British Isles Cruise Photo Heavy Review

[Kevin's girl]

Hello all. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, and or Kwanzaa. Ours has been full of family visits and lots of love. We have also closed on my in law’s house, and celebrated my husband’s and both of our son’s birthdays. It has been a very busy month for us but I have not forgotten that I need to get this finished. That all being said, let's get it done.

 

After our breakfast we made our way up the hill to Edinburgh Castle. As I mentioned before, I had bought our tickets online before the cruise. We had NO line, no wait. It was unbelievable. There was a tolerable crowd once we were inside the grounds but nothing like what was to come.

 

 

 

 

 

[Kevin's girl]

 

We did enjoy our time spent here, but we both agree that Stirling Castle was our favorite between the two.

 

 

 

[Kevin's girl]

Something lucky that we found, I wanted to see the crown jewels but Kevin did not. The line was very long and he hates lines. Fine, no jewels - I pouted. Then we walked around the corner. There right before our eyes, another entrance. And it has a sign reading The Honours The Scottish Crown Jewels. No line, just an open doorway, signs inside leading the way. We dared to go in, and got a history lesson and saw the beautiful Crown Jewels.

 

I did behave myself and did not take any photos of the Jewels.

 

 

[Kevin's girl]

Around and about the grounds

[Kevin's girl]

We couldn’t help but notice the crowd coming in as we were going out. We also saw a few of our Cruise Critic group as they were making their way in through the crowd. I was so happy we made it in early. Our port stop here in Edinburgh was just after the Tattoo and clean up was just getting started.

[Kevin's girl]

Starting our Royal Mile walk

One place I really wanted to go into was St Giles Cathedral. That’s my church thing. Entrance was free but a donation was required to take photos. I gladly paid, and Kevin gladly stayed out.

[Kevin's girl]

[Kevin's girl]

Okay, sorry, I’ll stop now with the cathedral. It was beautiful inside and the history fascinating. Onward --> as we left St Giles, the weather started to get ugly. The wind was picking up and misty rain was starting, but this being our only day here we needed to press on.

A bit of advise, be sure to check out the small alleyways along the Mile. Some lead to the prettiest little places.

[Kevin's girl]

With the rain getting harder, I didn’t argue when Kevin suggested we start making our way back up to North Bridge and Calton Hill. We did stop in a cafe for a coffee/tea to warm up and dry off.

It is really quite the uphill climb, but the views are great from up top.

[Kevin's girl]

And I got to see Holyrood

Back down the hill we visited the Calton Cemetery. There was a surprising American presence.

[Kevin's girl]

We easily found our bus and returned to the tender for our ride back to the ship. We had a good time in Edinburgh but looked forward to getting on board and into some dry clothes.

[808cruzers]

We couldn’t help but notice the crowd coming in as we were going out. We also saw a few of our Cruise Critic group as they were making their way in through the crowd. I was so happy we made it in early. Our port stop here in Edinburgh was just after the Tattoo and clean up was just getting started.

 

 

 

 

Aloha Kevin and Terri:

A belated Mele Kalikimaka and Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

Love your review and the great pictures and the link for the overnight Dublin port. Looking forward for the rest of the cruise.

All the best for 2018.

Brian and Angie

[Kevin's girl]

Hello Brian and Angie, thank you for the holiday wishes, it's so nice to hear from you. I'm glad you are enjoying the review. I think Brian may have photos that beat mine. As you know, only one more port to go and you were there with us the whole day :-) I do have several pics with the two of you in them. I would be happy to email them if you would like.

[808cruzers]

Hello Brian and Angie' date=' thank you for the holiday wishes, it's so nice to hear from you. I'm glad you are enjoying the review. I think Brian may have photos that beat mine. As you know, only one more port to go and you were there with us the whole day :-) I do have several pics with the two of you in them. I would be happy to email them if you would like.[/quote']

 

 

Hi Terri:

Please send to alauhawaii@yahoo.com

 

Thanks,

Angie

[Kevin's girl]

Hi Terri:

Please send to alauhawaii@yahoo.com

 

Thanks,

Angie

They are on the way. Not all are as good as I would have liked. Sorry

[georgiacat]

Glad to see you are back. I enjoy your pictures tremendously. I am planning for my 2018 BI cruise. Your view of the Royal Mile does not look too steep. What was your opinion?

[Kevin's girl]

Glad to see you are back. I enjoy your pictures tremendously. I am planning for my 2018 BI cruise. Your view of the Royal Mile does not look too steep. What was your opinion?

It was not as bad as what I expected. Neither of us are all that athletic and we had no issue. The Calton Hill was a real workout, but worth the climb.

[Kevin's girl]

Next up was our final sea day and the White Cliffs of Dover. The Captain said we would sail close enough to get decent photos but the weather and seas may be a challenge. He was right. The were high winds, rain, swells and waves. For us it was a blast. I did most of our packing on this day as I knew our tour in Normandy was going to be an all day affair and I didn’t want to worry about getting it all together afterwards.

The Dover Strait is the world’s busiest shipping lane. Guinness World Records stat that 500-600 ships pass through the Strait per day. This one cut right across our path. Kind of freaky to watch.

It was speciality dining tonight. I just can’t remember which restaurant this was. The view was of the cliffs and all of the ships sailing along with us.

[Kevin's girl]

Oops, I figures out the the restaurant. It was Planks. The food was good. So much nicer to see the cliffs inside while enjoying a glass of wine and good food.

[Kevin's girl]

Our final port of call was in LeHavre France. I was very excited about this port. Kevin and I had talked about going to Normandy for years and our time was finally here. My brother in law’s dad was involved in the D day landings and spoke of Sainte-Mère-Église. I wish I could remember his stories in detail but can not. However I do remember how much it all meant to him and he meant so much to me that I could not wait to see all that I could.

 

Our tour was a small group tour with fellow CCers. It had been book through Overlord tours link to the tour is: https://www.overlordtour.com/product/tours-from-cruise-ports-9/

 

We had planned to stick to the suggested tour on the website, but were able to make one small change at the end. We made a quick stop in Honfleur, which was a place I would love to go back to one day.

 

Our day started out with torrential rain and crazy wind. We were all to be off the ship and on the dock for an 8:00 pick up time. It was crazy going down the gangway. Crew were checking out passengers and making suggestions to some to go back and dress warmer or get a raincoat and umbrella. They slowed people leaving the end of the gangway to allow small groups to make a run for the building a ways away. Once inside the terminal, they were trying to do the port photos and get tour groups together. Mayhem could be a good word here.

 

Our guide Sophie, was there waiting for us. She was wonderful. It took a several minutes for all in our group to get together and Sophie went to warm up the van. Once we were all together we made our way the van. Sophie told us the weather would be better soon and she was right. By the time we made it to the Normandy beaches it was beautiful.

On the way to Omaha Beach we drove through Colleville sur Mer. As we drove through the streets Sophie explained what things were like there during WWII. She pointed out the large photos displayed along the street that showed that area at that time.

 

 

[Kevin's girl]

I thought I knew what to expect during this tour. I watched documentaries, read books and reviews. But as we made our way through town and then on to the beach, the gravity of what happened there began set in. It was going to be at times an overwhelming day.

I think the one impression I had from the beach was the size of the beach. We were there about 3 hours after the landing had started. The tide would have been out even more than it was when we arrived. There was just absolutely no cover for any of them as they came ashore and the distance was so huge. You couldn’t help but feel small out there.

Sophie used large flip charts to show the defenses, landing crafts and battle plans. To stand there where it all happened and see as she explained was so much more than I expected.

The sand after the tide

[Kevin's girl]

Following our visit to Omaha Beach we set off for the American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer. The cemetery was established by the U.S. First Army in 1944 and is the resting place for 9,385 of our military dead, most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and the ensuing operations. This is according to the American Battle Monument Commission website. Here is the link if anyone would like to read more about it: https://www.abmc.gov/cemeteries-memorials/europe/normandy-american-cemetery#.WlufdqinGUk

This was again a place I thought I was prepared for, but as we arrived I found I was not. Sophie had given us the history of the cemetery and the statistics. She spoke of the pride that is taken in it’s maintenance. As we arrived they were preparing for a flower presentation and our American National anthem. I found myself standing in the beautiful resting place of so many that made the ultimate sacrifice for my freedom. It was incredibly humbling. Following the National Anthem they played Taps. I found myself standing there in the middle of all of those crosses and stars a tear running down my cheek. What a beautiful tribute our solders in foreign land. We had more than an hour to walk around and see everything on our own.

This was following the flower presentation

A lookout over the beaches where the battle took place.

[Kevin's girl]

This is a the lookout to explain the landings and the battles that followed.

The beach looks far less scary with the tide in. I would have liked to see it as it was when we were down there just an hour before.

The unknown are marked as “A Comrade In Arms Known But To God”

[Kevin's girl]

In the center of the cemetery there is a chapel. It’s both beautiful and sobering.

 

 

 

 

 

[Kevin's girl]

In the center of the memorial at the entrance is a bronze statue, the “Spirit of American Youth Rising From the Waves”

Sophie took us to Le Choc to see the German fortifications. The area is covered in bomb craters made by American strategic bombing and provided cover for the allied troops.

Sophie with her flipchart out explaining everything we see and how things were on the day of the landings. We were given plenty of time on our own to walk around an take it all in.