British Isles aboard Regal Princess 7/26, several questions

[karatemom2]

Another good option for Stonehenge if you are on a tight schedule is to combine it with your airport transfer which is what we did last year using EC Minibus. Worked great to get us off running and fight the jet lag on our arrival since we were determined to make the most of our time. We had about a two hour stop there on the way to our Southampton hotel. 

[smilesntravels]

5 hours ago, KKB said:

OK, Lochness ISN'T that exciting. 

It's just a lake. 

Lovely, but...

 

Belfast is AMAZING--the best Hop On Hop Off bus tour I've ever taken (London a close 2nd, Dublin 3rd). Titanic Museum fantastic...but, yes, the Causeways...choices choices.

 

Orkney Island are AMAZING--they dropped it from ours the last minute & I was SO sad.

Take the free shuttle into Kirkwall (LOVELY seaside town) earlY & get in line a the travel center. For 25lbs you get an AMAZING tour of the area. HIGHLY recommend. 

Plus time to wander Kirkwall after your several hour tour.

 

I loved Dublin but with the travel time in (tender & train), it is very limiting. 

 

Much better itinerary, imo.

Thank you KKB for your responses!  I know of course, there are things to do in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, I just haven't had the time to look at what I want to do.  So, until I do, I was thinking of some sort of hop on hop off bus.  Unfortunately, hubby isn't interested in golf. But, that sounds like a great excursion you did to St. Andrews.

 

He wasn't thrilled about switching to the later date that includes Orkney Islands and Belfast.  Both itineraries are great.  But, you can't see everything in one trip.  Either way, we'll visit five countries on one cruise.

 

I stayed in the suburbs of Dublin back in 2011 when I did a special assignment for Aer Lingus.  I barely remember walking around in Dublin, but we'll figure something out.  Thanks for the info about Invergorden tours.  I looked at a few, and probably need to hurry up and book things.

 

Someone recommended to me to just go to Paris and see the Olympics there.  I know the prices will be much higher.  Since hubby isn't wanting to spend the money for a balcony 😞 😞 , I'm fairly sure he's not going to want to spend it on a trip to the Olympics in Paris 🙂 .

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruises!  Yes the UK is nice!  As a former flight attendant with United, I got to go to London and a lot of other European cities!  Once on a quick trip there with my parents, we went to the Globe Theater.  Happy traveling 🙂 .

[smilesntravels]

5 hours ago, KKB said:

@smilesntravels We just got off the Regal Princess UK cruise & it was GREAT!

Room--for us, while we like a balcony, we really do find we don't use it much. You have a very port intensive cruise, so you won't have much time to use it anyway.

Princess interior rooms are laid out nicely--and you will sleep SO well at night. 
I did an interior for 20 days last year in UK & Norway. 

Personally, I'm rarely in my room (especially on port intensive criuses).

I know people who COULD NOT do interiors (tho have they tried?); we find them fine. You can turn the TV to the Bridge cam to create a "window" of sorts if you choose.

 

As far as Princess Plus goes, I'm a fan. IF the numbers make sense--which they do, imo, for anyone who likes even the occasional drink.

$60pp/day

Breaks down:

$16pp/day gratuities

$25pp/day internet (this could be halved if you share)

That leaves $20pp/day ($30 if you share internet) for specialty coffees, sodas, alcoholic drinks--2 of those alone will be a breakeven!

 

Generally, we find Princess excursions typically overpriced...and I'm a bit over the large bus tours.

 

DO NOT stay on the ship in Portland! Weymouth s a lovely sea side village.

(I'd skip Holyhead or Glasgow over Portland!)

 

I recommend Overloard Tours for a Normandy tour out of Le Havre (the best choice for Le Havre...it's kind of a "meh" port)

 

I recommend https://www.invergordon-bustours.com/ --I have done Tour 2 twice!

 

Edinburgh we hired a van & driver & went to St. Andrews--a must do for any golf fan. 

There were 6 of us & it ran about $200 each. TripAdvisor, Viator or Get Your Guide

Best part is we got to go where we wanted & stay as long as we wanted.

But it meant missing Edinburgh, boo--another time.

 

Cobh is a lovely little town--you could wander there in the AM, then come back to watch Olympics. (you dock RIGHT in town...you truly can get off a bit, come back, go back out--it's that close)

 

Dublin was a fav but be sure to get up early to get 1st tender tickets. Since you have to tender in, then take a train to Dublin, you are looking at a bit of travel time on each end. 

Not much was open that we wanted to do with that early arrival, so we did the Hop On Hop Off bus to start--funny, great way to get the lay of the land. TOO many things to do there, you will have to be selective! We wandered Trinity College/Temple Bar area, had Irish lunch, then hit the Irish Rock N Roll Museum--loved it, but U2 IS my fav band! (DH really enjoyed it as well and he's not the music junky that I am)

 

Glasgow was OK. We wandered all over city center. Lots of shopping. Most places didn't open until noon for lunch (we were peckish by 11--had to settle for a pint at a pub, which WAS open, lol) We got RT bus tickets at the port. Nice 30 min. direct bus in, but it was about 90 min. back as it was a traditional bus that stopped numerous times. I recommend the train.

 

 

I forgot to mention- is that really true about the Princess Plus?  I've seen people mention this.  So the $60 pp/pd covers the tips and the wi-fi? Is wi-fi really $25 per day?  I looked at Princess' site recently and I thought it was $66 pp/pd.  Therefore, you're right at breaking even with two or so drinks per day?  It just seems like so much more...$1500-1600.  Our last two trips were all-inclusive resorts and it's so nice that everything is already included, even airfare.

[smilesntravels]

2 hours ago, karatemom2 said:

Another good option for Stonehenge if you are on a tight schedule is to combine it with your airport transfer which is what we did last year using EC Minibus. Worked great to get us off running and fight the jet lag on our arrival since we were determined to make the most of our time. We had about a two hour stop there on the way to our Southampton hotel. 

If you don't mind- can you explain that more?  I've been looking for trips/transportation that combines Stonehenge with the transfer to/from airport.  I saw one either through Princess or Dream Vacations shore excursions that includes a long stop at Stonehenge on the way to LHR.  That's the only one I've found so far.  We'll stay one night in Southampton pre-cruise, so if needed could do it on the way to hotel.  I figured we'd do it after disembarking, on the way to LHR but would like more options.  TY!

[smilesntravels]

2 hours ago, LeeW said:

Since you mentioned Stonehenge, fly in two days early and stay in Southampton (We use the Leonardo Royal Grand and eat mostly at the mall).  Walk 15 minutes to the train station on the other side of the mall and take a westbound train to Salisbury (around 20 minutes).  Get off and the HOHO bus leaves from the train station basically on the hour (book online in advance, with Stonehenge bus access).  Ride bus to Stonehenge, then park bus to the stones.  Very easy to do.

Thank you- if you don't mind, can you explain that a little more.  We were going to leave two days early, giving us one night in Southampton.  We could see Stonehenge either on the way to hotel, or post-cruise on the way back to LHR.  I've been to London many times when I was a flight attendant, but never had to make any travel arrangements as it was all taken care of by United Airlines.

Are you saying just to buy tickets to Stonehenge and go on our own, not in a group/tour?

[threebluestars]

International Friends has a transfer to or from Heathrow with a stop at Stonehenge.

[karatemom2]

3 hours ago, smilesntravels said:

If you don't mind- can you explain that more?  I've been looking for trips/transportation that combines Stonehenge with the transfer to/from airport.  I saw one either through Princess or Dream Vacations shore excursions that includes a long stop at Stonehenge on the way to LHR.  That's the only one I've found so far.  We'll stay one night in Southampton pre-cruise, so if needed could do it on the way to hotel.  I figured we'd do it after disembarking, on the way to LHR but would like more options.  TY!

We used EC Minibus last year. We did a transfer that visited Stonehenge on the way to Southampton and on our transfer back to Heathrow after the cruise we visited Hampton Court Palace. 
 

Another company that provides the service is International Friends. We used then the year prior for a transfer to the ship from our London hotel that stopped at Windsor Castle on the way. 
 

Here are the links: 

https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/london-heathrow-to-southampton-via-stonehenge.html

https://www.ecminibus.co.uk/blog/portfolio/shore-excursion-central-london-via-stonehenge-southampton-cruise-terminal/

 

You can also check Viator:

 

Southampton Excursion: Pre-Cruise Tour from London to Southampton via Stonehenge

https://www.viator.com/search/5528PRTLON_STSO?mcid=64243

 

 

 

 

[KKB]

4 hours ago, smilesntravels said:

I forgot to mention- is that really true about the Princess Plus?  I've seen people mention this.  So the $60 pp/pd covers the tips and the wi-fi? Is wi-fi really $25 per day?  I looked at Princess' site recently and I thought it was $66 pp/pd.  Therefore, you're right at breaking even with two or so drinks per day?  It just seems like so much more...$1500-1600.  Our last two trips were all-inclusive resorts and it's so nice that everything is already included, even airfare.

Yep! It’s still a good value, especially compared to Carnival, Royal & Celebrity regarding drinks!

[MyriamS]

6 hours ago, smilesntravels said:

Thank you KKB for your responses!  I know of course, there are things to do in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, I just haven't had the time to look at what I want to do.  So, until I do, I was thinking of some sort of hop on hop off bus.  Unfortunately, hubby isn't interested in golf. But, that sounds like a great excursion you did to St. Andrews.

 

He wasn't thrilled about switching to the later date that includes Orkney Islands and Belfast.  Both itineraries are great.  But, you can't see everything in one trip.  Either way, we'll visit five countries on one cruise.

 

I stayed in the suburbs of Dublin back in 2011 when I did a special assignment for Aer Lingus.  I barely remember walking around in Dublin, but we'll figure something out.  Thanks for the info about Invergorden tours.  I looked at a few, and probably need to hurry up and book things.

 

Someone recommended to me to just go to Paris and see the Olympics there.  I know the prices will be much higher.  Since hubby isn't wanting to spend the money for a balcony 😞 😞 , I'm fairly sure he's not going to want to spend it on a trip to the Olympics in Paris 🙂 .

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your cruises!  Yes the UK is nice!  As a former flight attendant with United, I got to go to London and a lot of other European cities!  Once on a quick trip there with my parents, we went to the Globe Theater.  Happy traveling 🙂 .

I was the one who suggested going to Paris. 🙂 As someone who grew less than a hour away from the city, I would say it's all relative. The London/Cambridge/Oxford area and Munich (where I live now) are just as expensive as Paris, because of the eye-watering property prices. Food and public transportation in Paris are actually pretty reasonably priced (I do not recommend driving in the area). For the accommodation though, you would have to stay outside of the city and commute in. 

 

 

[smilesntravels]

On 5/28/2024 at 12:48 AM, KKB said:

Yep! It’s still a good value, especially compared to Carnival, Royal & Celebrity regarding drinks!

Thanks.  I guess it's not really that much more.  I think Carnival and Royal don't offer good packages at all.  I haven't cruised Celebrity yet, and thought theirs were similar to Princess or NCL.

[smilesntravels]

On 5/27/2024 at 11:11 PM, karatemom2 said:

We used EC Minibus last year. We did a transfer that visited Stonehenge on the way to Southampton and on our transfer back to Heathrow after the cruise we visited Hampton Court Palace. 
 

Another company that provides the service is International Friends. We used then the year prior for a transfer to the ship from our London hotel that stopped at Windsor Castle on the way. 
 

Here are the links: 

https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/london-heathrow-to-southampton-via-stonehenge.html

https://www.ecminibus.co.uk/blog/portfolio/shore-excursion-central-london-via-stonehenge-southampton-cruise-terminal/

 

You can also check Viator:

 

Southampton Excursion: Pre-Cruise Tour from London to Southampton via Stonehenge

https://www.viator.com/search/5528PRTLON_STSO?mcid=64243

 

 

 

 

Thank you for this!  I'll read through it later.  I can't always get on cruise critic on my work laptop.  Sometimes I can, sometimes the site is blocked 🙂 .

[KKB]

1 hour ago, smilesntravels said:

Thanks.  I guess it's not really that much more.  I think Carnival and Royal don't offer good packages at all.  I haven't cruised Celebrity yet, and thought theirs were similar to Princess or NCL.

Celebrity's all-inclusive package was more competative when it included tips. No more.

NCL's doesn't include tips either.

 

[SomewhereGirl]

On 5/26/2024 at 6:36 PM, smilesntravels said:

1) If you had the chance to do a cruise you've really been wanting to take, but could only get an inside cabin- would you do it or not? 

 

I did a 12-day British Isles on the Emerald in a inside cabin.  I was solo and was only able to do it because I got a great deal.  Saving money on the cabin freed up funds for all the excursions on the port intensive (only 2 sea days) cruise.  I also had an inside on a high deck with pretty quick access outside just one deck above.  Inside on a very low deck might have been a very different experience.

Also, Loch Ness is just a lake (a loch).  It's nothing particularly special but Urquhart Castle was kind of cool if you like castle ruins.

 

 

 

[azbirdmom]

50 minutes ago, SomewhereGirl said:

Also, Loch Ness is just a lake (a loch).  It's nothing particularly special but Urquhart Castle was kind of cool if you like castle ruins.

We did a private tour last year with our friends and visited Loch Ness but didn't take a boat ride.  We did pull into the parking lot where the big tour busses park (before they arrived) and I noticed creatures on the side.  I soon shouted "Hairy Coos!".  There were a couple of Highland Cows, the ones with the long hair over their eyes, and they are so stinking cute.  Our tour guide / driver gave us some of the weeds that were growing around us and we hand fed them.  One of the highlights of the day.  We also took a drive along the Loch for a while and it is a lake, but it is very scenic.  Great gift shop across from the Loch!

[smilesntravels]

On 5/29/2024 at 10:30 AM, SomewhereGirl said:

 

I did a 12-day British Isles on the Emerald in a inside cabin.  I was solo and was only able to do it because I got a great deal.  Saving money on the cabin freed up funds for all the excursions on the port intensive (only 2 sea days) cruise.  I also had an inside on a high deck with pretty quick access outside just one deck above.  Inside on a very low deck might have been a very different experience.

Also, Loch Ness is just a lake (a loch).  It's nothing particularly special but Urquhart Castle was kind of cool if you like castle ruins.

 

 

 

Thanks!  You didn't say how the inside cabin was, though.  Hubby really wants to see Loch Ness, and since we have three stops in Scotland it will be nice to see the Highlands.  I think I saw someone else mention that Urquhart Castle was great to see.

 

[smilesntravels]

On 5/29/2024 at 11:25 AM, azbirdmom said:

We did a private tour last year with our friends and visited Loch Ness but didn't take a boat ride.  We did pull into the parking lot where the big tour busses park (before they arrived) and I noticed creatures on the side.  I soon shouted "Hairy Coos!".  There were a couple of Highland Cows, the ones with the long hair over their eyes, and they are so stinking cute.  Our tour guide / driver gave us some of the weeds that were growing around us and we hand fed them.  One of the highlights of the day.  We also took a drive along the Loch for a while and it is a lake, but it is very scenic.  Great gift shop across from the Loch!

Those cows look adorable!!  And the drive around the lake sounds nice.  It seems most of the tours don't allow a lot of time at the gift shop, or to get a quick bite to eat.  Hopefully I'll find one that sounds good with a decent amount of time to explore and walk around.  

[azbirdmom]

5 minutes ago, smilesntravels said:

Those cows look adorable!!  And the drive around the lake sounds nice.  It seems most of the tours don't allow a lot of time at the gift shop, or to get a quick bite to eat.  Hopefully I'll find one that sounds good with a decent amount of time to explore and walk around.  

There are several private tour vendors in that area but this is the one that we went with:  https://www.shorexcursions.co.uk/ .  We did the first tour (with Cawdor, Culloden, etc.) but they customized it a bit as there were only 4 of us in the car - us and our best friends.  Not sure what is available but if you are booking this cruise it's probably best to nail down any tours you want to do as quickly as possible.  Tripadvisor does have multiple listings for tour operators in the area.

[MCARAB1]

You might want to book sooner than last minute if you’re looking for any excursions as many of them are already booked including many non-Princess options but you can probably find some independent tours at some of the larger ports.

[insidecabin]

Invergordon as you get off there was on our stop.
Local bus(925) to inverness (£14.40pp return a day ticket )
Taxi tours  from £50(4pax)-£70(7-8pax)per hour (budget 4hours)
Invergorden bus tours.(I think they had 3 options at set times)

 

 

[VaCruzers]

On 5/26/2024 at 9:36 PM, smilesntravels said:

I appreciate all the comments and suggestions!  I should have maybe worded this question differently.  1) If you had the chance to do a cruise you've really been wanting to take, but could only get an inside cabin- would you do it or not?  It's not a great option for me to wait until next year, as I cannot wait that long.  Nor can I go in early fall, or early next spring as I'd have to take off too much time from work.  And 2) Do you know or know of people getting an inside cabin and being miserable, or feeling claustrophobic?  TIA 🙂 .

Yes, I would do it. My longest cruise in an interior cabin was 16 nights. No problems. The aft deck was steps from our cabin so I could get fresh air, check the temp/weather, etc. 

[KKB]

18 hours ago, smilesntravels said:

Thanks!  You didn't say how the inside cabin was, though.  Hubby really wants to see Loch Ness, and since we have three stops in Scotland it will be nice to see the Highlands.  I think I saw someone else mention that Urquhart Castle was great to see.

 

Highly recommend: https://www.invergordon-bustours.com/ Tour 1

You have a photo stop at Loch Ness, about an hour & half in Inverness plus Cawdor Castle--which is very unique as the owner actually lives there in the winter. So not your typical crumbling castle, but one full of period pieces & artifacts. 

The drive is all thru the Highlands, and lovely.

[smilesntravels]

On 5/30/2024 at 8:48 PM, MCARAB1 said:

You might want to book sooner than last minute if you’re looking for any excursions as many of them are already booked including many non-Princess options but you can probably find some independent tours at some of the larger ports.

Thanks.  We just booked the cabin last night (inside 😞 ).  As far as the excursions and everything else, I'm working on it!  

[jenjens1023]

On 5/27/2024 at 9:29 AM, smilesntravels said:

So if you just got off this cruise, do you have any comments about it?? I've never bidded on a cabin.  We just pay for our cruise in full with the cabin we picked, since we usually book 1-2 months out.  But, thanks for the tip.

It was a wonderful cruise. We had some hiccups but everything worked out. Rather than docking in Cobh we docked in Rigaskiddy. Princess provided shuttle buses into Cork as well as ferry transportation to Cobh. We docked in Dun Laoghaire instead of Dublin and the train station was closed for repairs. It should be OK by the time you get there. Once again, transportation was provided into Dublin. We had to skip Orkney because of high winds  (not safe to dock) and because France was on strike we skipped Le Havre and went to Portland, England, instead. It was a lovely little seaside town with a great D-Day museum. 
 

The crew was wonderful, entertainment was well-done, and food was tasty. We had the plus package. It was nice not to think about things like paying for drinks and tips but we rarely made use of the two premium desserts per day and only west to one of the two fixed price restaurants.

 

you asked about bidding on a room. I have no problems with staying in an inside cabin and have done it a number of times but two weeks before this cruise I decided to try. I didn't know my husband had also placed a bid! Because our days were long and busy and nights were cool, we didn't make a lot of use of the balcony but it was nice to have all that light and scenery. 
 

If I can figure out how, I will include a few of my favorite pictures. A modern interpretation of Saint Mungo, the patron state of Glasgow; the kelpies; Holyhead Harbor; Cobh; and the School of Divinity, New College, Edinburgh.

 

Feel free to ask any additional questions.

[SomewhereGirl]

On 5/30/2024 at 3:55 PM, smilesntravels said:

Thanks!  You didn't say how the inside cabin was, though.  Hubby really wants to see Loch Ness, and since we have three stops in Scotland it will be nice to see the Highlands.  I think I saw someone else mention that Urquhart Castle was great to see.

 

 

I was traveling solo, and the bed was made up as a queen so really took up a lot of the room.  If you are concerned about not having the extra space from the balcony, having the bed separated into twins can really open up a room when you can walk between the beds.  The bed direction is different in interior and balcony cabins.

 

This tour had some incredible views of other lochs and the Highlands: 

Sightseeing Day Tour of Scotland from Glasgow Greenock - Busybus

There are other companies.  I think Loch Lomond was much more scenic than Ness.  Sadly, it's the one day I didn't realize I had left my camera on the ship until it was too late.  😭  Some nice fellow passengers were kind enough to send me pictures after the cruise.

Edited June 1 by SomewhereGirl

[smilesntravels]

15 hours ago, jenjens1023 said:

It was a wonderful cruise. We had some hiccups but everything worked out. Rather than docking in Cobh we docked in Rigaskiddy. Princess provided shuttle buses into Cork as well as ferry transportation to Cobh. We docked in Dun Laoghaire instead of Dublin and the train station was closed for repairs. It should be OK by the time you get there. Once again, transportation was provided into Dublin. We had to skip Orkney because of high winds  (not safe to dock) and because France was on strike we skipped Le Havre and went to Portland, England, instead. It was a lovely little seaside town with a great D-Day museum. 
 

The crew was wonderful, entertainment was well-done, and food was tasty. We had the plus package. It was nice not to think about things like paying for drinks and tips but we rarely made use of the two premium desserts per day and only west to one of the two fixed price restaurants.

 

you asked about bidding on a room. I have no problems with staying in an inside cabin and have done it a number of times but two weeks before this cruise I decided to try. I didn't know my husband had also placed a bid! Because our days were long and busy and nights were cool, we didn't make a lot of use of the balcony but it was nice to have all that light and scenery. 
 

If I can figure out how, I will include a few of my favorite pictures. A modern interpretation of Saint Mungo, the patron state of Glasgow; the kelpies; Holyhead Harbor; Cobh; and the School of Divinity, New College, Edinburgh.

 

Feel free to ask any additional questions.

Hi- it sounds like a great cruise.  Nice review and interesting pictures!  Too bad about missing those two ports.  If we miss Le Havre, I'll be pretty sad.  For years I've wanted to do this cruise and also want to see the Normandy beaches.

 

I know you went to Ringaskiddy, but shuttles are provided to both Cork and Dublin?  Also, can you tell me if there's the pub type restaurant on the Regal?  It's one of the casual dining?  When I go to the Princess website, it doesn't list the casual restaurants for each ship.  That's what I'm going to miss w/o the balcony, the scenery and I don't mind a little bit of cool air.  I've never had an inside cabin and it looks like balcony get some sort of sofa, and insides don't.  We've always had a little sofa on other cruiselines w/ balconies.

 

Since you just got back, was it too cool to get in the pools?  I don't think we'll have much time to do that anyway, but am just wondering.  Did you need anything warmer than windbreakers for excursions, or nighttime on the ship?  Was the scenery from the ship when coming into the ports worth having the balcony?  Thanks again!