Excursions on Cruise: Circumnavigation around UK, Iceland and Ireland

Hello Everyone,

My family I and recently took a cruise that started in London, went north around the UK, up to the Faroe Islands, over to Iceland and then back around Ireland and ended up in Southampton. We traveled from July 1 to July 20, 2011 on the Silver Cloud, a Silversea ship with 296 passenger capacity. Here is a brief report of the excursions that my family and I took while on this cruise. We do a mix of ship's tours and "on our own". Frankly, we like a lot of sea days; this cruise had 4 but we would have liked a few more, so in some ports, we tried to achieve a mix of seeing new things but also having time on board for relaxation. I recently put a variation on this post on the Silversea Board, but realized that many more might be interested in some of the excursions/experiences that we had during this cruise, so have done a bit of cut and paste to make this more general.

London Embarkation - there were no excursions from the ship since we sailed only a few hours after embarking at Tower Bridge (but the sailaway was great!)

Aberdeen, Scotland - our first excursion of the cruise was "Aberdeen Highlights and Crathes Castle". I chose this one partially since it would give us an overview of the countryside around Aberdeen as we drove to the castle. While I was not particularly interested in Aberdeen as a city, the tour included a city tour (no stopping) with narration by the local guide, and it was fine, but I wouldn't spend any more time there. Crathes Castle is a well-preserved 16th century castle and while the Burnett family gave it to the National Trust in 1951, they still use it and live nearby. The castle is beautiful and it was a good tour in that one can roam about at one's own pace (although there are docents in each room) and the whole castle is open for view. The gardens are lovely and very pretty in the midst of summer. (Total time about 4 hours)

Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland - This was a port that we did "on our own". There was a shuttle from the ship (although the distance was short and we actually walked back to the ship ourselves) and it let out in the downtown area. The Old Town is quaint and includes the Town Hall and Fort Charlotte. There are nice views of the harbor. We shopped a bit for knitwear but didn't buy anything. There is a great little museum in town, the Shetland Museum and Archives. It was free and we enjoyed an hour or so, wandering through the exhibits.

Torshavn, Faroe Islands, Denmark - We chose the Vestmanna Sea Cliffs and really enjoyed this one. I chose it to see the scenery of the islands as we drove to the boat for the tour of the cliffs and we really did see some spectacular scenery along the way - fjords, waterfalls, mountains, tunnels, and pretty little towns nestled in the harbors. We boarded boats in the village of Vestmanna (there were 2 buses from our ship and two boats - one was much bigger; we ended up on the larger boat and from what I heard that was a good choice). Both boats went along the cliffs and we saw lots of birds and it was fun to see the sheep grazing on the steep hillsides. The captain had done some narration at the beginning about what kinds of birds we would see but then was quiet later in the trip (so as not to scare the birds, I guess). So, I was never really sure what the birds were that we saw. We started calling everything a puffin, but it would have been good to have a little guide on hand to help with the identification. I thought it was very cool when we entered the sea caverns - almost like a Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It was pretty chilly to be on the top deck but we stayed there for the best views. Definitely a fun excursion. (4 hours)

Akureyri, Iceland - Mostly I am proud that I learned to pronounce this. Seriously, this was a beautiful port (pretty little town - we had a short drive-through) and we had a great excursion. We chose "Jewels of the North" and that included Godafoss (Waterfalls of the Gods), Lake Myvatn - where we saw pseudocraters, Dimmuborgir with its dramatic lava formations and Namaskard with tons of mud pools, boiling sulfur springs and such (as the guide said, this is what hell might look like). All of this was so strange and beautiful in a stark, dramatic, spare kind of way - like lunar landscapes at times. It really was a way to experience the volcanic energy of the area (but yet feel safe!). (7.5 hours and included lunch).

Isafjordur, Iceland - My husband and daughter went "Sea Angling with a Local Captain" and had a fabulous time. There were only two boats (with 4 passengers per boat) so this would be one to sign up for quickly if interested. They caught tons of fish in both boats and among the fishermen, it was decided to have a "Fishermans' Dinner" on board the ship later; once that was agreed, they started gutting and icing the fish on the fishing boat. The ship's chef met the boats at the dock and certified the fish and took it back to the ship. (4 hours)

BTW, for this port, I was to have gone on the "Vigur Island by Boat" excursion, but had twisted my ankle the previous day and I decided that I should cancel and keep my foot elevated instead. That was good advice for myself, but I hated to miss this excursion - later that afternoon, I talked to a couple of people who had done it and they said it was great.

Reyjavik, Iceland - we were interested in "The Golden Circle" sights but didn't want to sign up for an 8.5 hour day - plus with 3 of us, I figured that we could rent a car and do it much cheaper on our own. That was a great way to do it, as it turns out. We called Hertz and they came to the ship to pick us up and take us back to their office to get the car (and at the end of the day, returned us to the ship). Everyone in the office spoke English very well and they gave us good maps, etc. Total cost for the car was about $200 plus about $75 for lunch (and for 3 of us @ $239 for the ship's excursion, you can see this was a better deal). It was easy to drive in Iceland and it was great to be able to stop where we wanted and have lunch where we wanted. We went to Thingvellir National Park and I thought this was a wonderful site, both from a geological and historical perspective. It was free (although the bathroom costs $2 or 2 euros - they change the money for you - per person!) and I could have stayed quite a while there roaming around, but we wanted to see the other sites as well. So, on we went to the Great Geysir area and that was a lot of fun to walk among the geysirs. There is a very active one that blows every few minutes, so you can hang around and get pictures of various stages of it. We then headed on to Gullfoss, which is thought to be the most beautiful waterfall in the country. We could have then driven southwest and swung over to the Blue Lagoon, but we had already seen a beautiful geothermal pool during our Akureyri excursion, so we decided to pass on that. All in all, we were very happy with our day and our decision to rent a car. We would have loved to have more time to explore the city of Reykjavik, but we figured we will just have to go back sometime. (We loved Iceland, so planning a return trip is not such a stretch.)

Grenock (Glasgow), Scotland - This is another port which we did "on our own". Grenock has nothing to really keep you there, but we were able to walk to the train station (about 20 min walk from the ship) and take a train into Glasgow. (Well, it was a train and then a bus, since they were doing work on the line, but that just added to the adventure). Glasgow is a pretty city and definitely being revitalized. We walked around, toured the Cathedral and had a great lunch in one of many restaurants available. We looked around but didn't really feel like shopping much although several of our shipmates (who were on the train home with us) had lots of shopping bags with them.

Dublin, Ireland - We had been to Dublin before, so this was another "on our own". I think Dublin is a very easy town to do this way since the ship provided a shuttle and then it is a very short walk to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. Last time, we did the Hop On, Hop Off bus and a highlight for us was the Guinness Storehouse tour. This time we explored the Temple Bar area - which are the cobbled streets with cafes, bars, theaters, shops in between the River and Dame Street. The Dublin Castle was also right there and we took a look at that. Dublin is a good shopping city and there is Grafton Street (a pedestrian street only) and Nassau Street (right in back of Trinity College) where there are lots of shops.

Cobh/Cork, Ireland - We had been to Cobh/Cork previously and had gone to Blarney Castle (my take on that: sort of one of those "gotta do" things, but really the Castle is not that great and the lines are long; you are really going to kiss the Blarney Stone which is embedded on the top level.). Anyway, we had thought that we would get a cab and go to Kinsale, which is a picturesque sailing town and everyone seems to rave about it on Trip Advisor/CC. (I had information from the Travel Desk that it would be about 50 euros each way for a cab to/from Kinsale). However, I got to reading more about Cobh - where the ship docks. It is, in fact, a pretty little fishing village itself (it is one of the world's largest natural harbors) and there is a nice little museum right at the pier about its role in maritime history - specifically the Titanic, the Lusitania, and the transportation of convicts to Australia in the 18th/19th centuries. Anyway, I saw in one of the brochures that each day there was a walking tour given by a local guide, so we decided to do that (it was about 11 euros each, I think). It was a fun walk (although a wet one, since it started raining during the tour) and it ended up in a local pub where either a beer, coffee/tea or soft drink was offered (included as part of the tour). So, after we warmed up a bit, we went back to the ship, had lunch and then went through the little museum. (Others on board had plenty of time to do a morning excursion and do the little museum in the afternoon- only takes about an hour).

Falmouth, England - This was a new port for us and I was very intrigued about St. Michael's Mount. I liked this excursion since it took us through the beautiful green countryside of Cornwall and to the cute little village of Marazion where you access the Mount, which is a 12th century castle/14th century priory perched on a tidal island. In the morning, you can only get there by boat since it is completely surrounded by water. Around noontime, you are able to walk to it via a little causeway which emerges once the tide goes out. We got there early, rode the boat over, explored the castle and then had a cup of tea while we waited for the tide to recede. Then we walked back across the path; I thought this was VERY COOL. I had been wanting to go to Mont St. Michel (in France) for the longest time, but we have just never made it there. Well, St. Michael's Mount is a sister site to it and I was very happy to have been able to take this excursion. The site is very beautiful and this was a memorable excursion for me (but I must add, it was drizzling and the rocks and stepping stones to get to the castle were very slippery and somewhat treacherous in places - you need good shoes and a nimble step for this one). (5.5 hours, no lunch)

Next stop was Southampton - where, sadly, we had to get off the ship. Before I left for the cruise, I had arranged a car pickup from Simply Airports at a cost of $244 (150 pounds) for the 3 of us and all our luggage. (The cost for the ship's Group Transportation via Motorcoach to Heathrow would have been $207 for the 3 of us, but we like the convenience of having private transportation.)

Hope some of this is of use to those who might be traveling in these areas. It was definitely a great trip for us.

Best, NJBelle

I can't believe no one replied to this interesting post.

I am starting to research going on a similar cruise. Your information is interesting NJBelle.

Did you ever get back to Iceland? We spent two nights there in 2001 and would love to go back and tour more widely.

London Embarkation - there were no excursions from the ship since we sailed only a few hours after embarking at Tower Bridge (but the sailaway was great!)

 

That would be cool to actually embark from the Tower Bridge! I've been to London several times and enjoy it very much....found the Tower of London Ceremony of the Keys to be a real highlight!

 

Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland - This was a port that we did "on our own". There was a shuttle from the ship (although the distance was short and we actually walked back to the ship ourselves) and it let out in the downtown area. The Old Town is quaint and includes the Town Hall and Fort Charlotte. There are nice views of the harbor. We shopped a bit for knitwear but didn't buy anything. There is a great little museum in town, the Shetland Museum and Archives. It was free and we enjoyed an hour or so, wandering through the exhibits.

 

We were there on a Sunday, but many shops opened up for us. I bought some beautiful yarn at a lovely knitting store. First we attended a church service, then we went with our hired private driver/guide who drove us all over the island, including a great lunch at a small pub. Our driver was a young father and he told us so much about family life on the island (he grew up there) and took us to many small local places of interest. We got to stop and pet some beautiful Shetland ponies too. Great day!

 

Reyjavik, Iceland - we were interested in "The Golden Circle" sights but didn't want to sign up for an 8.5 hour day - plus with 3 of us, I figured that we could rent a car and do it much cheaper on our own. That was a great way to do it, as it turns out. We called Hertz and they came to the ship to pick us up and take us back to their office to get the car (and at the end of the day, returned us to the ship). Everyone in the office spoke English very well and they gave us good maps, etc. Total cost for the car was about $200 plus about $75 for lunch (and for 3 of us @ $239 for the ship's excursion, you can see this was a better deal). It was easy to drive in Iceland and it was great to be able to stop where we wanted and have lunch where we wanted. We went to Thingvellir National Park and I thought this was a wonderful site, both from a geological and historical perspective. It was free (although the bathroom costs $2 or 2 euros - they change the money for you - per person!) and I could have stayed quite a while there roaming around, but we wanted to see the other sites as well. So, on we went to the Great Geysir area and that was a lot of fun to walk among the geysirs. There is a very active one that blows every few minutes, so you can hang around and get pictures of various stages of it. We then headed on to Gullfoss, which is thought to be the most beautiful waterfall in the country. We could have then driven southwest and swung over to the Blue Lagoon, but we had already seen a beautiful geothermal pool during our Akureyri excursion, so we decided to pass on that. All in all, we were very happy with our day and our decision to rent a car. We would have loved to have more time to explore the city of Reykjavik, but we figured we will just have to go back sometime. (We loved Iceland, so planning a return trip is not such a stretch.)

 

We love Iceland!! When flying to Europe, we always take Icelandair and stop for 3-4 days to visit before heading over to Europe. Our first time, we stayed in a cute B&B in Reykjavik and did the Golden Circle tour....but we paid a fraction of what your ship charged. It was very interesting....got to pet some Icelandic ponies, so cute. I agree, the Gullfoss falls were awesome. And you can get very close to them. We also went to the Blue Lagoon and fell in love with it. For all trips after that, we stayed at the Blue Lagoon hotel. Great food, a private lagoon just for hotel patrons...so relaxing.

 

Dublin, Ireland - We had been to Dublin before, so this was another "on our own". I think Dublin is a very easy town to do this way since the ship provided a shuttle and then it is a very short walk to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells. Last time, we did the Hop On, Hop Off bus and a highlight for us was the Guinness Storehouse tour. This time we explored the Temple Bar area - which are the cobbled streets with cafes, bars, theaters, shops in between the River and Dame Street. The Dublin Castle was also right there and we took a look at that. Dublin is a good shopping city and there is Grafton Street (a pedestrian street only) and Nassau Street (right in back of Trinity College) where there are lots of shops.

 

I agree....Dublin is a great place to wander. We've done many of the things you did. We love Gogarty's pub in Temple Bar area. Even song in St. Patrick's Cathedral is heavenly. Once we took a tour north of Dublin and another time we took a tour south of Dublin....all fantastic. We hired a private driver/guide last time and he made it even more special. Next year, when we'll be there, we plan to go to the Guinness Storehouse and lunch at our favorite pub.

 

Cobh/Cork, Ireland - We had been to Cobh/Cork previously and had gone to Blarney Castle (my take on that: sort of one of those "gotta do" things, but really the Castle is not that great and the lines are long; you are really going to kiss the Blarney Stone which is embedded on the top level.). Anyway, we had thought that we would get a cab and go to Kinsale, which is a picturesque sailing town and everyone seems to rave about it on Trip Advisor/CC. (I had information from the Travel Desk that it would be about 50 euros each way for a cab to/from Kinsale). However, I got to reading more about Cobh - where the ship docks. It is, in fact, a pretty little fishing village itself (it is one of the world's largest natural harbors) and there is a nice little museum right at the pier about its role in maritime history - specifically the Titanic, the Lusitania, and the transportation of convicts to Australia in the 18th/19th centuries. Anyway, I saw in one of the brochures that each day there was a walking tour given by a local guide, so we decided to do that (it was about 11 euros each, I think). It was a fun walk (although a wet one, since it started raining during the tour) and it ended up in a local pub where either a beer, coffee/tea or soft drink was offered (included as part of the tour). So, after we warmed up a bit, we went back to the ship, had lunch and then went through the little museum. (Others on board had plenty of time to do a morning excursion and do the little museum in the afternoon- only takes about an hour).

 

Last time we were there we had a private driver/guide and went to the Waterford crystal factory....their tour was very good. We stopped for lunch in a lovely pub and visited some friends of mine who live near Cork. Next time we go there (next year), I think we'll just walk around Cobh.

 

Falmouth, England - This was a new port for us and I was very intrigued about St. Michael's Mount. I liked this excursion since it took us through the beautiful green countryside of Cornwall and to the cute little village of Marazion where you access the Mount, which is a 12th century castle/14th century priory perched on a tidal island. In the morning, you can only get there by boat since it is completely surrounded by water. Around noontime, you are able to walk to it via a little causeway which emerges once the tide goes out. We got there early, rode the boat over, explored the castle and then had a cup of tea while we waited for the tide to recede. Then we walked back across the path; I thought this was VERY COOL. I had been wanting to go to Mont St. Michel (in France) for the longest time, but we have just never made it there. Well, St. Michael's Mount is a sister site to it and I was very happy to have been able to take this excursion. The site is very beautiful and this was a memorable excursion for me (but I must add, it was drizzling and the rocks and stepping stones to get to the castle were very slippery and somewhat treacherous in places - you need good shoes and a nimble step for this one). (5.5 hours, no lunch)

 

Falmouth was a really cute surprise....I tried a savory pastie, but didn't like it....my friend, though, had the sweet kind and it was good. Best of all, we had the most authentic and best EVER cream tea in a little tea shop along the main street. We sat out on their back deck overlooking the bay and had melt-in-you-mouth scones, thick real clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam. The small shops were so nice.

 

Next stop was Southampton - where, sadly, we had to get off the ship.

We've been to Southampton a number of times, but just got on or off a ship. We did do a great excursion from Southampton on our way back to London....stopped at Salisbury cathedral, Stonehenge and Windsor. But we'll be in port all day next year and plan to walk around the town. Hopefully there will be some interesting things to do or see.

I really enjoyed reading about Iceland since I’ll never get there. It all sounds like a most interesting cruise. Thank you for sharing.

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Just a word of caution that this review is seven years old.

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