12 days in the British Isles: Photos and info aplenty!

Hi everyone. Over the past few months, I’ve learned so much by reading these boards. Now that we’re back from our glorious 12-day cruise of the British Isles aboard the Caribbean Princess, I’d like to “pay it forward” by writing a detailed review of our trip. It won’t be quite a thesis -- I’m no deloreangirl :-) -- but I do plan to share as much detailed information and as many photos as possible.

A bit about us. My name is Amy, and I turned 41 the day before our cruise. My husband, Mark, is 44. Work keeps us splitting time and maintaining homes in both Tennessee and Louisiana. We don’t have any kids, and we love to travel. We’re avid cruisers, having taken more than a dozen cruises on multiple cruise lines.

I’ll write this review in day-by-day chunks. And I’ll try to wrap all of it up over the next couple of weeks. To get things started, here’s the back-story of how we ended up on the Caribbean Princess.

The saga of our cruise to the British Isles actually began in April 2012 in the Caribbean aboard the Celebrity Eclipse. Mark has always wanted to see Scotland, and, while on board, I happened to see some information on Celebrity’s British Isles itinerary. So I snuck down to the “future cruises” office and booked a June 2013 cruise to the British Isles aboard the Celebrity Infinity. I was so pleased with myself -- it was only April, and I had Mark’s Christmas present taken care of!

And then Disney released Brave. You need to know we’re both huge Disney nuts -- we’re Disney Vacation Club members and visit Disney World three to four times a year. So my British Isles plans took a different turn when I learned Adventures by Disney (Disney’s group travel company) was hosting Brave-inspired trips to Scotland in 2013. I immediately canceled the Celebrity cruise and booked a June 2013 Scotland tour with Adventures by Disney. Now, I was even more proud of myself. Scotland and Disney in one trip -- Mark was going to have the best Christmas ever!

And he did. After months of planning and keeping this huge secret, Christmas came, and I was finally able to tell Mark we were going to Scotland! At last, I could begin obsessively planning in earnest. In addition to the Adventures by Disney itinerary, we decided to tack on three extra days to visit the Orkney Islands in Scotland. It was going to be the trip of a lifetime.

But not so fast. I was sitting at my desk in February when I got a call from Adventures by Disney. Due to lack of interest, our trip was being canceled! We were offered alternative dates later in the summer, but those wouldn’t work. You see, Mark is also a huge fan of all things Eurythmics and Annie Lennox. And it just so happened that the dates of our planned trip coincided with an Annie Lennox exhibit at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh. But the exhibit only runs through June, so we couldn’t go on a July or August Adventures by Disney trip.

Suddenly, I found myself back at square one. But I had a big factor working in my favor. I had booked my British Airways airfare through a special promotion with American Express Platinum, and my airfare was fully refundable. So I could move dates without penalty. I guess the trip planner in me decided to look at this as an opportunity rather than a setback. I knew I needed to evaluate all possible options for the best trip possible.

Mark and I are diehard Celebrity fans, so my first instinct was to go back to my initial plan of a British Isles cruise on the Infinity. But the cruise was only 11 days, and it didn’t visit the Orkney Islands. Meanwhile, Princess offered a 12-day itinerary on the Caribbean Princess that included that all-important stop in the Orkneys. Now, we’d only cruised Princess once before (ironically enough, also on the Caribbean Princess) and, to be frank, I was less than impressed. I found the staterooms to be small, I didn’t love the food, and I missed the “wow” factor of Celebrity’s Solstice-class ships.

Still, that 12-day itinerary was appealing. And I knew the trip was so port-intensive that the ship would be more “transportation” than “destination.” My mind was made up when I discovered the Window Suites. For just about the same price of a mini-suite, I would be able to book a spacious room with full suite privileges. And while it’s been years since we cruised without a balcony, I knew the temperatures in the British Isles would limit the amount of time we spent on a balcony anyway. I decided to take a chance and booked with Princess. With a few clicks of the mouse, Window Suite F311 for the May 12 departure was ours. Finally, our trip was set!

Next up, getting to London, dealing with jet lag and boarding the ship. I promise -- lots of photos to come as I get into the port stops.

Thanks for reading. If you have specific questions, just let me know, and I’ll do my best to answer them.

I look forward to getting your opinion on our country, and seeing photos.

Thanks for posting. We are doing an 8 day British Isles on Ocean Princess in August, so I'm eager to read your observations and suggestions. I did read Emily's blog, and it was very helpful and enjoyable (DeLorean Girl), but it's always great to get several opinions.

Ricki

Looking forward to this review.... we are booked on the Ruby for the British Isles next year. :D

Can't wait! 2014 is Tahiti but looking at the British Isles for 2015.

Finally, our trip was here! On Saturday, May 11 (my 41st birthday), my husband and I caught a Delta flight from Tennessee to Atlanta. It made financial sense to book our flight to Atlanta separately from our trip to London, which was on British Airways. We got to ATL about 3 p.m., made our way to baggage claim to grab our luggage and then caught a shuttle from Atlanta’s domestic terminal to the newly opened international terminal. We weren’t quite sure how this would work, but it was incredibly simple. It was about a 12-minute drive between the two terminals.

The new international terminal is gorgeous. Because we were there six hours before our flight time, there was no line at check-in. We dropped off our bags and headed to the “old” international terminal, where the British Airways Club World lounge is located. Apparently, a lounge is under construction in the new terminal, but it’s not done yet. The existing lounge was small but adequate. We spent the next few hours munching on free sandwiches, fruit and cookies, and Mark got in the London spirit by reading the local news.

Our British Airways flight was delayed about 30 minutes, but we finally boarded a bit after 9:30 p.m. Once on board, we made our way to the Club World section. Wow. This was the first time we’d flown club class on an international flight, and we fell in love. Our seats were more like individual pods with footstools, and they turned into completely flat beds. We were greeted with champagne as soon as we sat down. It was official -- we were on vacation!

The flight from Atlanta to Heathrow was about eight hours. By the time the meal was served, we settled in, etc., we ended up with about four hours’ sleep. It wasn’t nearly enough. When the lights came on about an hour before landing, our bodies thought it was 4:30 a.m., but the clock now said 9:30 a.m. Time to rise and shine. Despite the initial flight delay, we landed right on time at 10:30. As Club World passengers, we got a priority pass for Border Control, so we breezed right through with no delay. We picked up our luggage and began looking for the Princess reps. It took just a couple of minutes, and we saw someone holding up a clipboard with the Princess logo. Just like that, we handed over our luggage and, after about a 10-minute wait, boarded a bus. We were among the last folks on the bus, so we left almost immediately.

Honestly, the experience just felt completely surreal. We were in London! I spent the first few minutes of the drive gawking at the English countryside, but my lack of sleep caught up with me and I nodded off.

The drive to Southampton took a little more than an hour, and suddenly we saw the ship. The weather was just what we’d expected -- overcast and cool bordering on cold. But it didn’t matter, as we were in the terminal after just a few seconds. I’m not sure of the exact time we arrived, but I think it was around 1 p.m. Apparently, everyone else arrived at the same time -- the place was a madhouse!

Luckily, our Window Suite got us access to the priority embarkation line. We quickly checked in and, after about a 10-minute wait to go through security, stepped on the ship! As we were boarding, the photographers herded us over for the traditional embarkation photo. The photo was so bad we almost bought it just so we could laugh at it later. Four hours’ sleep and travel across multiple time zones does not make for a lovely embarkation photo.

Once on board, we made our way to Deck 6. I knew generally where the Window Suites were and thought I’d find them without any problem. Maybe it was the lack of sleep or maybe I’m just an idiot, but we couldn’t find our stateroom. It was so funny, because we eventually started following another couple up and down the same hall. After about five minutes, a staff member found us and showed us the door we’d walked by 20 times.

At this point, we wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. But I forced Mark to stay awake. I knew we needed to get on a normal sleep schedule. So, as miserable as we were, we kept moving. We headed upstairs for a light lunch at the Horizon Court (carved turkey with vegetable soup) and then stopped by the library so Mark could grab some books. Then it was back to the cabin to unpack. I had read on the boards how much storage space is in the Window Suites, but it was more than I could have imagined. Multiple closets, drawer after drawer, etc. We unpacked everything and had tons of empty space left over. The bathroom was also huge, with a separate shower and whirlpool tub. Unfortunately, the bathroom smelled of mildew, and the smell never went away over the 12 days. I’m guessing the mildew was in the grout in the shower -- it was just a musty smell.

I have to say we loved the Window Suite from the second we arrived. The room was spacious and light, and the two windows are huge. (They could have used a cleaning, but that was a minor quibble. Later on in the cruise, I spent a fair amount of time sitting in the window sill and just watching the world go by.) Our flower arrangement and overflowing fruit basket were on the coffee table, and our complimentary mini-bar was set up. We kept the liquor but asked our room steward to trade the sodas, beer, etc. for bottled water, which he did. I think he brought seven or eight bottles of water -- it was a lot.

By the time we finished unpacking, it was time for the muster drill. Our muster station was just down the hall at the cigar bar. Luckily, that was the first and last time I smelled cigars the whole trip. Despite some of what I’d read, I never smelled cigar smoke in our Window Suites hallway. Anyway, back to muster drill. It was hilarious to look around. Everyone looked like us -- the walking dead. But we did our best to remain attentive, and the crew did a really thorough safety presentation.

And just a few minutes later, we were under way. Due to the weather, the sailaway party was moved indoors. Not that we went -- we were doing our best to stay awake. As part of our suite perks, we got a complimentary dinner at a specialty restaurant that first night. When we first got on board, I made a reservation for Crown Grill at 6:30 p.m. It was a shame we had to do this on the first night -- we were just so exhausted. But we trudged out of our room and around the corner to Crown Grill. The food was good -- not spectacular -- but good. Neither of us eats seafood, so we were really limited on appetizers. We just skipped that course and went straight to steak, which we had with the corn casserole and scalloped potatoes. For dessert, we each had a sampler, and we split an apple-berry cobbler. We both agreed dessert was the best part of the meal.

Finally, after dinner, we allowed ourselves to go to sleep. Our bed was the most comfortable we’ve ever had on a ship, and we both drifted off within minutes.

Next up, our day in Paris!

I'm so excited for this review! I leave for London in 4 weeks. Thank you for taking the time to do this. If you are able to post the patters that would be amazing!

Thank you for the review. I look forward to reading more and seeing the pictures. We take the same ship in late July. We are also "childfree" and love cruising. We have been on the Eclipse many times and love it.

Looking forward to more of your review.

We will be going on the August 16 British Isles cruise.

Thanks for your review. I live here, in the UK and am captivated already!:)

Thanks and keep it coming. :D

Thanks for the encouragement, everyone! This is the first time I've written a detailed review, so I hope it provides value. I'm at work today but will post the next installment tonight.

it is to read your lst installment !!;)

we fly lax to london 3 weeks from today !!!!:D

As we are cruising on the Caribbean Princess on July 11th we are very interested in your review. Thank You.

Alan

Amy,

The back story for planning your cruise is very interesting. Thanks for providing the details. I have only sailed Princess twice and will be cruising the British Isles on Ocean Princess in August. The info about Window Suites on Caribbean Princess is interesting. This is the first time I have heard about them.

I had originally booked the Celebrity Infinity to the British Isles but cancelled after returning home from our Southeast Asia cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. In our opinion, the Solstice class is far superior to the Millennium class. I cannot imagine ever cruising on a Millennium class ship again. I definitely think you made a wise decision, with your itinerary constraints in mind to cruise with Princess instead. If Celebrity has a Solstice class ship doing the British Isles well that might change things a bit.

Your attention to detail and planning have me intrigued! Looking forward to your next installment.

Hi

Enjoying your review of the British Isles. . The British Isles were not high on my bucket list. I booked the trip (July 11,2013) a month ago because of the fabulous fare I got as a solo traveler. My last cruise on The Star Princess in Feb "Strait of Magellan and Cape Horn". could not have asked for better weather.

I read the live reports posted by ccrain live 05/12/13 British Isles Caribbean Princess. The were excellent reports everything you would need to know about the ports and tours .

I always try to read the live reports, gives me a Heads up on my upcoming cruises.

I am now getting excited about the cruise

Judyu

We too are doing this same cruise in 6 weeks, July 11 sailing. This is also our first Princess cruise but we're traveling with 3 other couples who are veteran princess cruisers. Thanks for such a detailed trip report, I look forward to hearing about your excursion choices and all about the trip.

Susan

Thanks for posting your review. I'm looking forward to your upcoming posts.:)

I am on this cruise leaving June 29. I had friends on your cruise. Always glad to see another Disney geek on the boards (also dvc member and annual pass holder). Any hints will be appreciated.

I am not a morning person. So what in the world could motivate me to schedule a 6 a.m. wake-up call on the first full day of our cruise? Paris, of course! This cruise, first and foremost, was Mark’s trip. It was his Christmas gift, after all. But the opportunity to spend a day in Paris -- that was icing on my birthday cake. :-)

If I’m being completely honest, though, even I was having doubts when that early-morning phone call came. Did I really want to spend three hours on a bus to see Paris for a few hours -- and then spend three more hours on a bus ride back? The very thought was exhausting. But no matter. We’d already booked our Princess excursion, which included a visit to the Louvre, followed by lunch at the Eiffel Tower. So it was up and out of our oh-so-comfy bed.

The day didn’t get off to the best start. We’d filled out the breakfast card the night before and left it on our stateroom door. We selected the earliest delivery time range (6:30-7) and even wrote in a note requesting delivery as early as possible. We had to be in the Princess Theater at 7 a.m. to leave for our excursion, so time was limited. Unfortunately, our breakfast didn’t arrive until 6:55. By that point, I was aggravated and stressed, so we ate a few bites and ran to the theater.

Soon enough, we were off the ship in overcast Le Havre and then quickly on our bus, which was completely full. Clearly, this was a popular excursion. Our tour guide, Coreen, was delightful and very French, and she provided interesting commentary as we made our way through Le Havre and then into the French countryside. We passed beautiful white sandstone cliffs and field after field of golden flowers, and we crossed over the River Seine multiple times. Surprisingly, the three-hour drive passed fairly quickly. We stopped once for a quick restroom break but were back on the road soon. And then, after driving through a tunnel, we emerged to see Paris!

The city was breathtakingly beautiful. It was everything I’d dreamed it would be, and I sat speechless and staring out the bus window as we drove past stunning buildings, quaint sidewalk cafes and flower shops -- and, then, the Arch de Triomphe!

We had a lovely driving tour of the city as we made our way to the Louvre, and Coreen provided lots of details about all we were seeing. At the Louvre, we entered a crazy underground parking structure where our bus driver showed off some amazing driving skills. Then, in the lobby of the parking garage, we met up with a second guide so that our group of 50 was divided into two smaller groups of 25. And then we were off!

First, our guide led us to see the amazing Venus de Milo, and, along the way, he delivered excellent commentary via headsets we’d been provided. Next up were visits to Winged Victory and, finally, the Mona Lisa. I’ve never studied art in great depth, but it was amazing to be in the presence of these masterpieces. After seeing the “big three,” we were given some free time to explore. Mark and I immediately made our way outside to see the stunning glass pyramid entrance and to marvel at the sheer scale of the entire museum. The sun was shining, we were in Paris, our vacation was just beginning -- even now, thinking about those moments makes me smile.

All too soon, it was time to meet up with the group and get back on the bus (not before we’d split a delicious lemon tart from a bakery in the Louvre, though!). Just as an aside -- there were all sorts of stores in the complex -- everything from Starbucks and McDonald’s to an Apple Store. I just thought that was interesting. Anyway, we headed back to the bus for a lovely drive to the Eiffel Tower. Oh my gosh -- I just couldn’t believe it when I got my first glimpse of the tower in the distance. This place I’d dreamed of visiting so long was suddenly looming right in front of me! I couldn’t wait to get off the bus and begin exploring!

Once we parked and were given our tickets, we waited in line for the elevator that took us to the first level of the Eiffel Tower for lunch at 58 Tour Eiffel. The entire second floor of the restaurant was reserved for Princess excursion guests, and we were served a set menu. When we got to the table, there was a huge basket of bread, along with a bottle of Bourdeaux. We dug right in!

The first course was a duck pate. Ugh -- no thanks! We skipped that, munching on bread and wine until the main course was served. This was a delicious meal of roasted chicken breast with a sort-of twice-baked potato topped with foam. Yummy! Mark and I both cleaned our plates. Finally, we were served dessert -- profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. Of course, I washed it down with more wine!

After we finished eating, we had 45 minutes to explore on our own. So Mark and I opted to climb the few hundred steps to the second level of the tower. We huffed and puffed and made it to the top, where we took in marvelous views of the city. Then, we hoofed it down more than 600 steps all the way to the ground. We met up with our group, and our bus departed at 3:40. I stared out the window for as long as I could see the tower in the distance, and I promised myself right then and there that I’d visit Paris again.

Not surprisingly, just about everyone on the bus fell asleep on the ride back to Le Havre. We stopped halfway back for another restroom break, and we were back at the ship by 6:35.

Whew -- what a day! Once in our stateroom, Mark and I made a decision that became a trend for the rest of the cruise. We took advantage of the suite perk that allowed us to order dinner from the dining room menu and have it delivered to our room. That was absolute heaven. After nearly 12 hours of touring, what a relief to enjoy dinner in my PJs! For my meal, I started with the famed fettucini alfredo, which was quite good, followed by the short ribs for my main course. I had a delicious apple cider sorbet for dessert. Mark ordered the cream of coconut soup, the beef medallions from the anytime menu and a sugar-free fruit tart. The food was very similar to what we remembered from our first Princess cruise -- good but not anything remarkable.

And that was pretty much it for our day in Paris. After dinner, we turned in for an early night -- so happy that our next day was a day at sea.

Coming up tomorrow -- our first day at sea, Boot Camp and formal night.

Thanks! Good night, all.

I'm so excited for this review! I leave for London in 4 weeks. Thank you for taking the time to do this. If you are able to post the patters that would be amazing!

I do have all the Patters, and I'll take them to work tomorrow and scan them in. I'll try to get them posted fairly quickly.

What a great report. Thank you for committing the time to write it..

The reports are wonderful.

Keith

Wonderful report, I feel that I was there.

Hi again

Loved your insight on Paris.

I was on the fence whether to do Paris or Normandy.

It was an on again off again decision.

I did want to see the glass pyramid at the Louvre. I had been to Paris many years ago but never Normandy. I read the reviews on trip adviser for the 58 Tour Eiffel restaurant.Many years ago my husband and I dined at the Jules Verne restaurant I believe on the 2nd stage of the tower. It was a hot August day. My husband didn't have a jacket. Jules Verne has a dress code and they lent my husband a jacket which was too small . Needless to say we had a wonderful lunch.

My final decision taking the Normandy tour.

Judy