way & a Cunard crossing the other way.

Because of time, cost, & other limitations, most folk fly across.

 

Plenty of cruise lines offer round-Britain cruises, probably best if you tell us your friend's budget & preferences (luxury, formal, family, party-atmosphere etc) & we can suggest the best bets, rather than explain the differences between cruise lines.

All round-Britain cruises include Scotland & Ireland, most also include the Channel Islands & some include ports in France & even Norway. All round-Britain cruises are port-intensive, so longer cruises include more ports than shorter ones - it's as simple as that.;)

Strangely, many don't include ports in England - but England is where most sail from, so if for instance your friend has two weeks then the ideal would be a 10-day cruise with a few days in a hotel in England (most choose London).

 

BTW, cruise lines often quote "London" as the departure port :rolleyes: .

That can be Southampton, Harwich or Dover - and all three are 60+ miles from London in different directions. So if your friend chooses a trans-Atlantic cruise & a round-Britain cruise, do check out the actual departure ports rather than assume they're all one place.

 

JB :)

Edited by John Bull
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  • 3 years later...

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