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

[English Tim]

Well done for being so organised. The AMEX point is a good one. Usually, only the larger UK retailers accept AMEX, so it's best to carry an alternative.

[gstewart]

Great review. I am from Edinburgh and I am really happy that you enjoyed your visit.

 

Your review is helpful as we are heading on her first Princess cruise in August albeit on the Crown Princess.

 

Look forward to reading the rest of your review.

[crusdiva]

Amy,

Thank you so much - I am loving your review and insight. Between your fabulous posts and Emily's (deloreangirl) I am getting more excited by the day - and I have only 5 more days! :D Can you tell me, about the kiosk for the train - did you need a pin number for your credit card?

[English Tim]

Amy,

Thank you so much - I am loving your review and insight. Between your fabulous posts and Emily's (deloreangirl) I am getting more excited by the day - and I have only 5 more days! :D Can you tell me, about the kiosk for the train - did you need a pin number for your credit card?

 

You should always use a pin number in the UK.

[gstewart]

Yes you need to enter your PIN number to get your train tickets.

[TDS549]

I can't wait to read the rest. I am super jealous of how amazing your suite was.

[CruiseKing]

Yes you need to enter your PIN number to get your train tickets.

Would that be a 4 digit pin?

Thank You,

[ohhbother]

Amy,

Thank you so much - I am loving your review and insight. Between your fabulous posts and Emily's (deloreangirl) I am getting more excited by the day - and I have only 5 more days! :D Can you tell me, about the kiosk for the train - did you need a pin number for your credit card?

 

Hi Sharon. We didn't enter a PIN number. We just used our Chase Visa. I'm not even sure I have a PIN number for that card. We also never entered one with our AMEX, and we were able to use it about 90 percent of the time. That was our preferred card, as it has no exchange fee plus it's where we earn our airline miles.

 

How exciting that your trip is five days away! I'll be posting quite a bit this weekend. Hopefully, I can get through most of my review before you leave. Have fun!

[leavingocalaagain]

Thanks for the great ongoing review of your cruise as well as for posting the Patters. We will be going in 2014 on the Ruby (in reverse order) and will be looking forward to the remainder of your cruise report.

[crusdiva]

EnglishTim, gstewart thank you so much for your speedy response.

 

Amy,

Yes, I can't tell you how thrilled I was to find your thread. I'm delighted that your "test drive" of Emily's directions to the train went so well. I will be following you for the next 4.5 says LOL

DH and I are so excited to see the British Isles.

 

Thank you again

[Woobstr112G]

Love the pictures of Scotland.....:):):)

Bob

[jpj39]

Hi again

I was able to print the daily patter before the ink ran out on my printer at day 7

The July 11 sailing is in the opposite direction. 1st stop Guernsey last port is Le Havre.

Did they have a port lecturer on your cruise? I found the lectures for the upcoming ports to be most informative on my previous cruises. A wealth of information.

The lectures are also televised on the tv. You can watch them in your stateroom at your convenience if you cannot attend the lecture. All usable information.

Enjoying your reviews and photos

Judy

[ohhbother]

Hi again

I was able to print the daily patter before the ink ran out on my printer at day 7

The July 11 sailing is in the opposite direction. 1st stop Guernsey last port is Le Havre.

Did they have a port lecturer on your cruise? I found the lectures for the upcoming ports to be most informative on my previous cruises. A wealth of information.

The lectures are also televised on the tv. You can watch them in your stateroom at your convenience if you cannot attend the lecture. All usable information.

Enjoying your reviews and photos

Judy

 

Hi Judy. Yes -- there was a port lecturer. We didn't catch any of her presentations live, but we did watch some of them on the stateroom TV.

 

Enjoy your cruise -- for us, it was the trip of a lifetime!

 

Amy

[Bye bye birdie]

WooHoo! I'm doing this cruise in August. I'm from Louisiana also,but a "redneck" in the northern part of the state. I printed delorean girls thesis and have read through most of it. So excited to read about y'all's experience

[lovevacadays]

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.

 

This post of yours has to be one of my favorites for quite some time. It sounds like you really enjoyed your time in Paris! Lovely post.

[lovevacadays]

I am loving your review. You are definitely making me want to go to places like Scotland, etc. I have been wanting to do Southern and Eastern Europe but your review has made me expand my horizons in regards to where I would love to travel.

 

What a great review you are doing.:)

[twinparent45]

You are a lifesaver! We leave for our cruise on June 29th and we just started looking at excursions and what to do this week. I cant wait to get home every night to see what you have posted.

 

Can you tell me what the weather was like and if you were ever able to wear shorts or capris? The weather forecast for our cruise says lows of 50 and highs of 66. We live in Colorado with no humidity so 66 is actually warm for us. Thanks for all of your advice!

[ohhbother]

Hi everyone. Sorry for not posting tonight -- I hosted a party at my house, and things just wrapped up. I hope to spend quite a bit of time posting this weekend. The next two days to review -- Invergordon and Kirkwall -- were two of my favorite days of the trip.

 

Good night, all.

Edited June 1, 2013 by ohhbother

[ohhbother]

You are a lifesaver! We leave for our cruise on June 29th and we just started looking at excursions and what to do this week. I cant wait to get home every night to see what you have posted.

 

Can you tell me what the weather was like and if you were ever able to wear shorts or capris? The weather forecast for our cruise says lows of 50 and highs of 66. We live in Colorado with no humidity so 66 is actually warm for us. Thanks for all of your advice!

 

Hi there. On our trip, there was no occasion to wear shorts or even capris. It was always cool, sometimes cold and, on a couple of occasions, downright freezing.

 

Of course, the weather in late June may be different than it was in mid-May. It couldn't hurt to throw in a pair or two if you have room in your luggage. Have a great time on your trip!

[ohhbother]

WooHoo! I'm doing this cruise in August. I'm from Louisiana also,but a "redneck" in the northern part of the state. I printed delorean girls thesis and have read through most of it. So excited to read about y'all's experience

 

Have a great time, neighbor! I'm a Tennessee transplant who found myself in south Louisiana a couple of years ago, and I have yet to visit the northern part of the state. I'll get up there one day!

[tequilasunrise]

Thanks for this review. Waiting anxiously for the next installments! :D

[Genessa]

thanks so much for posting such a fun-to-read review.

 

Your Window Suites info is entertaining and informative.

 

My dh & I did the British Isles in 2008 for my birthday and even though you had a different itinerary your review is helping me relive my cruise.

 

We also did a 3 hour bus ride to Paris and also had a wonderful tour guide who made the drive pass in what seemed like 45 minutes

 

and I also decided that I would go back one day - and I never wanted to go there to begin with.

 

thanks again,

can't wait to read the rest!

[NFEB]

Amy,

We realize the weather will dictate the attire at each port. However how about on board....is cruise wear appropriate.

Thank you for all if your great information.

Nancy

[seamwoman]

We just returned from the TA/ BI cruise. I wore capris on the ship with tee shirts. You do need a sweater because the ship is cold. All of our pictures on shore show me in the same outfit: turtleneck, polar tech and black jacket!:eek: Hope it is warmer and sunnier for you! Karen

[ohhbother]

Amy,

We realize the weather will dictate the attire at each port. However how about on board....is cruise wear appropriate.

Thank you for all if your great information.

Nancy

 

Hi Nancy. I wore jeans and t-shirts on the ship most of the time. If we were planning on being out on the top deck, I'd throw on a sweatshirt. I didn't take any capris on this trip, but they would have been fine on the ship indoors. It was quite comfortable. Have fun!