British Isles Trip Review w/Pics: A Thesis :)

[DeloreanGirl]

That's pretty neat that you met her, I forgot they used to have a host. Yeah, they don't have one anymore but I think you're right, that's her voice narrating. Hope you get a chance to watch it sometime... I am somewhat familiar with Highland. My mom lived there many years ago. My husband Mike (another thing we have in common!) and I now live in the Riverside area after living in Palm Desert for the first four years of our marriage.

 

Congratulations on your pregnancy and soon to be new arrival! I wish you all the best, Abby

 

My parents live in Riverside and I met my husband Mike in Palm Desert. Quite familiar with those places! :) :D

[Renmar]

Hi Theo -- thanks! I coincidentally happen to live in the same city as the headquarters for Princess and, believe me, they are #1 on my job hunt in the upcoming year(s). You will have a great time and August will come up sooner than you know! :D

 

Make sure you get into the "Upgrade Fairy" department, I'll be your friend for life :D:D:D.

 

Theo

[mrspaper]

Part II: Packing, Prepping, Perspiring

 

 

 

　

 

3. A travel alarm clock. I don’t know how you expect to go on a cruise without one. Do you use the phone’s wake-up service everyday? I bought the "Elgin Travel Alarm Clock" from Amazon and this little guy was a life saver. It’s only $10, weighs one ounce, folds in half, and lights up when you push the big button so you can check the time in the middle of the night. When the alarm goes off, it blinks in red and also has a snooze button. It’s incredibly simple to set, with only 4 buttons. I highly recommend it!

 

8. A backpack. I deliberated for months whether to invest in a safe purse or a backpack. I wanted a backpack for even distribution of weight while walking around town. Some people said backpacks weren’t safe enough, especially in pickpocket areas. In the end, we used the backpack nearly every day and everyone around us also had backpacks so we felt very safe. It was a blessing to be able to stuff our jackets inside the backpack along with souvenirs. We used the outer compartments for Purell, Chap Stick, and maps. One side net held the umbrella while the other side net held the water bottle. It was fantastic and you will see the backpack in nearly all our photos. (Kudos to my hubby for wearing it even though I picked out a girly white & pink color!)

What I wish I had brought:

 

1. Plastic hangars. The closet comes with 20 wood hangars. Some with pant clips, some without. I had to double up with some sweaters because there weren’t enough hangars (for a 12-day cruise with 2 people). I guess technically you could just fold your pants and put them in the shelves and save space which we did with jeans, but in our case I simply wish I slid some cheap hangars in our suitcase.

photos...

We're doing British Isles next year and someone posted your review on our thread. Thanks for doing all this work. I'm only onto the 6th post, but have a few comments to add already.

 

I see you bought a pac safe bag. I purchased a pac safe backpack and tote it everywhere with me. Best investment. Their stuff is the best. I never leave home without it anymore. I also have a pac safe camera strap.

 

Regarding hangers-the room steward is happy to bring lots of metal hangers from the laundry service. No need to bring along

 

Can't wait to read of the rest of the review

 

Linda

[mrspaper]

Chapter 5: Visiting Ancestry in Cobh, Ireland! (Day 3)

 

Whatever eyelid wasn’t smooshed against the obnoxiously fluffy pillows opened and I noticed that the room was pitch black. I smacked the button on the travel clock to learn that it was only 4:40 a.m. Sandy was right, I had run on adrenaline and my not having taken the sleeping pill before going to bed left me wide-awake at the wrong time. Blast you, Pacific Standard Time!

 

I tossed. I turned. I ate a banana which I had swiped from the buffet for just this reason. My head was swirling with all of the new sights and sounds and experiences I had witnessed in my first few days. I stared at the ceiling until 6:30 a.m. in which I attempted to get up and watch the sun rise from the balcony. That didn’t get me too far since the sky was filled with a layer of silver clouds. I must have fallen back asleep because I was woken up a second time at 9:30 a.m. by our alarm clock.

 

We drew back the curtains and were greeted with a giant, green hillside and a prominent steeple. It was a beautiful welcoming to Cobh! From our balcony we could look down and see the train station, the new Titanic mural, and the entire charming little town.

 

We ate breakfast in the buffet (this would become a tradition as it was fast and plentiful) and headed back up to our room to get ready. The weather was brisk and very, very windy along the berth. We put on the appropriate clothes and I eagerly anticipated sightseeing as Cork County is where my family, the Sweeney’s (formerly MacSweeney’s), were from before heading to Boston and then onto California.

 

I took a picture of me in Cobh and sent it off to my dad, proud beyond all belief that I had this amazing opportunity to be in “our” city.

 

 

We headed down to the gangway where we were met with blustery winds. The poor Princess crew who were forced to stand there all day “beeping” people in and out were decked out in hats and thick parka jackets. We made our way directly into the Irish Heritage area where we read about Father Browne and how he captured some amazing pictures of Titanic before getting off the ship as told by a pastor (lucky, eh?) I really regret not going inside the emigration museum as it looked interesting.

 

The old train station is charmingly converted into a souvenir/café/tourist trap area. I say this in a good way as it was adorable and I could have spent a good amount of time here with some coffee and a pastry. I visited (read: raided) the gift shop and bought everything and anything that had my family name on it. I may or may not have also picked up two mugs and a hat. . .

From there, we walked all around Cobh. There is a Lusitania and Titanic memorial in town that Mike wanted to see. A field trip full of local schoolchildren was there and Mike was pleased to know that they’re keeping the current generation aware of such events. We climbed hillsides, narrow streets, anywhere we could go while visiting this peaceful ocean town. If I asked, “Where does this road go?” Mike would reply with, “Who cares, we’re taking it.”

 

 

My initial plan was to visit Cork city, but we liked the quaintness of Cobh so much that we hung out there. Normally it is a 15-minute train ride into Cork Kent Station and the train is right smack there next to the ship. I believe tickets are only a few euro's. From Cork, we were going to take the #224 bus 9 miles out to Blarney but we decided to stick to this particular area. If I were to do it over again, I would go out to Blarney first (and the Woollen Mills, oh my!) and then hit Cobh on the way back.

 

 

We visited the official White Star Line building. This would be where passengers would have bought their tickets and waited to board Titanic before she departed one last time and sunk four days later. Could you imagine? We visited the inside but there was a large field trip group beginning their tour so we figured we’d come back later. It was really incredible for us to be visiting this building as it is in a few important historical pictures.

 

 

We wandered and enjoyed the cool, fresh air (and boy was it fresh – much enjoyed after coming from L.A.!) and took the ocean path back to the ship. It was neat to walk through the residential area. The houses in this area are just beautiful. It’s so peaceful and quiet in those hills.

 

Once back on the ship, we visited the coffee area on Deck 5 in the Piazza and I had my very first cappuccino. Can you believe I’ve never had a cappuccino before?! They made it perfectly and a waitress offered to carry it to the table. At this point, they were coming by with “warm milk & cookies”.

 

{Excuse me while I go wipe the drool off my keyboard ...}

 

As I was saying, sometime around 3pm-4pm they come around the Piazza with freshly baked warm chocolate cookies and milk. Oh lordy. It was so good. I think at this point we also grabbed a delectable peanut butter & chocolate thingy-in-a-cup from the International Café right next door. All of these incredibly healthy foods combined left me in sheer bliss. I even tossed some leftover frothy mousse into the cappuccino – no lie.

 

I noticed that a local dance troupe was going to perform authentic Irish dancing in the theater that afternoon. We decided it would be fun to see that. We’re huge Riverdance fans and have seen Riverdance twice. The five teenage girls (and one adorable 7-year-old girl) that performed were very good! They did “a few reels and jigs” and the pipe player was excellent. It was a great way to cap off our first day in Ireland.

 

As the ship was ready to sail away, townspeople gathered at the pier. All of the schoolchildren hung out by the famous Annie Moore statue with their disposable cameras and cute little uniforms. Couples appeared from the hillsides and walked down to the docks. Families brought their children. And then, a band appeared! They played a few tunes, including “Over The Rainbow”. Joining them were five ladies dressed in early 1900’s attire. It was really sweet. If you watched our camcorder footage, my husband repeatedly goes back to zooming in on a particular blonde. It cracks me up!

 

As the side thrusters engaged, the ship slowly slithered sideways (say that three times fast!) until we had cleared the dock and started pushing forward. We passed by the houses in their various bright colors. The Cobh steeple stood proudly at the center of town. I couldn’t take enough pictures. As we chugged alongside the town, the Captain blew the deep, rumlbing horn a few times. It echoed between the foggy hillsides.

 

As we were sailing towards the open ocean, this man appeared near the bow. You have to understand that it got REALLY cold at this point and Mike and I were bundled up in fleeces and hats while shivering. The man sauntered across the top of the Bridge in nothing but a robe. It had to be a good 45-50 degrees and he was standing there in the frigid air, calm as can be! Whoever you are, sir, you made me chuckle!

 

 

Be sure to hang out either side of the deck while sailing away from Cobh, but mostly the port side. There, you will sail by some great coastline and a lighthouse. It was at this point that I had my official “OMG I’m In Ireland” moment…

 

 

Yes, it truly does look like a calendar photo in real life. Pinch me!

Dinner that night was equally delicious as the night before. I got veal, and I know my husband got some form of seafood because I’m pretty sure he ordered 11 straight nights of seafood. I’m assuming we caught up on a movie after that, as the bedroom TV was playing a few selections of fun flicks we hadn’t seen back home yet.

 

To view all of my Cobh photos, you can visit: http://s1173.photobucket.com/albums/r584/deloreangrl/British%20Isles%202012%20-%20Cobh/

For all of the Princess Patters, including Cobh/Cork, you can visit: http://photobucket.com/princesspattersbritishisles

 

Movies Under The Stars = "Breakfast At Tiffany’s" and "Midnight In Paris"

Theater: Comedy Showtime with comedian Lenny Windsor

 

 

 

Next Chapter: Lost In the Streets of Dublin! (Day 4)

Pics look great.

Do you recommend we hop onto the bus that will take us to Blarney and tour us around?

[mrspaper]

Sea Day: Ultimate Ship Tour! & LeBlah…I mean, LeHavre, France. (Day 11 & 12)

 

 

I had heard rave reviews about the “Ultimate Ship Tour” from others on Princess ships so I knew it was something that my husband and I would be really, really excited to do. From what I read, they only allow around 12 people (but I did hear groups as little as 10 and as much as 20 have gone) so we wanted to make sure we got our names on the list the moment we boarded the ship in Southampton. In all my cruises, I've never known anyone to take the Ultimate Tour. Thank you for sharing

[DeloreanGirl]

Pics look great.

Do you recommend we hop onto the bus that will take us to Blarney and tour us around?

 

If you're not picky about price, I would think it would be much easier to take a private tour out of Cobh into Cork where the bus will take you directly to the Blarney Stone.

 

The other option is to take the train in Cobh (right there at the ship) 10-15 minutes into Cork (super cheap) and then walk a short ways to the bus station where there is a bus that takes you to the castle.

 

I remember people saying that when they toured the castle grounds on their own, they went very early to beat the tourist crowds. Apparently the earlier the better as far as lines go. If I were to do it again, I would definitely hit Blarney and the Woolen Mills. I'm super bummed that we missed it (but loved Cobh!)

[DeloreanGirl]

Sea Day: Ultimate Ship Tour! & LeBlah…I mean, LeHavre, France. (Day 11 & 12)

 

 

I had heard rave reviews about the “Ultimate Ship Tour” from others on Princess ships so I knew it was something that my husband and I would be really, really excited to do. From what I read, they only allow around 12 people (but I did hear groups as little as 10 and as much as 20 have gone) so we wanted to make sure we got our names on the list the moment we boarded the ship in Southampton. In all my cruises, I've never known anyone to take the Ultimate Tour. Thank you for sharing

 

It's pricey but was great fun. Carnival does the same tour for $55 (minus all the gifts) and was equally impressive. NCL does a free bridge tour for Cruise Critic members AND the wall to the bridge is glass on Deck 11 so you can peer in at all times. Each cruise line is different. But if you're interested in the inner workings of a ship, the Ultimate Cruise Tour is a must. Just make room in your luggage for all the goodies!

[mrspaper]

If you're not picky about price, I would think it would be much easier to take a private tour out of Cobh into Cork where the bus will take you directly to the Blarney Stone.

 

The other option is to take the train in Cobh (right there at the ship) 10-15 minutes into Cork (super cheap) and then walk a short ways to the bus station where there is a bus that takes you to the castle.

 

I remember people saying that when they toured the castle grounds on their own, they went very early to beat the tourist crowds. Apparently the earlier the better as far as lines go. If I were to do it again, I would definitely hit Blarney and the Woolen Mills. I'm super bummed that we missed it (but loved Cobh!)

Thanks, I'll start to do more research and decide.

 

Linda

[phabric]

Pics look great.

Do you recommend we hop onto the bus that will take us to Blarney and tour us around?

 

We did the 12 day British Isle cruise August 16, 2013. Check out our Roll Call - Caribbean Princess August 16, 2013, post # 2965 shows all the private tours that follow Roll Call members took.

 

We took http://www.ecoach.ie in Cobh for Blarney Castle. Our cost was 19.99E/pp. You purchase tickets on line, print receipt and bring with you. Tickets for Blarney Castle and lunch at your own expense. Check for your ship & date, if it is not listed, inquiry from them and they will add. Prices do go up, we had a waitlist then they added more coaches. We had 3 coaches from our Roll Call. Blarney Castle does not take credit card, there is a ATM at the Blarney Woolen Mill or order tickets online with credit card. We stopped at Kinsale for lunch on your own and had time to see the town.

 

The Blarney Woolen Mill is an EXCELLENT place to purchases items.

 

They send out further information closer to the date. They advise to get off as soon as possible so they can get ahead of the Princess coaches. Our coach was the first to arrive at Blarney. They park at Blarney Woolen Mills, which is a short distance to the castle.

 

We had a full enjoyable day for only 19.99E each compared to what Princess wanted for only 3-31/2 hours.

 

Be on deck for sail away as there is a band and the Titianic ladies (dressed in the clothes of that time).

 

At Dublin and Greenock, Princess brings on performers just before sail away. If you do not see the live performance, they repeat many times the shows on the tv.

 

We have done the Ultimate Ship Tour and felt it was worth the money. We saw many places that you do not get see otherwise. You do need to have space in your suitcase for the items you get. Go to Guest Services, to put your name down as soon as you can as they only take about a dozen. They will let you know time and place, no photo allowed.

Edited November 3, 2013 by phabric

[mrspaper]

We took www.ecoach.ie in Cobh for Blarney Castle. Our cost was 19.99E/pp. You purchase tickets on line, print receipt and bring with you. Tickets for Blarney Castle and lunch at your own expense. Check for your ship & date, if it is not listed, inquiry from them and they will add. Prices do go up, we had a waitlist then they added more coaches. We had 3 coaches from our Roll Call. Blarney Castle does not take credit card, there is a ATM at the Blarney Woolen Mill or order tickets online with credit card. We stopped at Kinsale for lunch on your own and had time to see the town.

 

 

.

This is how we're leaning. Thanks

[cruisequeen10]

I just loved your review. I cut and pasted it and transferred it to WORD. Wow, it took me almost a day to read it. Fabulous. Some of the picture links I couldn`t get into, but went back to the CC review and looked at them. Awesome. I was also in Cobh at the same time that Diana died. How horrible. My mother came over from Germany in 1928 to Canada and the ship that she was on, Cobh was the last port of call before landing in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Of course she didn`t remember Cobh, but at least she could see it again.

[ddroberts4]

I have thoroughly enjoyed your summary of your cruise. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into it. We sail on the Ruby Princess to the British Isles May 23rd, 2014 and I will put all your info and tips to good use. You have made me SOOO excited! I can't wait for this trip. Thanks!!

[loma linda ca a & j]

I have thoroughly enjoyed your summary of your cruise. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into it. We sail on the Ruby Princess to the British Isles May 23rd, 2014 and I will put all your info and tips to good use. You have made me SOOO excited! I can't wait for this trip. Thanks!!

we loved it so much we want to go again perhaps in 2016 !;)

[DeloreanGirl]

I have thoroughly enjoyed your summary of your cruise. Thank you for putting so much time and effort into it. We sail on the Ruby Princess to the British Isles May 23rd, 2014 and I will put all your info and tips to good use. You have made me SOOO excited! I can't wait for this trip. Thanks!!

Thank you! You are so lucky to be going! I miss it SOOOO much. May will be here sooner than you know it and I've heard Ruby is a beautiful ship. Congrats and enjoy!

 

we loved it so much we want to go again perhaps in 2016 !;)

Hi there! If I start saving now, I'd love to join you in 2016! Hah. ;)

[loma linda ca a & j]

Thank you! You are so lucky to be going! I miss it SOOOO much. May will be here sooner than you know it and I've heard Ruby is a beautiful ship. Congrats and enjoy!

 

 

Hi there! If I start saving now, I'd love to join you in 2016! Hah. ;)

we would have fun for sure !!:)

 

have wondered how you are enjoying your latest "adventure in life "??

[nellydean]

Having read through this excellent thread, it is my opinion that the OP is solely responsible for the price of Princess's British Isles cruises being so flaming expensive this year! ;)

[JF - retired RRT]

Part II: Packing, Prepping, Perspiring

17. Wall chargers. Camera charger, camcorder charger, cell-phone charger, iPad charger. There are 2 American outlets next to the writing desk. There is an outlet behind the TV, too.

 

4. A night light. It does get nearly pitch black in the room at first, but there’s a sliver of light through the curtains and the box on the ceiling (which the Bridge can monitor the smoke and temperature of your room) has a green light on it which very softly illuminated the room after your eyes adjusted. Those of you with interiors I would recommend a soft LED nightlight for the room possibly. I wanted to put it in the bathroom until I realized the bathroom does not have any kind of plug except for shavers. Otherwise, you could leave the bathroom light on and just close the door.

 

I have a tiny night light and plug it into the "shaver only" outlet. It works great.

[DeloreanGirl]

we would have fun for sure !!:)

 

have wondered how you are enjoying your latest "adventure in life "??

 

Ah, yes, the new "adventure"! Well, it's long nights, no sleep, zero pay, cold coffee, and I have to do the laundry myself. No towel animals either! But it's another fun buddy we hope to take on a future cruise!

 

Having read through this excellent thread, it is my opinion that the OP is solely responsible for the price of Princess's British Isles cruises being so flaming expensive this year! ;)

 

I heard something about that! Grrrrr! We could only afford the interior in 2012 and it was only a fluke that we got the balcony. I hope this itinerary doesn't get so rare that people either don't go or can't afford it. Yeesh!

Edited January 19, 2014 by DeloreanGirl

[loma linda ca a & j]

Ah, yes, the new "adventure"! Well, it's long nights, no sleep, zero pay, cold coffee, and I have to do the laundry myself. No towel animals either! But it's another fun buddy we hope to take on a future cruise!

 

I heard something about that! Grrrrr! We could only afford the interior in 2012 and it was only a fluke that we got the balcony. I hope this itinerary doesn't get so rare that people either don't go or can't afford it. Yeesh!

have you returned to work or staying at home for awhile ??

 

we have always had insides on princess except the british isles

last june because prices had gone down quite a bit about a month

before so when TA called princess to get us a obc for part of the

difference they would not do that but gave us a balcony which

i did not tell jim about until the day we arrived at the room -

it was a marvelous surprise !!;)

Edited January 19, 2014 by loma linda ca a & j

[DeloreanGirl]

have you returned to work or staying at home for awhile ??

 

we have always had insides on princess except the british isles

last june because prices had gone down quite a bit about a month

before so when TA called princess to get us a obc for part of the

difference they would not do that but gave us a balcony which

i did not tell jim about until the day we arrived at the room -

it was a marvelous surprise !!;)

 

Hi there!

 

Left my job of 9 years (on happy terms!) which worked out well since the company was moving farther away anyway. Will stay home with the baby for a year or so and then will dust off the ol' resume and march across town to Princess Cruise Line headquarters and pray/beg for a job there. :o:D

[jodi58]

thanks Emily for the thread that helped me convince hubby to take this cruise, I hope they keep the same itinerary for 2015! guess I better start saving my pennies.:)

[loma linda ca a & j]

Hi there!

 

Left my job of 9 years (on happy terms!) which worked out well since the company was moving farther away anyway. Will stay home with the baby for a year or so and then will dust off the ol' resume and march across town to Princess Cruise Line headquarters and pray/beg for a job there. :o:D

you made the right decision - i don't like to tell people

what to do when they have baby - but this time is the

most important time for the 3 of you !:)

 

later on, you definitely could be a

travel writer anywhere in the world !!;)

[DeloreanGirl]

thanks Emily for the thread that helped me convince hubby to take this cruise, I hope they keep the same itinerary for 2015! guess I better start saving my pennies.:)

 

Wow, thank you! So glad you made the choice to do this itinerary. You wont be dissapointed! :D

[seamwoman]

I'm a groupie too and found your thesis most informative for our BI cruise in May. So happy you have a baby to share adventures with! All good wishes.

Karen

[cweather]

We are taking this itinerary this Aug. on the Ruby. I have been trying to figure out if it is worth getting the sanctuary since we will be in port on most days. I would like to reserve it for the whole cruise so it will be there when we would like to use it. Can you tell me the hours its open. Thanks