British Isles Explorer Cruise

[Peregrina651]

7 hours ago, photopro2 said:

As I recall, the walk out onto the floating pontoon and on to the tender may have included some small steps.

 

Good thought. I never thought of steps. I was thinking about space in the Viking tender for people and luggage.

[Island2Dweller]

Greenwich to Paddington is quite easy (and cheap) by train.  I'm not clear how far you are willing to carry your luggage, so I'll mention the walking distance at each stage.

At Greenwich, take the DLR from Cutty Sark station (NOT Greenwich station).  This is adjacent to the pier where you disembark.  The walk from pier to Cutty Sark station is about the same distance that you'd need to walk to meet a car (car's cannot drive into the pedestrian area by the pier).  There is a lift to the platform.  Take the DLR to West India Quay.  Change here to the Canary Wharf Elizabeth line station, for a direct train to Paddington.  About 200 yards walk between stations, lifts available.

If you use a contactless bank card or phone instead of a paper ticket, this is only £2.80 (off peak) or £3.40 (weekday peak hours) or £6.70 if you insist onn buying a paper ticket.

This will be quicker than a road journey - traffic across London is always slow

[photopro2]

Excellent answer @Island2Dweller

 

For independent travellers leaving the ship and making their own way directly to the airport it might be worth noting that there are Elizabeth line trains from Canary Wharf that continue beyond Paddington to Heathrow. Of course, the journey can also be reversed to travel from Heathrow to Greenwich Pier.

 

There is a small surcharge included in the price when using the Elizabeth line to/from Heathrow, rather than the Piccadilly line. However that is usually good value as the journey is faster and the connections can be more convenient, depending on exactly where in London you're heading.

 

Given that it is quicker and less costly than taxis and limo services, the Elizabeth line is IMO the best way between Heathrow and London. The one proviso is that you are able to wheel your bags up to 200 yards at a time over fairly level walkways and pavements......sidewalks? 🙂

Edited May 12, 2023 by photopro2
correction to info

[goldwingers]

We will be leaving in a little over 3 weeks for this cruise from Bergen to London.  I have a question re: shore excursions.  On several days I have booked the included exc. and also a paid exc.  There is about a 30-45 minute gap between when the one ends and the other begins.  I figured that would be enough time.  Do the ship's tours usually get back at the scheduled time or am I being overly ambitious?  I would hate to miss a paid tour that I really wanted just to go on the included one.  I can check with guest services when onboard, just wondered if anyone had any experience with doing this.

 

Thanks

[Sunflower & The Scientist]

I don't know about others, but we have never had an issue with them arriving back late. We've had some pretty close together and have basically gotten back from one and walked to the waiting area of the other one. 

[SantaFe1]

16 minutes ago, goldwingers said:

We will be leaving in a little over 3 weeks for this cruise from Bergen to London.  I have a question re: shore excursions.  On several days I have booked the included exc. and also a paid exc.  There is about a 30-45 minute gap between when the one ends and the other begins.  I figured that would be enough time.  Do the ship's tours usually get back at the scheduled time or am I being overly ambitious?  I would hate to miss a paid tour that I really wanted just to go on the included one.  I can check with guest services when onboard, just wondered if anyone had any experience with doing this.

 

Thanks

Viking won’t let you book excursions that are too close together.  They usually require an hour to 75 minutes, so I am surprised to see you could book that close together.  I always try to do the included excursions in the afternoon, after my optional ones, so if anything gets bumped it is the included one.  If that isn’t possible, then I don’t do an included one.  

[deec]

We have missed an included tour 3-4 times because of returning late ( usually due traffic or LATE/LOST fellow passenger)  and that is WHY if we are trying to do 2 we choose an optional in am and then included.  Viking has allowed us to book close tours as long as we acknowledge that we might miss the second.

[goldwingers]

Thanks. Sunflower, SantaFe & deec - 

 

I had purchased the optional tours first - as soon as I could thanks to the info I had from this site! - and went back & scheduled the included ones at whatever time would fit and was still available.  That put two of them in the earlier time slot.  The third one is after the paid excursion, so I'm not too worried about that, especially as it didn't get the best reviews.  

 

The free Shetland tour only gives me 30 minutes before the Shetland pony experience, so I may just forego that since it covers some of the same ground.  Just trying to maximize my time!

 

Thanks

[longterm]

We're on Viking Neptune on July 4, 2024 from Greenwich; I created a roll call, but no others on our cruise have posted there.

 

I'm planning to book some private tours in several cities; if anyone is on our cruise and is interested, please let me know; I'll be watching this thread for replies.

 

Bob

[Jim Avery]

4 minutes ago, longterm said:

We're on Viking Neptune on July 4, 2024 from Greenwich; I created a roll call, but no others on our cruise have posted there.

 

I'm planning to book some private tours in several cities; if anyone is on our cruise and is interested, please let me know; I'll be watching this thread for replies.

 

Bob

Be careful,,, be very careful....  Evil things go bump in the night for Americans in the London area on July 4th........  Hahahahahaha.........😱

[longterm]

8 minutes ago, Jim Avery said:

Be careful,,, be very careful....  Evil things go bump in the night for Americans in the London area on July 4th........  Hahahahahaha.........😱

🙂

 

I worked with a British drummer for 5 years (he was the drummer for David Bowie & T-Rex, so you can imagine the stories), so I've been fully subjected to a full dose of Cockney slang, British humour (note the spelling), and more than I ever wanted to know about old British TV. 

 

We'll be in London early and then getting on the ship on the 4th, so we'll only have to contend with fellow Americans on the ship--a rowdy bunch, no doubt.

 

I've been contacting the tour companies you recommended, already booked a full day in Dover w/ Gary at Horizon. Good recommendations all!

[Peregrina651]

29 minutes ago, longterm said:

We're on Viking Neptune on July 4, 2024 from Greenwich; I created a roll call, but no others on our cruise have posted there.

 

I'm planning to book some private tours in several cities; if anyone is on our cruise and is interested, please let me know; I'll be watching this thread for replies.

 

Bob

 

Go back to the roll call forum for Neptune and look for duplicates.  Report any and ask to have them merged. 

[longterm]

37 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

Go back to the roll call forum for Neptune and look for duplicates.  Report any and ask to have them merged. 

I had already searched, didn't find any other roll call for that ship on that date...

[Peregrina651]

27 minutes ago, longterm said:

I had already searched, didn't find any other roll call for that ship on that date...

 

Even after a roll call is started, it is good to check every now and then to make sure someone hasn't started a second roll call.  It does happen sometimes. 

[deec]

Switch to May 1...would love to share tours with you!!  Our date docks in Bangor instead of Belfast so I am looking for Giant's Causeway private tour.

 

from FB group someone posted this suggestion for Highlands https://www.shorexcursions.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR0wx2rYU-46vNm4x9Lf1PsH6j3bZf03yEy-OX4gh2aSoAUmhA_jWCOsQ4M 

Edited November 22, 2023 by deec

[SantaFe1]

19 minutes ago, deec said:

20 minutes ago, deec said:

looking for Giant's Causeway private tour.

 

We will be there about ten days later.  I would be interested to see what you find.  Thanks!

[CurlerRob]

1 hour ago, deec said:

Switch to May 1...would love to share tours with you!!  Our date docks in Bangor instead of Belfast so I am looking for Giant's Causeway private tour.

 

In 2019, we engaged the firm below - spent the day with our driver/guide touring the Causeway, Dunluce castle, much of the incredibly scenic Antrim Coast, the Belfast murals / wall, lunch at a country pub and one of the GOT filming sites (which we had no idea about!). 

 

Topped off with a complimentary Guinness from the boot as we stopped to check out some additional scenery.

 

As with most private tours, they are very flexible. I would not expect any issue with docking in Bangor. They are still in business and we were extremely pleased with their professionalism and service. Cheers! 🍺🥌

 

https://belfasttours.com/tours/cruise-ship-day-trips-excursions 

[longterm]

On 11/22/2023 at 9:42 AM, Jim Avery said:

Be careful,,, be very careful....  Evil things go bump in the night for Americans in the London area on July 4th........  Hahahahahaha.........😱

Hey Jim, I emailed w/ the tour company you recommended in Wales, but he's gone mysteriously silent, so I'm going to reach out to other tour companies. Do you have any others that you might recommend?

[Jim Avery]

4 minutes ago, longterm said:

Hey Jim, I emailed w/ the tour company you recommended in Wales, but he's gone mysteriously silent, so I'm going to reach out to other tour companies. Do you have any others that you might recommend?

I believe you have me mixed up with some other poster?  Don't recall recommending a tour company in Wales.  

[longterm]

1 hour ago, Jim Avery said:

I believe you have me mixed up with some other poster?  Don't recall recommending a tour company in Wales.  

You’re right, sorry about that. 😎

[SteelCity Cruiser]

On 11/22/2023 at 3:25 PM, deec said:

Switch to May 1...would love to share tours with you!!  Our date docks in Bangor instead of Belfast so I am looking for Giant's Causeway private tour.

 

from FB group someone posted this suggestion for Highlands https://www.shorexcursions.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR0wx2rYU-46vNm4x9Lf1PsH6j3bZf03yEy-OX4gh2aSoAUmhA_jWCOsQ4M 

We used Thistle Tours (they are on Viator also) and were very happy with them.  Just to offer another option.

[PRH]

In Belfast, Frank (Francis H.) on Tours by Locals does an excellent tour.  He picks you up at the ship in his Mercedes van.  He lived through the troubles and is a history professor so you get about a pretty balanced account and exact locations as possible.  You get right up close and personal to murals, important sites and into neighborhoods.  Did you know that there are still over 50 miles of wall in Belfast?  Our 26 year old nephew was amazed and sincerely affected by this tour.  We also took the included tour and it was almost nothing compared to this one. If you want an outstanding tour of Belfast, consider this one.

[PRH]

Inverwe Gardens are particularly nice.  Fair ride to get there but amazingly beautiful place to stroll and savor!  You will see different parts and terrain of Scotland than you would otherwise on the ride so all is not lost—including where James Bond movie Skyfall scenes were filmed.

 

the included Shetland tour was good.  We loved Liverpool!  The included tour was good and we took the optional walking tour. In Edinburgh, we walked from the ship to tour the Britannia (purchase tickets in advance) and then caught the HOHO bus right in front into old Edinburgh.

 

we loved this cruise.  Probably one of the best we’ve taken.  Also did the Britain at War out of Dover.  (We’ve been to Canterbury several times).  

[Peregrina651]

Happy New Year, Everyone!

 

Time to bring this very, very helpful thread back up to the top in the hopes that past guests will continue to answer questions for those who are about to sail.

 

Let's start with Liverpool!

 

If you took a Viking tour in Liverpool, which one did you take? Would you do it again? Any accessibility warnings that you can share -- steep inclines; rough going; too many, too steep, no handrail stairway, no accessible toilets (meaning toilets that people wouldn't be able to get to at all as opposed to no wheelchair accessible stall available or even worse buses without toilets)? 

 

If your wandered on your own or did an independent tour, what did you?

 

Thanks in advance for jumping in to answer our questions.

[SteelCity Cruiser]

3 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Happy New Year, Everyone!

 

Time to bring this very, very helpful thread back up to the top in the hopes that past guests will continue to answer questions for those who are about to sail.

 

Let's start with Liverpool!

 

If you took a Viking tour in Liverpool, which one did you take? Would you do it again? Any accessibility warnings that you can share -- steep inclines; rough going; too many, too steep, no handrail stairway, no accessible toilets (meaning toilets that people wouldn't be able to get to at all as opposed to no wheelchair accessible stall available or even worse buses without toilets)? 

 

If your wandered on your own or did an independent tour, what did you?

 

Thanks in advance for jumping in to answer our questions.

We did this cruise in June 2023 and took the Beatles Tour with Viking.  It was OK: stopped at Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields (spent a lot more time there than needed) and Paul's childhood home, drove by a couple of other spots, and ended at The Beatles Story Museum which is good, but was so crowded when we got there we couldn't really enjoy it like I hoped. After lunch we walked over to the Cavern Club ourselves and wandered around town and the waterfront.  It was a good day.  Our friends took an independent Beatles Tour and really liked it a lot - being in a car/van, they saw a lot more than we did.  Based on their feedback, I'd recommend an independent tour over the Viking provided one.  The ship docks right in town which was great, but the walk from the ship to shore is fairly long, and the gangway can be steep when at low tide!