Dublin

[UlvaZell]

We will be making a stop in Dublin on our cruise. It's my understanding that there is a shuttle from the port to the town. Once we are in town would it be better to do a HOHO tour or are the major sites close enough we could do a walking tour?

[HeinBloed]

We will be making a stop in Dublin on our cruise. It's my understanding that there is a shuttle from the port to the town. Once we are in town would it be better to do a HOHO tour or are the major sites close enough we could do a walking tour?

 

We had a complimentary shuttle from the port:

 

 

In the City Center the bus stop was located about 3 blocks away from the Tourist Information Office where you can book tours or buy tickets and there around you find all major attractions in walkable distance.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[wotaripper]

We will be making a stop in Dublin on our cruise. It's my understanding that there is a shuttle from the port to the town. Once we are in town would it be better to do a HOHO tour or are the major sites close enough we could do a walking tour?

we did dublin on our own for 2 days there are frequent local buses and much of what you want to see is within walking distance recommend the irish coffees at the jamieson factory they are to die for also went on a boat ride out off the coast from the river in the heart of dublin excellent saw porpoise seals and also the homes of enya and the band members from u2 had a great afternoon and wasnt that expensive there are travel and tourist shops on the main street that you can just walk into see whats available and buy your tickets on the spot.

[Zoolander]

This is the one port we ARE doing the HOHO. Already have the tickets.

 

We will be coming into port in August on the Azamara Journey.

 

Still waiting to find out about the shuttle into town though.

[bluenoser2]

When you saw the homes of Enya and U2 members, was that on a bus tour - can't remember the name of the company now - that does music inspired/styled tours?

[graciallen]

I think the only way to get a definative answer re this shuttle from port to downtown is to email the Chamber of Commerce or Tourist Office, or wait til someone posts back postcruise.

[fabnfortysomething]

When you saw the homes of Enya and U2 members, was that on a bus tour - can't remember the name of the company now - that does music inspired/styled tours?

 

do you mean dublinrocktour.ie

I can recommend this company-great fun

[wotaripper]

When you saw the homes of Enya and U2 members, was that on a bus tour - can't remember the name of the company now - that does music inspired/styled tours?

no it was on a boat thet leaves from the river in dublin and takes you out round the coast close to shore wasnt very expensive think it cost around 25 euro for the two of us and it took about 3 hours it was really good beautiful weather and our boat driver was really informative it is only small groups so everyone gets to see and here what is going on we had seals performing on the rocks for us and swimming up close to the boat.

[rsquare]

Each line makes their own arrangements for shuttles, they are not provided by the city. You could actually walk into the city if you have a high tolerance for dodging trucks taking cargo in to be loaded; the port is just east of downtown, and I'm told that it is 20-30 minutes to the O'Connell Street bridge.

 

Dublin is a very walkable city; I recently laid out some suggestions here. I was responding to someone who was not interested in pubs, but if you are, there are some nice ones, with music, in the Temple Bar area just south of the Liffey.

[ptodd]

Two years ago on our British Isles cruise we did the HOHO and made a stop at the Guiness Storehouse among other things. Just be aware that the free pint you get is at the Elevation Bar on the top floor and even in the middle of the day during the week that place is backed like a club on a Saturday night! It has beautiful views of the city and some great photo ops if you can make it past all of the people. We also had a wonderful lunch at their restaurant a few floors below.

[jocap]

Our shuttle buses went to Trinity College, where the HOHO people were waiting. We did meet some elderly, slow walking people who'd hoped to do the city on their own, and were overwhelmed by the traffic, so caught the HOHO. My OH tried walking from the centre of town to the docks, but gave up the battle and took a taxi...and he's from London originally! The shopping areas are easy to negotiate, but we were glad we had the HOHO as a back-up.

Jo.

[Post Captain]

Each line makes their own arrangements for shuttles, they are not provided by the city. You could actually walk into the city if you have a high tolerance for dodging trucks taking cargo in to be loaded; the port is just east of downtown, and I'm told that it is 20-30 minutes to the O'Connell Street bridge.

My wife & I walked from the docks into the city center a couple of years ago. We are both fairly fit, and long-distance walkers. (I've done many 15-mile walks on footpaths along the coast of Cornwall, for example.) I also lived in Dublin many years ago and took long walks all over the city. However, the walk from the the port to the O'Connell Bridge is one of the most dispiriting we have ever done, and takes close to an hour--certainly not the 20-30 minutes you've quoted.

 

It takes a good 10 minutes just to make your way out of the immediate dock area as you dodge cars, buses, and heavy lorries and meander your way around stacked freight containers. (See HeinBloed's photo, above.) You then hit a long access road--not at all picturesque. That eventually brings you to a dual-carriageway road with heavy traffic; again, not a scenic route. Finally you reach the road that runs parallel to the north side of the Liffy; once you make your way across the road (waiting for an opening in the traffic and then dashing across), you're still a long way from the O'Connell Bridge. Yes, now you have the Liffy on one side--but a series of modern office buildings and construction sites on the other side. By the time you reach O'Connell Bridge and the city centre, you want nothing more than to sit in a pub for the rest of the afternoon and just relax!

 

Believe it or not, after doing this walk, we took the DART from Dublin to Howth and walked around some more in that charming town before finally having lunch in the Bloody Stream underneath the Howth DART station. (That's actually much more pleasant than it sounds.) Once we were back in Dublin, we walked some more--and wound up walking back to the ship. Whew!

 

The moral of the story is, Dublin is one port where we'd advise against walking to and from the ship. However, we heard from several fellow passengers that the bus to and from the ship took almost as long because of the heavy traffic, so be warned. Everything in Dublin moves slowly (albeit not as slowly as when I lived there in the late 1970s).

[chubbypiggy]

What is DART? Metro? Train?

 

Besides taking the cruise line's shuttle bus, are taxis available at the port? How much is the taxi cost from the dock to town center?

 

Thank you.

[TLCOhio]

Dublin is a very charming and interesting city with many history locations and sites. Here is a little visual sampling from our visit there in 2000.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

At Dublin’s Trinity College, here is a distinctive statute in the center of this campus founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.:

 

 

 

On the Dublin’s O’Connell Street, this is the James Larkin statute to honor the 1913 general strike leader. In the background is the historic Post Office that was a symbol of the 1916 Irish Rising.:

 

 

 

Dublin’s Christ Church Cathedral dates back to Anglo-Normandy conquerors in the 1172-1220 period.:

 

 

 

For seven centuries, Dublin Castle was the symbol of English rule, including the round, 1226 Record Tower and the Chapel Royal at the right.:

 

 

 

Temple Bar is the center of Dublin’s entertainment district:

 

 

 

Dublin’s Custom House sits on the Liffey River and was completed in the early 1800’s.:

 

[Aideen]

What is DART? Metro? Train?

 

Besides taking the cruise line's shuttle bus, are taxis available at the port? How much is the taxi cost from the dock to town center?

 

Thank you.

 

DART is an acronym and stands for Dublin Area Rapid Transit. It is essentially a train that runs north-south along the east coast of Dublin.

 

Aideen

[chubbypiggy]

DART is an acronym and stands for Dublin Area Rapid Transit. It is essentially a train that runs north-south along the east coast of Dublin.

 

Aideen

 

Thank you for the explanation!:)

[bjrose]

Dublin is a very charming and interesting city with many history locations and sites. Here is a little visual sampling from our visit there in 2000.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

 

At Dublin’s Trinity College, here is a distinctive statute in the center of this campus founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I.:

 

 

 

On the Dublin’s O’Connell Street, this is the James Larkin statute to honor the 1913 general strike leader. In the background is the historic Post Office that was a symbol of the 1916 Irish Rising.:

 

 

 

Dublin’s Christ Church Cathedral dates back to Anglo-Normandy conquerors in the 1172-1220 period.:

 

 

 

For seven centuries, Dublin Castle was the symbol of English rule, including the round, 1226 Record Tower and the Chapel Royal at the right.:

 

 

 

Temple Bar is the center of Dublin’s entertainment district:

 

 

 

Dublin’s Custom House sits on the Liffey River and was completed in the early 1800’s.:

 

Thank you for this beautiful tour of pix! We leave July 17th on our cruise.

[Missus Makkem]

there is a local bus to Dublin city centre that stops outside the dock gates.

[TLCOhio]

Thank you for this beautiful tour of pix! We leave July 17th on our cruise.

 

THANKS for the nice comments on my pictures! Seeing is believing. You'll love Dublin and Ireland. Lots to enjoy there! After all of the volcano ash, oil spill, euro/stock market roller-coast financial challenges, insurance coverage questions, air strikes, etc., issues, it will be good to enjoy your cruise and trip.

 

Terry in Ohio

[LHP]

I am glad to hear that you can get to Guiness on the HOHO....that is probably where we will spend "the day".... :D