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Itinerary comparisons and Military Tattoo


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In order to go to the military tatoo we would be giving up our only day in Glasgow. So my question is, military tatoo and tournof things around there, or spend the day touring in Glasgow?

 

You don't have to be in Edinburgh until the evening, so you don't have to tour around there with your day if you don't want to. Many people spend their morning near Glasgow (the Trossachs and Luss/Loch Lomond are popular) and then visit the more central Stirling Castle on their way to Edinburgh for the evening.

 

You could, however, schedule more time in the city of Glasgow if you prefer.

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Do you need to always book the 7:30 showing instead of the 10:30 showing to get back on the ship on time? How much do the private tours usually run?

 

During the week their's only one performance a night, around 9:00 p.m and 2 shows on a Saturday &;30 and 10:30 with a fireworks / light display at the end of the 10:30 performance.This is the website of the cruise volunteers group which you may find helpful

 

https://www.inverclydetouristgroup.co.uk

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During the week their's only one performance a night, around 9:00 p.m and 2 shows on a Saturday &;30 and 10:30 with a fireworks / light display at the end of the 10:30 performance.This is the website of the cruise volunteers group which you may find helpful

 

https://www.inverclydetouristgroup.co.uk

Thank you for the link.:D

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As someone who lives in Edinburgh please bring a rain mac ( and plastic bin bag to sit on) as the tattoo is amazing but no umbrellas allowed and open stands so you can get very very wet!

My luck it will be a hurricane ;p

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As someone who lives in Edinburgh please bring a rain mac ( andl plastic bin bag to sit on) as the tattoo is amazing but no umbrellas allowed and open stands so you can get very very wet!

 

We will be in Edinburgh for 2 days, and we already bought tickets for the Tattoo. Thanks for your suggestions!! Off topic, but do you have an opinion about the HOHO bus? We would have only a 1/2 day to ride, but it would at least show us some of your city, along with a commentary to 'educate' us. The rest of the time we want to walk the Royal Mile.

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We were on a different cruise line which stayed overnight in Edinburgh. Thus we felt comfortable in booking tickets directly with the Tattoo. It is an amazing time. Bagpipe bands, dancers, other military bands, a motorcycle ROTC, a chorus, and lights and images projected on the castle walls and fireworks. Lots of non stop action. We had beautiful weather but be aware it can get cold and rainy and the show happens no matter what. I'm glad we went..

Liverpool has a good HoHo, a very interesting maritime museum and lots of Beatles. We arranged for a 3 hour private tour to various Beatles sites with another couple. I loved it and my husband who less of a Beatles fan felt the tour was "just right."

I'd say the Tattoo was the cruise highlight but wallowing in all things Beatle for a day was a close second..

Beatles4Ever!

Would you mind sharing the name of the company you used for the Beatles tour? There are so many! I’d love to go with one that comes recommended by a fellow cruiser! Thanks!

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We enjoyed having two days in Dublin last summer on the Caribbean Princess. The downside was not going to Liverpool as the cruises before ours did. We met folks who had been on it and enjoyed the Beatles connection.

 

A big help to me was reading reviews and live threads. We did not book any excursions through Princess. We did Guernsey, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Le Havre on our own. I booked excursions independently in Cobh (to Blarney, through Cork, and to Kinsale) and Invergordon (to Urquhart Castle, Loch Ness cruise, Clava Cairns, and Cawdor Castle). We used the HoHo buses in Dublin and Glasgow. I thought our day in Glasgow was one of the best. There are lots of things to see and do there.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I had a side seats on both times of my Tattoo visits and had good views. The Castle is at one end and the only entrance the other. The performers would come out from either end or sometimes the middle.

 

Be prepared for any weather, rain or shine the show goes on for 90 minutes with no interruptions. No umbrellas. Bring a small plastic bag to sit on encase the seats are wet.

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I had a side seats on both times of my Tattoo visits and had good views. The Castle is at one end and the only entrance the other. The performers would come out from either end or sometimes the middle.

 

Be prepared for any weather, rain or shine the show goes on for 90 minutes with no interruptions. No umbrellas. Bring a small plastic bag to sit on encase the seats are wet.

 

Great info. Thank you!

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Thank you all, for the great info. I have been on the fence about attending the Tattoo, as the opportunity to visit Greenland and Iceland was the biggest draw for this trip (July / August, 2019, Pacific Princess), but now I'll be anticipating including the Tattoo. Appreciate the report that side seats are good, and appreciate the suggestions for rainy weather!

 

Does anyone know if the Princess Tattoo excursions include sufficient time to visit adequately the Castle interior (descriptions include inside visit, so am assuming some time), as will be wanting to include day excursions for this or the area, also, at this port....

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That's what I was thinking that they must be wrong. Not so great on their part that they gave out the wrong info and I might have written them off as a cruise company if the Tattoo was a must for me. Still trying to decide if it is worth all the effort and $ to go to the event. I watched it on Youtube to get a sense of it but it's hard to say if it out bets the other options available at the same port. I haven't looked into the other options of the sites/things to do in Glasgow to compare it yet. My husband was feeling that maybe the time would be better spent visiting something historical or architecturally interesting instead of a "show" with a lot of bagpipes:o I've read through a lot of others reviews and many felt it was a "once in a lifetime" "bucket-list" experience so I go back and forth a bit.

 

guess it depends on your opinion of bagpipes-for my husband that is the purest form of torture for his ears:D

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Hi fabnfortysomething, First of all the quote you included wasn't one of mine so not quite sure what happened! However i guess your husband hasn't heard bagpipes played professionally. The comedic version is dreadful but the real version is very emotional.

 

To all, here are some pointers about the Tattoo:

 

1. It will go ahead whatever the weather. Your knees and head/ shoulders will get wet if it rains so you need protection over these areas.

 

2. If you're docking at Newhaven, Leith, Queensferry or Rosyth, you can DIY it but NOT from Greenock unless you do a private tour.

 

3. Bookings open in November so you can book months in advance.

 

4. There are military groups from all over the world taking part. It is not just about bagpipes. There is a military theme every year - Army, Air Force or Navy.

 

5. There is one show every night and you can get a train/bus back to all the ports in Edinburgh (NOT GREENOCK) after it. On Saturdays, there are 2 shows and one is VERY late.

 

6. You may have seen it on Youtube, but like all live events, there is nothing to beat actually being there.

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I am so excited to find this thread. We are looking at the Princess cruise that spends two days in Edinburgh (Rosyth), making the Military Tattoo a real option.

 

Can you get transportation to Edinburgh for the day, and then just spend the day there on your own? We may also try to see some shows at the Fringe festival. It looks like it is about a one hour trip from the port. Any suggestions on transportation options?

 

Just signed up for that cruise (August, 2019) and am especially excited to be going to the Tattoo. Apparently, the port where Princess docks is on the north side of the Firth of Forth (called 'Forthports") and Uber says a ride in to Edinburgh will cost 19 - 26 pounds.

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