Where to go

Ideas for things to do in Dublin. Edinburgh, Belfast or is it better to do cruise line excursions? Thanks

Also check out the port of call forum for ideas: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=233

You'll definitely get more relevant 'eyes on' your question if you post it in each of the individual Ports of Call as linked above - but in general cruiseline excursions are either more expensive or pack more people in (which means more time wasted getting on & off buses and less time for Qs with a guide who has to deal with 55 instead of a handful) or both.

While people claim they are safer - "the ship will not leave without you if you're on a ship's tour" is often posted - that's simply not true; ships can and do leave without their 'own' buses just like they leave behind independent touring folks. I've yet to find a private excursion that does not match the same deal as the cruiseline's actual guarantee that they'll get you back to the ship at the next legal port.

For all cities on a single day port stop it's also a very good idea to give a bit more detail about you and your traveling companions so that locals and past-cruisers can give you advice that fits YOU. If all you want is the generic 'what do most people like to do in city X?' then that's exactly what Tripadvisor Best Of lists are for!

I lived in Edinburgh for years, and revisited recently, and could offer plenty of great stuff to do - but what I like and what you like might be very out of synch (e.g. I'd never go to the Military Tattoo or Festival but many thousands of people love these). The kind of things I do like - castles, museums, galleries - may not be your cup of tea, and while Edinburgh castle is a pretty safe bet for most folks to enjoy, there are enough different museums and galleries that without knowing the kind of art/history/cultural stuff YOU like it's hard to say which of the many would be the best to recommend...

I too would check out the ports of call board.

Edinburgh is easy to do on your own. It's fun to walk the area and to visit the Castle. If you are staying overnight I would go to the Military Tattoo. It is a wonderful experience. I would do that through the cruise line.

Belfast. Be sure to go to the Titanic Museum. It is about a mile from the port. I would purchase tickets on line. The downtown area is about 30 minutes away and would also spend time there.

Dublin is also very easy to do on your own. The downtown area is not far from the port but because of traffic it takes about 30 minutes to get there.

Keith

I enjoyed the HOHO bus in Belfast, which went through the streets, but also gave me a good view of Stormont, which is so much in the news this week...

Dublin...Guinness factory tour...Belfast...Titanic museum...Edinburgh...The Royal Yacht Britannia....

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