I'm the one who commented about them getting rid of the kayaking to Spinalonga in Greece. I'm sad they got rid of that, because it was an excellent activity, but understood when it turned out to be hard because of people getting wet, and not having a place to change. I was one of the people in that position, and changed ducking behind a wall. I'm not sure if that's the only reason they got rid of it, but it was a factor. But other than that, the itinerary is the same, and it's magnificent, and you do still go to Spinalonga.
But the Scotland trip was gutted. More than half of the places it visited and the activities that made it great are gone. The Scotland trip used to go to the Isle of Lewis. It was on a chartered plane, which is one of the only ways to get there. It was truly something you probably could not arrange on your own. It was an AMAZING and beautiful place, with an ancient stone circle, some great old historic homes, cool ruins, a charming little town, etc. That was the first thing they cut. (Although I was told they stopped because the locals complained about being invaded once a week. Which I guess is understandable, but still sad). The trip also used to spend a couple of days on the Isle of Skye, which is magical and beautiful, and a truly special place. Hiking the Quirang there was a wonderful experience. Not going there is pretty tragic. Plus, since they don't drive to Skye any more, they don't go to Eilean Donan castle, which is a truly amazing place to visit, and a really iconic place to see. I think some people probably complained about the bus time to get there, but I totally thought it was worth it!
They don't go to Dunnottar Castle either. It's perched on a promontory out over the North Sea and is really spectacular. I also really enjoyed Glamis Castle, where Queen Elizabeth grew up. They really don't go much of anywhere near the east or west coast of Scotland anymore except for Edinburgh.
The new itinerary just seems kind of ordinary compared to the old itinerary. The old itinerary went places and did things you don't see on other itineraries, and things like the Isle of Lewis made it really unique. The new itinerary might seem wonderful if I hadn't done the original itinerary, but I did. And it's a shame they gutted it.
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