Planning a British Isles Cruise for 2012

[prettysweet77]

Hi All!!

 

I'm in the beginning stages of planning a cruise for my mom and myself to the British Isles in 2012 and would L-O-V-E some feedback from any/all that have gone before us :)

 

I've looked into several lines thus far (Princess, NCR, P&O, Regent, Crystal, Cunard, Oceania, Azamara, and even river cruise companies!) and have (maybe) narrowed it down to Regent or Oceania or Crystal. I think. :D It seems like it may be smart for us to book with one of the more inclusive lines. Any thoughts?

 

I have been reading all the most current reviews as well. We are blue-collar workers and are saving like crazy ladies to be able to fulfill a dream we've had for awhile now! These boards and CC in general has already proven to be a tremendous resource. I am already SO excited!

 

Thanks in advance for any tidbits you can throw my way!

[Thaxted]

Hi All!!

 

I'm in the beginning stages of planning a cruise for my mom and myself to the British Isles in 2012 and would L-O-V-E some feedback from any/all that have gone before us :)

 

I've looked into several lines thus far (Princess, NCR, P&O, Regent, Crystal, Cunard, Oceania, Azamara, and even river cruise companies!) and have (maybe) narrowed it down to Regent or Oceania or Crystal. I think. :D It seems like it may be smart for us to book with one of the more inclusive lines. Any thoughts?

 

I have been reading all the most current reviews as well. We are blue-collar workers and are saving like crazy ladies to be able to fulfill a dream we've had for awhile now! These boards and CC in general has already proven to be a tremendous resource. I am already SO excited!

 

Thanks in advance for any tidbits you can throw my way!

 

Do you mean that you are planning a transatlantic crossing TO the British Isles or are you thinking of a cruise AROUND them? If it is the former, as far as I know, neither Regent nor Oceania will do since their eastbound transatlantic destinations are Lisbon and Barcelona. Crystal does have a cruise in May 2012 that begins in New York and ends in London, but it is a 16-day affair by way of Canada, Iceland, and Norway. Princess offers a number of cruises next year that have ports of call in the British Isles.

 

The only ship that makes regular transatlantic crossings to Britain is Cunard's Queen Mary 2, although there are others that make the trip from time to time.

[prettysweet77]

Oops! We were leaning towards cruising AROUND them. =)

[caripoo]

We are doing British Isles on Caribbean Princess August 2012, doing August because of the tattoo......They have May and August cruises.... Have read REALLY good reviews of this cruise...Looked at only one other similiar, which was Hal.......:o:o

[prettysweet77]

Hi Caripoo! I was eyeing that cruise as well for the exact same reason =)

[caripoo]

We are flying into Shannon 5 days prior to do the west side of Ireland, as the cruise only goes to the east, then the cruise followed by 3 nights in London after the cruise. After the cruise, London will be emptied out from the olympics and hotel prices will be back down!!!:p:p

[Quasar1011]

When are you going? The seas around the British Isles can be quite choppy at times, with even gale force winds!

[jocap]

We've done a similar cruise, but that was when NCL used to do it, 3 or 4 years back. Many lines do this cruise, but Princess seems to do several trips each year. The lines you're looking at may be more inclusive, but are expensive to start with....but get consistently good reviews.

There are also many smaller lines and ships which do variations on this- I can think of Fred Olsen and Ocean Countess; plus some of the small, adventure led ones such as Spirit of Adventure, Marco Polo etc.

Yes, the waters can be rough....we've just had the tail-end of hurricane Irene, and Katia's with us as I write, but I can see on shipsmap AIS that Ocean Countess and the Queen Mary are still happily heading for Cobh on Ireland's south coast...

Enjoy choosing! :D

Jo.

[missyfay]

Question for PAST British Isle Cruisers

My husband and I are booked on the Princess Caribbean Princess Cruise - May 26th, 2012 (Southampton, St. Peter Port/Guernsey, Cobh/Ireland, Dublin/Ireland, Belfast/Ireland, Liverpool/England, Glasgow/Scotland, Invergordon/Scotland, Lehavre/France)

We are hoping for Suggestions for "On Your Own" Excursions. My research shows that some Ports have the Hop On/Hop Off Bus Tours and I would like to hear from anyone who used them. What was your experience (Good and/or BAD). Also Transportation to/from the Ship to the Center of Town - did you use Cabs, Trains, the Ships Shuttle Services.

In spite of the travel time - we are planning to go to PARIS when we arrive in LeHavre - and are debating whether to take the Ships Excursion Shuttle to Paris (Cost I believe is $129 per person) - or the Train. If anyone has done this can you give us your Opinion.

This is our lst time at these ports and we are looking to do a "highlights type tour" in each port.

Usually we have a family of 6 with us and book all private tours but since it is ONLY the 2 of us this time traveling we thought we might have more flexibility to Do it On Our Own - and pick and choose our points of interests rather than be tied into a full tour situation. But certainly don't want to be LOST or risk missing the ship's departure time either.

Suggestions appreciated.....Sharon and Larry in Bucks County, PA

[FirstCruise2331]

Question for PAST British Isle Cruisers

My husband and I are booked on the Princess Caribbean Princess Cruise - May 26th, 2012 (Southampton, St. Peter Port/Guernsey, Cobh/Ireland, Dublin/Ireland, Belfast/Ireland, Liverpool/England, Glasgow/Scotland, Invergordon/Scotland, Lehavre/France)

We are hoping for Suggestions for "On Your Own" Excursions. My research shows that some Ports have the Hop On/Hop Off Bus Tours and I would like to hear from anyone who used them. What was your experience (Good and/or BAD). Also Transportation to/from the Ship to the Center of Town - did you use Cabs, Trains, the Ships Shuttle Services.

In spite of the travel time - we are planning to go to PARIS when we arrive in LeHavre - and are debating whether to take the Ships Excursion Shuttle to Paris (Cost I believe is $129 per person) - or the Train. If anyone has done this can you give us your Opinion.

This is our lst time at these ports and we are looking to do a "highlights type tour" in each port.

Usually we have a family of 6 with us and book all private tours but since it is ONLY the 2 of us this time traveling we thought we might have more flexibility to Do it On Our Own - and pick and choose our points of interests rather than be tied into a full tour situation. But certainly don't want to be LOST or risk missing the ship's departure time either.

Suggestions appreciated.....Sharon and Larry in Bucks County, PA

 

Hi,

 

I've never done the cruise around UK / Ireland (ps Ireland is not classed as the British Isles!) but I live in Dublin and have been to Cobh so can give you some advice if you like? A lot depends on how long you have in port. How many hours do you get in Dublin and Cobh?

[jocap]

I think we've covered all of these ports on various cruises- there's good HOHO buses in Dublin and Belfast, for instance....

I'm no good at doing links, but if you go back to the index, and look at Ports of call, there's a section for Europe, with the British Isles. Your questions about these ports come up frequently on there, and you'll find a wealth of information under the Search button. Guernsey, for e.g. has a local girl answering questions.

Hope that helps- I really need CruiserBruce to set the link.....

Jo.

[Alaskanb]

I grew up in the UK in a blue-collar family and visit frequently so I have a different perspective. I am always quite confounded that anyone wants to cruise around Britain. Are you interested in culture, countryside, city life etc? I certainly can see the advantage of having a floating hotel but choose your itinerary carefully and consider what offered excursions meet your dreams of the UK. Just be prepared for mixed weather and take waterproof jackets and shoes.

PS The Edinburgh Tattoo is a life experience --I saw it about 50 years ago and I still remember the tingly feel when the bagpipes played. Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities.

[Courier95]

I grew up in the UK in a blue-collar family and visit frequently so I have a different perspective. I am always quite confounded that anyone wants to cruise around Britain. Are you interested in culture, countryside, city life etc? I certainly can see the advantage of having a floating hotel but choose your itinerary carefully and consider what offered excursions meet your dreams of the UK. Just be prepared for mixed weather and take waterproof jackets and shoes.

PS The Edinburgh Tattoo is a life experience --I saw it about 50 years ago and I still remember the tingly feel when the bagpipes played. Edinburgh is one of my favorite cities.

 

Born in the UK and living here all my life (70+ years) I cannot agree with your view as to why anyone should want to cruise around Britain. With our love of cruising, we are even considering doing it ourselves! True, the weather and sea conditions are not always brilliant but, for instance, we have recently experienced temperatures of 83F, unheard of in October and hotter than our summer months this year. The typical itinerary on these cruises will offer spectacular scenery and a taste of our Celtic and general history. Definitely not a good option for sun worshipers but, in my opinion, still an interesting and worthwhile cruise.

[rogerstone]

Born in Wales, now living in England, our cruise next year will take us to Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Wales and Guernsey. We are looking forward to the scenery, history and culture and don't care what the weather does. It will be lovely to see the UK and Ireland from a different perspective.

[yorkshirephil]

We cruised around the British Isles in May 2010, this was one of the best itineraries I have cruised as we have some stunning places on our doorstep that you would not typical visit on holiday. The sea was calm for the full 10 days, we were on Marco Polo which is a very small ship (approx 700 pax). We had sleet in Invergordon, a mixture of weather in the Scottish Isles and blazing sunshine in the Scillies, Guernsey and Honfleur. Typical british weather.

[eh2zed]

It is high on our bucket list

[Alaskanb]

The typical itinerary on these cruises will offer spectacular scenery and a taste of our Celtic and general history. Definitely not a good option for sun worshipers but, in my opinion, still an interesting and worthwhile cruise.

 

I agree --like most cruises you get a taste of an area. Someone on another board uses the analogy of tapas. I hope that folks return to do in-depth explorations of some of the most glorious places that are our heritage.

[jocap]

Hi,

 

I've never done the cruise around UK / Ireland (ps Ireland is not classed as the British Isles!) but I live in Dublin and have been to Cobh so can give you some advice if you like? A lot depends on how long you have in port. How many hours do you get in Dublin and Cobh?

Yes- Ireland is one of the 6,000+ isles which make up the British Isles....the biggest island is the island of Britain, followed by the island of Ireland, some Scottish islands, Isle of Wight, Man, Anglesey etc.....this is physical, not political geography.....;)

Jo.

[DeloreanGirl]

Hi there! We are doing the 12-day British Isles cruise on Princess. They have great itineraries for May 14th & May 26th 2012 along with some June stops. They have an 8-night'er in August as well. Out of all the research I did, Princess Cruise Line has the best British Isles itinerary. Good luck! :)

[DeloreanGirl]

Question for PAST British Isle Cruisers

My husband and I are booked on the Princess Caribbean Princess Cruise - May 26th, 2012 (Southampton, St. Peter Port/Guernsey, Cobh/Ireland, Dublin/Ireland, Belfast/Ireland, Liverpool/England, Glasgow/Scotland, Invergordon/Scotland, Lehavre/France)

We are hoping for Suggestions for "On Your Own" Excursions. My research shows that some Ports have the Hop On/Hop Off Bus Tours and I would like to hear from anyone who used them. What was your experience (Good and/or BAD). Also Transportation to/from the Ship to the Center of Town - did you use Cabs, Trains, the Ships Shuttle Services.

In spite of the travel time - we are planning to go to PARIS when we arrive in LeHavre - and are debating whether to take the Ships Excursion Shuttle to Paris (Cost I believe is $129 per person) - or the Train. If anyone has done this can you give us your Opinion.

This is our lst time at these ports and we are looking to do a "highlights type tour" in each port.

Usually we have a family of 6 with us and book all private tours but since it is ONLY the 2 of us this time traveling we thought we might have more flexibility to Do it On Our Own - and pick and choose our points of interests rather than be tied into a full tour situation. But certainly don't want to be LOST or risk missing the ship's departure time either.

Suggestions appreciated.....Sharon and Larry in Bucks County, PA

 

Hi MissyFay,

 

We'll be on that cruise too, and our excursion choices seem to be similar to yours. We're doing lots of HoHo buses... trains into town (and to Paris), etc. Trying to pack in all the highlights of each city in a few hours seems to be the way to go with HoHo and walking tours.

[CanWeGoYet?]

In spite of the travel time - we are planning to go to PARIS when we arrive in LeHavre - and are debating whether to take the Ships Excursion Shuttle to Paris (Cost I believe is $129 per person) - or the Train. If anyone has done this can you give us your Opinion.

 

I thought about doing the Paris on your own excursion through the ship when I had a port stop in Le Havre, but went with Taxi Le Havre instead to Rouen that day. The train to Paris would not have worked well, because the train returning back would not have been at good times for our port day. I think it depends on the hours you are in port & the train schedule. To go that far away though I would probably stick with the ships excursions, even though I usually avoid them.

 

Are you going to be staying in London before or after your cruise? You can take the train to Paris (goes through the Chunnel) and spend time there as well. Next time I go to London I am going to set aside a couple days to spend in Paris. The train only takes a couple hours & I think it would be less expensive & give you more time than a ships excursion.

[DeloreanGirl]

I would love to hear from others who took the train from Le Havre into Paris as that is what DH and I would like to do. It almost seems too good to be true (price, speed), so I'm waiting to hear about the "fine print". :)

[xxprimrose]

Born in the UK and living here all my life (70+ years) I cannot agree with your view as to why anyone should want to cruise around Britain. With our love of cruising, we are even considering doing it ourselves! True, the weather and sea conditions are not always brilliant but, for instance, we have recently experienced temperatures of 83F, unheard of in October and hotter than our summer months this year. The typical itinerary on these cruises will offer spectacular scenery and a taste of our Celtic and general history. Definitely not a good option for sun worshipers but, in my opinion, still an interesting and worthwhile cruise.

 

 

Born in Wales, living in Wales and loving Wales. I will never have enough time to explore our wonderful British Isles and Southern Ireland too.The weather is what it is, British weather and it annoys me intensely when Brits constantly criticise our islands and our climate, which is not new. If you dislike it so much, then just leave because you spoil it for us that love it, with your silly moaning.

[commodoredave]

Born in Wales, living in Wales and loving Wales. I will never have enough time to explore our wonderful British Isles and Southern Ireland too.The weather is what it is, British weather and it annoys me intensely when Brits constantly criticise our islands and our climate, which is not new. If you dislike it so much, then just leave because you spoil it for us that love it, with your silly moaning.

 

I think your comment is a bit harsh considering the previous poster was only supporting cruising the British Isles, and only said the weather is not always brilliant. What's wrong with that?:confused:

[Courier95]

I think your comment is a bit harsh considering the previous poster was only supporting cruising the British Isles, and only said the weather is not always brilliant. What's wrong with that?:confused:

 

Thanks for your comment Commodoredave - just what I meant to imply and I was certainly not moaning or have any intention of leaving the country!