12 days in the British Isles: Photos and info aplenty!

[loma linda ca a & j]

We are considering the 12 day British Isles Cruise on Caribbean Princess as there are some amazing deals right now and we feel that the summer time would be the best time to go. We have sailed on Princess before and loved it. This cruise is from London and includes Cork, Dublin, Paris, Edinburgh, etc. Our main concern- are the seas rough? From the map it looks like the ship stays fairly close to the coast. Just wondering about this...... thanks. Melissa Troutman melissa.troutman@gmail.com

don't know if you can get ready on such short notice

but the prices for june 29 are really low !!

plus we have the best roll call & m & g group !!!

jim & ann flying out 10 days before on june 18

Edited June 3, 2013 by loma linda ca a & j
add

[PescadoAmarillo]

I got chills reading about your day on Hoy. Then I got misty. What a wonderful thing for you to arrange!!! This is what travel is all about, isn't it? Thanks very much for your detailed review.

[silverbird]

I hope your husband realizes what a fantastic wife he has!! Hopefully, the door swings both ways and he would plan special events for you also.

[Bmwopel]

Thanks a real lot for your very interesting review. I check your review page everyday. I cannot wait to hear more. Please keep it going - very interesting reading. Amazing!

[Id rather be diving]

Amy,

 

I am loving this review. Today I read of your excursions in Loch Ness and to the Old Man. It brought tears to my eyes. I feel that you and I are very much alike in that we like to make magic happen for those who are so dear to us.

 

Non cruise related, but I am in the process of giving my sister a trip to New York to the US Open Tennis champioship for her birthday. She has always been a HUGE tennis fan and has always wanted to go. So, two years ago I made it my mission to get it for her for her 50th birthday. She will open her present this weekend. The present is a series of "puzzles" that are tennis terms. The last one is a picture of a toilet flushing + a picture of a meadow for FLUSHING MEADOWS. Then she will open a "ticket" that says, "Two tokens on the #7 subway - $6, two tickets to ARthur Ashe Stadium - $650, celebrating your 50th birthday at the US Open - PRICELESS. Sorry to hijkack your post to talk about her birthday, but I'm so excited to give this to her so I know just how you felt about getting Mark to the Old Man of Hoy!

 

I can't wait for the next installment!!!!

Edited June 3, 2013 by I'd rather be diving

[Steph27]

Fantastic recap of your visit to the Orkney Islands and journey to the Old Man of Hoy. I vaguely remember the video but did not know it was a real place. I thought it was a CGI creation. I am so glad you did not give up hope of getting to the Old Man of Hoy on your own. Your photos taken with your iPhone are amazing. Where are you cruising to next? I definitely would be interested in what special shore excursions you have planned! By the way, watched the link you included with Annie Lennox and all day that song keeps playing in my head. At least it's a great song!

[ohhbother]

I hope your husband realizes what a fantastic wife he has!! Hopefully, the door swings both ways and he would plan special events for you also.

 

Thanks so much. He and I are both blessed. We were best friends before we ever started dating, and our whole relationship is built around that dynamic. I assure you -- he spoils me too. My favorite Christmas present ever was the year he surprised me with fireworks outside and tickets to Boston under the tree. It was his way of telling me we were going to the Boston Pops' Fourth of July concert -- something I'd dreamed of doing for years.

[ohhbother]

Amy' date='

 

I am loving this review. Today I read of your excursions in Loch Ness and to the Old Man. It brought tears to my eyes. I feel that you and I are very much alike in that we like to make magic happen for those who are so dear to us.

 

Non cruise related, but I am in the process of giving my sister a trip to New York to the US Open Tennis champioship for her birthday. She has always been a HUGE tennis fan and has always wanted to go. So, two years ago I made it my mission to get it for her for her 50th birthday. She will open her present this weekend. The present is a series of "puzzles" that are tennis terms. The last one is a picture of a toilet flushing + a picture of a meadow for FLUSHING MEADOWS. Then she will open a "ticket" that says, "Two tokens on the #7 subway - $6, two tickets to ARthur Ashe Stadium - $650, celebrating your 50th birthday at the US Open - PRICELESS. Sorry to hijkack your post to talk about her birthday, but I'm so excited to give this to her so I know just how you felt about getting Mark to the Old Man of Hoy!

 

I can't wait for the next installment!!!![/quote']

 

Oh my goodness -- what an awesome birthday present! I love the clues to Flushing Meadows. Your sister is going to be thrilled!

 

It does sound like we're kindred spirits. I love planning special moments for the people who matter most to me. Have fun this weekend!

[ohhbother]

Fantastic recap of your visit to the Orkney Islands and journey to the Old Man of Hoy. I vaguely remember the video but did not know it was a real place. I thought it was a CGI creation. I am so glad you did not give up hope of getting to the Old Man of Hoy on your own. Your photos taken with your iPhone are amazing. Where are you cruising to next? I definitely would be interested in what special shore excursions you have planned! By the way, watched the link you included with Annie Lennox and all day that song keeps playing in my head. At least it's a great song!

 

Sorry to put a song in your head -- I know that can drive you crazy! :-)

 

It's funny you should ask about our next cruise. Until yesterday, it was going to be Antarctica aboard the Celebrity Infinity in February. We've been booked for well over a year. But the more I thought about it -- and especially after our amazing adventures in the British Isles -- I decided I want to set foot on the Antarctic continent, not just sail by it.

 

So we're putting off Antarctica until 2015 when we can afford a small ship cruise with landings. I called and canceled the Celebrity cruise this morning. As a consolation prize, I went ahead and booked the Celebrity Silhouette over New Year's to the Western Caribbean. We did the exact same cruise last year and enjoyed it, so we decided to do it again.

 

Added bonus: Skipping Antarctica next year will allow me to do the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans. Several of my friends are doing it, and it's been my plan to run a half for awhile now. So I'll be jogging the streets of New Orleans Feb. 2 instead of boarding a ship in Argentina.

[ohhbother]

Thanks so much to all of you for your kind comments. It just makes my day to come here and read your thoughts and responses. Thank you!

 

After our epic adventure in the Orkneys, our second sea day was a lazy day. We’d made plans to go to Sabatini’s for breakfast, but we both ended up sleeping in. I finally got out of bed to go to my second Boot Camp class in the fitness center. Class was very similar to the first one -- cardio, weights and abs. It was a good workout and a nice way to start the day.

 

I headed back to the room to grab a quick breakfast of cereal. Then, after a shower, it was time to go to Club Fusion for “On Deck for the Cure.” About 25 people participated in this 5K, which involved eight laps around the promenade. It was a lot of fun, and both men and women participated, with all of us going at our own pace. The weather was brisk. After a couple of laps jogging, though, I was enjoying the nice cool breeze!

 

Since I spent most of the morning being physically active, I was famished at lunchtime. Luckily, today was the Mexican buffet in Cafe Caribe. The food was absolutely delicious -- some of the best we had on the ship. I particularly enjoyed the chicken mole. Don’t miss this buffet. So, so good.

 

The afternoon passed quietly with napping and journaling in the room. The quiet was interrupted periodically by Room Service delivering three plates of canapes -- two different plates of chocolate covered strawberries and a plate of rocky road brownies. I still don’t know why all that food was sent, but we didn’t turn it down. :-)

 

And that’s about it for Sea Day #2. My note-taking got a little lax in the evening, so I can’t tell you what we had for dinner. Like most every night, we had our food delivered to the room.

 

I do remember feeling so strange on this day -- it seemed like our cruise should be ending. We’d been on the ship for nearly a week and had so many remarkable adventures already. But the great thing was knowing we still had another day in Scotland and then our time in Ireland. For me, the hard part was over. I got Mark to the Old Man of Hoy. Now, I could breathe easy and enjoy the rest of my vacation.

 

Next up, I’ll share our strange and somewhat underwhelming day in Glasgow. Until tomorrow...

[chloe kitty]

I am thoroughly enjoying your experience. We are doing a modified version of your cruise on the Caribbean Princess in late Judy, and are looking forward to it.

[jpj39]

Amy

I admire you for your wonderful note taking through out the cruise

I always have good intentions but never follow through.

Your review never disappoints.

Judy

[Id rather be diving]

Thanks so much. He and I are both blessed. We were best friends before we ever started dating, and our whole relationship is built around that dynamic. I assure you -- he spoils me too. My favorite Christmas present ever was the year he surprised me with fireworks outside and tickets to Boston under the tree. It was his way of telling me we were going to the Boston Pops' Fourth of July concert -- something I'd dreamed of doing for years.

Ahhh the Boston Pops on the Esplanade...what a fantastic trip. I love the 4th of July in Boston. Nothing else compares. I used to live there and now that I'm not there I make sure to watch the Pops concert and fireworks on TV every year.

 

We are planning a Baltic cruise in 2015 so if your adventure to the bottom of the world falls through...feel free to join us on the Baltic and I"m sure we can come up with some great adventures together. We are taking my husband's grandson for his graduation present. He told me once that he wants to go to Russia....so we'll make it happen for graduation!

[cherrybear]

Wonderful review, thank you for doing it.

[ohhbother]

Sorry, guys. I'm not feeling well tonight. I don't want to shortchange Glasgow by writing about it when I'm under the weather. I'll be back tomorrow with the next installment. Thanks for your patience!

[rdsqrl]

Sorry, guys. I'm not feeling well tonight. I don't want to shortchange Glasgow by writing about it when I'm under the weather. I'll be back tomorrow with the next installment. Thanks for your patience!

It's worth waiting for if it's only 1/3 as entertaining and awesome as what's preceded it. Hope you feel better soon.

[2disneydads]

As a consolation prize, I went ahead and booked the Celebrity Silhouette over New Year's to the Western Caribbean. We did the exact same cruise last year and enjoyed it, so we decided to do it again.

 

Amy,

 

My family is booked on that Celebrity Silhouette cruise, too. We have two connecting Concierge Class cabins. I've been following your review with anticipation and joy. I'm working on this cruise for summer 2015 (I know, we plan ahead). Our daughters, who are 10 and 8, are huge fans of the Disney/Pixar movie Brave. They've asked me to plan a trip to Scotland to see places that inspired the movie. When I stumbled on this Princess cruise, I was so excited, because we'll be able to see a lot of places that inspired the artists who designed the movie. I know that they'll have a great time, and in the summer there should be a few other children on board. Your adventures are inspiring me. I'm thinking now of renting a car in Invergordon as you did, driving to do the RIB trip in Loch Ness and then heading over to Eilean Donan Castle before driving back to Invergordon. Eilean Donan Castle was a major inspiration for Brave, as was Urquhart Castle. I'd love to meet you in person onboard the Silhouette. Maybe I could get you to autograph this thread, which I am going to print out completely to save for inspiration when I get deep into planning.

 

Thank you so much for this excellent review. Maybe I'll be able to do something similar if we get to do this cruise as I hope!

 

John (2disneydads)

Edited June 5, 2013 by 2disneydads

[bigeck]

Looking forward to your Glasgow review to see how it competes with Edinburgh. A lot of ships are stopping in Greenock instead of Queensferry. Hopefully, Edinburgh will get there finger out and build the new dock they promised years ago.

[bigeck]

Amy,

 

My family is booked on that Celebrity Silhouette cruise, too. We have two connecting Concierge Class cabins. I've been following your review with anticipation and joy. I'm working on this cruise for summer 2015 (I know, we plan ahead). Our daughters, who are 10 and 8, are huge fans of the Disney/Pixar movie Brave. They've asked me to plan a trip to Scotland to see places that inspired the movie. When I stumbled on this Princess cruise, I was so excited, because we'll be able to see a lot of places that inspired the artists who designed the movie. I know that they'll have a great time, and in the summer there should be a few other children on board. Your adventures are inspiring me. I'm thinking now of renting a car in Invergordon as you did, driving to do the RIB trip in Loch Ness and then heading over to Eilean Donan Castle before driving back to Invergordon. Eilean Donan Castle was a major inspiration for Brave, as was Urquhart Castle. I'd love to meet you in person onboard the Silhouette. Maybe I could get you to autograph this thread, which I am going to print out completely to save for inspiration when I get deep into planning.

 

Thank you so much for this excellent review. Maybe I'll be able to do something similar if we get to do this cruise as I hope!

 

John (2disneydads)

 

Try this link. They will have Gps to help you tour. I think this would be where Amy got her car.

 

http://www.invergordoncarhire.co.uk/

[triciatravels]

We are on the July 29th cruise as well and looking for excursion co-horts--have you planned all your already? Please let me know if you would like to share a tour in Belfast or Normandy!

 

Tricia

TRICIA_RN_2004@YAHOO

 

LOVIN THE REVIEW------THANKS SO MUCH

[triciatravels]

You are a lifesaver! We leave for our cruise on June 29th and we just started looking at excursions and what to do this week. I cant wait to get home every night to see what you have posted.

 

Can you tell me what the weather was like and if you were ever able to wear shorts or capris? The weather forecast for our cruise says lows of 50 and highs of 66. We live in Colorado with no humidity so 66 is actually warm for us. Thanks for all of your advice!

 

Hi,

We booked late and are now in a scramble to find others to share excursions to Normandy and Cork and Belfast as well as transfers. Have you made your arrangements----there are 4 of us from Indiana.

 

If youd like to share some of the excursions, please email me at TRICIA_RN_2004@YAHOO

 

THANKS!

TRICIA

[2disneydads]

Try this link. They will have Gps to help you tour. I think this would be where Amy got her car.

 

http://www.invergordoncarhire.co.uk/

 

Thank you! I saw this site but had not noticed all of the material further down on the page about the GPS and route planning. That will be much better than Mapquest or Google Maps.

[bigeck]

Thank you! I saw this site but had not noticed all of the material further down on the page about the GPS and route planning. That will be much better than Mapquest or Google Maps.

 

Maybe they will have an automatic. Save the gear changes.

[h3rjp]

I'm looking forward to the next instalment. You have me gripped so far!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[lovevacadays]

Amy,

I loved reading about your day in Kirkwall, et al. What a beautiful story and what a lovely day you both had. I'm sure this is a day you will both always remember and treasure. While I truly believe any day traveling and exploring new things is fantastic there are those days that stand out above the rest.

 

I'm looking forward to reading your next posts.