Cruise or Land Vacation for British Isles/Edinburgh Tattoo

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I want to surprise my DH in 2021 with a cruise to the British Isles and time it with the Edinburgh Tattoo.  We are both of Scot descent and I know he would love the Tattoo!  He keeps saying that he wants to see England & Scotland.  We visited Ireland this past fall on the BOS TA and loved it so much that a return trip that includes Ireland would not be a bad thing.  We have never been to London, so having that as a starting or ending point so we could spend a few days there would be ideal.

 

We travel mainly by cruise ship these days.  We like not having to worry about luggage and moving from place to place.  However, when we travel we have also been spending some time pre or post cruise locally and have enjoyed not having to rush back to a ship on those days, and the evenings on our European times on land have been magical.  

 

We are hoping to combine this trip with a Baltic Cruise, so we would log some ship time.  While we are mostly RCI cruisers (D+) we are willing to change cruise lines for the right itinerary.

 

Of note in making our decision - my DH does NOT want to get a rental car and drive in Europe, especially on the "wrong side" of the road, so we would have to arrange a land tour or get alternate transportation around England & Scotland if we don't do a cruise.  We are comfortable with independent excursions from the ship.

 

I know itineraries for a cruise won't be available until later this year, but if we decide to cruise, I want to be ready when they are released.  Please give me your thoughts and experiences with both of these options.  Thanks in advance.   

Edited April 20, 2019 by Sunny AZ Girl

[tartanexile81]

I'm a volunteer at the Edinburgh Cruise ports and there's no doubt IMO that Princess provide the most comprehensive round Britain cruises. The only problem is that they do tours to the Tattoo from Greenock which is the other side of the country. You certainly couldn't do it on your own. However that would mean you'd have the day in Edinburgh just to explore our amazing capital city and it is certainly do-able on your own. 

 

Another option would include flying to Edinburgh after your Baltic cruise, spending a few days in Edinburgh for the Tattoo etc then taking a small group tour on Rabbie's or similar to places you really want to see in Scotland.  You could  head back towards London by train, stopping for a day or two in York. Once back in London you could do a small group tour there and see Windsor, Bath, Stonehenge and The Cotswolds.

 

The public transport system in Scotland is excellent and you can get to most main towns by bus and / or train if you were keen to DIY

 

I've travelled and lived in various places around the UK so happy to help you with any extra info

[Sunny AZ Girl]

54 minutes ago, tartanexile81 said:

I'm a volunteer at the Edinburgh Cruise ports and there's no doubt IMO that Princess provide the most comprehensive round Britain cruises. The only problem is that they do tours to the Tattoo from Greenock which is the other side of the country. You certainly couldn't do it on your own. However that would mean you'd have the day in Edinburgh just to explore our amazing capital city and it is certainly do-able on your own. 

 

Another option would include flying to Edinburgh after your Baltic cruise, spending a few days in Edinburgh for the Tattoo etc then taking a small group tour on Rabbie's or similar to places you really want to see in Scotland.  You could  head back towards London by train, stopping for a day or two in York. Once back in London you could do a small group tour there and see Windsor, Bath, Stonehenge and The Cotswolds.

 

The public transport system in Scotland is excellent and you can get to most main towns by bus and / or train if you were keen to DIY

 

I've travelled and lived in various places around the UK so happy to help you with any extra info

Thank you so much for the valuable information.My inclination is to do the Princess BI cruise, but want to make sure that is our best option.  I did find a 6 night Cosmos Tour that would save us some time.  But we have never done a land escorted tour, so not sure how comfortable we would be with that.  It is for 2019 and we are considering 2021.  I don't know how far in advance the land tours are published?

https://www.cosmos.com/tour/british-highlights/9060/

 

We could spend a few extra days in London beforehand and then fly to Copenhagen or Amsterdam from Edinburgh if we chose to do the Baltic afterwards.

[geoherb]

We took a Princess cruise to the British Isles two years ago and loved it. I chose the one that had an overnight in Dublin so we could have two days there. We had a great time. We did not do the Tattoo. Some folks we met who did it loved it. Others liked it a lot but did not love the bus ride from Greenock. We used that day to take the train to Glasgow on our own and had a great time. Of the people we talked with who went to the Tattoo, most did it through an independent tour operator, not through Princess. 

 

We had three nights in London before that cruise. It was not enough. We took a transatlantic cruise last fall and spent five nights in London before it--still not enough time.

[dogs4fun]

I have never cruised the British Isles but have visited many times. We drove each time when we toured the countries (including Ireland) but have always used the excellent public transportation in London. We have also utilized the trains - easy to DIY.

That said, the Tattoo is wonderful - hope you find an option that is best for you.

[karinad]

Just a word to the wise about counting on or taking a cruise for one port. We did the British Islands last Set on the NCL Jade. We were looking forward to Edinburgh and had it all planned out. Yep! You guessed it! We couldn't get into the port! It was extremely windy and it couldn't even be chanced! We were bummed, but that's how it goes with cruising! From what I read, it happened more then a few times last year. Enjoy your trip whichever way you decide to go!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

2 hours ago, karinad said:

Just a word to the wise about counting on or taking a cruise for one port. We did the British Islands last Set on the NCL Jade. We were looking forward to Edinburgh and had it all planned out. Yep! You guessed it! We couldn't get into the port! It was extremely windy and it couldn't even be chanced! We were bummed, but that's how it goes with cruising! From what I read, it happened more then a few times last year. Enjoy your trip whichever way you decide to go!

Good point! 

[fabnfortysomething]

good decision not to drive-our roads are congested and out in country can be narrow and winding

That's why even though we live in far North of England have never visited highlands of Scotland

 

We will be doing that on a round British Isles cruise ship[NCL] this July along with USA friends

They did a land based British Isles tour a few years ago by coach and swore never again

Living out of a suitcase which had to be outside door each morning for transfer on to coach

different hotel every night

long days travelling on coach

stretch of legs was best thing about included tours of cities visited-guides rattling off facts whilst breakneck speed  to fit it all in!

 

As mentioned public transport particularly train between London and Edinburgh very good

pre or post cruise you could stay a couple of nights in Edinburgh to visit Tatoo at your own pace

However hotels will be crowded so book well in advance

 

 

[caripoo]

We did our British Isles cruise around the Tattoo. Not my preference  to go to Europe in the summer, but the Tattoo was FABULOUS.....

[Post Captain]

On 4/20/2019 at 2:24 PM, Sunny AZ Girl said:

Of note in making our decision - my DH does NOT want to get a rental car and drive in Europe, especially on the "wrong side" of the road, so we would have to arrange a land tour or get alternate transportation around England & Scotland if we don't do a cruise.  We are comfortable with independent excursions from the ship.

 

Sunny AZ Girl ~

 

Just to address the particular concern you have cited above:

 

You absolutely do not need a car in order to enjoy a satisfying land-based visit to Britain. The rail network is so extensive that you can take trains just about anywhere you would want to go, and there is also a very good coach (long-distance bus) network.  In more than 40 years of independent travel to and within the UK, including several extended periods of residence, I have NEVER driven a car, yet I have visited numerous small towns and villages throughout the British Isles.

 

I would also emphasize that you do not need to take a land tour.  With a little advance research, you can easily manage a "do-it-yourself" trip. Again, in my 40+ years of travel in Britain, I have never taken a comprehensive tour, although I have occasionally joined short local tours (mostly walking tours around particular locations, plus a few one-day bus tours to more remote areas).  Of course, you can take a week- or 10-day long coach (bus) tour if that is your preference, but you don't need to do so.

 

A round-the-British-Isles cruise can be an attractive way to get a taste of Britain, and it has the advantages you have mentioned.  But as with a land-based coach tour, it doesn't allow you much leeway to linger in any particular place and do things at your own pace.  

 

For a first-time land-based trip, I would suggest staying in London for a week or so (depending on the number of days you have for your entire trip).  This would enable you to explore some of the highlights of London, and also do a few interesting day trips.  (For example, Oxford, Cambridge, Winchester, Salisbury, Canterbury, and Bath are all less than two hours from London by train, and any of these would be well worth visiting on your first trip to London.)  Beyond that, for a more rural experience, there are dozens of small towns and villages in Dorset, Devon, or Cornwall where you could spend days.  For rugged scenery, head to the Lake District.  If you want to add Scotland to your itinerary, you could take a train to Edinburgh, stopping at York en route.

 

In any case, I would definitely avoid rushing from A to B to C to D, and so forth, which would entail dragging luggage about and checking into a different hotel or guest house every day or two--something you quite understandably don't want to do!

 

This is all just by way of saying that the possibilities are numerous and various.  For planning, start with a couple of good guidebooks, and also familiarize yourself with the transportation network, just to get some ideas about where you could go and how to get there. The National Rail website is the go-to website for planning trips by train: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/default.aspx

 

Hope this is helpful.

 

Cheers,

 

P.C. 

 

[Sunny AZ Girl]

5 hours ago, Post Captain said:

 

Sunny AZ Girl ~

 

Just to address the particular concern you have cited above

Thank you so much for the comprehensive and helpful information. I am going to bookmark this and investigate further! 

[SkystheLimit]

We did a British Isles tour on Celebrity 2 years ago that had an over night in Edinburgh.  We purchased our tickets thru the Tattoo website and spent the night in a hotel.  Worked out great for us.  If you plan to book thru the ship make sure you book ASAP for many were disappointed--this is on any cruise line.  

 

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Has there been a history of the ship missing the port for the Tattoo? 

[GrJ Berkshire]

The port of Edinburgh is on the North sea ,anything weather wise is possible. You cannot judge on previous years weather. By late summer for the Tattoo , Aug / Sept you could have glorious weather or wild conditions. It's like travelling to the South of US in September and asking will we get a hurricane!  Only the Lord God Almighty, knows the answer to this !!

[tartanexile81]

It is rare but not impossible for ships to miss Edinburgh on a cruise. If you were on Celebrity, you'd be tendering into Newhaven so that is never risk-free as you know.  From Greenock (Glasgow) I've never heard of any issues. 

 

Actually Edinburgh isn't in the North Sea but a more sheltered estuary - the River Forth. However I agree with GRJ that it's never possible to forecast weather  anywhere 

 

Unless  you are docking in Greenock. I agree that it is best to book the Tattoo on your own. Bookings open in November and if you keep an eye on the official website you can get get the tickets you want for your preferred date

 

https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/tickets?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2IrmBRCJARIsAJZDdxDn3LguZj13v1QAomEycbq_uJdHhkTtMIzltUbMEA13RafFey7vmF0aAsRGEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

 

Edited April 26, 2019 by tartanexile81