Planning a British Isles Cruise for 2012

[commodoredave]

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!

You're welcome. I guess the weather in Wales isn't very good today!:D

[Bexhillgirl]

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!

 

Hi,

I've just added a post to my blog about choosing a UK cruise. You might want to look at www.cruisingclaire.blogspot.com GoodLuck!

Claire

[xxprimrose]

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:

Hi Commodore

 

I was in a bit of a muddle and was actually replying in a totally befuddled way to the person calling themselves Alaskan something.

 

Please accept my apology, it was not my intention to be so harsh; I was interrupted mid post and made a fine mess of it.

 

How will anyone want to come to UK thinking it is filled with nasty people like me?

 

So sorry to all who read my post.

 

I do love the UK and especially the climate except when it is hot here.

[commodoredave]

Hi Commodore

 

I was in a bit of a muddle and was actually replying in a totally befuddled way to the person calling themselves Alaskan something.

 

Please accept my apology, it was not my intention to be so harsh; I was interrupted mid post and made a fine mess of it.

 

How will anyone want to come to UK thinking it is filled with nasty people like me?

 

So sorry to all who read my post.

 

I do love the UK and especially the climate except when it is hot here.

 

Thanks for responding. You sound like a lovely person, which is my experience with everyone I have met in the UK. Since my wife is British and she must be obeyed, I agree with her that weather in the UK is mostly lovely, especially in Spring. Of course, after a Canadian winter spring would be lovely anywhere! ;)

[xxprimrose]

:)Thank you Commodore for being so understanding. Your attitude has eased my shame and I can show my face again.:)

 

I visited your wonderful country in 1980, Calgary, and was not amused when it was time to leave for the UK. It was love at first sight for me and I was a bit discontent for a few years, but my husband would not leave the UK.

 

So we bought a barbecue and a dishwasher and had lots of parties, Winter or Summer. Our Canadian hosts taught us how to relax.

[Alaskanb]

Hi Commodore

 

I was in a bit of a muddle and was actually replying in a totally befuddled way to the person calling themselves Alaskan something.

 

Alaskan something is me! At no point did I criticize the weather--just be prepared--it is what makes the landscape so beautiful. I love Britain --my family originates in north Wales/Cheshire and still lives there. I live elsewhere through marriage not from a desire to run away and live in a hot climate. What places and things would you share with visitors to the UK? Can they be easily done without an excursion from a cruise. For me it would be places like Chester to walk along the walls and see the Roman amphitheater, to have a lovely dinner in a country pub, to visit Snowdonia, Welsh Castles, walk around the Great Orme and the N. Wales coast and have fish and chips in Llandudno. While for others a HO HO bus in a city would be a much better day out. After being critical of cruising around Britain and dropping in at ports large enough for a cruise ship I realized that I was thinking of doing the same thing in the Baltic as an easy way to get to St. Petersburg. I now have a much better understanding of why people would cruise around a country but it saddens me that we all miss out on so much by doing so. We get the country in tapas form and not as an entree.

[xxprimrose]

Alaskan something is me! At no point did I criticize the weather--just be prepared--it is what makes the landscape so beautiful. I love Britain --my family originates in north Wales/Cheshire and still lives there. I live elsewhere through marriage not from a desire to run away and live in a hot climate. What places and things would you share with visitors to the UK? Can they be easily done without an excursion from a cruise. For me it would be places like Chester to walk along the walls and see the Roman amphitheater, to have a lovely dinner in a country pub, to visit Snowdonia, Welsh Castles, walk around the Great Orme and the N. Wales coast and have fish and chips in Llandudno. While for others a HO HO bus in a city would be a much better day out. After being critical of cruising around Britain and dropping in at ports large enough for a cruise ship I realized that I was thinking of doing the same thing in the Baltic as an easy way to get to St. Petersburg. I now have a much better understanding of why people would cruise around a country but it saddens me that we all miss out on so much by doing so. We get the country in tapas form and not as an entree.

 

 

I hope that you have forgiven me now. My harsh words were from a dark place and I had no right to post what I did.

 

This is a lovely forum and it was not my intention to be so unkind. If I have nothing nice to say, in future, I shall keep my fingers firmly in check.

[Alaskanb]

I have had to learn to be careful about what I post too. It is very difficult to express yourself without being misunderstood and sometimes a phrase stirs an emotional response. There is nothing to forgive--you were just having a bad moment and I was not saying what I wanted to very clearly.

I hope the OPs understand that to really experience Britain they will need to go on excursions at many of the ports of call and that adds considerably to the cruise cost.

[caneable]

A few posts back someone asked about getting to and from city centres from ports. Very few I can comment on but if your itin includes Liverpool then the new cruise dock is right at Pierhead I believe and so the city centre is within a mile. The Mersey Maritime Museum is nearby on Albert Dock and there's a brand new museum, whose name I forget to my shame, which gets good reviews. The Walker Art Gallery is well worth a visit and the Liverpool One shopping area is very impressive, although US visitors won't find many unusual names!!! For those of the Golden Generation, most Beatle related destinations are a bit further afield, but the rest are reasonably reached on foot for those of average or better mobility.

[Alaskanb]

I noticed some cruises dock in Holyhead not Liverpool. It's a great place to tour N. Wales from especially if you do city walking tours at other ports.

http://www.liverpoolcityportal.co.uk/walks/walking_routes.html

[commodoredave]

:)Thank you Commodore for being so understanding. Your attitude has eased my shame and I can show my face again.:)

 

I visited your wonderful country in 1980, Calgary, and was not amused when it was time to leave for the UK. It was love at first sight for me and I was a bit discontent for a few years, but my husband would not leave the UK.

 

So we bought a barbecue and a dishwasher and had lots of parties, Winter or Summer. Our Canadian hosts taught us how to relax.

 

That's nice to hear that you enjoyed your visit to Canada. I have enjoyed my many visits to the U.K., where I have exported our Canadian passion for BBQing to my wife's family who live in Bushy near London. We always have a great time when we visit them. We have now started to do one leg of the crossing on the QM2, which makes the long trip so much more relaxing.

[cardes]

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

we are looking at the princess Britsh Isles on June 7, 2012. Please give me some more information about the roughness of the seas at that time.

[aliboards]

You are so lucky! I hope you'll enjoy your cruise. :)

[jocap]

we are looking at the princess Britsh Isles on June 7, 2012. Please give me some more information about the roughness of the seas at that time.

You can't predict, as it depends on what's happening to the Atlantic at that time, but it's not usually too rough until the tail-ends of the Caribbean hurricanes start arriving in late August and September.

Jo.

[bz]

We just booked azamara leaving Rouen on 5/6/12. We'll stop in several British ports. Azamara is somewhat inclusive, including wine, gratuities. This trip is port-intensive, may not be everything you are looking for, but would be a great experience.

[Quasar1011]

we are looking at the princess Britsh Isles on June 7, 2012. Please give me some more information about the roughness of the seas at that time.

 

It's the Icelandic low that usually gives the British Isles the strongest winds and waves. This low pressure system is strongest in winter. By early June, you ought to have some of the best sailing weather around Britain. But that's speaking climatologically. Climate is what you expect- weather is what you get!

 

The other thing is, the water temperature will not be that warm. The southern North Sea typically doesn't get above 50°F/ 10°C until late April. By June, water temps ought to be about 45°F/ 7°C around Scotland, and 55°F/ 13°C in the English Channel. This means it will be chilly out over the water!

[2travelcats]

Hi to all of you planning your cruises around the British Isles. We are looking at two, 11 day, 2012 cruises. One leaves mid-August, the other leaves at the end of August. We, of course, hope for good weather but would also like to avoid large numbers of children. (Sorry - retired teacher here :) Does anyone have a suggestion? My thinking is that if we cruise the end of August into September there will be fewer kids but perhaps the weather and sea conditions will more likely be poorer. Your comments and suggestions are appreciated.

[jocap]

Summer holidays in the UK are for 6 weeks, starting with Scottish children who have the end of June to mid August; the rest of England and Wales start in the middle of July to the first week in Sept ( not sure about Northern Ireland).

Traditionally, the first week in Sept, just as the children are returning, is always the best week for weather, of the summer....;)

There's a Bank Holiday on the last Monday of August, and that's often seen as the end of the holiday season.

You may well have some children who've had permission to take a few days out of school, but I don't think that at British isles cruise will be a popular cruise for families.....they prefer the Med or a Med beach holiday.

Jo.

[2travelcats]

Thanks -- that information really helps!