Dublin on our own?

We will be on the Royal Princess, does anyone know if they offer a shuttle service or is it best to take a taxi to town?

We looked at the excursions and are not sure if we would prefer to stay in town. One caught our attention, it lasts 8 hrs and goes to Powerscourt Estate, but when they bring you back you only have 2.5 hrs in town. This happened to us in Estonia once and regret it because we only had 1 hr in town.

What do you suggest? Is the Estate worth it?

See details below:

Your tour begins as you board your motorcoach for a narrated drive to Powerscourt in the Wicklow Mountains. You will drive through County Wicklow, famed as the "Garden of Ireland," and encounter the wild heather-covered glens and tranquil landscapes for which the Irish countryside is famous. Soon you will be traveling into the green and uncrowded Wicklow Mountains with their rounded summits and lush valleys.

Upon arriving at Powerscourt, you will marvel at the superbly landscaped formal Italian and Japanese gardens. The gardens, originally begun by Richard Wingfield, the Viscount Powerscourt, in the 1740s, are set against the background of the Wicklow Hills, a truly breathtaking venue.

You will enter the estate along an avenue lined with 200-year-old beech trees. Here, you are free to explore the gardens and view a video on the history of the estate. As the 18th-century house incorporates an array of specialty shops selling high-quality linens, woolens, crafts and souvenirs, you're welcome to browse and shop, and purchase refreshments in the terrace restaurant.

Your tour continues with a panoramic drive to Dublin passing the main sights of this lively city where bustling shops invite you to shop 'til you drop. You can stroll to Grafton Street and smaller side streets that specialize in crafts and gifts, and venture across the bridge into O'Connell Street to view the stores on the adjacent streets. Don't miss Temple Bar, a trendy part of the city, offering eclectic shopping in its many boutiques and music stores. Along the way, feel free to stop in a local pub for lunch and a pint of Guinness.

After a delightful day on your own in Powerscourt and Dublin, you will enjoy a relaxing drive back to the pier.

We have been to Dublin twice, once on Celebrity, next on NCL. Both times there was a shuttle.

First trip, we used the shuttle (there was a fee) that took us near the University (back entrance) and from there we picked up the HoHo bus, which is a great way to see Dublin. There were stops at Guinness and other major sites.

We have used the Princess shuttle a few times into the main area of Dublin. It lets you off on Kildare St. (near Trinity College). There is a charge for this, If I remember correctly it was $10. US and charged to our onboard account.

If you decide to do Dublin on your own, the HoHo bus is a great way to do it. A good resource for Dublin is tomsportguidedublin. Whatever you decide to do, it is a great city to visit.

We took a taxi from port to Trinity College for 15 Euro each way in 2013. We took the HOHO bus.

We have used the Princess shuttle a few times into the main area of Dublin. It lets you off on Kildare St. (near Trinity College). There is a charge for this, If I remember correctly it was $10. US and charged to our onboard account.

If you decide to do Dublin on your own, the HoHo bus is a great way to do it. A good resource for Dublin is tomsportguidedublin. Whatever you decide to do, it is a great city to visit.

How did you book the shuttle with Princess? They don't have this option on the website. Did you have to wait until you boarded the ship?

You will have to book on the ship.

Which cruise will you be on? We are doing the British Isles again this May. Once again we will use the shuttle to get into Dublin.

You will have to book on the ship.

 

 

Which cruise will you be on? We are doing the British Isles again this May. Once again we will use the shuttle to get into Dublin.

We will be on the one in May :D

It sounds like we may be on the same cruise. Have you joined our roll call?

The number 53 public bus goes to the city centre from the ferry terminal on the half hour and in the other direction from Talbot Street on the hour. The cost is about 1.95 euros pp each way - coins only I read. We certainly saw a public bus stop outside the Irish Ferries terminal last summer. Unfortunately I don't know how far the ferry terminal is from the cruise terminal. The city is quite walkable but like most cities there is only so much that can be done in a day - good excuse to return. We will be there for a day in early May and may well attempt to use the public bus. Hopefully there might be someone with info for tourists other than the info from the cruiseline which can be a bit biased.

Get the local bus 53 into town. Do the green hoho bus not the red ones. The green have live commentary, the red is recorded.

We will be on the Royal Princess, does anyone know if they offer a shuttle service or is it best to take a taxi to town?

 

We looked at the excursions and are not sure if we would prefer to stay in town. One caught our attention, it lasts 8 hrs and goes to Powerscourt Estate, but when they bring you back you only have 2.5 hrs in town. This happened to us in Estonia once and regret it because we only had 1 hr in town.

 

What do you suggest? Is the Estate worth it?

 

See details below:

Your tour begins as you board your motorcoach for a narrated drive to Powerscourt in the Wicklow Mountains. You will drive through County Wicklow, famed as the "Garden of Ireland," and encounter the wild heather-covered glens and tranquil landscapes for which the Irish countryside is famous. Soon you will be traveling into the green and uncrowded Wicklow Mountains with their rounded summits and lush valleys.

 

Upon arriving at Powerscourt, you will marvel at the superbly landscaped formal Italian and Japanese gardens. The gardens, originally begun by Richard Wingfield, the Viscount Powerscourt, in the 1740s, are set against the background of the Wicklow Hills, a truly breathtaking venue.

 

You will enter the estate along an avenue lined with 200-year-old beech trees. Here, you are free to explore the gardens and view a video on the history of the estate. As the 18th-century house incorporates an array of specialty shops selling high-quality linens, woolens, crafts and souvenirs, you're welcome to browse and shop, and purchase refreshments in the terrace restaurant.

 

Your tour continues with a panoramic drive to Dublin passing the main sights of this lively city where bustling shops invite you to shop 'til you drop. You can stroll to Grafton Street and smaller side streets that specialize in crafts and gifts, and venture across the bridge into O'Connell Street to view the stores on the adjacent streets. Don't miss Temple Bar, a trendy part of the city, offering eclectic shopping in its many boutiques and music stores. Along the way, feel free to stop in a local pub for lunch and a pint of Guinness.

 

After a delightful day on your own in Powerscourt and Dublin, you will enjoy a relaxing drive back to the pier.

You can take a train from the port area into Dublin for 6 Euros round trip, it takes approx. 20 minutes on the train. I think it takes about 5 to 10 minutes to walk to the train from the ship.

The number 53 public bus goes to the city centre from the ferry terminal on the half hour and in the other direction from Talbot Street on the hour. The cost is about 1.95 euros pp each way - coins only I read. We certainly saw a public bus stop outside the Irish Ferries terminal last summer. Unfortunately I don't know how far the ferry terminal is from the cruise terminal. The city is quite walkable but like most cities there is only so much that can be done in a day - good excuse to return. We will be there for a day in early May and may well attempt to use the public bus. Hopefully there might be someone with info for tourists other than the info from the cruiseline which can be a bit biased.

Take a loo at www.tomsportguides.com then go to ports, his site is very impressive on Dublin and many more ports. I just learned about this site a few months ago, we have downloaded some of his PDF information on our I pads, you don't have to have wifi to access them while traveling.

Get the local bus 53 into town. Do the green hoho bus not the red ones. The green have live commentary, the red is recorded.

How long does it take to get to town on the bus?

We have been to Dublin twice, once on Celebrity, next on NCL. Both times there was a shuttle.

First trip, we used the shuttle (there was a fee) that took us near the University (back entrance) and from there we picked up the HoHo bus, which is a great way to see Dublin. There were stops at Guinness and other major sites.

Hi 4774Papa, we are planning on the HoHo bus to see the sites. We are in Dublin two days and don't sail away until 9:00pm. Is there something that you really liked that is a must see? Jim

I did the Powerscourt and Dublin tour with princess in 2013. Loved it. Would reccomend

While Powerscourt is lovely, it is not worth losing a visit to Dublin if you've only the one day there. And if you've 2 days in port, I'd suggest a visit to Newgrange, a UNESCO world heritage site, or the Howth peninsula rather than Powerscourt, unless estates and gardens are of particular interest.

The DART gets you to Howth. Does Princess offer tours to Newgrange http://www.worldheritageireland.ie/bru-na-boinne/built-heritage/newgrange/?

While Powerscourt is lovely, it is not worth losing a visit to Dublin if you've only the one day there. And if you've 2 days in port, I'd suggest a visit to Newgrange, a UNESCO world heritage site, or the Howth peninsula rather than Powerscourt, unless estates and gardens are of particular interest.

We are on the same sailing as 2ashevillesailors and have two days in Dublin, we sail out at 9pm on Day 2. Have planned a tour to Newgrange and Trim Castle for Day 1 and an debating about options for Day 2. The operator suggested Wicklow, Glendalough and Powerscourt in the morning with the Dublin sites in the afternoon, including Kilmainham Gaol and Trinity College Library, will that give us enough time in town? Do you suggest cutting out Powerscourt or even the whole tour out of town? While Wicklow is said to be lovely I certainly don't want to miss out on Dublin:D

We are on the same sailing as 2ashevillesailors and have two days in Dublin, we sail out at 9pm on Day 2. Have planned a tour to Newgrange and Trim Castle for Day 1 and an debating about options for Day 2. The operator suggested Wicklow, Glendalough and Powerscourt in the morning with the Dublin sites in the afternoon, including Kilmainham Gaol and Trinity College Library, will that give us enough time in town? Do you suggest cutting out Powerscourt or even the whole tour out of town? While Wicklow is said to be lovely I certainly don't want to miss out on Dublin:D

We've enjoyed all the sights you've mentioned, but over two week-long visits to the Dublin area. Glendalough & the Wicklow Mts. have my vote over Powerscourt, but if you'll not be visiting other mansions/castles/estates & gardens, it is definitely worth keeping on your itinerary.

As to Dublin...definitely Trinity College for the Book of Kells and then I'd suggest wandering that area, which is close to Temple Bar, Grafton St, the river Liffey and Ha'Penny bridge. Kilmainham Gaol is a bit far from center but we visited there via city bus. It sounds like Day 2 would be jam-packed for you, so what about a half-day tour with the afternoon free to explore on your own?

We've enjoyed all the sights you've mentioned, but over two week-long visits to the Dublin area. Glendalough & the Wicklow Mts. have my vote over Powerscourt, but if you'll not be visiting other mansions/castles/estates & gardens, it is definitely worth keeping on your itinerary.

 

As to Dublin...definitely Trinity College for the Book of Kells and then I'd suggest wandering that area, which is close to Temple Bar, Grafton St, the river Liffey and Ha'Penny bridge. Kilmainham Gaol is a bit far from center but we visited there via city bus. It sounds like Day 2 would be jam-packed for you, so what about a half-day tour with the afternoon free to explore on your own?

Yes, Day 2 is going to be really busy, and this is a port-intensive itinerary too! Am still on the fence about what to do, go for a half day Wicklow and Glendalough tour with the afternoon/evening in Dublin or just have a more relaxing day taking in the Dublin sights. Decisions, decisions:confused:

You will be docked in Dun Laoghaire (Tender)

The train Station is at the harbour, where you can get the dart to the City Centre. Takes about 25 mins.