Recommendations for British Isles Itinerary

[cruisegal415]

Just started our research on this, so bear with me.  Two years ago, I found an itinerary we liked on the Oceania line, but they don't seem to offer it this year.  We have not been anywhere in the British Isles.  We want to start in London, we will spend a few days there pre-cruise touring and then want to explore the British Isles.  Two definite ports are Liverpool (huge Beatles fans) and Dublin.  We really don't know much about the rest of the British Isles, but would love to visit as much as we can, Ireland, Scotland, Britain, and Wales if possible.  

 

Does anyone have a recommendation for a cruise line or which ports we should not miss? We've done the larger lines (RCCL and Norweigan) and preferred the smaller one (Oceania) but are open to either.  We would be looking at a 10-12 day cruise.  TIA.

[Bob++]

This article is a good start: https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=1352

[ukestrummer]

JUST OFF British Isles cruise on Crown Princess, still great ship, food was good all over. PORTS were great, it is port intensive first 6 days-long days . Did lots independent tours, only one thing, ship could not get close to bordroux so HAD to take THEIR BUS there for drop off, $119 each-ripoff, NO OTHER WAY TO GET INTO TOWN. No one will come to pick you up from that port

[geoherb]

The British Isles itinerary did not include Bordeaux. That was on our transatlantic portion of your cruises. We enjoyed the free shuttle that Soulac-sur-Mer offered from Le Verdon. It's a quaint seaside village.

[PhilbeachTraveller]

Saga do a 15 night British Isle cruise which stops in Liverpool and lots of other smaller ports that the big ships don't go to. 

https://travel.saga.co.uk/cruises/ocean/where-we-go/british-isles-cruises/coast-to-coast.aspx?boardbasis=AI

Saga Sapphire is a lovely smaller ship but next year is it's final one. I'm sure  Saga will do other UK cruises though. 

[hiccups]

Azamara does a British Open cruise every summer, although it can be a little pricey.  Its ships are the same size as the Oceania "R" ships.  We did this itinerary with Azamara two years ago and really enjoyed it--we were part of the PerryGolf group and my husband got to play at some great courses while I went sightseeing.

[Radbooks]

I'm signed up on the Veendam - one of Holland America's ships for a 14 day cruise around the British Islands leaving July 11th. It leaves and returns to Amsterdam. It goes to to St. Peter Port in Guernsey, Holyhead, Wales, Liverpool, Dublin, Belfast, some of the Scottish islands, and Edinburgh. There are other stops, but I don't remember what they are. It appears to be a very nice trip.

[caripoo]

Look at Azamara, Regent, and maybe Viking does one

[WESTEAST]

We did a circumnavigation of British Isles with Oceania this summer and loved it! Had two days in Dublin so enough to see everything and wish we had two days in Edinburgh as much to see.  Invergordon was a great stop and loved the Scottish Highlands. Locals in Scotland and Ireland had great sense of humour.  Surprised how much we enjoyed Cobh and Portland (and close-by Weymouth). Revisited London prior to cruise for three days and again, great city for first-timers or repeaters like us. Weather was cool and moist as expected but overall a great cruise. 

[cruisegal415]

Thanks all! We've booked a 12 day on the Regal Princess, it was the only itinerary we found that starts at London and includes Liverpool as well as Dublin, two of our must see's.  We will go to Cork, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Guernsey, Invergordon and Le Havre, so I think we're pretty well covered with the British Isles! 

[RobinCruiser]

8 hours ago, cruisegal415 said:

Thanks all! We've booked a 12 day on the Regal Princess, it was the only itinerary we found that starts at London and includes Liverpool as well as Dublin, two of our must see's.  We will go to Cork, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Guernsey, Invergordon and Le Havre, so I think we're pretty well covered with the British Isles! 

 

This is my dream cruise! Hoping to do it in 2021!

[Cotswold Eagle]

On 11/6/2019 at 3:32 PM, cruisegal415 said:

that starts at London

 

I’m sure you probably know this, but that is likely to be (in Cruise-line speak) “London (Southampton)”. Which means it starts from Southampton, about 80 miles from London. 

 

Lots of threads on here, including a sticky, about how and when to transfer after your pre-Cruise stay in London (London)!

[cruisegal415]

7 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

 

I’m sure you probably know this, but that is likely to be (in Cruise-line speak) “London (Southampton)”. Which means it starts from Southampton, about 80 miles from London. 

 

Lots of threads on here, including a sticky, about how and when to transfer after your pre-Cruise stay in London (London)!

Yes and I found a transfer that takes us via Windsor Castle so we can see that too.  Cruise-speak is a little misleading at time--found out Paris (Le Havre)  is a 5-6 hour round trip to Paris! So we'll have to see Paris another time.

[NancyIL]

On 11/6/2019 at 9:32 AM, cruisegal415 said:

Thanks all! We've booked a 12 day on the Regal Princess, it was the only itinerary we found that starts at London and includes Liverpool as well as Dublin, two of our must see's.  We will go to Cork, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Guernsey, Invergordon and Le Havre, so I think we're pretty well covered with the British Isles! 

 

My 2 daughters and I were on a Crown Princess  British Isles cruise in June 2010 that went to the same ports.

 

On 11/8/2019 at 10:11 AM, cruisegal415 said:

Yes and I found a transfer that takes us via Windsor Castle so we can see that too.  Cruise-speak is a little misleading at time--found out Paris (Le Havre)  is a 5-6 hour round trip to Paris! So we'll have to see Paris another time.

 

You can do it all!  We flew first to Paris and spent 3 days, then took the Chunnel train to London and spent 3 more days.  Finally, we took the National Express bus from the Victoria Coach Station to Southampton and boarded our ship. In Le Havre - we did a ship excursion to Giverny & Rouen that was lovely.

Edited December 1, 2019 by NancyIL

[MAVIP]

On 11/4/2019 at 4:36 AM, Radbooks said:

I'm signed up on the Veendam - one of Holland America's ships for a 14 day cruise around the British Islands leaving July 11th. It leaves and returns to Amsterdam. It goes to to St. Peter Port in Guernsey, Holyhead, Wales, Liverpool, Dublin, Belfast, some of the Scottish islands, and Edinburgh. There are other stops, but I don't remember what they are. It appears to be a very nice trip.

Did this with HAL last August (about the same itinerary) with one of the daughters.  Very good itinerary. We both especially liked the Scottish Islands. Thinking of a repeat with DH next summer.

[Ashland]

On 11/3/2019 at 7:36 PM, Radbooks said:

I'm signed up on the Veendam - one of Holland America's ships for a 14 day cruise around the British Islands leaving July 11th. It leaves and returns to Amsterdam. It goes to to St. Peter Port in Guernsey, Holyhead, Wales, Liverpool, Dublin, Belfast, some of the Scottish islands, and Edinburgh. There are other stops, but I don't remember what they are. It appears to be a very nice trip.

I just booked a similar itinerary with Celebrity for July 2021. We've done the Ireland, Iceland & Scotland (May 2018) also with Celebrity and it was another great itinerary.

[ISLABONITA]

The August 23rd, 2020, NCL Star itinerary for British Isles includes all the above ports for Scotland, Britain and Ireland with 2 overnights in Dublin which I have booked and there is a roll call with several members.

 

Can anyone post where the tendering ports are besides Newhaven ( Edinburgh)? I  can't seem to pinpoint this information for Norwegian.

Edited December 9, 2019 by ISLABONITA