Blarney Castle & kissing the stone excursion

[1965]

For our June BI cruise we'd like to take the excursion to Blarney Castle. The description warns there may be a long line & kissing the stone may not happen. Has anyone done this excursion in June? What was your experience? Thanks. 

[dickinson]

We did this in May 2015.  I remember a line but I don't think it was very long outside the castle.  The stairs are spiral and narrow.  I did not kiss the stone but dh did.  Hopefully someone who has been there in June can give you better info.  This will probably be moved to the ports of call board where you will get other people from other cruise lines help too.

[Rick&Jeannie]

We did this excursion in June 2019.  After having joined the line and advancing for about 15 minutes we saw this:

 

 

 

We opted to do something else!!

Edited May 7, 2023 by Rick&Jeannie

[Guest ldtr]

9 hours ago, 1965 said:

For our June BI cruise we'd like to take the excursion to Blarney Castle. The description warns there may be a long line & kissing the stone may not happen. Has anyone done this excursion in June? What was your experience? Thanks. 

expect a long line. if you want to kiss the stone most of your time will be spent in a line that winds it's way up the castle tower to the stone. The line may be too long for you to get there in time. People on our excursion was able to.

[charliedalrymple]

We skipped it and had a lovely day in Cork instead.  We did not go on a Princess excursion but instead hired a local driver/tour guide who met us at the ship and crafted a personalized tour based on our interests.  He was charming and funny and we loved it. 

 

These days, we tend to steer clear of the (unjustifiably) expensive Princess excursions and either strike out on our own (which we did in Edinburgh) or find a tour guide who is waiting at the dock when we leave the ship. Also, we sometimes don't even leave the ship if we've seen the location before and enjoy the peace and quiet on board while most people are out and about.

 

(Sorry, I got a bit off topic!)

[elaine5]

We went on an excursion to Blarney castle and enjoyed walking the gardens and viewing the castle ruins. We did not stand in line to kiss the stone. 

[Ken the cruiser]

I kissed the Blarney Stone back in 1987, and definitely got the “gift of the gab” from kissing it, as proof in part from my posts and Live From threads on CC! 😂

 

But back then the wait was only 5-10 minutes once you were in line inside the castle. But from the way it sounds, the line has gotten a little longer since then.

Edited May 7, 2023 by Ken the cruiser

[Malleykatt]

We did this last summer but booked with Paddywagon for the tour. Cruise ship arrived late due to a power problem leaving Guernsey so we all arrived at Blarney later than expected but are really lucky. When we walked to the tower we joined the queue at the bottom of the steps so it took a slow move to climb the steps (more than 100) . Even though it was August we had torrential rain at one point and thunder like I've never heard before! Once the rain stopped the queue grew and was last the 90min sign at 3pm when we left.

Views from the top were amazing but I didn't kiss the stone once I saw the drop you bend backwards over.

[Guest ldtr]

8 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I kissed the Blarney Stone back in 1987, and definitely got the “gift of the gab” from kissing it, as proof in part from my posts and Live From threads on CC! 😂

 

But back then the wait was only 5-10 minutes once you were in line inside the castle. But from the way it sounds, the line has gotten a little longer since then.

About an hour the last time we were there, growing longer throughout the day.  If you are going take the earliest excursion departure you can get.

[Knickearth]

We were there in 2019, but we usually do Europe in the fall on  a transatlantic cruise. Wait time was about ten to 15 minutes.  My dh had an Irish friend drive us all over.  After the Blarney Stone we walked out of the area and were taken to a local pub for lunch.  It was fabulous to say the least.

[Musky Ike]

So I can wait in line for an hour to bend over backwards and kiss something that countless others have already kissed or who knows what else to it that day, for a gift I have now? I'll think about that. 🤔

[SomewhereGirl]

This doesn't answer the exact question but I went with Paddywaggon tours in September.  Our tour was able to leave and get to Blarney before the Princess excursions.  Minimal wait at the top of the castle.  Didn't not kiss the stone because gross.  Suggest going with a non-Princess tour operator.  The coach drop-off is a bit of a distance from the castle.  Walk fast.  

 

[HotRoot]

We were there last month.  They now use Clorox sprayed on the stone and then wipe it off.  We still did not kiss it.  We could have done the drop off but might never have got up again.  There are 150 steps up.  They are triangular and narrow.  We would never do it again but do not regret the one time.  Our wait was maybe 20 minutes but the line kept moving.

[Traveler1977]

We did it several years ago on a cruise ship excursion. By the time we arrived there were already several cruise line motor coaches already in the parking lot. The wait was well over an hour but we did it.  As others have said, you hang upside down at a precarious angle and lean in to kiss this stone. The line reminded me of a slow moving DisneyWorld que except it was inside a real castle. There was still plenty of time to explore the gardens. Glad we did it, wouldn’t do it a second time. 
 

I think the concept of having tourists pay money to hang upside down and kiss a rock must have been conceived by a bunch of fun loving Irish “tea totalers” sitting around a pub drinking a few Guinnesses. They must be laughing their rear ends off.  
 

Which brings up, if you go to Dublin, tour the Guinness Brewery. The view from the pub at the top is amazing.  

[MissP22]

3 hours ago, Musky Ike said:

So I can wait in line for an hour to bend over backwards and kiss something that countless others have already kissed or who knows what else to it that day, for a gift I have now? I'll think about that. 🤔

Some people are afraid to touch the elevator buttons or the tongs at the buffet but yet they'll put their lip on a stone that literally dozens have kissed before them and think nothing of it. 😘😘 LOL

I hope they were wearing a mask. 😷  😆😄

[John99]

16 hours ago, 1965 said:

For our June BI cruise we'd like to take the excursion to Blarney Castle. The description warns there may be a long line & kissing the stone may not happen. Has anyone done this excursion in June? What was your experience? Thanks. 

 

Cobh -- Look into eCoach tour -- BUTLERS Shore Tours (Cohn).  Google them.

Below see access to Butlers Shore Tours. 

We did a tour from Cobh to Blarney Castle, Woolen Mills, then Kinsale for some fish and chips plus a couple of pints at a local pub. A very enjoyable and a pleasant surprise. 

The benefits of using Butler Tours was that: 

• Butler was less expensive
• Arrangement made online and very easy
• Butlers knows when your ship is docking
• Butler left the port area before most other tourists were even loaded on Princess buses
• We got to Blarney Castle right when it opened and we were the first ones there
• From the Parking lot you pass the gift shop then take a paved way thru the gardens to the castle
• If you want to kiss the Blarney stone there will be a short waiting time early in the morning – 5/10 minutes
• The steps are very steep going to the top.  Definitely not ADA compliant.

The tour takes you to the charming village of Kinsale. At that time, there was no Princess tour that does both Blarney and Kinsale.  While at the Blarney Castle, you have enough time to visit the Woolen Mills plus enjoy a scone and tea in their restaurant.

Recommend taking the earliest tour bus as possible to beat the crowds.  John

 

Butlers Shore Tours Cork (Cobh) | Lowest Price Guarantee | Free Cancellations (ecoach.ie)

 

[neverbeenhere]

Been to Vancouver many times and stopped by the Blarney Stone, best part is the drinks are reasonably priced.  The Blarney Stone in Seattle isn’t bad too. 

[Cali Viajera]

Bending over backwards wasn’t a problem, but seeing the open drop beneath it gave me pause🤣 I’m petite and thought I’d slip on down the grates! So I closed my eyes and let the assistant guide me to the stone! It’s a long way down!