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Military Tattoo excursion from Caribbean Princess this August


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Has anyone done the Military Tattoo Excursion during British Isles Cruise. Our cruise begins 8/17 in Southampton. This excursion is quite expensive so we're looking for opinions on whether it's worth it. Are there other resources to get tickets and to get us there from ship? Your advice is valued.:o

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Has anyone done the Military Tattoo Excursion during British Isles Cruise. Our cruise begins 8/17 in Southampton. This excursion is quite expensive so we're looking for opinions on whether it's worth it. Are there other resources to get tickets and to get us there from ship? Your advice is valued.:o

 

I haven't been to the Tattoo yet, but I will be there this August. In fact, that is one of the main reasons I booked the British Isles cruise in August. I will be there on the August 5th cruise immediately before yours.

 

If you don't want to take the Princess excursion, you may book your tickets directly with the Tattoo and then book a separate shore excursion to get you there and back. Note that most of the private excursions do not include the Tattoo tickets themselves - you have to book them separately. Also note that you will be getting back to the ship very late just before it leaves; you will need to decide whether or not you are comfortable getting back that late on a private excursion.

 

You can find information about the private tours used by other people on your cruise by joining the Roll Call for the August 17th British Isles Cruise. You may find a group that you can join. You may also find some useful information by looking at the Roll Call for the August 5th British Isles Cruise just before yours, since it also is there for the Tattoo.

 

Information about the Tattoo itself and purchasing tickets directly is available at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo website.

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Has anyone done the Military Tattoo Excursion during British Isles Cruise. Our cruise begins 8/17 in Southampton. This excursion is quite expensive so we're looking for opinions on whether it's worth it. Are there other resources to get tickets and to get us there from ship? Your advice is valued.:o

 

This thread is from 2008, however the Tattoo is pretty much the same.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=804285&highlight=edinburough

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Saw the initial post and was going to look for the past thread but see that Keith already posted it. Lots of praise for the tattoo in that thread. I have to wonder if my bad back would last long enough for this as I don't believe the seating is what one would call comfortable.

 

Does anybody know if the new venue was completed and put into use? If so, is the seating improved?

 

Edit: Just looked online and am guessing that the venue shown is the new place. Prices seem to range from £300 per seat down to £25 per seat for the cheap seats. Of course I would guess that a Princess excursion will cost quite a bit extra. I wonder which seats one gets through Princess. Probably not the Royal Gallery seats (the ones listed at £300). ;p

Edited by Thrak
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Edit: Just looked online and am guessing that the venue shown is the new place. Prices seem to range from £300 per seat down to £25 per seat for the cheap seats. Of course I would guess that a Princess excursion will cost quite a bit extra. I wonder which seats one gets through Princess. Probably not the Royal Gallery seats (the ones listed at £300). ;p

I was in Row Z last year, yes 26 rows up, the cheap seats which we booked online, and we had a great view, more panoramic than if we had been lower down, only thing was climbing up the steps could be difficult for less mobile folk.

Allow a good half hour for getting out, this is not a place they could ever evacuate in a hurry.

We took the free shuttle to Dunfermline in the morning and the train into Edinburgh and afterwards 4 of us shared a cab back to Rosyth where the ship docked. Taxi costs was 60 pounds. No problem. YMMV depending on port.

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I was in Row Z last year, yes 26 rows up, the cheap seats which we booked online, and we had a great view, more panoramic than if we had been lower down, only thing was climbing up the steps could be difficult for less mobile folk.

Allow a good half hour for getting out, this is not a place they could ever evacuate in a hurry.

We took the free shuttle to Dunfermline in the morning and the train into Edinburgh and afterwards 4 of us shared a cab back to Rosyth where the ship docked. Taxi costs was 60 pounds. No problem. YMMV depending on port.

 

 

We did about the same in 2006 except we bought round trip tickets on the train back. However, due to the amount of time it took to leave the Tattoo, the train was no longer running and we had to take a taxi back.

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We did about the same in 2006 except we bought round trip tickets on the train back. However, due to the amount of time it took to leave the Tattoo, the train was no longer running and we had to take a taxi back.

 

I don't think I would recommend taking a train or taxi back to the ship this year. The ship docks at Greenock for the Tattoo - not at Queensferry. The Queensferry departure is at 7:00 pm - not late enough for the Tattoo. The Greenock departure is scheduled for 2:00 am. As stated on the Princess excursion listing, "The drive from Greenock to Edinburgh is approximately 2.5 hours each way." If you are not taking the Princess excursion, I believe you would need to book a private transfer in advance.

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Saw the initial post and was going to look for the past thread but see that Keith already posted it. Lots of praise for the tattoo in that thread. I have to wonder if my bad back would last long enough for this as I don't believe the seating is what one would call comfortable.

 

Does anybody know if the new venue was completed and put into use? If so, is the seating improved?

 

Edit: Just looked online and am guessing that the venue shown is the new place. Prices seem to range from £300 per seat down to £25 per seat for the cheap seats. Of course I would guess that a Princess excursion will cost quite a bit extra. I wonder which seats one gets through Princess. Probably not the Royal Gallery seats (the ones listed at £300). ;p

 

You do get the Royal Gallery seats on Princess excursion GR3-850 - Edinburgh Tattoo with Private Seating & Reception.:) I suspect those seats are more comfortable than the ones mentioned. Princess only charges $799.95 per person for that excursion.:(

 

Princess also has an excursion with Front & Front-Corner Seats available for $279.95 and an excursion with Side Stands seating available for $249.95.

 

The additional cost for the Royal Gallery excursion isn't just for the more expensive seats at the Tattoo. I believe it is on a mini-bus instead of the large buses used for the normal excursions, so the transportation costs would also be higher.

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In 2013 Tattoo night was when we were docked in Greenock. A member of our roll call arranged all transportation, including a full day tour of Scotland (visiting Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, etc.) with Timberbush Tours en route to Edinburg. We arrived in Edinburg around 4 pm and had a couple of hours on our own and then had a group dinner - arranged by another roll call member - at a restaurant near the entrance to the Tattoo. Each of us had purchased our own tickets through the official website and met at a pre-arranged location for the return trip to the ship. Our van arrived back in port way ahead of any of the Princess busses. I don't remember the total price but it was much less than the Princess excursion.

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You do get the Royal Gallery seats on Princess excursion GR3-850 - Edinburgh Tattoo with Private Seating & Reception.:) I suspect those seats are more comfortable than the ones mentioned. Princess only charges $799.95 per person for that excursion.:(

 

Princess also has an excursion with Front & Front-Corner Seats available for $279.95 and an excursion with Side Stands seating available for $249.95.

 

The additional cost for the Royal Gallery excursion isn't just for the more expensive seats at the Tattoo. I believe it is on a mini-bus instead of the large buses used for the normal excursions, so the transportation costs would also be higher.

 

Wowie Zowie! Good info so many thanks for that. However... I am in the wrong income bracket for us to be considering a $1,600 excursion. :eek: I wouldn't have been paying that when I was working and now that we are both retired it's even more out of reach. Nice for those with more money to spend though. I'm sure there are those who pay for the excursion with the best seats and transport and consider it money well spent for an experience they can't get anywhere else.

 

Note: I just had a small Scottish "excursion" by listening to a bit of what Nicola Sturgeon had to say as Stanford University. Love the Scottish accent and it helped me to fee a bit like I was on a cruise. :)

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i did the princess excursion a couple of years ago. i went with princess because of the time and distance involved. and because traveling solo i am sometimes a big chicken. the cheap seat i got was about 3 rows up in the center. great seats! the expensive ones are at the far end and are covered. i'd rather take my chances with the rain than be that far away. the tattoo was exceptional!

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The seats are greatly improved. They were much worse years ago but have been completely revamped.

 

Buy your tickets at: https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/ Prices vary greatly. From about $35 to $350 depending on the day and time.

 

The Tattoo is #1 on my Bucket List and so we opted for pretty pricey tickets (over $600 - buying direct saved us a few hundred dollars) with dinner & entertainment beforehand at the Whisky Experience. We're arranging our own transportation so those costs aren't added in to my ticket prices and that's why Princess charges so much more.

 

Our seats are in the Premier Section which faces the castle. They come with padded seats and armrests. We didn't want to get the higher priced Royal Gallery Section because we'd have to dress formally and with touring beforehand, this wasn't practical.

 

I've waited for a decade to see the Tattoo, will probably never see it again, have Scottish heritage and it's very important to me. It may not be so for you, so you may be perfectly happy with less expensive tickets. From Greenock, I'd go with private transportation to & from the Tattoo. That's a long distance and you don't want to rely on the trains.

Edited by DrivesLikeMario
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Wowie Zowie! Good info so many thanks for that. However... I am in the wrong income bracket for us to be considering a $1,600 excursion. :eek: I wouldn't have been paying that when I was working and now that we are both retired it's even more out of reach. Nice for those with more money to spend though. I'm sure there are those who pay for the excursion with the best seats and transport and consider it money well spent for an experience they can't get anywhere else... :)

 

It's all a matter of your priorities. I wouldn't spend that kind of money on most excursions, but this is a big priority for me. It's just like airfare - some are happy with economy seats and some aren't. Priorities - no one is wrong or right. Just what works best for you. ;)

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What ever you do don't forget ponchos. The year we went, there was an inch of water on the parade ground at the end. It wasn't there when the performance started.

 

When a scot see's clear blue skies, he think hmm it's going to rain today.

 

 

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In 2013 Tattoo night was when we were docked in Greenock. A member of our roll call arranged all transportation, including a full day tour of Scotland (visiting Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, etc.) with Timberbush Tours en route to Edinburg. We arrived in Edinburg around 4 pm and had a couple of hours on our own and then had a group dinner - arranged by another roll call member - at a restaurant near the entrance to the Tattoo. Each of us had purchased our own tickets through the official website and met at a pre-arranged location for the return trip to the ship. Our van arrived back in port way ahead of any of the Princess busses. I don't remember the total price but it was much less than the Princess excursion.

 

 

We did this EXACT arrangement in 2015. One member of our private tour joined the Friends of the Tattoo so that he would have access to tickets earlier than the general public. We were able to choose which seats we wanted. We sat on the left as you enter the Castle (Section 12, Row M, Seats 19-26) and we were very happy. The location was only a little right of center and we had an easy exit. We also hired Timberbush for transportation. They offer a fantastic tour prior to drop-off on the Miracle Mile (the same as above). We had a prior reservation at Howie’s Victoria Restaurant and it couldn’t have been easier. It was an easy walk up to the Castle from the restaurant.

 

We had a prior meeting place for pickup by Timberbush to take us back to the ship with a different driver. We even beat the Princess bus back. Timberbush is truly professional and know their business would suffer if they did not make it back in time. It was a long day but one I would do again in a HEARTBEAT!!!!!

Edited by seacrystal
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Hi all. Fantastic show. I have been 4/5 times, only that was 50 years ago. :). From what I understand it has not changed that much. You most certainly need wet weather gear and warm clothing. I think they still rent out cushions for you to sit on as most of the seating is on benches. Make sure you have a clear idea where you are going when you leave as everyone has to leave the venue going in one direction.

 

 

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Hi all. Fantastic show. I have been 4/5 times, only that was 50 years ago. :). From what I understand it has not changed that much. You most certainly need wet weather gear and warm clothing. I think they still rent out cushions for you to sit on as most of the seating is on benches. Make sure you have a clear idea where you are going when you leave as everyone has to leave the venue going in one direction.

 

 

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As as added note to my post above, 2015 was the hottest day Edinburgh had in a long time. We brought jackets and the evening was uncomfortably warm in sweaters. You never know!

 

 

 

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As as added note to my post above, 2015 was the hottest day Edinburgh had in a long time. We brought jackets and the evening was uncomfortably warm in sweaters. You never know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Is this the same Edinburgh??? :). :). :)

 

 

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In 2013 Tattoo night was when we were docked in Greenock. A member of our roll call arranged all transportation, including a full day tour of Scotland (visiting Loch Lomond, Stirling Castle, etc.) with Timberbush Tours en route to Edinburg. We arrived in Edinburg around 4 pm and had a couple of hours on our own and then had a group dinner - arranged by another roll call member - at a restaurant near the entrance to the Tattoo. Each of us had purchased our own tickets through the official website and met at a pre-arranged location for the return trip to the ship. Our van arrived back in port way ahead of any of the Princess busses. I don't remember the total price but it was much less than the Princess excursion.

 

Very cool. The Princess excursion is the "safe" way to go but this sounds like your group really had it together. I don't have an issue with non-Princess excursions. We had a great tour in Cartagena that was organized by a roll call member and it was soooooooooooo much less than Princess was charging and it was a better excursion to boot. The Tattoo may well be in our future.

 

 

We haven't been to Scotland but it is definitely something we both really want to do. Now that we are both finally retired we can start looking at things like this. We're doing the 28 day Hawaii and South Pacific cruise this October and have a 14 day Caribbean cruise (our first time in the Caribbean!) booked for next March but we will definitely be looking for TA and Northern Europe cruises in the near future. So many places to visit. :D

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Hi all. Fantastic show. I have been 4/5 times, only that was 50 years ago. :). From what I understand it has not changed that much. You most certainly need wet weather gear and warm clothing. I think they still rent out cushions for you to sit on as most of the seating is on benches. Make sure you have a clear idea where you are going when you leave as everyone has to leave the venue going in one direction.

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That is the way it used to be. As I stated earlier, they've made some big improvements in the seating a few years back. Take a look at the stadium now: https://www.edintattoo.co.uk/tickets/2017-seating-plan-and-prices

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  • 2 months later...

I wanted to use Princess (the cheaper one) to go to the Tattoo from Greenock. But, by the time I realized the excursions were out, they were sold out. So, I had to come up with Plan B. We got our tickets online and took the train from Greenock to Edinburg. I was worried about getting back so we hired a private car service to get us back.

 

The whole thing worked perfectly and we had a great time. Loved the show.

 

We ran into some people from our ship who had arranged for a tour of some kind (not Princess) to bring them to the Tattoo. There were enough of them that they had one of those big buses. Despite having confirmed everything with the tour company before they arrived, the driver insisted they be back on the bus before the show ended. They were not happy.

 

Can't remember exactly why he said that but it could have been that there were so very many people in Edinburgh. There was a street festival as well as the Tattoo and it was pretty much a crowded chaotic mess. In fact, there were so many people our driver had trouble finding a place to park, so he was parked illegally. When we met up with him at the appointed spot, we all but ran back to his car. One: to avoid a ticket, and two: to get ahead of the crazy crush of people, cars and buses.

 

Anyway, it cost us just about the same as the cheaper Princess excursion and I thought it was totally worth it.

Edited by Blondilu
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