12 night british isles rt from southampton (with dublin overnight) 9/10/17

Thank you so much for posting your report! We’re doing the British Isles itinerary next June (one day in Dublin and one day Liverpool.) I’ve gotten some great info to use in our planning, so thanks!

Glad this has been helpful. I will be posting a summary of some of the things that I haven't touched upon on the ship (i.e. service, food, activities, cabin, dry dock refurbishments, posting some Princess Patters, etc,) so they may also help as well. Thanks for following along.

Thank you so much for posting your report! We’re doing the British Isles itinerary next June (one day in Dublin and one day Liverpool.) I’ve gotten some great info to use in our planning, so thanks!

I hate to say Me, Too but me too. Was just getting ready to post the same thing.

Also glad to see you enjoyed Windsor. We toured Windsor this last September and really loved it.

Great pics and blogs, thank you. We did the same cruise on Crown in 2009 and doing it again next June on Royal

Glad you enjoyed it.:halo::')

Wow! What an amazing review! Thanks for taking the time to post all of this. We were on the CB for a European Capitals itinerary last April and we did 3 days pre cruise in London. I’m impressed with everything you covered. We had to overcome jet lag (from CA)and lost some time. Loved London and really Loved Harrods! We really enjoyed the CB as well. It made Princess converts out of us!

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Wow! What an amazing review! Thanks for taking the time to post all of this. We were on the CB for a European Capitals itinerary last April and we did 3 days pre cruise in London. I’m impressed with everything you covered. We had to overcome jet lag (from CA)and lost some time. Loved London and really Loved Harrods! We really enjoyed the CB as well. It made Princess converts out of us!

 

 

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Glad you’re enjoying it. Still some left to cover that I hope to get to soon. It really was a great trip.

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Here are some shots of British Airways Flight 207 LHR to MIA. We were in Premium Economy this time and the space and service were really quite good.

My feet didn't even reach the foot rest. Same for Mrs. Met.

No problem reaching the foot rest for this guy. As I said, the space was quite ample.

The meal was quite tasty

This is why you don't take selfies blindfolded!

Mrs. Met enjoying some Merlot with her meal

Our mid-flight snack

The last scone I've eaten

This was some of the MINOR damage we saw from Hurricane Irma upon our return.

Our community, town, and county had much, much, more damage from the storm than this. The clean up is still ongoing at the time of this post. Many people suffered way more loss than we did. We were truly lucky that our damage was minor and our family, friends, and neighbors were all safe.

Coming Up:

Review of Caribbean Princess, itinerary, services, activities, etc along with some Princess Patters and some final photos I thought were neat.

Thanks for following along.

Mr. Met

SUMMARY/REVIEW OF CARIBBEAN PRINCESS 12 NIGHT BRITISH ISLES ITINERARY

We chose this itinerary because it crossed off many countries off the bucket list. Neither Mrs. Met or I had visited Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Guernsey previously, so this cruise fit the bill. The bonus for us was that the cruise was round trip from Southampton, England and allowed us to experience England as well. We also wanted a longer cruise as we’ve never cruised longer than 7 days. The extra five days was truly enjoyable for me,but a little less enjoyable for Mrs. Met. She felt the trip was a day or two too long.

Cobh, Ireland

Great, little, town. Best place for taking pictures of the ship because the pier is right in the center of the town. Step off the ship right into Irish culture. Easily navigable by foot. Easy to take the train into Cork and close to all the major tourist sights including Blarney Castle,the Blarney Woolen Mills, the cities of Cork and Kinsale and the House of Waterford.

Rating: 4.5 out of5

Dublin, Ireland

Lots, lots, lots to do and see. Great free shuttle into downtown. Easy to navigate streets and sights. Great food, night life (Temple Bar area), andsightseeing. Great shopping on GraftonStreet. HOHO busses galore.

Rating: 5 of 5

Belfast, NorthernIreland

Rich in history. Titanic Museum. Get out into the countryside to see: Giant’s Causeway,and Dunluce Castle. Beautiful countryside. Great people.

Rating: 4.0 of 5

Greenock (Glasgow),Scotland

Get to the countryside. Beautiful scenery. Loch Lomond is gorgeous. If you like castles, Inveraray Castle and surrounding town are wonderful. Didn’t get to Glasgow itself, but reports were great from our friends who traveled with us.

Rating:

4.0 of 5

Invergordon (Inverness),Scotland

A drive through the Highlands is a must. Loch Ness was fun. Love the legend. Urquhart Castle is fascinating. Culloden Moor for Scottish history. This northern port seems like it’s on the edge of the world.

Rating: 4.0 of 5

South Queensferry (Edinburgh), Scotland

Great modern city with old world charm. Lots of history right in the middle of the bustling city. Great food, sights, andpeople. One of the highlights of the trip. Maybe Princess should add an overnight stay here too?

Rating: 5.0 of 5

St. Peter Port,Guernsey (Channel Islands)

Great place. Unique, dramatic landscapes. Beautiful. Wonderful little town with hints of France. Lots to see in such a small place. A drive around the island will take less than an hour and is well worth the $$.

Southampton,England

Can’t offer much here because we went right from the busto the ship and vice versa.

Rating: NA

London, England

5.0 of 5

Up Next: Review of the Caribbean Princess

"Greenock (Glasgow),Scotland

Get to the countryside. Beautiful scenery. Loch Lomond is gorgeous. If you like castles, Inveraray Castle and surrounding town are wonderful. Didn’t get to Glasgow itself, but reports were great from our friends who traveled with us."If you dn't mind sharing which excursion did you take here? Princess, private or other?

Thanks

Sandi

"Greenock (Glasgow),Scotland

 

Get to the countryside. Beautiful scenery. Loch Lomond is gorgeous. If you like castles, Inveraray Castle and surrounding town are wonderful. Didn’t get to Glasgow itself, but reports were great from our friends who traveled with us."If you dn't mind sharing which excursion did you take here? Princess, private or other?

 

Thanks

 

Sandi

We only take the Princess excursions. We like the comfort of the ship waiting for us if we’re late.

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Thanks, I thought it sounded like the Princess one but I wasn't sure. Doing this cruise next year and Inveraray is one of the places I want to go.

As mentioned earlier, this was our second time on the Caribbean Princess and the first time we've been on any cruise ship twice. We enjoyed her hospitality both times. The Caribbean Princess is not a monster ship, does not have a lot of gimmicks and reminds one of traditional cruising of the past with some modern conveniences thrown in.

CABIN

We were in a standard balcony cabin (C415 midship starboard side, deck 10). The Caribe deck has larger balconies than most standard balcony cabins. We chose this particular cabin because we enjoyed it so much in our 2014 Eastern Caribbean cruise. I personally, used the balcony as much as possible even though I had to bundle up most times to do so. It was chilly outside given our itinerary,but definitely not a game breaker. Nothing that a pot of coffee or some Earl Grey tea couldn't fix.

The cabin itself was big enough, but given the length of the itinerary, we maybe should have opted for the extra room of a Mini Suite, which may have come in handy when both Mrs. Met and I were sick simultaneously during the cruise. There is plenty of storage and closet space and the bathroom had adequate room to move around without knocking into stuff (provided you were the only one in there). The decor has been brought up to date and the new Princess Beds and Bedding are HEAVENLY!

Rating: 4.0/5

DINING

We always have found the food on the Caribbean Princess to be very good to excellent. We ate most dinners in the Coral Dining room on Anytime Dining. We liked the themed dishes based on our itinerary and location. The "always available" options were seldom selected by our group, but were tasty as always (including my favorite dessert the Love Boat). The Head and Assistant Head waiter were very attentive to our friend's dietary restrictions and happily helped her request her meals.

The food in the new buffet the Market Place was very good and has improved since our last voyage on the Caribbean Princess, as has the decor and layout. The new omelet station and cereal bar are worth a stop. The sweets and pastries are always worth two or three stops as well.

Slice Pizzeria was excellent. The pizza is NY style with a thin, crisp crust, sweet sauce and many great toppings. We stopped by there on all the sea days to enjoy the pizza and some fresh air on the decks. The Salty Dog and Burger Bar never disappoint. The Gourmet Burgers were excellent and definitely worth the extra $7-10.

Coffee and Cones offers free soft serve and the new for fee ice cream sandwiches ($3) are scrumptious. Try them all. You won't be disappointed.

You can never go wrong at the International Cafe in the piazza Deck 5. Coffee lovers will enjoy their favorite coffee beverages and the munchies there are delectable. You also get the benefit of watching all the activity that goes in in the Piazza.

Vines is a great place to meet before dinner for your favorite vino. If you order a glass of wine, they'll bring you free tapas and sushi. Jackpot!

We did not eat in Sabatini's Italian Trattoria during this voyage, but have in the past. We really enjoyed the great food and attention to service. Buon Appetito!

Our meal in the Crown Grill Steakhouse was excellent! The steaks are cooked to order and the side dishes are enough to feed an army. Well worth the $29 cover charge.

We ate once at Steamers and really liked the seafood extravaganza. We did not try Planks Barbeque, but heard others really liked it.

Overall the food was very, very good. Very few clunkers over an almost 2 week period.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

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Entertainment--Public Room--Fitness/Recreation

Entertainment

We have never had bad entertainment on any of our Princess Cruises. We have always enjoyed the musicals in the Princess Theater and feel they are good. The production show "Bravo" was excellent, as were "Broadway Ballroom" and "Piano Man." Comedians George Casey and Jo Little were a hoot! Steve Larkins cover show of Queen and Freddie Mercury was fun.

Funch The Entertainer was great in Crooners Lounge and did a great Barry White imitation. The Mirage Duo were great for relaxing and house band Nexus kept people dancing. The Piazza, the hub of the ship, held many fun activities including the Champagne Waterfall, various musical acts, contests and even bowling! Overall, we feel Princess really tries to get top notch entertainment and rarely produces a clunker.

4.5/5.0

Fitness/Recreation

Quite honestly, due to the itinerary and average age of the passengers on this cruise, I didn't see many people in the fitness center or using the promenade deck for exercise. That's not to say there were ANY people exercising, just not as many as you'd probably see on a trip to the Caribbean or Mediterranean. There were very few passengers sub 50 years old. When we did go to the fitness club, we engaged in all the basic health club equipment. The fitness area on the Caribbean Princess is adequate size wise and is staffed by trained professionals. There are group and private classes and most are free of charge.

The thing we like about Princess Grand Class ships is the wrap around Promenade deck which allows for walking and jogging. There is nothing better than seeing the ocean and surrounding vistas pass by on a sea day while you're exercising. It's one of the great bonuses of mid size ships and "traditional" cruising.

4.0/5

Family/Children's Programs

Few to no children were on this cruise from what we saw. We did see one infant and a sibling toddler, but our sail date was well after children were back in school. We did pass by the childrens and teens areas which were recently upgraded and refurbished and they did look to be pretty cool places for the kids to hang out.

NA/5.0

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Public Rooms, Shore Excursions, and Enrichment Activities

Excellent review very informative The pictures were fantastic. Unfortunately I realize that I need to add this to my bucket list of cruises. Thanks for posting.

Glad you’re enjoying it. Got a few loose ends to clean up and it’ll be done. Thanks for taking a look.

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Trip, thanks for the great read and stellar photos of some countries near and dear to me and sadly not visited enough by me since I came to the USA in 1986. I haven't even been home to Northern Ireland since 2003 for crying out loud! The pics reminded me of how much I enjoy it when I am there. I was wondering how it scored a 4 out of 5 when you mention the "great people" for that is priority number 1 for me when visiting a new country. No need to answer but just wondering. It certainly has some wonderful unspoiled scenery and the pub food offerings have taken leaps and bounds since I was a teenager there ( It was dire for a long time-hundreds of years). The fish and chips I rate second to none and I ate more than my fair share of those (and seldom find comparisons unless I visit Canada, Ontario in particular)

I don't know if I will ever do this cruise, as tempting as it seems.I don't think I could visit Belfast or Liverpool for a few hours and then go away-they both meant so much to me in my teens and early 20's, but I can imagine and your photos and narrative really put me there, that for an American visiting it must seem very appealing and civilized and although I hesitate to say it -"quaint". Different. A slower pace maybe or different priorities in getting through a day.

As your good wife is such a fan of the Royal Family I assume you have watched both season 1 and now season 2 of the acclaimed (and justifiably so) The Crown HBO series on Queen Elizabeth II?

Norris,

British citizen

Trip, thanks for the great read and stellar photos of some countries near and dear to me and sadly not visited enough by me since I came to the USA in 1986. I haven't even been home to Northern Ireland since 2003 for crying out loud! The pics reminded me of how much I enjoy it when I am there. I was wondering how it scored a 4 out of 5 when you mention the "great people" for that is priority number 1 for me when visiting a new country. No need to answer but just wondering. It certainly has some wonderful unspoiled scenery and the pub food offerings have taken leaps and bounds since I was a teenager there ( It was dire for a long time-hundreds of years). The fish and chips I rate second to none and I ate more than my fair share of those (and seldom find comparisons unless I visit Canada, Ontario in particular)

 

 

 

I don't know if I will ever do this cruise, as tempting as it seems.I don't think I could visit Belfast or Liverpool for a few hours and then go away-they both meant so much to me in my teens and early 20's, but I can imagine and your photos and narrative really put me there, that for an American visiting it must seem very appealing and civilized and although I hesitate to say it -"quaint". Different. A slower pace maybe or different priorities in getting through a day.

 

 

 

As your good wife is such a fan of the Royal Family I assume you have watched both season 1 and now season 2 of the acclaimed (and justifiably so) The Crown HBO series on Queen Elizabeth II?

 

 

 

Norris,

 

British citizen

Norris I truly botched it. It should have been 5.0 not 4.0. We wish we’d been able to see more of Belfast and the rest of the country. I even have it in my notes as a 5 and Pam yelled at me after she saw the post. I recall a few choice words directed my way that we can’t print here[emoji38][emoji38].Crummy typing skills are to blame(referenced by all my typos running rampantly through this thread). Pam and I both LOVED No. Ireland and hope to go back some day for golf and touring.

Pam says she is going to stream season 2 right after Christmas as she’s on vacation from the 22nd through Jan 9th.( must be nice to have that much time off). I haven’t seen any of it yet, but my time to stream is summertime when “season” here is over. Thanks for following along. I know how hard you’ve worked on your review and it’s top shelf as usual. All your city scape shots remind me how remarkable NYC is and how proud I am to be a native NYer. Happy Holidays to you and Carol.

Trip

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SUMMARY/REVIEW OF CARIBBEAN PRINCESS 12 NIGHT BRITISH ISLES ITINERARY

 

We chose this itinerary because it crossed off many countries off the bucket list. Neither Mrs. Met or I had visited Scotland, Northern Ireland, or Guernsey previously, so this cruise fit the bill. The bonus for us was that the cruise was round trip from Southampton, England and allowed us to experience England as well. We also wanted a longer cruise as we’ve never cruised longer than 7 days. The extra five days was truly enjoyable for me,but a little less enjoyable for Mrs. Met. She felt the trip was a day or two too long.

 

Cobh, Ireland

 

Great, little, town. Best place for taking pictures of the ship because the pier is right in the center of the town. Step off the ship right into Irish culture. Easily navigable by foot. Easy to take the train into Cork and close to all the major tourist sights including Blarney Castle,the Blarney Woolen Mills, the cities of Cork and Kinsale and the House of Waterford.

 

Rating: 4.5 out of5

 

Dublin, Ireland

 

Lots, lots, lots to do and see. Great free shuttle into downtown. Easy to navigate streets and sights. Great food, night life (Temple Bar area), andsightseeing. Great shopping on GraftonStreet. HOHO busses galore.

 

Rating: 5 of 5

 

Belfast, NorthernIreland

 

Rich in history. Titanic Museum. Get out into the countryside to see: Giant’s Causeway,and Dunluce Castle. Beautiful countryside. Great people.

 

Rating: 4.0 of 5

 

Greenock (Glasgow),Scotland

 

Get to the countryside. Beautiful scenery. Loch Lomond is gorgeous. If you like castles, Inveraray Castle and surrounding town are wonderful. Didn’t get to Glasgow itself, but reports were great from our friends who traveled with us.

 

Rating:

 

4.0 of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Invergordon (Inverness),Scotland

 

A drive through the Highlands is a must. Loch Ness was fun. Love the legend. Urquhart Castle is fascinating. Culloden Moor for Scottish history. This northern port seems like it’s on the edge of the world.

 

Rating: 4.0 of 5

 

South Queensferry (Edinburgh), Scotland

 

Great modern city with old world charm. Lots of history right in the middle of the bustling city. Great food, sights, andpeople. One of the highlights of the trip. Maybe Princess should add an overnight stay here too?

 

Rating: 5.0 of 5

 

 

St. Peter Port,Guernsey (Channel Islands)

 

Great place. Unique, dramatic landscapes. Beautiful. Wonderful little town with hints of France. Lots to see in such a small place. A drive around the island will take less than an hour and is well worth the $$.

 

Southampton,England

 

Can’t offer much here because we went right from the busto the ship and vice versa.

 

 

Rating: NA

 

 

London, England

 

5.0 of 5

 

 

Up Next: Review of the Caribbean Princess

Correction to Belfast, No. Ireland rating: Should be 5.0/5. Sorry for my poor typing skills folks. Get to Northern Ireland! You'll love it.

Public Rooms:

Princess has so many lounges and places to sit and relax. It is very easy to find some place to sit, be entertained, and served. All of the public rooms are tastefully decorated in the "traditional" cruising feel. All the lounges offer great acoustics and sight lines, and function very well for their intended purposes ( i.e. dancing, listening to live music, buffet, theater). While some of the rooms could be bigger, we never had any complaints about any venue whether it was for dining, gaming, or entertainment.

Rating: 4.5/5

Shore Excursions:

We have always taken Princess Shore Excursions on all of our cruises. We like the peace of mind knowing the ship will not leave without us if we return late. All of our excursion experiences have been led by local travel experts and we have never been disappointed by our local experiences. Princess even offers a Shore Excursion Price Match Guarantee, so we know they're also a good value.

Rating 5.0/5

Enrichment Programs:

We have taken advantage of some of the on board enrichment programs offered by Princess especially those aimed at port intensive knowledge. We would highly recommend sitting in on some of their lectures to learn of the sights and experiences you'll be able to see throughout your cruise.

Rating: 5.0/5

Service:

After nine combined cruises by Mrs. Met and I, we can honestly say that the service Princess provided in all our experiences has been very good to excellent. Rarely did we encounter a situation which resulted in our unhappiness or non-resolution. Princess seems to go to the other extreme: Great Service Overkill. Being in the hospitality industry, I notice what's done right and what's done wrong. I cannot recall an instance where any service was just mediocre or non-committal. Very, very well done Princess!

Rating: 4.9/5

Final Thoughts:

For all you recieve, see, do, and experience, we feel that Princess is quite a good value for the money spent. Princess is a great choice for port intensive itineraries to some of the most wonderful places in the world. We would highly recommend this 12 Night British Isles cruise. The service and attention to detail are hard to beat. Princess is a great choice for those who want to have a "traditional" cruising experience without all the unecessary "clutter" (i.e. water slides, robot bars, surf riders, etc.). People looking for those experiences would be better served by booking with another line. We have even sailed on some of those other lines just for those "different" experiences and have really enjoyed them (Allure of the Seas). However, if the destinations, service, and on board experiences are what matter most to you, you will be quite pleased choosing a Princess cruise, and in particular, this itinerary.

I have truly enjoyed sharing my experiences with you. Hopefully, this review/blog will help you with either deciding to book this particular cruise, or help you better enjoy this particular cruise you've already booked. It was an amazing journey for Mrs. Met and I and we are truly thankful that we were able to experience all that we did and the way in which we did it. We are also grateful that Hurricane Irma didn't unleash the mass destruction that was predicted and that we were able to escape much personal damage that could have happened. Have a Great Holiday Season everyone and have a Happy, Happy 2018.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns and I will try my best to answer them for you. My apologies about the picture fiasco in the beginning of the review and thanks to Bimmer09 (Norris) for his help in rectifying my problem. This is what I love about Cruise Critic. It's one cruise enthusiast helping another cruise enthusiast. What could be better?

Regards,

Mr. Met

Correction to Belfast, No. Ireland rating: Should be 5.0/5. Sorry for my poor typing skills folks. Get to Northern Ireland! You'll love it.

Trip, thanks for the correction and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board will be very happy. I am not rabidly patriotic as for a while (when it mattered most to me as I was living there) it was an ugly country mentally despite its natural beauty. I was in Belfast one Friday when 13 bombs exploded and 6 of the locations I had visited ahead of the detonations. In 1974 I got caught up in two gun battles-one of them beginning indoors in a giant club I was playing drums in and the other driving down an unlit street where British soldiers were laying on the sidewalk shooting at their attackers. Those events prompted my move to London and relative safety.

Now we have cruise ships visiting and wealthy American people flying in to play golf in Portrush for the weekend and pubs that can rustle up a fine meal. Now you can get to enjoy the beauty of the land and the easy-going, witty people safely. If it felt like a 5 then I am glad indeed.

Thanks for the recommendation for others to consider.

Norris

Trip, thanks for the correction and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board will be very happy. I am not rabidly patriotic as for a while (when it mattered most to me as I was living there) it was an ugly country mentally despite its natural beauty. I was in Belfast one Friday when 13 bombs exploded and 6 of the locations I had visited ahead of the detonations. In 1974 I got caught up in two gun battles-one of them beginning indoors in a giant club I was playing drums in and the other driving down an unlit street where British soldiers were laying on the sidewalk shooting at their attackers. Those events prompted my move to London and relative safety.

 

 

 

Now we have cruise ships visiting and wealthy American people flying in to play golf in Portrush for the weekend and pubs that can rustle up a fine meal. Now you can get to enjoy the beauty of the land and the easy-going, witty people safely. If it felt like a 5 then I am glad indeed.

 

 

 

Thanks for the recommendation for others to consider.

 

Norris[/

 

Norris,

 

Belfast was one of the best stops on the itinerary. Unfortunately, all cities have their past good or bad. The countryside is so beautiful that it’s hard to imagine that those things happened. I really think Belfast should be an overnight stop too. Wish we had more time there. Have a great nigh.

 

Trip

 

 

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