Hello Everyone!
Not sure what your itinerary is, but we just got back from an amazing 12-night British Isles cruise on
Regal Princess and I'd be happy to share with you our ports, what we did, and answer any questions if I can...
May 20 - Depart Southampton
- we took the train from London Waterloo to Southampton Central then a cab to the terminal. Super easy and highly recommended. Train took about an 1hr 15min and the cab was around 10 pounds. Cab about 5-10 minutes to terminal.
May 21 - Portland, UK
- we took the free shuttle into Weymouth. Really enjoyed the town. Walked around a bit. Had excellent Fish and Chips at Marlboro (just over bridge on right as you go into Weymouth). Be sure to walk along the beach.
May 22 - Guernsey
- Went to Castle Cornet, ate lunch at a pub (The Pickled Pig - excellent), and walked around St. Peter Port. Really liked Guernsey!
May 23 - Cobh, Ireland
- some of our party did Paddywagon Tours Blarney and Kinsale. They liked Blarney, did not like Kinsale (a lot of things were closed that day for some reason). Two of us took the train, which is right next to the port, to Midleton, and visited the Jameson whiskey distillery. Highly recommended. Cork was not our favorite, but the rest of the party did like the English Market.
May 24 - Dublin (Dun Lagohaire)
- We had ordered our LEAP cards in advance, so we just hopped on the DART train (right at cruise port) and got off at Dublin Tara St, then grabbed G2 bus to Guinness Storehouse. That was great. Also visited Pearse Lyons Distillery next door (it's a distillery in an old church, super cool). Did some shopping on Grafton St. Got DART back from Pearse St. Station (though Google Maps will take you the wrong way, so be careful).
May 25 - Belfast
- Did the small bus Giants Causeway and Titanic Experience tour with Odyssey Bus Tours. I cannot recommend them enough. Our bus driver/guide James was amazing. The drive though Northern Ireland from Portrush to Ballycastle (including the Giant's Causeway and Carrick-a-rede rope bridge) was just breathtaking. Also, as on the rest of the trip, our weather was perfect. James took us though Belfast and showed us some of the peace walls (as well as a quick stop to let me get my Northern Ireland Starbucks "You are Here" mug - Thanks James!) on the way to the Titanic Experience, which we all also enjoyed.
May 26 - Greenock, Scotland
- Walked over to Greenock Central and took the train into Glasgow. Just wandered around Argyle and Buchanan Streets and did some shopping.
May 27 - Day at Sea
- We all slept because we were exhausted (more on that later)
May 28 - Invergordon, Scotland
- Some of us took a private taxi tour (D & B Taxi Tours Tain) around Dunrobin Castle, the Falls of Shin, Dornoch, and the Highlands and myself and one other went to play golf at Golspie Golf Club. Everyone had an amazing day here.
May 29 - Edinburgh, Scotland (South Queensferry)
- We all took the X99 bus, which only runs on days cruises are in port and picks up right at the tender port into Edinburgh. They sell a combo ticket that includes the HOHO bus for like 28 pounds/person. Once on the HOHO, we were able to buy 10am tickets for admission to Edinburgh Castle which I recommend to get there as early as possible. After that we ate at Greyfriars Bobby, went into the Greyfriars Kirk yard to find the tomb of Tom Riddle (for you Harry Potter fans), and then we went and toured Hollyrood House palace. Another great day. We all loved Edinburgh. To note. Bus takes about 30 minutes to get into central Edinburgh.
May 30 - At Sea
May 31 - Le Havre, France
- Most took a tour with Overlord Tours to see the D-Day sights. We went to Omaha Beach, WN62, American Cemetery, Pointe-du-Hoc, St. Mere Elgise, and Brecourt Manor. It was a whirlwind day, but so worth it. Two in the party did the On your own to Paris (note it is a 2 1/2 - 3 hour drive to Paris).
June 1 - Southampton, UK
- Took the train from Southampton Central back to London Waterloo.
Miscellaneous Thoughts:
- This is a VERY port intensive cruise. You will not get a lot of rest time while you are cruising. It's fine though, you just need to realize that going in.
- Many nights we would get back later from our port days. On Princess, this wasn't a problem because the buffet (which was pretty good) was always open for Dinner or you could go to Alfredo's (an included Italian place) or get Pizza or Burgers, etc. out by the deck. I would say, though, since Cabanas is not open for Dinner (or at least I don't think it is yet) on DCL, I would opt for late dinner if possible.
- Don't be afraid to do stuff on your own. Transportation in Europe is easy and reliable. We took trains in Cobh, Dublin, and Greenock, and took the bus in Edinburgh. All were super easy. Also, the train to and from London Waterloo is easy as well and way cheaper than transfers.
- Make sure you have Pounds and Euros. UK (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) uses Pounds, but Ireland and France use Euros. That said, many places just take contactless credit cards (the tapping kind).
- If you stop in Invergordon and you have people that want to play golf, there are a number of reasonable and good links courses there (Golspie, Tain, Brora, and if you want to spend a bunch, Dornoch). They all have rental clubs.
- If you are staying in London and flying into Heathrow, I would also recommend using the Elizabeth Line to get into Central London. The trains are a bit more expensive than the Piccadilly Line, but they are nicer and more amenable to luggage and have less than half the stops. You could also do Heathrow Express, but it is twice the cost and only goes to Paddington.
- If you haven't booked a London Hotel yet, a big "thumbs-up" to the Great Northern Hotel (it's affiliated with Marriott) right next to King's Cross. We had an issue and the way management took care of it is the definition of customer service. It's also a beautiful hotel with a lot of character.
- If you need an extra bag (and you probably will) to come home. Get one at Primark. There are stores in London, Greenock, Glasgow, Belfast, and Edinburgh.
cruise
VERY easy to do and if you like history, both have some pretty amazing stuff close by that I highly recommend.
We booked Blarney because we felt like we should? We didn't kiss the stone-the line was SUPER long, also we were getting ready to be tested for the second cruise... lol We ended up just exploring the gardens, which was nice, but I kinda wished we would have just explored Cobh because it was beautiful.
