Not quite live from the Caribbean Princess: British Isles June 5 - June 17, 2013

Not quite live from the Caribbean Princess: British Isles June 5 - June 17, 2013

Hello!

After following previous Live from posts, I thought I would try my hand at one, albeit a little late in starting out.

Let me introduce myself: My name is Erin. I’m traveling with my new husband, Brendan. We’re from Vancouver, BC (Canada). We’re thirty-somethings and this is our 8th cruise. All of our past cruises have been with Princess - we’ve done Alaska, the East Coast of Canada, the Caribbean, a West Coastal, and, since we live within walking distance to the Vancouver cruise terminal, a number of one - two night cruises to Seattle/San Francisco.

You may have noticed the new husband part... Brendan and I got married in Vancouver on June 1st :) It was an amazing and nearly perfect day (and the hitches we encountered along the way just add to the stories we’ll tell our kids someday).

We left for London the evening of June 2nd. We flew British Airways, which is a nice change from Air Canada... any Canadians reading this will know what I mean. We arrived on time into Heathrow and since B is also a British citizen, we bypassed the regular queue and were through customs in no time.

As mentioned, B is part British, he as a lot of family still in Britain. We were able to spend both Monday and Tuesday nights with one of B’s cousins. On Tuesday, we took the train into London to visit some of the sights. We went to Tower Bridge and wondered around Oxford Street before heading back out to the suburbs.

On Wednesday, June 5th, we got a ride to the train station and headed down to Southampton. Another family member met us at the station and took us to a lovely pub for a visit before dropping us off at the cruise terminal. On the way to the terminal, we saw numerous signs for the inauguration of the Royal Princess. Early on in the honeymoon planning, we originally thought about the maiden voyage of the Royal - but we were wait-listed... not wanting to leave this trip to chance, we noticed the British Isles itinerary and although we both and visited a number of these places individually, we hadn’t travelled in Europe together and thought this could be a great trip. Also, Belfast and the Orkney Islands were big draws for us.

When we arrived at the terminal, a porter got the luggage out of the car and we headed inside. We filled out the health survey and as we are platinum, we checked-in right away. The waiting area was full! Luckily, we bypassed most of the line to go through security and were on board within 20 minutes of arriving at the port.

We went straight to our stateroom - we originally booked an inside cabin, but since the boat was near empty towards the end of March, our room assignment bounced around a couple of times before it became final. At one point we were near the very top of the ship, and at the very back. B’s mother, a very experienced cruiser, advised us that we may feel the ship’s movement more in this location and suggested we move elsewhere. We ended up with a not so obstructed view on Emerald Deck, aft. Not a bad location, but I wouldn’t call it our favourite either.

In the cruise personalizer we let Princess know this would be a honeymoon trip and waiting for us in our room is a card to had to one of the waiters in the dining room for a special dessert. When did Princess do away with the door stickers? You know, the ones that say happy birthday or congratulations? I was a little surprised not to see one on our door. Our last cruise was on my birthday in September, and it was a great surprise to see it on our door.

We had lunch at the International Cafe, did the Scavenger Hunt to become familiar with the Ship and unpacked. By the time we made it up to the deck for the Scavenger Hunt prize draw, I had forgotten our completed cards in our room... oh well :P We went to the Spa for their raffle draw and were unsuccessful there too!

Then it was off to dinner - yummy spring rolls, pina colada soup and cheese tart for me! B had the spring rolls, mushroom soup and the chili - he approved! Next was trivia then the welcome show. I confess, I fell asleep during the show, but the comedian seemed good. After that it was off to bed for us. I could blame the jet lag, but let’s face it - we’re honeymooners ;)

Thursday morning, we gained an hour of sleep as we arrived in Le Harve. We thought about catching the train into Paris, but the possibility of missing the train and being stuck in France with my pitiful french was not very appealing - neither was spending 6 hours on a bus with one of the ship’s excursions into Paris. I love that city and if I couldn’t spend time on its streets to really enjoy it, I’d rather stay close to the ship.

In the end, we took a morning excursion to Honfluer. It’s a pretty little fishing village about a half hour from Le Harve. There is a walking tour as part of the excursion, but the tour was not strenuous.

Once we returned to the ship, B really wanted a crepe. We saw an old dock that had been converted to a shopping center on our way to/from Honfleur, so we decided to go there. The ship’s shuttle, despite info to the contrary, did not go to the Dock, so we decided to walk. Everyone said it was maybe a 20 minute walk.... 45 minutes later we arrived to find the one creperie had closed. Don’t go to this shopping centre... there really is nothing here - unless you have a burning need to go to Esprit or H & M.

We got some water and a soft drink from a grocery store. Remember, we had walked for 45 minutes in the bright sun - it wasn’t too hot, just bright, but we were still very thirsty. B opened the Coke (which we bought because it was in a cooler and the water was room temperature). All of a sudden, he complained of stomach pain, stumbled against the wall and passed out. I called out his name and a security guard who saw everything came over to help. B regained consciousness and asked what happened. Two more security guards came over, asking if we wanted an ambulance - at least that’s what I think they were asking... they didn’t speak english and again my french is pitiful at best. I explained we are visitors and could they call us a taxi to take us back to the ship. One arrived within minutes and we were back at the ship in no time.

B felt fine after waking up, save for a bump on the back of the head. The medical center was closed and neither of us thought this qualified as an emergency, so we watched an episode of Dr. Who in our stateroom (B hooked up the Ipad to the TV and we came prepared with entertainment options). When the med centre opened up, we went and talked to the nurse, but decided against a doctor’s consultation. B’s mother is a retired nurse, so as soon as it was a decent time back home, we face-timed her to ask her opinion. We all agreed that he is just fine and it was dehydration combined with a cold carbonated liquid to create a stomach pain B’s body responded to by passing out.

It was just what B was hoping for, as he still really wanted a crepe. We had 2 hours before the ship left, so we jumped into a cab and headed downtown. We found a lovely cafe, Cafe Crepe and had our coffees and crepes. We were lucky enough to grab the last princess shuttle back to the ship (because it was the last shuttle, we were not charged the fare of 8 euros each).

Nothing appealed to us in the MDR, so it was Horizon Court for us. Then we failed miserably at Name that Tune, but won at Majority Rules. I fell asleep during the evening show and we decided against watching Skyfall on the deck for MUTS - we fell asleep watching that in our room instead.

Friday, at sea.

It has been a very lazy day so far. Woke up too late for breakfast in the dinning room, so Cafe Cairbe for us. We lost at trivia, I fell asleep during the Edinburgh, Inverness port talk. Had a nap, pub lunch, fell asleep in the Orkney, Glasgow port talk, had another nap and here we are.

It’s formal night, so already people are wondering around in fancy dress... I like formal night... it’s great to dress up every now and again :)

Passenger break down for you: Americans are the largest group, followed by Canadians, then Brits. There is a tour group on board from Taiwan and a large group from Brazil (who arrived yesterday).

Because I know you want to know:

I didn’t see enforcement of the alcohol policy, but I wasn’t really watching out for it either.

It’s been very sunny the past couple of days. Not necessarily hot, but warmer than I expected. Everyone was saying how cold it’s been, so I only packed warmer weather clothes... it could get interesting.

Kelvin Joy is the cruise director. So far he seems very personable and interactive.

There are far more younger people and families on board than I expected. This being said, more experienced cruisers and individuals are by far in the majority.

Won’t be posting pictures (because I don’t think I can figure that out). Also, may not post everyday, but I’ll try (Give a girl a break... this is my honeymoon :)

Any questions, just ask!

Thank for taking time out on your honeymoon! Congratulations and enjoy!

Congratulations! And thanks for your live review. We just got back from the same cruise, May 24-June 5, and yes, it has been cold, although most days were chilly in the morning, and usually warmed up with some sun, and only a little rain. We were in London three nights before the cruise in a cold spell. Even though I packed warm clothes, I decide to buy a coat while there! So, you just never know about the UK weather. Looking forward to your next post.

Congratulations on your marriage and thanks for taking us along on your honeymoon

Thanks for the review. Looking forward to more. We will be on the Caribbean Princess August 16.

Can you post if there are shuttles and cost for any of the ports?

Congratulations! Thanks so much for taking the time to post live from your honeymoon. We are on this trip next year for our 20th anniversary.

So sorry to hear about your DH passing out! That much have been scary. Glad he is alright.

erin...thank you for a wonderful "almost live" from the caribbean princess. and thank you for bringing us all along on your honeymoon! i hope it's not too crowded with all of us in the cabind with you! two very good friends of mine from boston on the cruise with you. they are sharon and bruce and very experienced cruisers.

happy sailing to you both. glad everything turned out ok with brenden.

cheers

Erin congratulations on your wedding

I am booked on the July 11 cruise , a solo cruiser.

Question : How do you hook your iPad to the tv

Judy

Congrats on your marriage. Sounds like your honeymoon is off to a good start.

I'm guessing they don't put Honeymoon signs on doors so that you won't fall victim to silly pranks. Our steward once told us that people like to turn the "Do Not Disturb" sign upside down to become "Service Room Now" and cause embarrassment of both parities. :rolleyes::o:mad:

We are on the June 29th cruise. Tell B..stay hydrated.

Erin congratulations on your wedding

I am booked on the July 11 cruise , a solo cruiser.

Question : How do you hook your iPad to the tv

Judy

We are also on the July 11 sailing. We are really looking forward to it. Thanks for the information and congratulations on your marriage. Wishing you all the best.

congratulations, have a fantastic cruise:D. We will be on the Ruby next summer.:)

Hugh

Sunday, June 9th - Invergordon

Yesterday was our day in Edinburgh. Since B and I had both been there before, we decided against a ship excursion - they also seemed very overpriced for what they offered.

It was an early day for us, as we wanted to make the most of the day. We grabbed a quick breakfast at the International Cafe, then made our way to the dining room to get a tender ticket. We were lucky as a tender was ready to leave, and we just walked right on.

We were going to take the train into Waverly Station, but when we got to dock, we saw a sign for a shuttle bus. 10 pounds each, return with drop off and pick up at Charlotte Square, just off Princes Street. This worked out really well for us. We figured it was a 15 minute walk to the train station (up the dreaded stairs) and then a 10-15 minute train ride into Edinburgh. I don’t know if it was because it was Saturday, or if the driver just knew a direct route, but the ride into Edinburgh was only 20 minutes. We got there around 8:30ish and had a lovely walk through the gardens before making our way up the hill to the Castle. It’s a really steep climb, so if stairs or walking on an incline is difficult for you, grab a taxi - we saw lots of people from the bus doing this.

We got to Edinburgh Castle just as it opened at 9:30am. We waited in the queue for 30 minutes to buy our tickets - this was with 3 ticket windows open. At 10am all six windows were open and the line continued to grow behind us.

I should mention the wonderful weather! Bright sun, hardly a cloud in the sky - I got a little sunburnt in Scotland! It really warmed up in the sun as the day went along - we tried to stay in the shade as much as possible.

Edinburgh Castle is amazing!!! It was so bright and clear, we could see our ship off in the distance! We wandered around the war museum, waiting in the ever-moving line to see the crown jewels and walked the grounds for about 2 hours. The Castle was very very busy - by the time we left, we estimated the line to buy tickets was easily over an hour long.

We walked a little ways down the Royal Mile, with no real plans as to what to do next, when we spotted the Scotch Whiskey Experience. We investigated and decided to take the silver tour (the least expensive and shortest). For 12 pounds each, we had a 50 minute tour, where we learned how scotch was made, the difference between the 4 main scotch regions, we got a sample of whiskey (our choice from one of the four regions), we spent time in the world’s largest scotch collection and we got to keep the tasting glass (a 5 pound value). Definitely recommend this tour if you are a scotch lover - if you don’t want to tour, the gift shop has a great selection of scotch in various sizes to bring home.

Since B had 2 scotch tasting samples in him (I tried, but I couldn’t finish mine!), it seemed like a good time for lunch. B really wanted some haggis, so I took him to this little pub my brother and I frequented when we spent time in Edinburgh a couple of years ago. Called the Last Drop, because of its location adjacent to where the gallows used to be located, this little pub was nice and cool, had a simple menu and basic service. It’s a bit of a walk from the Royal Mile, down the stairs, around the corner, located on Grassmarket - but for us it was worth the trek.

B got his haggis, which looked disgusting to me, but he swears it was delicious! He wants more haggis when we get to Glasgow!

We spent the rest of our time in Edinburgh wandering down the Royal Mile and Princes Street. We timed our arrival back at Charlotte Square perfectly because a shuttle van was ready to leave and we were able to grab seats. When we arrived at South Queensferry, a tender was waiting for us.

We ended up in the Palm Dining Room for dinner (we’re any time dining, but the dining rooms were full). We were at a window seat at the back of the ship - lovely experience!

We won at trivia with our team, scored some free drinks at the martini demonstration, saw the comedian - who was very funny and tried to find something else to do. I realize we are not the main demographic for this cruise, but give us something to do! In the end it was Dr. Who and a early night for us.

We arrived in Invergordon around 8am this morning. Invergordon is a very small town, and being Sunday, not much was open this morning. If you’ve ever been to the East Coast of Canada, it reminded us of Charlottetown or Syndey. At the Invergordon Muesum there was a local gift and craft fair - I saw a sign advertising it as an event specifically for the cruise ships.

There are two gift shops right as you get off the ship. The one slightly further away (Macrea’s?) has a larger selection and has a little tea shop serving haggis and other local fare. Perfect if you are looking for some different souvenirs or something other than ship food.

We had been spoiled with the weather so far, and it seemed like our good luck ran out - it was grey and overcast this morning. Not very cold, but windy. By the afternoon, however, the skies cleared and the bright sunshine was out again - still not super warm, but warm enough to remove a heavy jacket.

If you aren’t doing a ship’s excursion to Inverness, there is a train station an easy 15 minute walk from the ship. There’s no ticket office at the station - purchase your tickets on board - check the National Rail website for the fare cost and the schedule. Rail service is very infrequent. There is also a local bus service to Inverness - I believe the cost is under 5 pounds for a full day of travel, but don’t quote me on that.

We ended up doing the Cawdor Castle and Culloden Moor excursion. It runs for half a day - we did it in the afternoon. Very pleasant - lovely drive into the country, visit to a working castle with a number of gardens on the grounds, and a visit to a battlefield.

It was German night up in Horizon Court, so B is in heaven. Our honeymoon has indadvertedly turned into B’s British Isles Culinary Tour... but what can I say? I love seeing him so happy :)

Couple of other notes:

Really pleased that Princess seemed to notice the constant hard sell of wine tastings, soda cards, coffee cards, etc doesn’t work on most people. It’s quite refreshing.

If you are doing this cruise in the future, investigate the port towns. Often there is a local shuttle the Princess excursions website doesn’t tell you about. We’re doing some ship excursions, but there is a lot you can do on your own.

Shuttle List:

Le Harve

Princess shuttle into the pedestrian area of Le Harve

8 Euros each person, each way

It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the ship to where the shuttle drops off

South Queensferry/Edinburgh

Independent shuttle into Edinburgh

10 pounds each, return

Drops off in Charlotte Square, just behind Princes Street

Invergordon/Inverness

Public Transit

Less than 5 pounds each return

We did the same cruise and we got off last week and they did the signs on the door because we saw loads of "happy anniversary", "congratulations", and "happy birthday" stickers on the door along with balloons and the wife had one to celebrate her bithday. For future reference the cost of the transport to Inverness from Invergordon was £10-50 per person return.

We did the same cruise and we got off last week and they did the signs on the door because we saw loads of "happy anniversary", "congratulations", and "happy birthday" stickers on the door along with balloons and the wife had one to celebrate her birthday. For future reference the cost of the public bus transport to Inverness from Invergordon was £10-50 per person return.

Thank you for your latest post. Very informative. Sounds like you and B are really enjoying your cruise.:)

Great information, thanks so much for sharing. We are doing this trip 7.11 and would prefer to do a few of the cities on our own so the shuttle information is appreciated.:)

Thanks so much for the live report. Both Kelvin and my son joined the ship on your cruise as staff members. Sorry your weather turned unpleasant-we heard is was pretty unpleasant yesterday. Hope you're enjoying the entertainment.

Great review! Thank you for taking the time to do it, especially on your honeymoon! Too bad you had this experience in Le Havre, and in Honfleur. I know that Honfleur is really a charming little fishing town and I wish I could go back (on a cruise ship of course) soon. Until then, I will live vicariously through you!

Enjoy the rest of the cruise!

By the way, as to the door sign, they do put up the door signs, but on turnaround day, things are so crazy... You should have asked your room steward, he or she would have gladly put it up for you.

Also was on the first carribean princess cruise around the isles in May. Would be glad to answer any questions or give some hints to those going in the future. All in all we had a great time and would love to return to some of the small place we experienced.

Monday, June 10th - Orkney Islands - Kirkwall

Today was a real highlight of the cruise for us, and one of the reasons we chose this trip for our honeymoon. Orkney is a very special place - rolling, green hills, neolithic sites, significance in both World Wars and home of the most northerly scotch distillery.

We did 2 ship tours today - in the morning we headed out to Skara Brae - the 5000 year old village that was unearthed in the 1800’s after a storm. The tour also included a visit to the Skaill House, the home of the man who discovered Skara Brae. Skara Brae was amazing to see - it’s quite small - only a handful of houses are available for viewing. It’s thought that more on one the site, but some have been lost to the sea, and others have not be excavated yet. Andy was our guide - he was very knowledgeable about the history of the site and the theories of how the inhabitants lived.

We also visited the home of the man who discovered Skara Brae - we didn’t spend much time here.

The tour also included a drive by Scapa Flow and a bonus stop at the Stones of Staness. In all, we very much recommend this tour - very informative and interesting.

Our afternoon tour was to the Italian Chapel and the Highland Park Distillery. This is where I wish we had done things differently. The Distillery is located just on the outskirts of Kirkwall and they offer a range of tours. Included in the ship’s tour is the basic distillery tour - a guided tour of the facility, a tasting sample of scotch whiskey and a short movie. Some of the other distillery tours included a tasting board of the various ages of scotch. We booked the ship’s tour early on, thinking we would do some more research and cancel the ship’s tour later. Wishful thinking when planning a wedding!

The Distillery tour was fine, but it was our bus guide, not a distillery employee, who oversaw the tour. While he did a ok job, there were some questions he just didn’t know the answer to. The distillery seemed a little overwhelmed when we all showed up - it was like they didn’t know we were coming...

Next the tour took us to the Italian Chapel, which was lovely. Finally, we went back into Kirkwall. There was the choice to visit the Cathedral, or have about 30 minutes of free time to visit the shops - we chose the shops. I was looking for Ortak jewelry or local handmade crafts. Being towards the end of the day though, I left Orkney empty handed.

We headed back to the ship, were the last ones on boards and sailed away to a local pipe band. To be honest, we almost forgot we were in Scotland - for some reason Orkney didn’t have the same Scottish pride feeling Invergordon or Edinburgh did.

It was another beautiful day - sunny, but not warm at all. At Skara Brae it was very windy - I was glad to have packed my toque!

In all, I loved Orkney! It was calm, beautiful and uncomplicated. Lots of open space, impressive views and interesting sites. Next time we visit, we will be sure to do a lot more research into the best way to see what we want to see.

Shuttle List:

Le Harve

Princess shuttle into the pedestrian area of Le Harve

8 Euros each person, each way

It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the ship to where the shuttle drops off

South Queensferry/Edinburgh

Independent shuttle into Edinburgh

10 pounds each, return

Drops off in Charlotte Square, just behind Princes Street

Invergordon/Inverness

Public Transit

Kirkwall/ Orkney Islands

Complementary Shuttle from the pier to the centre of Kirkwall - drops off just outside the Cathedral

Runs every 30 minutes

We also saw a double decker bus with an open top that seemed to be offering tours around the island - google Discover Orkney for more info - I wish we had

Thank you for all the information. I am curious as to what to pack as we are doing a 12 day Greek isles cruise immediately after this one. We are trying to pack light. Our kids ( 12 & 9 ) will be travelling with us, so we want to make sure that it is manageable. Thank goodness for self serve laundry on Princess.

What would you consider to be essential items for the British isles cruise?

Thanks

Forgot to mention that we are on the July 11 sailing for the British isles.

Tuesday, June 12 - Sea Day

To be honest, the sea day was a very lazy day for us. We braved the self laundry, we probably played trivia, saw Lincoln in the Princess Theater. It was a very relaxing sea day.

Wednesday, June 13 - Greenoak/Glasgow

Both Greenoak and Glasgow were a huge surprise for us. First Greenoak - to date, this has been the most friendliest port and the most suited for a cruise ship. There was a small cruise terminal with visitor information. We had decided to walk to the train station and take the train into Glasgow. The visitor info desk gave us excellent directions on how to get to the station and how to find the hop on hop off bus in Glasgow - excellent maps and info. It’s an easy 15 minute walk through Greenoak to the station - the walk will take you through the high street and a little shopping mall. It was under 10 pounds return, per person into Glasgow. The train trip took about 40 minutes - there is a faster train that misses most of the stops - ask at the station for which one this is.

We got to Glasgow and walked for about 5 minutes to pick up the hop on hop off bus. The total route is about 1 hour and 45 minutes and it’s a lovely ride. We were lucky to go first thing in the morning because when we got back to the starting point, there was a massive queue waiting for the next bus.

After the bus it was time for lunch. We found a fake old pub, Waxy O’Connors, near the visitor info booth on Buchanan Street. Clean, relatively quiet and had haggis on the menu - B was a happy camper. He said he actually preferred the haggis from Edinburgh, but liked the beer better in Glasgow.

After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon wondering around the souvenir shops before catching the train back to Greenoak. It was a lovely day. The only thing that confused us, was when we got back to the terminal to get back on the ship, we had to go through security while on shore... it made for a massive, slow moving queue in the terminal building.

The weather in Glasgow was cloudy, not too warm - although the sun did come out every so often and really warmed things up!

Thursday, June 14 - Belfast

When we booked this cruise, Belfast was one of the ports I was anxious to see. We immediately booked a ship excursion to the Giant’s Causeway! I have always wanted to see this natural wonder!

We booked the less expensive half day excursion (which really took up the whole day :(

). It’s a 2 hour drive to the causeway, then we had 2 hours at the causeway to explore, then it was a 2 hour drive back (taking a different route). The Giant’s Causeway itself is amazing! Google it if you have never seen it! You have the option of walking down (and back up again) or taking the shuttle bus. The walk down wasn’t bad, but the walk up can be difficult if inclines are hard for you.

The visitor centre has a cafe, free wifi and an impressive gift shop. Well worth the visit!

Now, like I said, this excursion was the half day option. We actually arrived back into Belfast at 3:30pm (the ship left at 5:30pm). Instead of dropping us off at the ship, we were taken on a city drive and we ended up at the ship at 4:30 - not enough time to take the free shuttle into town... a little disappointing for me.

Tonight we treated ourselves to the Crown Grill. If you have never eaten here, try it! It’s amazing! Typically a steakhouse is wasted on me (I don’t eat red meat) but there is a wide selection of seafood. Seriously though, I wanted to try the desserts! B and I each ordered something different - when our waiter noticed that I liked B’s better than mine, be brought out a smaller portion of that dessert for me! After climbing the Giant’s Causeway, I deserved 2 desserts!

Friday, June 15 - Dublin

Since B and I had both been to Dublin before, we decided not to book a ship’s tour. While grabbing breakfast from the International Cafe, we noticed two handsome Irish men providing tourist information and maps. We discovered an alternative to the ships’s shuttle into town - the ship docks at the Dublin port which is a 15 minute walk away from the tram line. Taking the tram into town was super easy! We bought tickets from the machine (4.40 euro each, return) and got off at James’s stop to walk to the Guinness Storehouse. We arrived at 9:45am and were among to first guests inside. We spent a good 2 hours wandering around and learning about Guinness. Admission includes a free pint of Guinness up at the Gravity Bar on the top floor. It was such a clear day, we could see the ship! After B had finished his Guinness (I could barely finish the small sample they give you at the beginning of the tour) we decided to head to Temple Bar for lunch. We ended up finding a nice place that had a small plates meal for under 10 euro. We spent the rest of the day wandering around Temple Bar and Grafton Street before crossing the river, grabbing the tram and walking back to the ship.

At dinner, we noticed an extra mooring line being attached to the ship, just as we should have been leaving. The captain announced through the PA system that the winds and tidal conditions have resulted in the ship needing to stay in Dublin until midnight. As a result, we wouldn’t arrive in Cobh until about 12pm the next day. On the bright side, they were arranging shuttles for anyone who wanted to go back into town - you should have seen the excitement on the crew’s faces!

We decided to head back into town - the shuttle was free at this point - and head over to Temple Bar to soak up the atmosphere. We weren’t hungry, but did sit in a cafe so B could have an Irish Coffee :)

The weather couldn’t make up it’s mind - at one point it was really warm, then raining, then windy, then just cloudy, then a fantastic mixture of rain, sun and wind!

Shuttle List:

Le Harve

Princess shuttle into the pedestrian area of Le Harve

8 Euros each person, each way

It takes about 20 minutes to walk from the ship to where the shuttle drops off

South Queensferry/Edinburgh

Independent shuttle into Edinburgh

10 pounds each, return

Drops off in Charlotte Square, just behind Princes Street

Invergordon/Inverness

Public Transit

Less than 5 pounds each return

Kirkwall/ Orkney Islands

Complementary Shuttle from the pier to the centre of Kirkwall - drops off just outside the Cathedral

Runs every 30 minutes

We also saw a double decker bus with an open top that seemed to be offering tours around the island - google Discover Orkney for more info - I wish we had!

Belfast

Complementary Shuttle into Belfast

Runs every 20-30 minutes

Dublin

Ship’s shuttle to Kildare Square

$8 each person, each way