12-Night British Isles July 2017 Cruise

FloridaFlame

Pam B.
Joined
Sep 9, 2003
We had a fantastic time on this cruise, departing and ending in Dover and stopping in Le Havre (Fr.), Portland, Dublin, Liverpool, Greenock, Kirkwall, Invergordon and Newcastle. It was jam-packed with ports--only 3 sea days--and we saw so many places, it will be weeks before we can fully process.

DOVER:
1. Stayed in the Churchill Guest House, in the Patricia (two twin beds) and Victoria (one queen) rooms, eating breakfast there both days. Nice accommodations with modern private baths, and those two rooms are great together if your family needs both. Walkable to the Dover Castle so long as all members of your parties can handle hills. They'll also call taxis for you. Free FAST wifi! Breakfast was good although they were rather flummoxed by our American desire to drink water with our meal
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:).
2. Spent the day at the Dover Castle. If you like history, this is worth a FULL day. And get there early; it's super popular. Don't miss the WW2 tunnels, and the medieval tunnels and furnished castle rooms are super cool too. The food at the cafe is decent. They will NOT call a cab for you so have a plan for transport if you're not walking down the hill and know that our wireless TEP hotspot rental couldn't get signal there.
3. Ate dinner at the Coast Guard pub (took a taxi from the Castle, cost about 10 pounds and change). It's the pub in the UK closest to France. It was good and beachside; very pretty. Don't think I'd take the trouble to go BACK (I'd just eat in Dover) but glad I did. Know that the inside was FULLY booked that night; we got lucky and ate food from the bar menu on the patio. Advance reservations could be smart.
4. If you have a little time to kill in Dover, check out the Neolithic (?) boat that's on display in their free museum, right in the village.
5. Book your cab to the ship in advance if you're overnighting in Dover before the cruise. There aren't enough cabs OR Uber cars in town to serve everyone without notice.

LE HAVRE:
Booked a small group tour with Bayeux Shuttle (Llyod Scott was our guide) to Normandy WW2 sites. It was FANTASTIC and engaging for all ages. Lunch was decent and included in the price. Zero stress, set a very high standard for all other tours, on the rest of the cruise.

PORTLAND:
A near-disastrous tour with private operator Discover Dorset. Neither the port or the operator was prepared for the volume of a Disney visit. But they did get us there and back (barely... due to bus breakdowns) and we saw both Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral. If I were to do it again, I'd see if I could find an affordable private tour guide for this port, who I would meet OUTSIDE of the port gates (there's a free shuttle to town), as they proved to be very slow in letting in private operators. Stonehenge is worth a lot more than the 90 minutes we had there. Salisbury was beautiful and the town looked cute but I think this port is all about Stonehenge.

DUBLIN:
We took advantage of the free shuttle and rode into Dublin at around 8:30 AM. It was a weekday and full of traffic, so it was easily 20-25 minutes into the city--it let us off by the Oscar Wilde statue (be sure and stop there to read the witty quotes on the columns near his statute).

We did our own 10:30 bookings (online, in advance) for the Book of Kells; happily they let us in early and in front of the cruise group tours, since we got there at about 9:30 AM, on foot from the shuttle. The best part of this stop is seeing the Trinity College library afterwards; a must for Harry Potter fans because it was the inspiration for the Hogwarts library. Our 12 year old and my husband were both pretty bored by the Book of Kells; I'm a book nerd so I loved it but probably was the only one in our group and even I don't need to go back again.

Next we walked through Temple Bar and hit the Queen of Tarts bakery for scones and treats. Delicious, but if you've hit a lot of bakeries in your life, it's not like this will be the BEST EVER. Just really really good.

Then we jumped on the Hop On, Hop Off bus. (https://citysightseeingdublin.ie/). We did the red route (they have a blue route but it's much longer, you don't see much more and it practically takes you back to the ship). Live tour guides, which was fun, but note it's only in English (no translated tracks to listen to). This was a great way to see the city. I prebooked tickets online and just showed the printout to the driver to get our printed tickets; easy and you can do it at any stop. Kids 14 and under ride FREE. This company did NOT offer WiFi, which is one of the reasons I picked it (anything to keep the phone-addicted members of our party OFF their phones).

We walked around Grafton St. afterwards and shopped. There is some special Dublin merchandise in the Disney store. I also picked up a super soft sweater and tweed hat at The Sweater Shop, which offers free shipping to the states and will even delay sending it by up to three weeks if you ask. I probably overpaid but WOW was their stuff gorgeous and I didn't see any sweaters or hats that nice for the rest of the cruise. Also we went to a souvenir shop that was on the shopping map (Conolly's) and it proved a fine spot for any typical souvenir you might want. The Sweater Shop has free wifi. If you need to keep some members of your party occupied while you agonize over which stitch sweater to get... this can be good.

We found U2's hotel and ducked into the Octagon Bar (empty) for a quick photo. Then we joined up with the Musical Pub Crawl (https://www.musicalpubcrawl.com/). They walked us to one pub and played for awhile, then walked us to an underground restaurant and played--then DELICIOUS, ample dinner--then played some more and a (male!) step dancer performed for a bit. This was so much fun and probably everyone's favorite part of the day. Note that you order and pay separately for drinks at both stops. The only issue was that these guys walked FAST between both stops and this proved to be a very real challenge for my Mom, whose health prevents her from walking far or fast. We nearly lost them. If you or your traveling partner has limited mobility, make sure they give you detailed directions so you can catch up to them. They claim they leave nobody behind but... I think they would have lost us if we hadn't worked out a way to run ahead and go back to relay directions to her.

At this point, walking back to the free shuttle was an exhausting prospect for some of us, so we took an Uber instead. Ten Euros, approximately, and we were delivered shipside in 15 minutes. Awesome.

I want to go back to Dublin. My first stop will be the EPIC museum, which we didn't have time to do and looked great.

LIVERPOOL:
Can I say, we were so NOT excited for this port? We're not Beatles fans so... yeah. But boy were we wrong. This place has got it going on. The port knows how to welcome their passengers, and then some. You're disembarking right in the middle of town and there's a million handy taxis and friendly people to answer questions and they even had this huge party towards the end of the day, on the pier. Oh and the museums at the pier? FREE, baby!

We started the day with random wandering on foot, to a shopping area nearby (I'm sorry I don't know the name, but just kind of follow other people on foot). It was nice enough, lots of chains, etc. Then we took a cab for 10 pounds to Anfield Stadium, home of the Liverpool Football Club. This was totally a choice aimed at our 12 year-old, who loves sports of all kinds, and my artsy husband and I anticipated total boredom. Again we were WRONG--we all totally enjoyed the tour of this just-renovated, enormous soccer stadium! And once I found out that they're owned by my beloved Red Sox, I knew I had a new favorite soccer team
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:). Er, I mean, football. The tour takes you all over, including the dressing room where they encourage you to touch, smell, embrace formerly-worn jerseys. For real. Tour guides were total LFC fans and a lot of fun. The gift shop is BIG, as big as the biggest at Fenway Park
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:). But know this on the timed-entry tickets: you still have to stand in the general ticket line to get them printed. Don't bother! There were stressed-out people in the long line thinking they'd miss their time. They just got a later slot but still, there's no $ savings in advance booking.

After Anfield, we took an Uber (about 8 pounds) back to the ship and had lunch there, which was a really nice break. Security IS intense in Liverpool, and oddly, they separated men from women and children, as if it were the Titanic. This proved upsetting for at least one set of passengers; I think the mom honestly thought they'd scooped her husband and were putting him into port jail. He was totally fine and they were reunited, so just anticipate it!

After lunch, we wandered over to the Mersey Martime Museum and saw both the Titanic exhibit and the Slavery exhibit. Both were very good. although as I fell asleep that night, I questioned the wisdom of visiting a Titanic exhibit whilst on a cruise
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:). The Slavery exhibit was especially fascinating as an American; the Liverpool angle didn't disagree with American experiences and opinions, but it was definitely from another perspective.

We then floated over to the Liverpool Museum, but mostly went to the gift shop and sucked down all the free highspeed WiFi we could before they throttled it at closing time.

Finally we wandered around the enormous port party they had going on, wishing we had empty stomachs so we could sample the cakes from this one snack stand that had the most beautiful cake slices and jars I'd ever seen.

We reboarded and stood on deck 4, watching the thousands of people who showed up to wave the ship off. It really brought home the privilege and fun of getting to be a DCL passenger.

NOTE: My Mom was entirely unexcited by the Anfield tour, so she elected to book the very affordable private BusyBus tour instead, and had a GREAT time. She also said it took them to a place with the best fish and chips she ever ate. So, another option to consider and way cheaper than any DCL excursions.

GREENOCK:
We took Scotrail from Greenock Central (we walked to it... about 10 minutes at a good clip), connecting via Glasgow (where you have a 5-minute walk to change stations, easy), then on to Edinburgh Waverly. The trains were entirely easy and clean (FREE WIFI on one leg). We bought our tickets at Greenock Central because I was totally confused by the options on the ScotRail website, for pre-buying. I'm so glad we did because the ticket agent scored us a total bargain: 40 pounds for THREE people, round trip. (Our 12 year old rode for free). On the website, the best I could find was 75 pounds. The ticket agent said NEVER buy online in advance.

Thrifty friends, note this: it's 75 dollars EACH to take the DCL "Edinburgh on your own" bus. So we saved big bucks!

We walked from the station to the Camera Obscura museum, which was a total hit. If you have a tween/teen who is going to be sick of historical sites, this is a major change and reward for them. Don't miss the timed entry to see the top level actual camera, and don't be shy about telling them if you're in a rush... they will fit you into the best timed entry for you, if they can. Fun gift shop too. It's right across from the Edinburgh Castle, so your group can always split up if you want.

We then walked to Greyfriar's Bobby (a statue) to meet up with the Potter Trail, a free walking tour of Harry Potter sites in Edinburgh (http://pottertrail.com/). For the uninitiated, the author of HP took much inspiration from Edinburgh while writing the books. NOTE that they do ask for tips, of course, if you liked the tour. Also keep an eye on their website because sometimes their tour times change or they add another time. They will also do a private tour (at charge) for you, if you want. Just e-mail in advance. The tour was SO much fun and the guide was totally engaging. Again a wonderful option for your gradeschool-age and up kids. Adults loved it too. Only 75 minutes long but the walking does go at a good clip.

The walking--I cannot overstate this--Edinburgh is the most hilly city I've ever walked, more so than even San Francisco. I can't imagine negotiating a stroller there, and my limited-mobility Mom elected a ship excursion to Stirling Castle instead because we'd been warned. And it's good that she did, there is no WAY she could have managed. There are plenty of cabs so you could do that.

After the HP walking tour, we hit a few shops and grabbed a soft serve, then ducked back into Camera Obscura for another hour before getting back to the train. It's a short four or five hours or so in Edinburgh if you want to get back for 6 PM dinner!

We reveled in the snack cart and trash collection of ScotRail (please can they come teach Amtrak and NJ Transit some tricks?) and then walked back to the ship from the train. On the way we stopped off at the big Tesco and grabbed a few bottles of wine for the ship.

You may wonder, what did you do for lunch? There was NO time, with this schedule. We ended up grabbing bagels, sandwiches and a pasty in Edinburgh Waverly, to eat on the train.

KIRKWALL:
Booked a small group tour with private operator Orkney Aspects. I am so torn about this experience. The day itself was chock-full and we saw some great stuff. On the other hand, it was not at all what was promised on their website or in our confirmation. Because we were traveling with a child (12 years old), they put us in a children's tour group and skipped four of the five things we were supposed to see, including Skae Brae. They said it was just too crowded and boring for kids. Who knows? Maybe they're right. But they should have informed us and given us a choice to stick with the plan or go their way. On the other hand, it was a very good day and we went to places that were absolutely deserted--a feat with the ship in port. We visited a mill, a farming museum, a 2,000 year-old stone village you can actually walk around in (vs. Skae Brae, which is more protected), the beach, standing stones, and a lovely tea house.

A note about the weather: BRING A HAT. BRING A WATERPROOF COAT. BRING A SCARF. The wind made me feel like I was back in Florida, in a Level 1 hurricane.

Castaway Crafts is a lovely little shop with all handmade Orkney stuff; if you get a chance, such as with a private operator, ask to go! I bought a hat and scarf :).

INVERGORDON
We booked a private four-person tour via Nigel at Invergordon Shore Excursions (www.shorexcursions.co.uk/). It was outstanding from start to finish. They are clearly PROS. Our guide (Allan) took us to a little beach on the shore of Loch Ness where we could skip stones, and out-of-the-way shopping, plus the Clava Cairns, Culloden Battlefield and Cawdor Castle. He was totally flexible and even helped us find Scotch that isn't sold in the US :). I really can't say enough good things about this tour company and Allan. One thing: if you book with them, BE SURE TO CONFIRM a month out. And you have to pay with cash, which it a pain and I hope he changes.

NEWCASTLE
This is the only ship excursion we did: Alnwick Castle. As usual with a DCL Excursion, it was run efficiently, on time and professionally. it was a big-bus tour so no personal touches but we didn't expect them. We didn't want to miss broomstick lessons at Alnwick (where the first two Harry Potter films were filmed, partly), so that's why we went with DCL: we'd heard that the prior year, they booked up all the broomstick spots. And we were also happily surprised to learn that we got to do archery for free at the castle, as DCL excursion customers, and they gave us each 10 pound vouchers for lunch! Alnwick really was a LOT of fun for all four of us. I'd even go back, if there weren't a zillion people there, because we didn't even have time to explore the huge gardens. The gift shop has a LOT of Harry Potter merch. Also don't miss the free walking tour that tells you all about what's been filmed there, from Downton Abbey to Transformers!

RANDOM TIPS
CELL DATA FOR NON-UK FOLKS: we're iPhone addicts, I'll own it. So we rented a TEP hotspot for about $10 per day, 1 GB of data before throttling. Let me tell you, that 1 GB goes FAST! But it kept everyone feeling connected, and we just made sure to have ground rules about phone use during tours, etc. Some ports had limited connectivity to the TEP, but, it was mostly NOT the ports you guys are stopping at. We did find that a number of places, and even some tour buses, offered decent wifi. So I think you could get away without something like a TEP unless you're planning on using your phone for mapping and Uber. Then I'd suggest either renting a hotspot or electing one person's phone to get international data.

SAVE SOME BUCKS ON BOOZE: Probably a lot of you do this already, but in case you don't know: you're allowed to bring beer and wine on the ship, for consumption during the cruise (no hard liquor, they'll scoop that up and give it to you when you disembark). And you can do so in every port. So we always get a few bottles (we went to Savers in Dover because y'know, we are CLASSY) and bring on board, then get more if needed in other ports. You can't bring the bottle into your dining room but you CAN bring in a glass that already has wine in it!

SHIP PROGRAMMING FOR TWEENS: Our rising 7th grader wasn't too excited about Edge, which he also did two years ago during our Baltic Cruise. But he loved roaming the ship and spent many, many hours at the basketball court. And a lot of other parents we met also reported that their tweens were MEH about Edge. Just saying, expect their favorite activity might just be savoring independence on the ship.

THE GYM: I brought workout clothes, expecting to lift every other day and hit the elliptical. HA HA HA. I did it once. I got pretty dizzy and kind of sick. My husband had the same experience. So we just got our exercise with excursions and walking deck 4. And I managed not to gain any weight, despite eating everything in sight, so that works!

BAD CLOTHING CHOICES: I brought 6 dresses, enough to wear each twice for dinner. OMG what a waste of suitcase space. On excursion days, we were usually getting back with at most a half hour before dinner, and I was in no mood to change. I should have brought maybe 2 dresses, for formal/semi formal night, and then just some cute tops for dinner. And definitely should have brought more than one pair of jeans! Even in July it was rarely shorts weather. Also I should have brought a warmer jacket and a hat/scarf. Consider I am saying this about a July cruise and pack accordingly.

HEATHROW: If you're flying out of Terminal 2 and need to kill time, it's a pretty great terminal with fast wifi. Time will pass as quickly as it can in an airport. I hear Terminal 5 is also pretty swank.
 
I'm so glad you enjoyed Liverpool! It's my hometown and we popped to see the Magic briefly when you were in port.
 
What a great trip report! I think I might just want to do this cruise now!!!! Did you do a report on your Baltic cruise?
 


great trip report, loved the Dublin and Edinburgh parts :) I followed your progress port to port on Cruisemapper so its so great to actaully read what you did at each port.
 
Awesome trip report. I would love to take my DM on a similar cruise in a couple of years for her 75th birthday. She is a big Harry Potter fan. So I will use this report as a guide when I start my planning. Thank You!!
 



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