Advice on British Isles Explorer excursions

[snookie1]

We will soon be able to book our excursions for our BIE cruise on May 1st.  I am trying to line up the excursions we would like to book so when the time opens up for us, it will be a quick task.  I've run into a couple of questions that maybe some of you who have done this cruise before can help me with:

Is the Tower of London a worthwhile excursion?  Or can we do the same thing on our own in our 2 pre-cruise days in London?

In the included Canterbury excursion from Dover, do you get to go into the Cathedral?  Maybe on your own afterwards?  Can you walk from there back to the ship?

We are looking at the Walmar Castle and Sandwich excursion from Dover, and the Caernarfon Castle excursion from Holyhead, but we don't want to do a bunch of castles.  Is one of these better than the other?  What would you recommend?

We are interested in the Beauty of County Wicklow excursion from Dublin.  Has anyone taken this one?  Would you recommend it?

DH loves trains and would like to take the Ffestiniog Railway excursion from Holyhead.  Is it worth the 8 hour trip and the $209?

 

This is as far as I've gotten so far; I am sure I will have more questions as I continue.  I think the best source of information about excursions is the people who have been on them, so thank you in advance for any advice you can offer!☺️

[SteelCity Cruiser]

We were on this cruise in June 2023.  We didn't do all the excursions you are asking about, but friends of ours did some.  Plus, some personal observations having been a few of those places previously:

 

Tower of London: very doable on your own (we've been there 3 times).  The Wardens give free talks and there are lots of resources.  See if you can get your admission tickets in advance on line though.

Canterbury - we didn't do this but our friends did and really enjoyed it.  They did go inside the cathedral.  It is not walkable from the boat.

Can't help with the castle question - haven't been there

Wicklow County is LOVELY!  Visited there years ago with friends on our own. It's  bit of a ride, but the scenery is worth it I think

Ffestiniog Railway may have been one of the highlights of our trip (along with the Orkneys and Shetland stops which were our favorites overall).  The train ride is fun, the scenery is breath taking.  The small town you go to for lunch is simply charming.  A little pricey, but we thought it was worth it.  If your husband is a fan of classic trains, he'll love it for sure.

[SantaFe1]

1 hour ago, snookie1 said:

We are looking at the Walmar Castle and Sandwich excursion from Dover, and the Caernarfon Castle excursion from Holyhead,

There is simply nothing like Caernarfon Castle!  One of Edward I’s four great castles in Wales.  Haven’t done it on this cruise with Viking, we leave on this cruise a week after you, but have done it twice on our own.  Don’t think royal palace with furnished rooms and lovely gardens.  This is a hulking bulk of a castle, a ruined fortress, really.  But it represents Wales to me.  Except that Edward’s four castles are what allowed England to take control of Wales.  The Welsh castles, by contrast, are tiny things.  The history to be observed here is astonishing.

Edited February 6 by SantaFe1

[allyg]

Thanks so much for asking these questions. We are on your cruise and I am also trying to decide what to do. Appreciate any information previous cruisers can provide.

[Kountess]

We were on a British Isles Explorer cruise last June as a back-to-back with Viking Homelands.  After returning home, I finished blog posts on each destination.  Several of our tours were with private operators, but the posts might provide some insight into at least a few of your questions.

 

The posts start on June 5, 2023.  Here's the first one: 

https://stramblingchronicles.blogspot.com/2022/06/new-shore-excursion-options.html

 

 

[allyg]

Thanks so much for sharing your information and insights. We are on British Isles Explorer May 1-15, 2024. In Edinburgh, did you do the “ Scotch Whiskey Experience “ that you mentioned on your spreadsheet? I also think I would enjoy the Bagpipe Workshop and Whiskey Tasting offered by Viking but it is pricey so not sure. Thanks again!

[Kountess]

In Edinburgh, we only did the included Highlights excursion.

[fruitmachine]

1 hour ago, allyg said:

Thanks so much for sharing your information and insights. We are on British Isles Explorer May 1-15, 2024. In Edinburgh, did you do the “ Scotch Whiskey Experience “ that you mentioned on your spreadsheet? I also think I would enjoy the Bagpipe Workshop and Whiskey Tasting offered by Viking but it is pricey so not sure. Thanks again!

I think the Bagpipe Workshop bit of this tour is a significant component, usually run by Louise Marshall: https://www.louisemarshallpiper.com/

It's definitely a lot more than a straight whisky experience!

[snookie1]

Thank you all for your excellent advice.   I am getting a better idea of what we should do in all these wonderful places.  Another question:  We would love to do the Coastal Drive and Glens of Antrim in Belfast, but I am concerned about the rating of "demanding" that it is given.  Has anyone been on this excursion?  What makes it demanding?  It says there are trails but you go at your own pace.  How far did you walk?  I love to walk, but I have a new knee (Dec 11th), and am not sure how it will fare.  Of course I have another 3 months until the cruise, so hopefully I'll be nearly back to normal.  Any advice??😕

[allyg]

Thanks so much!

[SteelCity Cruiser]

11 hours ago, allyg said:

Thanks so much for sharing your information and insights. We are on British Isles Explorer May 1-15, 2024. In Edinburgh, did you do the “ Scotch Whiskey Experience “ that you mentioned on your spreadsheet? I also think I would enjoy the Bagpipe Workshop and Whiskey Tasting offered by Viking but it is pricey so not sure. Thanks again!

Not sure where the one you mention is, but we did the whiskey tasting excursion offered at Ullapool.  It was good - wonderful tour of the distillery and tasting (and this particular distillery does NOT export to the US - only available in Scotland and Asia so shopping is key here!), a short visit to Beully (cute little town) and an incredibly lovely (but long) drive through the Highlands.  It does take all the time you have in Ullapool so we didn't get to see the town itself though since we were only in port for a half day.

 

Edited February 8 by SteelCity Cruiser

[allyg]

Thanks so much for responding. Your day sounds like it was lovely. 

[Peregrina651]

On 2/6/2024 at 6:05 PM, Kountess said:

https://stramblingchronicles.blogspot.com/2022/06/new-shore-excursion-options.html

Thanks for the link.

 

On 2/6/2024 at 4:18 PM, snookie1 said:

This is as far as I've gotten so far; I am sure I will have more questions as I continue.  I think the best source of information about excursions is the people who have been on them, so thank you in advance for any advice you can offer!

 

 

I've been keeping a list of BIE threads in this forum since I booked the trip way back when. I know these things get lost quickly but I also know that they are full of helpful information from folks who have already done BIE.

 

BIE Cruise Questions - Ports, London extension

Random thoughts about our British Isles cruise

British Isles Explorer Cruise excursions 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2862566-viking-british-isles-cruise-tips-for-others-going-on-this-cruise/page/6/#comment-64571383

British Isles Explorer Past Cruisers - Questions

British Isles Explorer Cruise

Favorite British Isles Explorer port souvenirs

Live thread: Onboard Neptune now - British Isles Explorer

See especially posts #132 and 136

British Isles Explorer 2023 - terrific video diary!

"Churchill's Britain": pre-excursion on BIE cruise

Advice on British Isles Explorer excursions

 

[puppymama1]

Mick's tour in Belfast sounds wonderful... I cannot find his cancellation policy on his website.  The problem I am encountering when I look at independent tours for our August 2024 cruise is that most of the ones I have seen do not offer a refund if the ship doesn't dock... which unfortunately seems to happen frequently on this cruise, so we are very hesitant to book anything without a cancellation refund policy..

[whitbob]

On 2/6/2024 at 4:18 PM, snookie1 said:

We are looking at the Walmar Castle and Sandwich excursion from Dover, and the Caernarfon Castle excursion from Holyhead, but we don't want to do a bunch of castles.  Is one of these better than the other?  What would you recommend?

We are interested in the Beauty of County Wicklow excursion from Dublin.  Has anyone taken this one?  Would you recommend it?

DH loves trains and would like to take the Ffestiniog Railway excursion from Holyhead.  Is it worth the 8 hour trip and the $209?

We did the Walmar Castle tour with Viking in 2022.  It isn’t as much a castle, but rather a fort.  It was built for Henry VIII along with several other fortresses along the coast to protect from invasion from France.  The grounds/gardens were pretty and there are views of the ocean.  The interior had a few nice rooms, some interesting articles about the castle on the walls, but it wasn’t opulent.  In Sandwich  we did a walking tour past churches and half timbered houses.  The guide was very good. We enjoyed the excursion, but it wasn’t memorable if you are hoping for a royal palace type castle.  
 

We also took the Ffestiniog railway.  It was one of our favorite excursions of the trip.  Again, great guide.  She provided a guided tour from the ship to the town to board the train.  Pointing out sights, and providing insights on Wales.  The train is a narrow gauge rail, so smaller than a normal train.  The views along the route were lovely.  The was a nice lunch at a restaurant in a park type area, with time to walk around and a 3rd stop at Conwy Castle which is more of a ruins.  The guide provided current and historical information about Wales and their relationship with England.  

[snookie1]

Peregrina, your list of BIE sites was helpful.  I had seen most of them, I think, but reread them all, and I did come away with some new information.  So thank you for that.  

Whitbob, thank you so much for your advice on the castle.  It sounds like an OK excursion, we'll see.  And DH is thrilled to hear all the good reports on the Ffestiniog railway.  That is a definite go for us!🙂

[KBs mum]

On 2/7/2024 at 11:19 PM, snookie1 said:

Thank you all for your excellent advice.   I am getting a better idea of what we should do in all these wonderful places.  Another question:  We would love to do the Coastal Drive and Glens of Antrim in Belfast, but I am concerned about the rating of "demanding" that it is given.  Has anyone been on this excursion?  What makes it demanding?  It says there are trails but you go at your own pace.  How far did you walk?  I love to walk, but I have a new knee (Dec 11th), and am not sure how it will fare.  Of course I have another 3 months until the cruise, so hopefully I'll be nearly back to normal.  Any advice??😕

If the 'demanding' designation is about the Giants Causeway go to www.nationaltrust.org.uk for accessibility information and their direct email, also Google Streetview is very useful to investigate road and path surfaces

[snookie1]

I looked up the National Trust info you mentioned, and it gave me exactly what I needed.  Thank you so much!

[SantaFe1]

On 2/6/2024 at 2:18 PM, snookie1 said:

34 minutes ago, snookie1 said:

I looked up the National Trust info you mentioned, and it gave me exactly what I needed.  Thank you so much!

Yes, this was extremely helpful.  Thanks.

[KBs mum]

You're welcome 🙂

[JerryInIL]

Our Canterbury included tour only allowed for a few minutes of free time in the town.   It’s about a 15 minute bus ride from Dover, so you need to stay with the guide.    It was one of the better included tours.

[daleybread]

Took this cruise last Summer. So much fun. Great itinerary to go outside of what Viking offers because they are cheaper and better. (links included below)

 

The Noss Boat Wildlife & Photography Tours in Lerwick
Take a boat tour around the coast: Lerwick is surrounded by stunning coastal scenery, and a boat tour is the perfect way to experience it. Look out for seals, seabirds, and possibly even whales and dolphins. (Viking shuttle will drop you off right near this. This was amazing going out to the island and feeding the birds)

 

Tour of Culloden, Cairns & Cawdor Castle in Invergordon
Make the most of your time on land with this comprehensive shore tour of the Scottish Highlands. In a small group you'll enjoy a more intimate experience than the big bus tours as you journey from Invergordon to Beauly, Loch Ness, Inverness, Culloden Battlefield, Clava Cairns and Cawdor Castle. (They pick you up at the ship and get you back with plenty of time. Some of the best scones at Cawdor and the tour guide got us there when they were getting out of the oven.)

 

Highland Park Whisky Distillery in Kirkwall
An in-depth, enlightening foray into highland park. You’ll start with a short film about Orkney and the origins of Highland Park, accompanied by our ‘dram to discover’, followed by a tour of our distillery and finishing with a tasting of 2 award-winning single malt whiskies selected by our distillery team in our private tasting room. (Get a cab up to the distillery and ask them to come back to pick you up)

 

Black Taxi tour in Belfast
Black taxi tours are a unique way to learn about the history and culture of Belfast, including its role in the Northern Ireland conflict and its transformation into a thriving city. (Set up in advance and they were at the meeting place waiting for us)

 

The Beatles' Childhood Homes Tour - Speke Hall pickup
This tour is the only way to get inside the childhood homes of Lennon and McCartney. Lots of other tours will take you to look at the outside but this is the only way to see inside the unique places where John and Paul grew up and the Beatles were born. (Can't recommend this enough. There are just a few available spots each day. All of the other tours drive by their homes but this one you go in. Cab is expensive but worth it).

 

North Wales Adventure - Sightseeing Day Trip Tour in Holyhead
Make the most of your time at shore on a sightseeing tour around North Wales. Climb aboard your bus and see several landmarks including Caernarfon town walls, Snowdonia National Park, and the Betws-y-Coed and Llanfairpwll railway station. As you explore, your driver-guide sheds light on the local history, legends, and culture of the Welsh. (Similar to Ivergordon, they pick you up at the ship)
 

 

 

[formernuke]

What provider did you use for Invergordon tour? Thanks 

[CDR2001]

1 hour ago, formernuke said:

What provider did you use for Invergordon tour? Thanks 

I’m following this thread as we have BIE in May. I clicked the underlined links abore and found the tour operators. Invergordon was with Avril’s Travels. Thanks to those sharing information! 
 

[formernuke]

Thanks. I didn't realize they were links!