Review British Isles - Caribbean Princess

[easyboy]

Thanks for your kind comments. Glad my review was useful for others.:)

Thanks for the very informative review.

[easyboy]

We did the 12-day Caribbean Princess British Isles cruise from July 7-19. We chose this cruise because of the large number of port days (9) and the small number of sea days (2). Every port had something unique and interesting to do. Our party of three saved over $1000 in shore excursion fees by not booking with Princess but instead using public transportation to access the same attractions that are offered by the Princess shore excursions desk. For example, in Kirkwall, Scotland one can visit the Skara Brae prehistoric village for $20 on your own, including admission and bus ticket, versus $119 to visit the same sites through Princess. Refer to our individual port reviews below for details on how this can be done.

 

Some reviewers on this forum have described the Caribbean Princess as an old worn-out ship ready for the scrap yard. I disagree. This was our third cruise on the Caribbean Princess this year and we experienced no quality of service issues on any of them. The ship is 12 years old and may be showing a few signs of age, but it is well-maintained.

 

Guernsey: St Peter Port is a quiet village straight out of the 19th century. Most of the attractions in town are within walking distance but be prepared for steep hills. We walked to an old fort on the bluff south of town and to Victor Hugo's house in town.

 

Cobh (Cork): We opted to visit Blarney Castle on our own instead of using the Princess excursion. There is a rail station entrance 100 feet from where you get off the ship. A return ticket to Cork costs 9.70 euros and the trains run every 30 to 60 minutes. Upon exiting the station in Cork, walk west (left) about six blocks turning left at the second traffic light. Walk two blocks and cross the River Lee to the Cork bus station on the right side of the street. A return ticket to Blarney on the #215 bus costs 7.50 euros. Buses run every 30 minutes. Admission to the castle costs 13 euros but we got a flier at the train station that gave us a 10% discount. If you are over 60 you can get in for 11 euros. If you have your heart set on kissing the Blarney Stone be aware that there can be a long wait to do so. When we arrived at 10:30 the queue was already 90 minutes long. If you booked a tour with Princess you might spend your whole time in line and still not get to kiss the stone, because the tour operator only provides 60 minutes for the castle visit. Using public transportation gives you more flexibility with your schedule.

 

Dublin: The ship docks at Ocean Pier which is in an industrial area about 2 miles from the city center. Princess offers a shuttle bus for $8 each way but we opted to walk instead. There are sidewalks the entire way. We had lunch at Leo Burdock Fish & Chips, the oldest fish and chip shop in Dublin (1913), located one block south of Christ Church Cathedral. It is a little hole in the wall place that does takeaway only and there is usually a long line of customers outside. Be aware - the portions are huge!

 

Belfast: The ship docked in an industrial area on the east side of the harbor near the airport, about four miles from the city center. Contributors to this forum have described a free shuttle to the city center provided by the Belfast Port Authority, but the only shuttle available to us was the one provided by Princess for $8 each way. We took the shuttle and then walked to the Titanic Belfast Experience, about a 30-minute walk from the city center. Basic admission price is 17.50 pounds (12.50 for seniors). Many towns have cashed in on the Titanic craze by opening a Titanic museum (even Branson, Missouri has one). The one in Belfast is by far the best of the lot. It is located in the former shipyard where the Titanic was assembled and the exhibits focus as much on the building of the ship as they do on its sinking. It was well worth our time spent. Princess offers an excursion to the museum for $90 per person. Our cost by doing it on our own was about $30.

 

Greenock (Glasgow): Princess offers a "Glasgow on your Own" excursion for $80. We opted to use the Scotrail train for far less. The Greenock West rail station is about a 20-minute walk from where the ship docks. A return ticket to Glasgow is 10.50 pounds, or if you depart after 9 AM it is only 7.10 pounds. The train drops you off at Glasgow Central rail station in the center of the city.

 

Kirkwall: The most popular destination in Kirkwall is the Skara Brae historical site, a 5000-year-old prehistoric village that has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Princess offers a tour of Skara Brae for $120 but we opted to get a better excursion for only $20. The local port authority operates free shuttle buses from the pier into town. The buses drop you off at the visitor center which is adjacent to the city bus station. At the bus station you can buy a day pass for 8.30 pounds on the #T11 bus which is essentially a hop-on-hop-off service that starts at 10 AM. The bus route is designed for tourists and the bus spends 1 hour and 25 minutes at Skara Brae before continuing on to the Ring of Brodgar, a prehistoric ring of stones, where you are allowed 30 minutes to walk around. The Princess tour does not allow you to get off the bus at the Ring of Brodgar. The bus then continues back to Kirkwall arriving at 1:30. Admission to Skara Brae is 7.10 pounds (5.70 for seniors). There is no charge for the Ring of Brodgar. Our total cost was about $20, compared to $120 if you book a Princess tour. The disadvantage of doing it on your own like we did is that you are forced to wait in long lines to buy your bus ticket and park ticket.

 

Invergordon: We took the Cawdor Castle tour through Princess for $85 per person. The castle is very ornate and the grounds are pretty.

For those who want to visit Inverness there is a bus stop on the main street near the pier in Invergordon. A return ticket to Inverness will cost you 10.70 pounds, versus $50 for the "Inverness on your Own" tour through Princess.

 

Edinburgh: We were planning to take the train into Edinburgh (4.60 pounds for an off-peak return ticket) from the Dalmeny station, a 15-minute walk from the pier, but were warned that due to a rail strike the schedules were limited that day. Instead we got on a locally provided shuttle for 10 pounds per person round trip. (Princess offers an "Edinburgh on your Own" trip for $60). Be aware that the local shuttle drops you off at Charlotte Square which is a mile from the main points of interest along the Royal Mile in town. If you take the the train it brings you into Waverly Station which is only two blocks from the Royal Mile.

 

Le Havre: We did the Paris on your Own" tour through Princess for $129. The drop off point is on the Cours de la Reine which is centrally located to the main attractions. Given our limited time in Paris, this was the best option for us and allowed us to walk to both Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower.

Thanks for your review, especially the cost info.

[G&Gcruisers]

HomelessBear, thank you for your review. We are thinking of this trip for next year. Your suggestions and also the suggestions from houston007 will be very helpful. We watch You Tube videos of this cruise and the lines for the museums always look so long. I'm a little afraid of not taking the ship's tours.

Thanks again.

Mj