British Isles Trip of a Lifetime Report - Emerald Princess August 25

[karatemom2]

I have been dreaming of taking a British Isles cruise for years. We had one scheduled about 5 years ago and had to cancel due to work conflicts. We finally were able to make it work and just returned from an absolutely amazing vacation on the Emerald Princess. 

 

We flew direct to London Heathrow from LAX a few days before our cruise was scheduled to depart Southampton on August 25. We stayed at a wonderful hotel near Southwark called The Mad Hatter. It's a boutique hotel in a historic building that was once a hat factory in the 1800’s and features a pub that serves great food. Daily breakfast was included, and we were so grateful to have an easy and delicious breakfast to start each long day of touring in London. We managed to pack a great deal into our four day stay, including tours of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms, St. James’ Park, the Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe, Greenwich and the National Maritime Museum, as well as a Double Decker Bus Tour, and two West End shows - Sister Act and Wicked. We hit the ground running and barely slowed down.

 

On our embarkation day, we shared a transfer via International Friends with a couple from our Cruise Critic Role call. It included a two hour stop at Windsor Castle on the way to the port which was such a great way to maximize our day. I absolutely loved Windsor Castle and the surrounding town. I could have stayed all day.

We got to Southampton around 2 p.m. and embarkation was a breeze. We were so happy to be back on the Emerald after so many years. While my DH really likes the newer ships, the Grand class are my favorites. I know some people have been saying that the Emerald looks a bit tired, but I thought she looked magnificent. I loved returning to Club Fusion and the Explorer's Lounge and walking the promenade deck. It felt like coming home. We had a starboard balcony cabin on the aft Riviera deck which proved a convenient location with easy access down to deck 7 and just a short walk to all the midship activities and the atrium and one flight up to the buffet for quick snacks. Our steward provided absolutely stellar service the entire cruise – honestly, I think right up there with the best of the best we have had. He refreshed our room twice daily and, because my DH tried to pack lighter than usual for this trip to stick to one suitcase, he sent out laundry nearly every day. It was always picked up promptly and generally returned the next day. One of the best perks of being Elite – I hope they don’t ever take it away!

 

In selecting our cabin, we specifically chose the starboard side because looking at the route it seemed like it would offer the most opportunity for scenic viewing as that would be the land facing side most of the time. It was a really good decision. This was a very port intensive cruise, but we actually used our balcony a lot more than I anticipated. We had some really lovely sailaways and morning port arrivals and I was so grateful to sit out on our balcony and enjoy the views. We were blessed with fantastic weather and one of the biggest treats was getting a great view of the White Cliffs of Dover on our sea day as we were heading from Edinburgh to Le Havre. Be sure to bring binoculars – we used ours every day.

 

Food is a very subjective, so with that being the case, I will share that we found the food to be just fine overall – not great, but consistently good. We enjoyed all our meals in the dining room and with a couple rare exceptions liked everything we ordered. We ate most lunches in port since our days were long. Breakfasts were generally a quick bite from the buffet or International Café, usually pretty basic but got us off to a good start. One of my favorite things on Princess is afternoon tea and it was pleasant to sit and enjoy tea and those yummy warm scones on our sea days. We had an outstanding meal at the Crown Grill – just great service and exceptional food from appetizers to steaks and side dishes to dessert. It was my favorite meal of the entire vacation. On the downside, I was disappointed for the first time ever in the pizza. It was so different from any of our other Princess cruises – really awful to the point both DH and I found it inedible. I don’t know what they are doing different, but I want my old Princess pizza back. The other disappointment was Sabatinis. We were gifted a complimentary meal by the Casino and were really looking forward to enjoying our final dinner there. I tried very hard to like everything. Our server was incredibly sweet and gracious, but the food was just not that good. Honestly, we ended up wishing we had just gone to the dining room. I think if I had been paying the surcharge, I would have been more unhappy. But mostly it was just disappointing and lackluster, especially after the fabulous meal we had at Crown Grill.

 

I wasn’t really expecting much regarding the entertainment for this cruise because we chose this itinerary for the ports, and I figured we might be too tired for evening shows or trivia. But happily, I was wrong about that and we enjoyed going to a lot of the trivia at night – especially the music trivia. And we also really enjoyed some of the shows in the Princess Theatre. It was great to see some new shows after years of the same thing – in particular we thought Rock Opera was really entertaining. And we also really liked the show featuring a group called The Trawlermen. In other ship activity, DH was able to get in a decent amount of casino time even though we were pretty worn out some evenings. On the plus side, when you are on such a port intensive cruise, you really, really appreciate the sea days and we just relaxed and had fun on those two days. All in all, Princess once again met our expectations in almost every way and we are still happy to be loyal and seasoned Princess cruisers.

 

So, now to the reason we chose this cruise - the incredible itinerary. This was our first trip across the pond. I have been wanting to go to the UK my entire life, so I really put a lot of planning into this trip. I wanted to make sure we maximized our time and saw as much as possible in each port, so I hope this overview provides some inspiration to any who might be thinking of a British Isles cruise in the future.

 

Guernsey – We booked a private tour with a fantastic guide, Jackie Ward. We wanted to see as much of the island as possible and also had a particular interest in the history, especially WWII and German occupation history. Jackie was waiting for us as soon as we exited at the pier and she proceeded to show us her beautiful island. We visited a number of German bunkers, a historic cemetery where many German soldiers were buried, 14^th century Chapel of St. Apolline, stunning coastal areas and overlooks, and so much more. She took us places most tours don't go, so there were no crowds and tour buses full of people. We stopped and walked around at our leisure in many of these places with Jackie providing interesting commentary for us. We ended the day with some Guernsey ice cream and shopping in Saint Peter Port.

 

Cobh – Although many people prioritize Blarney Castle here, we had other interests that felt lest touristy and didn’t require standing in a very long line bend over backward to kiss a stone. My DH will attest that I already have the “gift of gab”, so no more required! We instead opted for an alternate Princess excursion for this port even though we prefer private tours. In this case the ship’s excursion covered exactly what we wanted to see and do. The tour took us to Lismore, a quaint historic village featuring Lismore Castle, historically home of the Duke of Devonshire. For those who have seen the movie “The Duchess” with Keira Knightley, you will appreciate this reference. After a stop there we proceeded on a very scenic drive through a natural landmark know as the Vee in Tipperary (as in “it’s a long way to Tipperary…). We stopped at the top to take in the views, the fragrant purple heather, the sheep and all of the gorgeous scenery. Then we proceeded on to the Rock of Cashel, and ancient monastic and royal site that is beyond impressive. We stopped for a delicious lunch nearby with the best Irish soda bread and butter that I am still dreaming about and trying to figure out how I can duplicate now that I’m home. The tour was amazing, and I would highly recommend if you are looking into alternatives to Blarney Castle at this port.

 

Dublin - This was another port where we chose a Princess excursion. It was called Best of Town and Country and included an excursion through the Wicklow Mountains to Glendalough, also an ancient monastic site. We saw such lovely scenery on the way. It was important to me not to restrict our touring to just the towns. I really wanted to get out in the country and see more of the beauty of these areas and this tour did not disappoint. The valley at Glendalough was stunning and the ruins and ancient cemetery were fascinating. On the way back to Dublin we had lunch at a 400 year old inn and then stopped at a still operating woolen mill in Avoca. Finally we finished the day with a very thorough driving tour of Dublin and time to explore the amazing Christchurch Cathedral. It really was the best of town and country.

 

Belfast - We booked a private small bus tour with Odyssey to Giants Causeway and the Titanic Museum. We liked that it was limited to 16 people max. Unfortunately the day got off to a very late start due to the fact our ship was nearly two hours late docking because of issues navigating the tide that morning. Not sure why that wasn’t something that could have been anticipated but we tried to take it in stride. Our driver was really great about doing his best with the shortened time. He got us right on the road and made the drive to Giants Causeway as quickly as possible. But our time was definitely tight as they had firm reservations for our group at the Titanic Museum in the afternoon that didn’t allow for flexibility. We ended up choosing to do the hike back and forth to the Causeway and not take the shuttle. It was very scenic but pretty straight uphill on the way back. If you don’t fancy a pretty vigorous workout I would definitely recommend the shuttle. The stones are truly a wonder of nature though and well worth the long drive and hike in my opinion. Because of the late start we had to skip our planned lunch stop and also our photo op visit to Dunluce Castle. We grabbed a little snack at the hotel by Giants Causeway to hold us over. The  Titanic Museum was very interesting and we enjoyed the perspective it provided on the building and launch of the ship in Belfast. Overall it was a good day despite the late start and since we were starving when we got back to the ship it ended up being a good night for our dinner at Crown Grill. 

 

Liverpool - Lots of people were very excited about this port because of the Beatles connection. I love the Beatles too but had other priorities for this area as a gateway to Wales, a place I have always wanted to visit to see the country of my great great grandfather’s birth. We had reserved another small bus tour with Busy Bus that visited Conwy Village and Castle, Snowdonia National Park, the little town of Betws-Y-Coed and Pontcysyllte  Aqueduct.  Did you know that there are 9 million sheep in Wales? And also some of the most gorgeous scenery of our trip. I'm still trying to understand why my great great grandad ever chose to leave such an idyllic place.

 

Glasgow - For our first port in Scotland I had scheduled another small bus tour with Discover Scotland. Our tour started with a visit to the small village of Luss on Loch Lomond - a magical little village with beautiful views of the Loch. After spending some time there we headed onward on a scenic drive through the Trossachs. On our way to our lunch stop in Calendar, we ran into a couple of the famous Highland “Hairy Coos” who were friendly, well fed and pleased to pose for photos. In Calendar I found the cutest tea room called Quirk for a wee scone and friendly chat with some locals. Our next destination was Stirling Castle, but our driver was kind enough to make a brief photo stop at Doune Castle for the Outlander fans. We had about two hours to explore Stirling Castle, once home to Mary Queen of Scots. On our way back we had a nice tour through Glasgow which is a lovely city. Another wonderful day, but we were happy to have a sea day coming up after so many busy port days. 

 

Invergordon - We we’re ready to go hard again after our day of rest and I was so excited about this port because I have ancestors from the Sutherland clan and this was the day for searching for my Scottish roots. We booked a private tour with Dougie MacLeod of Highland Tours Inverness. He picked us up in his comfy van and we took off for the Highlands. First stop was Millionaire's View for an incredible photo opportunity. This was yet another gorgeous drive with the purple heather blooming everywhere. We made another stop at the Falls of Shin to see if we might catch any salmon jumping up the falls. No luck this day, but it was so beautiful nonetheless. After this we headed into the Golspie area, seat of the Sutherland clan. Dougie pointed out many interesting landmarks related to the Sutherlands on our way to Dunrobin Castle, the historic home of the Dukes of Sutherland. It is absolutely something out of a fairytale - like Cinderella's castle. We had plenty of time to tour the castle and gardens and then take in the Falconry show, which was fascinating. As much as I loved this, Dougie then took us to what was my favorite site of the day - Carn Liath Broch. This well preserved Broch above the sea in Golspie dates back 2000 years. How incredible to stand there in its center and consider the ancient families that lived within its solid stone walls on that windy cliff. It was humbling. One of the joys of private tours is the ability to set your own agenda. I had discovered a place nearby called Big Burn Walk which is a short hiking trail to a beautiful waterfall. Dougie happily took us to the trailhead and waited for us while we hiked the trail. We were plenty hungry at this point so we headed to the village of Dornoch for lunch at a local pub and then a visit to the historic cathedral (where Madonna got married) and lots of great shopping for Sutherland tartan items. Every port day just seemed to get better and my love for Scotland was complete.

 

Edinburgh - We put a lot of thought into our plans for Edinburgh and it really paid off. This is a tender port at Queensferry which is a brief drive to  Edinburgh. We knew, especially with it being a Saturday, that the castle would get very crowded. So, knowing that we would need a transfer and wanting to get an early start off the ship, we booked the morning Princess excursion to Edinburgh Castle. It turned out to be the best decision. We were a little late to start tendering due to some weather challenges, but thanks to being on the tour we were among the first off the ship and the castle was not yet crowded at all when we arrived. There wasn’t even a line to see the Crown Jewels. We were able to explore and see everything without fighting hordes of people and by the time we were ready to leave a lot of the buses were just arriving. We opted to stay in town and spent the next hour or so walking down the Royal Mile and shopping. Then we grabbed an Uber and headed to see the Royal Yacht Britannia which is docked there at Leith. It was only about a 15 - 20 minute drive. We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the Royal Yacht and enjoyed lunch onboard in Her Majesty’s Tea Room. It was a fabulous tour and something I would highly recommend. After we were done we Ubered back to the ship and said a fond farewell to Scotland. 

 

Le Havre - this was our final port and a very meaningful stop for me as the daughter of a WWII vet. We booked a private small group excursion with Overlord Tours that took us first to Omaha Beach. It was incredible to stand on that hallowed ground and our guide was an expert who shared a wealth of information that made it all the more impactful. Driving away from the beach and on to our next stop at the American Cemetery at Normandy he continued to point out important landmarks along the way. The Cemetery was a moving experience and I wished we had more time to spend there. Our next stop was the ancient town of Bayeux where we had the best lunch at a little cafe - quiche, sandwich on fresh baguette, crepes and wine. We had just enough time to make a quick photo stop at the cathedral and then visit the museum to see the Bayeux Tapestry. I would have loved a little more time here as well, but this is a place we will come back to one day. The last stop of the day was the picturesque little town of Honfleur. This small village by the sea with its boats and colorful buildings was postcard perfect and it was just lovely to walk the cobblestone streets and shop and people watch. I absolutely loved this brief visit to France and look forward to planning a full vacation there someday soon. We reluctantly had to leave for our last night onboard before heading home. 

 

As you can probably tell, this was the trip of a lifetime and I loved every second. Even the planning leading up to it was an absolute joy. I packed in as much as humanly possible without completely overwhelming my DH who was a really great sport - although one more Castle might have pushed him over the edge. It is particularly poignant now with the Queen's passing to watch the coverage and see all these places we just visited. It has provided so much more meaning and context to the history of the monarchy and the UK. I would say without hesitation that taking this cruise and choosing this itinerary proved to be a great decision and we made many wonderful memories.

[Gettingwarmer]

A very clear and detailed report. Thank you. 

[Coral]

Thanks for your review! Glad it was an amazing trip!

 

Do you know what is planned for dry dock in October.

 

My sister was on the sailing right before yours and had an amazing time. They saw Princess William and Princess Charles at the Tattoo.

Edited September 14, 2022 by Coral

[Alcairns]

What a Lovely review. I am glad you enjoyed your time in our beautiful country. With regard to your delay getting into Belfast, this is a common event. We were delayed until 5 in the evening having expected to dock at 7am. The problem is a combination of winds and tides. The crew can deal with the tides but if the winds are blowing in the wrong direction it makes docking very difficult. 

Edited September 14, 2022 by Alcairns
Spelling

[PacnGoNow]

7 hours ago, karatemom2 said:

I have been dreaming of taking a British Isles cruise for years. We had one scheduled about 5 years ago and had to cancel due to work conflicts. We finally were able to make it work and just returned from an absolutely amazing vacation on the Emerald Princess. 

 

We flew direct to London Heathrow from LAX a few days before our cruise was scheduled to depart Southampton on August 25. We stayed at a wonderful hotel near Southwark called The Mad Hatter. It's a boutique hotel in a historic building that was once a hat factory in the 1800’s and features a pub that serves great food. Daily breakfast was included, and we were so grateful to have an easy and delicious breakfast to start each long day of touring in London. We managed to pack a great deal into our four day stay, including tours of Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, Churchill War Rooms, St. James’ Park, the Tower of London, Shakespeare’s Globe, Greenwich and the National Maritime Museum, as well as a Double Decker Bus Tour, and two West End shows - Sister Act and Wicked. We hit the ground running and barely slowed down.

 

On our embarkation day, we shared a transfer via International Friends with a couple from our Cruise Critic Role call. It included a two hour stop at Windsor Castle on the way to the port which was such a great way to maximize our day. I absolutely loved Windsor Castle and the surrounding town. I could have stayed all day.

We got to Southampton around 2 p.m. and embarkation was a breeze. We were so happy to be back on the Emerald after so many years. While my DH really likes the newer ships, the Grand class are my favorites. I know some people have been saying that the Emerald looks a bit tired, but I thought she looked magnificent. I loved returning to Club Fusion and the Explorer's Lounge and walking the promenade deck. It felt like coming home. We had a starboard balcony cabin on the aft Riviera deck which proved a convenient location with easy access down to deck 7 and just a short walk to all the midship activities and the atrium and one flight up to the buffet for quick snacks. Our steward provided absolutely stellar service the entire cruise – honestly, I think right up there with the best of the best we have had. He refreshed our room twice daily and, because my DH tried to pack lighter than usual for this trip to stick to one suitcase, he sent out laundry nearly every day. It was always picked up promptly and generally returned the next day. One of the best perks of being Elite – I hope they don’t ever take it away!

 

In selecting our cabin, we specifically chose the starboard side because looking at the route it seemed like it would offer the most opportunity for scenic viewing as that would be the land facing side most of the time. It was a really good decision. This was a very port intensive cruise, but we actually used our balcony a lot more than I anticipated. We had some really lovely sailaways and morning port arrivals and I was so grateful to sit out on our balcony and enjoy the views. We were blessed with fantastic weather and one of the biggest treats was getting a great view of the White Cliffs of Dover on our sea day as we were heading from Edinburgh to Le Havre. Be sure to bring binoculars – we used ours every day.

 

Food is a very subjective, so with that being the case, I will share that we found the food to be just fine overall – not great, but consistently good. We enjoyed all our meals in the dining room and with a couple rare exceptions liked everything we ordered. We ate most lunches in port since our days were long. Breakfasts were generally a quick bite from the buffet or International Café, usually pretty basic but got us off to a good start. One of my favorite things on Princess is afternoon tea and it was pleasant to sit and enjoy tea and those yummy warm scones on our sea days. We had an outstanding meal at the Crown Grill – just great service and exceptional food from appetizers to steaks and side dishes to dessert. It was my favorite meal of the entire vacation. On the downside, I was disappointed for the first time ever in the pizza. It was so different from any of our other Princess cruises – really awful to the point both DH and I found it inedible. I don’t know what they are doing different, but I want my old Princess pizza back. The other disappointment was Sabatinis. We were gifted a complimentary meal by the Casino and were really looking forward to enjoying our final dinner there. I tried very hard to like everything. Our server was incredibly sweet and gracious, but the food was just not that good. Honestly, we ended up wishing we had just gone to the dining room. I think if I had been paying the surcharge, I would have been more unhappy. But mostly it was just disappointing and lackluster, especially after the fabulous meal we had at Crown Grill.

 

I wasn’t really expecting much regarding the entertainment for this cruise because we chose this itinerary for the ports, and I figured we might be too tired for evening shows or trivia. But happily, I was wrong about that and we enjoyed going to a lot of the trivia at night – especially the music trivia. And we also really enjoyed some of the shows in the Princess Theatre. It was great to see some new shows after years of the same thing – in particular we thought Rock Opera was really entertaining. And we also really liked the show featuring a group called The Trawlermen. In other ship activity, DH was able to get in a decent amount of casino time even though we were pretty worn out some evenings. On the plus side, when you are on such a port intensive cruise, you really, really appreciate the sea days and we just relaxed and had fun on those two days. All in all, Princess once again met our expectations in almost every way and we are still happy to be loyal and seasoned Princess cruisers.

 

So, now to the reason we chose this cruise - the incredible itinerary. This was our first trip across the pond. I have been wanting to go to the UK my entire life, so I really put a lot of planning into this trip. I wanted to make sure we maximized our time and saw as much as possible in each port, so I hope this overview provides some inspiration to any who might be thinking of a British Isles cruise in the future.

 

Guernsey – We booked a private tour with a fantastic guide, Jackie Ward. We wanted to see as much of the island as possible and also had a particular interest in the history, especially WWII and German occupation history. Jackie was waiting for us as soon as we exited at the pier and she proceeded to show us her beautiful island. We visited a number of German bunkers, a historic cemetery where many German soldiers were buried, 14^th century Chapel of St. Apolline, stunning coastal areas and overlooks, and so much more. She took us places most tours don't go, so there were no crowds and tour buses full of people. We stopped and walked around at our leisure in many of these places with Jackie providing interesting commentary for us. We ended the day with some Guernsey ice cream and shopping in Saint Peter Port.

 

Cobh – Although many people prioritize Blarney Castle here, we had other interests that felt lest touristy and didn’t require standing in a very long line bend over backward to kiss a stone. My DH will attest that I already have the “gift of gab”, so no more required! We instead opted for an alternate Princess excursion for this port even though we prefer private tours. In this case the ship’s excursion covered exactly what we wanted to see and do. The tour took us to Lismore, a quaint historic village featuring Lismore Castle, historically home of the Duke of Devonshire. For those who have seen the movie “The Duchess” with Keira Knightley, you will appreciate this reference. After a stop there we proceeded on a very scenic drive through a natural landmark know as the Vee in Tipperary (as in “it’s a long way to Tipperary…). We stopped at the top to take in the views, the fragrant purple heather, the sheep and all of the gorgeous scenery. Then we proceeded on to the Rock of Cashel, and ancient monastic and royal site that is beyond impressive. We stopped for a delicious lunch nearby with the best Irish soda bread and butter that I am still dreaming about and trying to figure out how I can duplicate now that I’m home. The tour was amazing, and I would highly recommend if you are looking into alternatives to Blarney Castle at this port.

 

Dublin - This was another port where we chose a Princess excursion. It was called Best of Town and Country and included an excursion through the Wicklow Mountains to Glendalough, also an ancient monastic site. We saw such lovely scenery on the way. It was important to me not to restrict our touring to just the towns. I really wanted to get out in the country and see more of the beauty of these areas and this tour did not disappoint. The valley at Glendalough was stunning and the ruins and ancient cemetery were fascinating. On the way back to Dublin we had lunch at a 400 year old inn and then stopped at a still operating woolen mill in Avoca. Finally we finished the day with a very thorough driving tour of Dublin and time to explore the amazing Christchurch Cathedral. It really was the best of town and country.

 

Belfast - We booked a private small bus tour with Odyssey to Giants Causeway and the Titanic Museum. We liked that it was limited to 16 people max. Unfortunately the day got off to a very late start due to the fact our ship was nearly two hours late docking because of issues navigating the tide that morning. Not sure why that wasn’t something that could have been anticipated but we tried to take it in stride. Our driver was really great about doing his best with the shortened time. He got us right on the road and made the drive to Giants Causeway as quickly as possible. But our time was definitely tight as they had firm reservations for our group at the Titanic Museum in the afternoon that didn’t allow for flexibility. We ended up choosing to do the hike back and forth to the Causeway and not take the shuttle. It was very scenic but pretty straight uphill on the way back. If you don’t fancy a pretty vigorous workout I would definitely recommend the shuttle. The stones are truly a wonder of nature though and well worth the long drive and hike in my opinion. Because of the late start we had to skip our planned lunch stop and also our photo op visit to Dunluce Castle. We grabbed a little snack at the hotel by Giants Causeway to hold us over. The  Titanic Museum was very interesting and we enjoyed the perspective it provided on the building and launch of the ship in Belfast. Overall it was a good day despite the late start and since we were starving when we got back to the ship it ended up being a good night for our dinner at Crown Grill. 

 

Liverpool - Lots of people were very excited about this port because of the Beatles connection. I love the Beatles too but had other priorities for this area as a gateway to Wales, a place I have always wanted to visit to see the country of my great great grandfather’s birth. We had reserved another small bus tour with Busy Bus that visited Conwy Village and Castle, Snowdonia National Park, the little town of Betws-Y-Coed and Pontcysyllte  Aqueduct.  Did you know that there are 9 million sheep in Wales? And also some of the most gorgeous scenery of our trip. I'm still trying to understand why my great great grandad ever chose to leave such an idyllic place.

 

Glasgow - For our first port in Scotland I had scheduled another small bus tour with Discover Scotland. Our tour started with a visit to the small village of Luss on Loch Lomond - a magical little village with beautiful views of the Loch. After spending some time there we headed onward on a scenic drive through the Trossachs. On our way to our lunch stop in Calendar, we ran into a couple of the famous Highland “Hairy Coos” who were friendly, well fed and pleased to pose for photos. In Calendar I found the cutest tea room called Quirk for a wee scone and friendly chat with some locals. Our next destination was Stirling Castle, but our driver was kind enough to make a brief photo stop at Doune Castle for the Outlander fans. We had about two hours to explore Stirling Castle, once home to Mary Queen of Scots. On our way back we had a nice tour through Glasgow which is a lovely city. Another wonderful day, but we were happy to have a sea day coming up after so many busy port days. 

 

Invergordon - We we’re ready to go hard again after our day of rest and I was so excited about this port because I have ancestors from the Sutherland clan and this was the day for searching for my Scottish roots. We booked a private tour with Dougie MacLeod of Highland Tours Inverness. He picked us up in his comfy van and we took off for the Highlands. First stop was Millionaire's View for an incredible photo opportunity. This was yet another gorgeous drive with the purple heather blooming everywhere. We made another stop at the Falls of Shin to see if we might catch any salmon jumping up the falls. No luck this day, but it was so beautiful nonetheless. After this we headed into the Golspie area, seat of the Sutherland clan. Dougie pointed out many interesting landmarks related to the Sutherlands on our way to Dunrobin Castle, the historic home of the Dukes of Sutherland. It is absolutely something out of a fairytale - like Cinderella's castle. We had plenty of time to tour the castle and gardens and then take in the Falconry show, which was fascinating. As much as I loved this, Dougie then took us to what was my favorite site of the day - Carn Liath Broch. This well preserved Broch above the sea in Golspie dates back 2000 years. How incredible to stand there in its center and consider the ancient families that lived within its solid stone walls on that windy cliff. It was humbling. One of the joys of private tours is the ability to set your own agenda. I had discovered a place nearby called Big Burn Walk which is a short hiking trail to a beautiful waterfall. Dougie happily took us to the trailhead and waited for us while we hiked the trail. We were plenty hungry at this point so we headed to the village of Dornoch for lunch at a local pub and then a visit to the historic cathedral (where Madonna got married) and lots of great shopping for Sutherland tartan items. Every port day just seemed to get better and my love for Scotland was complete.

 

Edinburgh - We put a lot of thought into our plans for Edinburgh and it really paid off. This is a tender port at Queensferry which is a brief drive to  Edinburgh. We knew, especially with it being a Saturday, that the castle would get very crowded. So, knowing that we would need a transfer and wanting to get an early start off the ship, we booked the morning Princess excursion to Edinburgh Castle. It turned out to be the best decision. We were a little late to start tendering due to some weather challenges, but thanks to being on the tour we were among the first off the ship and the castle was not yet crowded at all when we arrived. There wasn’t even a line to see the Crown Jewels. We were able to explore and see everything without fighting hordes of people and by the time we were ready to leave a lot of the buses were just arriving. We opted to stay in town and spent the next hour or so walking down the Royal Mile and shopping. Then we grabbed an Uber and headed to see the Royal Yacht Britannia which is docked there at Leith. It was only about a 15 - 20 minute drive. We spent the rest of the afternoon touring the Royal Yacht and enjoyed lunch onboard in Her Majesty’s Tea Room. It was a fabulous tour and something I would highly recommend. After we were done we Ubered back to the ship and said a fond farewell to Scotland. 

 

Le Havre - this was our final port and a very meaningful stop for me as the daughter of a WWII vet. We booked a private small group excursion with Overlord Tours that took us first to Omaha Beach. It was incredible to stand on that hallowed ground and our guide was an expert who shared a wealth of information that made it all the more impactful. Driving away from the beach and on to our next stop at the American Cemetery at Normandy he continued to point out important landmarks along the way. The Cemetery was a moving experience and I wished we had more time to spend there. Our next stop was the ancient town of Bayeux where we had the best lunch at a little cafe - quiche, sandwich on fresh baguette, crepes and wine. We had just enough time to make a quick photo stop at the cathedral and then visit the museum to see the Bayeux Tapestry. I would have loved a little more time here as well, but this is a place we will come back to one day. The last stop of the day was the picturesque little town of Honfleur. This small village by the sea with its boats and colorful buildings was postcard perfect and it was just lovely to walk the cobblestone streets and shop and people watch. I absolutely loved this brief visit to France and look forward to planning a full vacation there someday soon. We reluctantly had to leave for our last night onboard before heading home. 

 

As you can probably tell, this was the trip of a lifetime and I loved every second. Even the planning leading up to it was an absolute joy. I packed in as much as humanly possible without completely overwhelming my DH who was a really great sport - although one more Castle might have pushed him over the edge. It is particularly poignant now with the Queen's passing to watch the coverage and see all these places we just visited. It has provided so much more meaning and context to the history of the monarchy and the UK. I would say without hesitation that taking this cruise and choosing this itinerary proved to be a great decision and we made many wonderful memories.

Wonderful review!  One of our favorite countries, also.

Thank you.

[junglejane]

Thank you for the wonderful, thoughtful review. We were on the 7/20 sailing and did some of the same private tours (Overlord in Le Havre and Odyssey in Belfast). Like you, we were disappointed by Sabatini's food this time around (not the service, which was fine). But overall we had a wonderful experience. So glad you had such a great time as well.

[karatemom2]

3 hours ago, Coral said:

Thanks for your review! Glad it was an amazing trip!

 

Do you know what is planned for dry dock in October.

 

My sister was on the sailing right before yours and had an amazing time. They saw Princess William and Princess Charles at the Tattoo.

Thank you, Coral. We didn’t get any details on what is planned for dry dock. I know on a previous sailing they experienced some mechanical problems that I’m sure will be addressed fully. Also, the exterior of the ship could probably stand some spiffing up. I thought for the most part everything looked well maintained so dry dock can only make her better. 

[karatemom2]

1 hour ago, Alcairns said:

What a Lovely review. I am glad you enjoyed your time in our beautiful country. With regard to your delay getting into Belfast, this is a common event. We were delayed until 5 in the evening having expected to dock at 7am. The problem is a combination of winds and tides. The crew can deal with the tides but if the winds are blowing in the wrong direction it makes docking very difficult. 

 

Thank you. This is interesting to learn and reading your comment I feel fortunate we were only a couple of hours late. I’m very grateful that we still ended up with a full day. 

[ROWSE]

Loved reading your review!  Thank you !

Glad you had as great of a time as we did in May!  

[karatemom2]

7 minutes ago, ROWSE said:

Loved reading your review!  Thank you !

Glad you had as great of a time as we did in May!  

Thank you! Your wonderful review provided so much joy and anticipation while planning for our cruise. It was an inspiration. 

[karatemom2]

We took hundreds of photos but I will share a few of my favorites from each place. First, London and Windsor:

[karatemom2]

Guernsey:

 

[karatemom2]

Cobh:

 

[karatemom2]

Dublin:

 

[karatemom2]

Belfast:

 

[karatemom2]

Liverpool (Wakes):

 

[deb63]

31 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

We took hundreds of photos but I will share a few of my favorites from each place. First, London and Windsor:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for sharing.   I had not heard of The Mad Hatter before, I was looking at hotels closer to the Victoria Coach Station.   But have to say I LOVE how it looks, the history behind it, etc.    Can you tell me if the rooms had a/c in them?   

 

We were suppose to go on this cruise in 2014 - when my daughter broke her leg and required surgery 2 days before we were suppose to get on the plane to London.  So we ended up cancelling. . .I am just now getting around to replanning it.   Loving your report/pics.   

[karatemom2]

Glasgow:

 

[karatemom2]

5 minutes ago, deb63 said:

 

Thank you so much for sharing.   I had not heard of The Mad Hatter before, I was looking at hotels closer to the Victoria Coach Station.   But have to say I LOVE how it looks, the history behind it, etc.    Can you tell me if the rooms had a/c in them?   

 

We were suppose to go on this cruise in 2014 - when my daughter broke her leg and required surgery 2 days before we were suppose to get on the plane to London.  So we ended up cancelling. . .I am just now getting around to replanning it.   Loving your report/pics.   

 

We loved the hotel. It is small and the staff were so warm and friendly. We really enjoyed the historic vibe and the great pub. However, no air conditioning. It was warm while we were there and it was fine for us. The window opened and let in a nice breeze and the provided us with a fan for the room. So we didn't mind, but if a/c is a must for you, you might need to look elsewhere.

[Pluto_fan]

Thank you for your report!  I'm glad you had such a wonderful trip

[deb63]

4 minutes ago, karatemom2 said:

 

We loved the hotel. It is small and the staff were so warm and friendly. We really enjoyed the historic vibe and the great pub. However, no air conditioning. It was warm while we were there and it was fine for us. The window opened and let in a nice breeze and the provided us with a fan for the room. So we didn't mind, but if a/c is a must for you, you might need to look elsewhere.

 

Thank you so much for the information.   I will have to check with my daughter and see.   An open window and fan would work for me, I'm not sure for her.    

[karatemom2]

Invergordon:

 

 

[karatemom2]

Edinburgh:

 

[karatemom2]

Le Havre:

 

[Sunset329]

• Great report and loved the photos. We have a British Isles cruise scheduled next year. We are a little concerned about the weather in the ports in October.