Best British Isles excursions?

[EllinK]

Not a whole lot has been written about the British Isles cruises. If you've taken one of these, please post about your excursion experiences. We're interested in DIY or DCL. Thanks!

 

[goterps1986]

Just booked this cruise for next year so bumping

 

[EllinK]

Anyone? I know you're out there...

 

[lorimay]

I have also booked this cruise.
I have just been searching around looking at the "things to do" while in port.
My favorite place to look is Trip Advisor.
But there is another board, that has a lot of information about ports and there are a lot of reviews there.

 

[poison ivy]

There are a few posters from past cruises sharing information and assisting with planning on ou british isles cruise meet here. https://www.disboards.com/threads/d...ight-british-isles-cruise-from-dover.3515878/

 

[jdb in AZ]

We cruised the British Isles (not DCL) and our favorite excursion included the beaches of Normandy. We were docked at LaHavre, which is far from the beaten path, so it was helpful to be on an excursion that took us to the different sites, and had lunch ready for us at a local restaurant. I'm not a history buff (far from it) but visiting the WWII sites was very educational.

Other passengers will opt to tour Paris, but there's too much to see on such a short excursion sandwiched between two long bus rides there and back to the ship. We did a pre-cruise visit to Paris, then took the Eurostar (train) to London for a couple of days in London before heading to the ship.

 

[Chessie!]

HI! Ok so I have never been on a British Isles cruise because… I’m English!! Every year I look forward to the Disney ships finally being back in Europe so that I can get to enjoy the Mouse at Sea, but my Mom and I do have a giggle when they hit Dover!! As an English Rose J I can however give you some tips as to how to enjoy Blighty the proper way and let the Mouse sprinkle the Magic.

First a bit of a guide to help you survive us Brits. Tea is the answer to all problems. Carry an umbrella and have a jumper with you at all times. Never talk to someone on public transport, except the driver to say thanks. Never complain—everything is always fine. Our public transport is amazing but we will always be annoyed with it anyway. Never queue jump, we will plan your death. Customer service doesn’t really exist. And don’t call it soccer- our football, where we actually use our feet, came first (Chelsea is the best). 5pm means it’s time to go to the pub.

So Dover…. Well you should be in a place called London first dear. Unless you have a desperate desire to see the battlefield of Hastings please I beg you spend as much time as you can in London. It’s where I grew up so again I’m biased but there is nowhere quite like it. Now we don’t have the Mouse instead we have a Mr Harry Potter. The free version is to go to Kings Cross and annoy the actual commuters by posing at Platform 9 ¾. Don’t worry though even I an uptight Londoner have a photo of me in full Gryffindor drag! Or you can pay to go on the studio tour, it is amazing. If you prefer Ears to Wands though first thing’s first hop a city bus and see the sights. Buck House, the Tower, Big Ben, red busses the lot! Catch the tube to anywhere in Zone 1 and go sightsee and then go get lost in Harrods. To get away from the tourists Marylebone is a great area.

Newcastle. The nightlife capital of England, and home of the Geordies the nicest people in Britain, seriously. I go to Uni there! The Angel of the North is the only real monument. Instead it’s all about the shopping, Metrocentre is the largest Mall in Europe but a bit overrated in my option, Newcastle has Eldon Square as well. If you like booze the Botanist is hands down a must do, cocktails aren’t cheap but the views are work it and for you beer drinkers it’s all about the Newkie Brown which you can get in any Pub. Now though for the true English experience hop the train for one hour and go to York for afternoon tea at Betty’s. I would recommend Little Bettys for the shorter queue. It’s a medieval city and most of the top sights are free. Castles cathedrals the lot. Durham is also a closer option. But if you want to stay in Newcastle Quilliam Brothers is also in Newcastle itself and is a local’s favourite for tea and cakes. Alnwick Castle is also pretty close to Newcastle which is the real Hogwarts.

Scotland. Now I am and English Rose so I don’t venture North of the Wall often. However I did go see the loch ness monster as a child (yes I SOOOO spotted him). I would recommend that as well as going to see any of the castles.

Liverpool is all Beatles Beatles Beatles. Penny Lane and shopping basically. I confess I’m not much of a fan so I head to the shop instead. People from Liverpool are scouse and if you want a giggle ask them to say Chicken. For a small island, we have so many accents it’s a bit ridiculous.

As for the Land of the Leprechaun I confess I have never been. The British and the Irish are always at war as to who are the better drinkers. Ireland has Guinness though so they tend to claim that one. But a pub in either country is perfect-but avoid a Wetherspoons if you can. Order beer battered fish and chips, Steak and Ale Pie and a pint. That’s as British as it gets.

Ask away any questions. My family is American so I’ve grown up taking our American friends and family on their British travels!! Top tip number one though is bring a jumper and an umbrella, then hopefully it will scare away the rain.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

What is the best way to get to Dover from the US? Can we get a direct flight into Dover? If not does Disney have transportation from a hotel directly to the port?

 

[Chessie!]

I can't speak for Disney but this is what I would do.

Fly into Heathrow and get the tube to St Pancras. That's the Piccadilly line (dark blue) no changes but it does take 1hr 15 min minimum. Then take the train to Dover (1.5 to 2 hours depending on the number of stops) and taxi to the Port.

I would suggest staying at least 1 if not 2 nights in London before the trip to Dover. This means that you get to really enjoy London and then you’re not panicking if anything happens to your flight when crossing the Atlantic. Plus, you’ll adjust to the time difference.

Our Train network is really good, even if we complain about it all the time! Taking a train in England is like taking a domestic flight in America. It’s the norm and everyone does it. So, you can easily get to Dover from London the day of Sail and not worry too much about missing the train, there will be MANY in the same day. Some leaving only minutes later. Use www.thetrainline.com and buy your tickets ahead of time for significant price reduction.

Another great option is to get an open return which lasts the month and then you can get any train back to Dover from London for flying home.

Also, St Pancras is literally next to Kings Cross!! So you can even visit Platform 9 ¾. But you need to add at least 1 hour to do that. It's free but the queues can grow quickly during peak times. It drives Brits mad because in the final Potter movie that show the outside of St Pancras and not King Cross because its prettier!!!

I hope that helps!

 

[poison ivy]

What is the best way to get to Dover from the US? Can we get a direct flight into Dover? If not does Disney have transportation from a hotel directly to the port?

Flts from US were into London Heathrow or Gatwick airports. Both are more than an hr from Dover.

DCL read us a list of hotels (6 or 7) to choose from. They were at various locations around London and Dover - all with port transfers available thru Disney. We had no idea how to distinguish one from the other when they were running down the names, so we asked for the least expensive near London. That was the Sofitel at Heathrow airport.

 

[Chessie!]

Flts from US were into London Heathrow or Gatwick airports. Both are more than an hr from Dover.

DCL read us a list of hotels (6 or 7) to choose from. They were at various locations around London and Dover - all with port transfers available thru Disney. We had no idea how to distinguish one from the other when they were running down the names, so we asked for the least expensive near London. That was the Sofitel at Heathrow airport.

How long are you staying in London? Cause Heathrow really is an hour outside of London. So if you want to enjoy London time and money of getting you in and out of London might not make it worth it. Especially if you are getting the train to Dover you might as well already be in London. If budget is a worry look for Premier Inns. They are like the English version of a Motel but much much nicer. All very clean, but pretty basic i.e. don't expect room service. I have stayed in so many up and down the country, there are literally hundreds in London its just a case of picking your area. The more residential the cheaper it is.

 

[poison ivy]

How long are you staying in London? Cause Heathrow really is an hour outside of London. So if you want to enjoy London time and money of getting you in and out of London might not make it worth it. Especially if you are getting the train to Dover you might as well already be in London. If budget is a worry look for Premier Inns. They are like the English version of a Motel but much much nicer. All very clean, but pretty basic i.e. don't expect room service. I have stayed in so many up and down the country, there are literally hundreds in London its just a case of picking your area. The more residential the cheaper it is.

Unfortunately with a 12nt british isles cruise, we're arriving at Heathrow after 7PM and with a 2 nt. precruise stay. This gives us 1 very full day to tour London. It's a sacrifice but it's the best we could manage with a 2 wk trip.

FYI - DCL would only arrange 1 night precruise. We wound up cancelling that and booking direct ourselves which was a far better deal. We were able to get 2nts for the same price DCL wanted for 1nt. This had no impact on our transfers. They are set up based on the hotel you are staying at, but do not require you book that stay thru Disney.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Unfortunately with a 12nt british isles cruise, we're arriving at Heathrow after 7PM and with a 2 nt. precruise stay. This gives us 1 very full day to tour London. It's a sacrifice but it's the best we could manage with a 2 wk trip.

FYI - DCL would only arrange 1 night precruise. We wound up cancelling that and booking direct ourselves which was a far better deal. We were able to get 2nts for the same price DCL wanted for 1nt. This had no impact on our transfers. They are set up based on the hotel you are staying at, but do not require you book that stay thru Disney.

This is good to know. So as long as you are staying in one of the designated DIsney hotels, transfers will pick you up there. But one can book the hotel "directly", not through DIsney. I would assume this would work post cruise as well? Do most stay one night post cruise or fly home directly from disembarking?

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Flts from US were into London Heathrow or Gatwick airports. Both are more than an hr from Dover.

DCL read us a list of hotels (6 or 7) to choose from. They were at various locations around London and Dover - all with port transfers available thru Disney. We had no idea how to distinguish one from the other when they were running down the names, so we asked for the least expensive near London. That was the Sofitel at Heathrow airport.

Could you name some of the hotels that are listed as "Disney pre and post cruise hotels"? I don't want to bother my TA on a Sunday, and thought I would browse over them. My sailing is in 2018 but I'm sure the hotels may be the same or similar.

 

[EllinK]

I can't speak for Disney but this is what I would do.

Fly into Heathrow and get the tube to St Pancras. That's the Piccadilly line (dark blue) no changes but it does take 1hr 15 min minimum. Then take the train to Dover (1.5 to 2 hours depending on the number of stops) and taxi to the Port.

Thank you for this useful info! And thanks to everyone else for all the general info about the UK. I have traveled to London as well as other parts of England, many times and lived in Ireland when I was younger. I'm specifically looking for recommendations about actual excursions. For examples, instead of doing a Beatles tour in Liverpool, has anyone taken the bus trip to Wales?
Thank you!

 

[EllinK]

bump

 

[poison ivy]

Could you name some of the hotels that are listed as "Disney pre and post cruise hotels"? I don't want to bother my TA on a Sunday, and thought I would browse over them. My sailing is in 2018 but I'm sure the hotels may be the same or similar.

Grosvenor House, A JW Marriott Hotel (London) - https://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/longh-grosvenor-house-a-jw-marriott-hotel/
Hilton London Gatwick Airport - http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/united-kingdom/hilton-london-gatwick-airport-GATHITW/index.html
Sofitel London Heathrow - http://www.sofitel.com/gb/hotel-6214-sofitel-london-heathrow/index.shtml
Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill - https://londonchurchill.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

I have to check my notes to see if there were more.

 

[rpcvpanama]

We did a British Isles cruise 2 years ago on Princess. We booked all private tours and had a wonderful time. We were able to get a lot more accomplished at each port doing it on our own. We were a family of 8 so most tour companies accommodated us in one van. Two of our stops we did semi-private "small" group tours, Normandy in particular. In Normandy we were able to go to both US beaches and a stop in a small town (can't remember the name offhand) for lunch. It was great!

 

[EllinK]

We did a British Isles cruise 2 years ago on Princess. We booked all private tours and had a wonderful time!

I think we have Normandy figured out but would love to hear about the other private tours you liked.

 

[rpcvpanama]

I think we have Normandy figured out but would love to hear about the other private tours you liked.

For Cork and Glasgow we hired private tour guides from toursbylocals. It was very easy to use and we found a tour guide in both locations that could accommodate our party size. They have "pre-selected" itineraries but most do allow customization. Our cruise didn't go to Liverpool so I can't help you there. In Dublin we did the HOHO bus and a walking tour on our own. We purchased transportation from the port to Dublin (roundtrip) through the cruise line.