British Isles Here We Come!

[kpkcruiser]

After many Caribbean cruises we are taking the plunge next June and have booked the Caribbean Princess British Isles 12 day cruise. Super excited, have avoided this type of cruise in the past as we are both terrible flyers. We will be in my birthtown, Belfast, on my birthday which will be awesome. Just hoping you experienced British Isle cruisers will direct me to an area I can find information about Southampton or you could recommend a hotel for our two night pre-cruise stay there. We aren't big sightseeing people, we do enjoy walking around town and enjoying the people and sights. There seem to be a lot of hotels and quite reasonable but again we don't know the area and have no idea where to start looking. Thanks for any help you can provide!

[FritzG]

After many Caribbean cruises we are taking the plunge next June and have booked the Caribbean Princess British Isles 12 day cruise. Super excited, have avoided this type of cruise in the past as we are both terrible flyers. We will be in my birthtown, Belfast, on my birthday which will be awesome. Just hoping you experienced British Isle cruisers will direct me to an area I can find information about Southampton or you could recommend a hotel for our two night pre-cruise stay there. We aren't big sightseeing people, we do enjoy walking around town and enjoying the people and sights. There seem to be a lot of hotels and quite reasonable but again we don't know the area and have no idea where to start looking. Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

We're heading off next week on the Royal Princess for the British Isles. I'll post when we get back. There is lots of information on the British Isles section of the CC Europe board. That's where I got most of my info. We are staying at the Grand Harbour Hotel where we stayed last year for a similar itinerary. We loved the hotel, and it's right on the waterfront. My cousin is staying at the Premier Inn Quayside in early Sept. so I'll post her comments about that hotel.

[shredie]

There are a couple of hotels close to the dock. The town is charming, worth exploring on foot. The old part of town is also near the dock. Downtown, in the more modern section, there is the ruin of a church bombed in WWII. The shell is left standing as a "reminder" of the war. It's haunting and beautiful.

[sammybonny]

Premier Inn West Quay is a modern very clean inexpensive hotel in town centre. It is a short taxi ride to the cruise terminals and would highly recommend.

[SteveH2508]

http://www.tomsportguides.com/portguides.html

 

These are excellent guides which cover quite a few of the ports you will be visiting.

[Shogun]

Hi

 

Premier Inn West Quay is a great cruisers hotel, you will meet loads of cruise buddies there,

 

Access to local shopping mall only minutes away

 

Belfast has changed so much in the last few years,

 

If you need any info about ports just ask

 

yours Shogun

[Colo Cruiser]

After many Caribbean cruises we are taking the plunge next June and have booked the Caribbean Princess British Isles 12 day cruise. Super excited, have avoided this type of cruise in the past as we are both terrible flyers. We will be in my birthtown, Belfast, on my birthday which will be awesome. Just hoping you experienced British Isle cruisers will direct me to an area I can find information about Southampton or you could recommend a hotel for our two night pre-cruise stay there. We aren't big sightseeing people, we do enjoy walking around town and enjoying the people and sights. There seem to be a lot of hotels and quite reasonable but again we don't know the area and have no idea where to start looking. Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

 

Congrats on your booking. :)

[paul929207]

Have you joined the Roll Call for your cruise. There you can meet and exchange ideas with others sailing with you

[bassmaster150]

After many Caribbean cruises we are taking the plunge next June and have booked the Caribbean Princess British Isles 12 day cruise. Super excited, have avoided this type of cruise in the past as we are both terrible flyers. We will be in my birthtown, Belfast, on my birthday which will be awesome. Just hoping you experienced British Isle cruisers will direct me to an area I can find information about Southampton or you could recommend a hotel for our two night pre-cruise stay there. We aren't big sightseeing people, we do enjoy walking around town and enjoying the people and sights. There seem to be a lot of hotels and quite reasonable but again we don't know the area and have no idea where to start looking. Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

We did something a bit different from an accomodation standpoint this year. Our cruise the the Fjords of Norway left out of Southampton, but we opted to stay in London for a day and a half instead as there is a lot more to do there. Once it was time to head to the ship, we simply took a taxi service from our hotel in the Theater District of London to Heathrow, and then took the Princess transfer to Southampton (only 1.5 hours). Again, when we arrived in Southampton, I didn't see much that would catch my attention over what you can see in London. Either way, have a great trip.

[need2cruisesoon]

Titanic Museum straight ahead.

[Alaskanb]

We are thinking of this cruise for 2017 so am eager to hear what you discover. Do you have any recommendations for independent travel guides in each port?

Re a Southampton hotel --we stayed at the Premier Inn West Quay --very comfortable and good breakfast. They have a taxi phone next to the elevator.

[MaChere]

Congrats on your new booking! We adored our British Isles cruise last August. No knowledge of Southampton; we stayed in London a couple nights pre-cruise at the Premier Inn County Hall, right behind the London Eye along the Thames. Nothing fancy, but good rates, good breakfast. Great spot for walking. Just across river from Big Ben, easy walk to Westminster Abbey. Transferred to Southampton through International Friends and saw Stonehenge on the way to the ship.

[dsg560]

We want to do the british isles one in 2017 for my DH 60th bday! Hope we can use this page to share ideas and plans... If we go in Aug..we can attend the Military Tattoo..which would be awesome... We thought about a land tour but I think get more bang for our buck on the cruise..Any thoughts?

[Shogun]

Hi All

August for the tattoo is a must, but also pick a cruise that goes to Kirkwall amazing island where is can you see a village older than the pyramids.

 

Yours Shogun

[tom_uk]

Southampton hotels:

 

The Premier Inn West Quay is generally regarded as the pick of the bunch - modern, reasonably priced (by UK standards), good enough quality, and not too far from the port (still a taxi ride, though). Note that it's not the only Premier Inn in Southampton - if you decide to go for that one, make sure you book 'Premier Inn WEST QUAY'.

 

Other hotels include the Holiday Inn, the Novotel/Ibis/Ibis Budget trio (all on the same site), the Grand Harbour and the Mercure Dolphin. The Holiday Inn is quite old and is not cheap, but it is very close to the port. The Novotel, Ibis & Ibis budget are all on the same site not too far from the port. The Ibis duo are cheap but very basic with small rooms - the Novotel will be better but more costly. One warning - I once had a truly awful meal at the Novotel, so don't eat there if that's where you stay. The Grand Harbour is right next door to the Carnival UK office building! - but it's expensive for what it is, and can be uncomfortable. Like many/most UK hotels it doesn't have air-con (we really don't need it) but it's also mainly built of glass, so it gets very hot in the rooms.... The Mercure Dolphin is an old (18th century) coaching inn near the town centre so it's characterful and quaint, but the rooms are small and it can be noisy.

 

For something completely different there's the Pig in the Wall..... great boutique hotel but no dinners. (They do lunches and suppers from a deli counter but they don't have a full restaurant.) If you book early enough they can take you to another of their hotels (the Pig Hotel) in the New Forest where they do have a restaurant, and where I gather the food is excellent. Great wine at the Pig in the Wall and it's close to the port. Sadly, however, the Pig experience is not a budget choice......

Edited August 11, 2015 by tom_uk

[SCHappilyRetired]

Premier Inn West Quay is a modern very clean inexpensive hotel in town centre. It is a short taxi ride to the cruise terminals and would highly recommend.

 

Agree! This is where we stayed. Clean, convenient and cost effective. We pre-booked their dinner so we didn't have to walk around at night and just relax. Very good. We went in August purposely for the Tattoo.

[kpkcruiser]

Thanks all for your suggestions! Very helpful! We are starting out blind so your tips give us a great start. We are staying with friends outside London for four nights post cruise so we are definitely hoping to find a nice place in Southampton pre-cruise.

FritzG - anxiously awaiting your thoughts - enjoy every moment of your cruise!

It is amazing (and wonderful) how much you can learn on these boards and how many tips you can take away to enhance your cruise!!!!!

Thank you all again.:):):):)

[ontheweb]

Thanks all for your suggestions! Very helpful! We are starting out blind so your tips give us a great start. We are staying with friends outside London for four nights post cruise so we are definitely hoping to find a nice place in Southampton pre-cruise.

FritzG - anxiously awaiting your thoughts - enjoy every moment of your cruise!

It is amazing (and wonderful) how much you can learn on these boards and how many tips you can take away to enhance your cruise!!!!!

Thank you all again.:):):):)

 

Although we were on a British Isles cruise last summer (Ocean Princess), I did not previously post because our cruise left from Dover, and we stayed in London on our one pre-cruise day.

 

However, if you have those days near London, I do have a suggestion. When we took our National Express bus to Dover, we observed bus after bus from the station to Stonehenge. We both decided if we are ever in London again, that is one trip we intend to take. IIRC, each bus was to Stonehenge and another location.

[sammybonny]

Titanic Museum straight ahead.

 

I would highly recommend the Titanic museum at Belfast.It is very close to the port but on the wrong side of the river so you have to go in a circle to get to it ,we went by taxi I think it was about £6.

When you buy the entrance tickets pay for the extra ticket to see the Nomadic which was the tender boat used at Cherbourg to transfer passengers to the ship.It has been fully restored and there was a guided tour which was very interesting.

[loma linda ca a & j]

as you can see we have done the british isles in 2013

and again next year cuz we loved it so much !!

 

i wrote a detailed review of our 5 night stay in london (luna simone)

and 5 nights in southampton (premier inn west quay) but do not know

how to link it here - you might be able to find it if you are a good detective ;)

p.s. i found it and brought it up to this P to Z forum - titled

Carib princess brit isles 6/29/13 w/ pre & post stays

i stopped after i was on the ship but all the pre cruise is there

 

hope it is helpful !!

Edited August 12, 2015 by loma linda ca a & j

[Lovely other]

I'm sure you'll love your British Isles cruise. I moved to Belfast a few weeks ago from the north of england and I love the city ...so much to see and do so if you need any tips just ask away . If you fancy a taste of real old world belfast stop by the Sunflower pub for a drink, I can be found propping up the bar in there after work most evenings ...

 

Also interestingly enough my recently acquired boyfriend ;-) is from Southampton so I'll ask him for any tips he has. I've never been to Southampton myself ....yet