Question Re Tour Costs w/Princess

[Shelby Cruiser]

We are doing a British Isles cruise next year & are looking at the current tours that Princess has available. (Don't laugh, we plan everything way in advance, trying to come up with some kind of budget for how much this adventure will cost.)

 

We are trying to narrow down our selections but would like previous travelers to try & give us some info on their thoughts regarding the following tours. Can you tell us approx. cost per person & if have taken same tour or know of someone who has, & if it was enjoyable for the cost?

 

Holyhead, Wales - Caernarfon Castle & Snowdonia Mts. tour w/lunch, or, A Taste of N. Wales & Shopping tour w/lunch on own.

 

Belfast - Best of Giant's Causeway & Antrim Coast tour w/lunch.

 

Glasgow - Best of Inverarary Castle & Loch Lomond w/lunch.

 

Kirkwall, Orkney Isl's. - Skara Brae & Skaill House.

 

Invergordon - Best of Scottish Highlands & Castles tour w/lunch.

 

Paris - Best of Paris w/Cathedral of Notre Dame w/lunch.

 

Thanks so much for giving us your opinions of above tours. So looking forward to hearing from others who have experienced this beautiful trip.

 

Donna

[Globaliser]

Paris - Best of Paris w/Cathedral of Notre Dame w/lunch.

In addition to my usual scepticism about ship's tours (shorex is one of the big profit centres on board a ship, and the actual operators also thrive on the fat commissions paid by the shops at which most tours inevitably stop), don't forget that no Princess cruise goes to Paris. It's a long bus journey there, and it's a long bus journey back.

 

If you want to see Paris - and who doesn't? - I'd recommend going to Paris, rather than trying to get half a day's worth of sitting on a bus peering out of the windows at bits of it as you drive past.

Kirkwall, Orkney Isl's. - Skara Brae & Skaill House.

This is the other place I can help with. It's well worth the trip, but very easy to do on your own. If you rent a car for the day, it's about half an hour's drive from Kirkwall along good roads. This would also give you the flexibility to see other sites under your own steam such as Maeshowe, the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness, as well as to detour along some of the coastal roads for the scenery.

[Shelby Cruiser]

Thanks for the info regarding Skara Brae area.

 

We are seasoned cruisers & have cruised with many lines & realize the inflated cost of ship's tours. We have taken many private tours & thoroughly enjoyed them. In some areas, we do like to go with the cruise line to ensure timely return to port.

 

We also know that we must drive a long ways to reach Paris, but that is the only way that we are going to be able to see Paris, even if it only goes to a few places while there.

 

We have been to the Baltic, Australia & the S. Pacific, Asia, + the Med, in addition to Alaska & the Caribbean many times. This will be a 1st for the British Isles & want to see as much as possible while here, as don't know when we will be able to take a cruise to Europe in the future.

 

Thanks for any & all inputs.

 

Donna

[2theship]

Have you checked with your roll call to see what tours others on your cruise might be planning? The best of the private guides can get booked many months in advance so planning now is a good idea.

 

As for Skara Brae, you can use a local bus to get there. It will make stops of a reasonable length for visits at the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness. You can depart the bus at Skara Brae and then catch the next bus back to Kirkwall. If you want to do this, take the bus first thing in the morning then wander around Kirkwall in the afternoon.

[2theship]

Have you checked with your roll call to see what tours others on your cruise might be planning? The best of the private guides can get booked many months in advance so planning now is a good idea.

 

As for Skara Brae, you can use a local bus to get there. It will make stops of a reasonable length for visits at the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness. You can depart the bus at Skara Brae and then catch the next bus back to Kirkwall. If you want to do this, take the bus first thing in the morning then wander around Kirkwall in the afternoon.

[Love the beach]

We did an excursion to Paris on Sept. 2nd--it was the scenic drive with lunch onboard the river cruise and it was $198. per person. The price for all the Paris excursions was around this amount--give or take a few $$. We thought it was worth every penny! Enjoy your cruise --we had a great time. We went on fabulous private tours with our cc group for all the ports except Paris & the Edinburgh Tattoo.

Marge

[Giantfan13]

We are doing a British Isles cruise next year & are looking at the current tours that Princess has available. (Don't laugh, we plan everything way in advance, trying to come up with some kind of budget for how much this adventure will cost.)

 

We are trying to narrow down our selections but would like previous travelers to try & give us some info on their thoughts regarding the following tours. Can you tell us approx. cost per person & if have taken same tour or know of someone who has, & if it was enjoyable for the cost?

 

Holyhead, Wales - Caernarfon Castle & Snowdonia Mts. tour w/lunch, or, A Taste of N. Wales & Shopping tour w/lunch on own.

 

Belfast - Best of Giant's Causeway & Antrim Coast tour w/lunch.

 

Glasgow - Best of Inverarary Castle & Loch Lomond w/lunch.

 

Kirkwall, Orkney Isl's. - Skara Brae & Skaill House.

 

Invergordon - Best of Scottish Highlands & Castles tour w/lunch.

 

Paris - Best of Paris w/Cathedral of Notre Dame w/lunch.

 

Thanks so much for giving us your opinions of above tours. So looking forward to hearing from others who have experienced this beautiful trip.

 

Donna

 

Donna

 

Where is your crusie departing from. WE did Paris in a day, using the Euro Star. yes it is a long day, but well worth it and we were able to come and go as we please. If you are doing any pre or post crusie stays somewhere where maybe you can catch the Euro Star it might be worth the thought.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[hcat]

I have the same issue as OP. and have posted various excursions for a similar itin in July to get prices but no results. Some of them overlap with OP's inquiry.

 

. Seems Princess does not post prices til they open them up for booking..making it difficult to compare with pvt bookings..

[Shelby Cruiser]

I want to thank everyone that took the time to post info regarding my inquiry on costs for tours in the British Isles.

 

Sorry more recent travelers haven't seen this question & given any advice.

 

We realize that ship's tours are pricier than getting rollcall people together on a private tour, but sometimes when you just try & get a group of 4 together, the vehicle could be quite small in the back seat for 3 people. The other side of the coin is that the smaller group can get in & out of places quickly & not have to wait for others.

 

Also, needed some costs so could evaluate Princess' cost with a possible private tour. Wanted some kind of comparison.

 

In some ports, the travel time to/from the port is quite lengthy & have heard about traffic backups, especially in Paris, & don't want to risk being late getting to port.

 

Any other comments appreciated.

 

Donna

[insidecabin]

Good to see that the round britains are back we are local and done 3 so will be on the lookout for another one next year.

 

Belfast - Best of Giant's Causeway & Antrim Coast tour w/lunch.

 

Local companies do a good deal on this trip and can often add in a city tour as well if there is time

 

need to check the reviews from this year it has been a while since we did that one.

we used this place http://www.minicoachni.co.uk/giants-causeway.cfm

 

would need to check if they still do the port pickup. Loads cheaper than the ship. at £25 I think the ship was more like £70.

 

Paris

is a long way there are better(IMO) local trips.

If you really want to see Paris consider a addon before or after the cruise.

 

Invergorden

Last time we checked hire cars are limited so book early if you want to do that.

Great murals in the town so try to find time for a walkabout.

 

Glasgow

Check out the local tourist group for info and tours

http://www.inverclydetouristgroup.co.uk/

[Northern Light]

I am also hoping to do the UK tour and asked a friend, who knows our physical limitations - artificial knees for one), about certain ports. I have copied her remarks below for you. It is just one person's opinion. Giant's Causeway was something that interested DH and myself but she told us we should forget it as there is some climbing over rocks to get a good view of this area and she has a book we can just enjoy reading. Regarding Paris: We did a TA/Baltic cruise last year that included Paris. We have never been but plan to return someday to do it properly. So, with that in mind, we took Princess transportation into Paris and then got on a Red Car HOHO. Yes, the ride in and back is long but we had lovely weather and I thorough enjoyed watching the scenery of the French countryside. Was quite excited when I first saw the Eiffel Tower loom ahead. We isolated three stops that were a must on a whirlwind tour and saw a lot as we travelled from one stop to another. Our itinerary of stops was as follows: 1) The Eiffel Tower - spent a long time at the Trocadero admiring the view, then walked under the tower and along the park to reboard the HOHO. 2) Notre Dame - this was high on DH's list because he wanted to see the flying buttresses. There was a line to get in but it moved very quickly so it was very doable. 3) Stood in line way too long to use a washroom that was outside ND, so grabbed a taxi to get us to the Arc de Triomphe and then got back on the HOHO for a drive down the Champs Elysees to our Princess bus back to the ship. If we are never able to return to Paris, I will be content to have seen what we did.

 

Here is my friend's port review (they did not do all the ports you are looking at):

St. Peter Port - Guernsy Island - We went to the Isle of Sark - Got off

the cruise ship on another boat to Sark - While I enjoyed it - you rode

around in a horse and carriage while they told you the history of the

island. Not a lot of walking and a lot of historical information.

 

Cobh, Ireland - We did a walking tour of cork - not a good idea if you

are not in top shape - it was very interesting but more of a running

tour. We enjoyed it but it was very hard on people without great

mobility. The Pub at the end was 145 years old - interesting - a real

pub. The church was interesting but in the middle of restoration.

 

Dublin, Ireland - Took a tour of the country side. We enjoyed this -

ride on the bus through the country side. A stop at a falls, then

Powerscourt estate. Beautiful house and gardens if you are interested

in this type of thing. A lot of walking through the estate.

 

Liverpool, England - We went to Conwy Castle. The people who went on

the Beatles tour said it was great.

A lot of walking around the castle and the village, climbing, etc.

Enjoyable, listening to the tour guides talk about the castle and the

village, etc. History. Very nice tea room.

 

Belfast, Northern Island - The Giant's Causeway - 10:15 leave ship back

at 4:45 p.m. - About a 2hour - to 2 1/2 hour trip to get there - you

have about 4 hours in a bus coming and going. Stopped at Dunluce Castle

- almost nothing there but a good rest. A very lot of climbing. Buy

the book forget the trip.

 

Greenock, Scotland - Easy Panoramic Scottish Lochs - A beautiful drive

through Scotland - Luss Village. Argyll Forest Park. A restful trip not

much walking mostly country driving and a great tour guide telling us

what was there.

 

Invergordon, Scotland - Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Ruins - Beautiful

scenery, I liked this trip, Loch Ness is just plain beautiful. Could

wander around at leisure.

 

South Queensferry, Scotland - Edinburgh Castle - Nice drive to get there

- walking around the castle you can pick and choose what you want to see

in the Castle - did not feel rushed. The War room was really interesting.

 

Le Havre, France - we did Paris and Seine River Cruise - it was relaxing

and enjoyable. Where not able to go to some of the places in Paris -

but saw at lot with a good tour guide. The river cruise was a 7 course

meal with wine and beautiful music by musicians wandering around the

boat. The people that went to Normandy could not stop talking about the

trip.

St. Peter Port - Guernsy Island - We went to the Isle of Sark - Got off

the cruise ship on another boat to Sark - While I enjoyed it - you rode

around in a horse and carriage while they told you the history of the

island. Not a lot of walking and a lot of historical information.

 

Cobh, Ireland - We did a walking tour of cork - not a good idea if you

are not in top shape - it was very interesting but more of a running

tour. We enjoyed it but it was very hard on people without great

mobility. The Pub at the end was 145 years old - interesting - a real

pub. The church was interesting but in the middle of restoration.

 

Dublin, Ireland - Took a tour of the country side. We enjoyed this -

ride on the bus through the country side. A stop at a falls, then

Powerscourt estate. Beautiful house and gardens if you are interested

in this type of thing. A lot of walking through the estate.

 

Liverpool, England - We went to Conwy Castle. The people who went on

the Beatles tour said it was great.

A lot of walking around the castle and the village, climbing, etc.

Enjoyable, listening to the tour guides talk about the castle and the

village, etc. History. Very nice tea room.

 

Belfast, Northern Island - The Giant's Causeway - 10:15 leave ship back

at 4:45 p.m. - About a 2hour - to 2 1/2 hour trip to get there - you

have about 4 hours in a bus coming and going. Stopped at Dunluce Castle

- almost nothing there but a good rest. A very lot of climbing. Buy

the book forget the trip.

 

Greenock, Scotland - Easy Panoramic Scottish Lochs - A beautiful drive

through Scotland - Luss Village. Argyll Forest Park. A restful trip not

much walking mostly country driving and a great tour guide telling us

what was there.

 

Invergordon, Scotland - Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Ruins - Beautiful

scenery, I liked this trip, Loch Ness is just plain beautiful. Could

wander around at leisure.

 

South Queensferry, Scotland - Edinburgh Castle - Nice drive to get there

- walking around the castle you can pick and choose what you want to see

in the Castle - did not feel rushed. The War room was really interesting.

 

Le Havre, France - we did Paris and Seine River Cruise - it was relaxing

and enjoyable. Where not able to go to some of the places in Paris -

but saw at lot with a good tour guide. The river cruise was a 7 course

meal with wine and beautiful music by musicians wandering around the

boat. The people that went to Normandy could not stop talking about the

trip.

 

St. Peter Port - Guernsy Island - We went to the Isle of Sark - Got off

the cruise ship on another boat to Sark - While I enjoyed it - you rode

around in a horse and carriage while they told you the history of the

island. Not a lot of walking and a lot of historical information.

 

Cobh, Ireland - We did a walking tour of cork - not a good idea if you

are not in top shape - it was very interesting but more of a running

tour. We enjoyed it but it was very hard on people without great

mobility. The Pub at the end was 145 years old - interesting - a real

pub. The church was interesting but in the middle of restoration.

 

Dublin, Ireland - Took a tour of the country side. We enjoyed this -

ride on the bus through the country side. A stop at a falls, then

Powerscourt estate. Beautiful house and gardens if you are interested

in this type of thing. A lot of walking through the estate.

 

Liverpool, England - We went to Conwy Castle. The people who went on

the Beatles tour said it was great.

A lot of walking around the castle and the village, climbing, etc.

Enjoyable, listening to the tour guides talk about the castle and the

village, etc. History. Very nice tea room.

 

Belfast, Northern Island - The Giant's Causeway - 10:15 leave ship back

at 4:45 p.m. - About a 2hour - to 2 1/2 hour trip to get there - you

have about 4 hours in a bus coming and going. Stopped at Dunluce Castle

- almost nothing there but a good rest. A very lot of climbing. Buy

the book forget the trip.

 

Greenock, Scotland - Easy Panoramic Scottish Lochs - A beautiful drive

through Scotland - Luss Village. Argyll Forest Park. A restful trip not

much walking mostly country driving and a great tour guide telling us

what was there.

 

Invergordon, Scotland - Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle Ruins - Beautiful

scenery, I liked this trip, Loch Ness is just plain beautiful. Could

wander around at leisure.

 

South Queensferry, Scotland - Edinburgh Castle - Nice drive to get there

- walking around the castle you can pick and choose what you want to see

in the Castle - did not feel rushed. The War room was really interesting.

 

Le Havre, France - we did Paris and Seine River Cruise - it was relaxing

and enjoyable. Where not able to go to some of the places in Paris -

but saw at lot with a good tour guide. The river cruise was a 7 course

meal with wine and beautiful music by musicians wandering around the

boat. The people that went to Normandy could not stop talking about the

trip.

 

Hope this helps. Don't forget to go into "cruise reviews" for UK past cruises which will also give you more excursion info.

 

Sandy

[Shelby Cruiser]

Thanks for taking the time to post all that info from your friend. We really appreciate your input.

 

We have been researching every available tidbit of info we have been able to find, as we have all ready been planning this trip for 6mos. & are also doing a B2B cruise from Southampton after our 4 day London post cruise stay prior to going to the Med.

 

I have gotten some of the costs from the private tour groups but no costs from prior cruisers on Princess' cost for similar tours for a comparison.

 

We are a group of 4 friends traveling together & have done pvt. tours with just us 4 + with a busload of "rollcall" friends in many foreign ports. Sometimes it is hard to try & set up a tour group & hope others will join in & make everyone happy.

 

Donna

[Love the beach]

I am going to disagree with the part of climbing over rocks at Giants Causeway to get a good view. It was really something to see and believe me I did not climb over any rocks! There is a shuttle bus that drives you down the hill to the causeway (and back) if you do not want to walk it and there is a paved walk there. We enjoyed it!

Marge

[The Grim]

Shelby Cruiser: My wife and I are taking the British Isles cruise just after yours. We and another couple have decided that we will try to disembark the ship in LeHavre instead of staying on board for one night just to get back to Southampton. While it seems like a waste of a few dollars, we want to visit Paris, like you do. We will be doing a post cruise stay in Paris for a few days and will either fly home from Paris or take the Eurostar back to London and complete our round trip flight from there. Haven't made air reservations yet.

 

You need the ship's permission to leave the cruise, but they generally ok it and will put you through a quick customs inspection right at the dock.

We will take a cab to the train station and catch a train to Paris (about two hours). This is just a suggestion if you really want to see Paris (everyone should at least once).

 

We've made other tour arrangements already with others on our Roll Call board. Need to nail down our 1st choice of private tour guides (we almost never do ship's tours). I could suggest other possibilities if you wish. E-mail me if you like. I'm in Michigan too.

[Northern Light]

I am going to disagree with the part of climbing over rocks at Giants Causeway to get a good view. It was really something to see and believe me I did not climb over any rocks! There is a shuttle bus that drives you down the hill to the causeway (and back) if you do not want to walk it and there is a paved walk there. We enjoyed it!

Marge

 

As I mentioned, the comments was just one's POV. One of the wonderful things about these forums are reading many opinions. I do appreciate your comments that you were still able to get a good view.

 

Sandy

[LeighB]

Hi Donna! My husband and I just started researching the British Isles cruises offered by Princess... We didn't think we'd have enough vacation time to take a long trip for our anniversary next summer, which is why we're getting a "late" start (I, like you, tend to plan WELL in advance!). Unlike you, from your description, my husband and I aren't seasoned cruisers - we have only been on one, which was a 12 day Mediterranean with RCCL. On that trip, we opted to mostly use the cruise line's excursions, since we didn't really know what to expect and were worried about safety/missing the ship using something private! This time around though, we want to do what's best to see what we want to see!!!

We'd appreciate any info you have found on private tours, if you don't mind sharing... We're really looking forward to booking this trip soon!

[rochelle_s]

Check out the local tourist group for info and tours

http://www.inverclydetouristgroup.co.uk/

 

 

My aunt and I used the services of this group when we were on the Grand Princess last year. They offer FREE tours. They are right there in the port building. We did a tour in the morning and one in the afternoon. We absolutely loved it. These two bus tours were relatively small groups..big buses but we had no more than 15 people on either. The tours are run by local volunteers. I would love to go back just to see these wonderful people.

 

Rochelle

[pizzalady1]

You did not state which of the British Isle cruises you were taking. You state that one of the ports is Kirkwall so it must be either the June 15 or Aug 4 cruise. If you are doing the Aug 4 cruse, Le Harve is the second from last port. How about disembarking one day early and go to Paris for a couple of days? You can then either fly back from Paris or take the ferry or chunnel back to London to fly back. Just another choice to look at.