Early in the morning, we were picked up by a large tour bus at Hotel Leonardo for a 3-hour drive to Southampton, England. That was where our Regal Princess Cruise Ship, a/k/a "The Love Boat," was docked. We had the Princess Express check-in (a lanyard worn around your neck that contains all the required information to board the ship) all set up and ready to go! And, just like that, we were "scanned", boarded the ship, and were in our room in no time at all! The quickest check-in we have ever had boarding a cruise ship! Hooray!
Some people do not care for cruise ship vacations. My husband and I like them because we have been on other trips where we were constantly packing and unpacking our luggage as we traveled from place to place. (Sometimes, we just lived out of our suitcases for a few days. That was not fun! The luxury of unpacking once for a 12-day trip really appeals to us! We also like the convenience of having our hotel and eateries travel along with us from one destination to the next. So, after our luggage was delivered to our room, we unpacked everything and then set out to explore the Regal Princess. Our fabulous trip to the British Isles had started at last!
The next day was a full day at sea. So, we did what everyone else does on a cruise ship (when you cannot leave the ship), we enjoyed some yummy beverages, ate some food, did some browsing in all the stores, listened to a lot of live music, and just relaxed. Getting away from it all really does feel marvelous!
The next day, we docked at Cobh, Ireland (Cork County). Cobh is best known for being the last Port of Call of the famous "Titanic" (before it eventually hit an iceberg and sank into the ocean). This town has "Titanic" everything in it, and you can spend all day learning more about the Titanic, if that is what you are interested in doing. They even have a painted sign on the wall where our ship docked! (I took a picture of the sign from our balcony!) We, however, had other plans…We booked an excursion to the very famous Blarney Castle.
DRUIDS CIRCLE
BLARNEY CASTLE
Blarney Castle was built in 1446 by Dermot McCarthy. It is surrounded by 100 acres of sprawling parklands. It includes some beautiful (and interesting) gardens, waterways, avenues, and arboretums. (FYI: We did not stand in the very long line to "Kiss the Blarney Stone"; however, we did take a picture of someone else kissing the Blarney Stone at the top of the castle. I have a very good "zoom" feature on my camera, and it did a great job!) Instead, we decided to get some exercise and explore the gardens at the castle. We walked to the Poison Garden, Carnivorous Courtyard, Druids Circle, Witches Stone, Seven Sisters, Upper Arboretum, and the Cave. We also stopped by the Stable Yard Café and Gift Shop (of course) to buy some great souvenirs to take home! We loved visiting Blarney Castle and, to prove it, we took a lot of pictures while we were there! LOL!!
CARNIVOROUS COURTYARD
DUBLIN
The next day, our ship stopped at Dublin (Dun Laoghaire), Ireland. The tour we booked was to Dublin Castle and St. Patrick's Cathedral. (FYI: Dublin Castle was once the center of British rule; however, in 1922, Ireland declared their independence from England.) We toured Dublin Castle and even ascended the Grand Battleaxe Staircase, where we got to walk in previous "world-famous" figures' footsteps, including Benjamin Franklin, Queen Victoria, Charles Dickens, Nelson Mandela, Pope Francis, and John F. Kennedy. We also explored beneath the castle, where a 10th-century Viking settlement was excavated. We took a lot of pictures inside and outside of Dublin Castle.
Then we headed to St. Patrick's Cathedral for our next tour. St. Patrick's Cathedral was built in 1220 and is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. It is a very beautiful church, with interesting architecture and plenty of historic things to see inside. We then drove around Dublin to see all the "highlights" in the city. The bus driver let us off at an area to shop because he must have known that was one of the things I love to do!! LOL! Then we headed back to our ship for a night of entertainment.
We have found that large cruise ships always have live music on different levels of the ship, comedy shows, bingo and other games, crafts, dancing, pools, upscale restaurants, movies under the stars, etc. That is why we tend to like them so much better than the smaller ships used for river cruises. We realize that river cruises can reach more ports more easily than large cruise ships; however, we found that there is not much to do on them in the evenings.
(There is always something fun to see and do every evening on a large cruise ship!)
ANTRIM COAST
The next day, our ship docked at Belfast, Northern Ireland. We were very excited about the excursion we booked because we were going to visit the Antrim Coast and the Giants Causeway (a "UNESCO World Heritage Site")! Our tour bus driver (first) took us to see Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland. Why? Well, because the 2025 Open "Golf" Championship was going to be held there in only about a week! It was being set up for all the world's great golfers and their fans to get ready to enjoy! (Note: The Antrim Coast is a very pretty place to visit. The pictures of this area in Northern Ireland looked amazing when we did some research months before going on this trip.)
GIANTS CAUSEWAY
BELFAST-GIANTS CAUSEWAY
When we finally stopped to take a walk out to the scenic lookout points on the rugged Antrim Coast, we saw some of the most fabulous scenery of our entire trip. The coastline was more than amazing! I could have stayed there for at least an hour just enjoying the view. However, we had to get back in the bus to go to our next stop. So, we jumped back in the bus for a brief ride to our next fabulous destination…The Giant's Causeway!!
After getting our tickets (and headphones that told us all about the history of the area) at the Visitor's Center, we walked out on the incredible Giant's Causeway. This area in Northern Ireland is very hard to explain because the words "totally amazing" just do not do it enough justice. The beautiful coastline, the very strange and mystical formations everywhere and the overall experience of just being there is more than any words can explain. The weather was a little overcast, with drizzling rain (that just seemed to add to the whole mystical feeling), and we still enjoyed every minute of our walk out to the site. We have never seen anything like this area in our previous travels. The natural formations were made from successive flows of basaltic lava that were heated by volcanic activity and cooled quickly. That turned them into thousands of solid interlocking polygonal columns that are in a hexagonal shape. (Science and nature aside…I will just tell you right now, they really are incredible to see!) And, another astonishing fact, they were formed around 60 million years ago! So, we took our time on our walk (out to the site), and I am not sure how many pictures we actually took of the area. (ALOT!!) We noticed the clouds were looking more ominous in the sky, so we walked (faster) on our way back, only stopping a few times to take one or two quick pictures! We made it back to the Visitor's Center right before the pouring rain. It came down in buckets! We would have been soaked to the skin!
So, after a little souvenir shopping (and a small beverage), we ran out to our bus in the (still pouring) rain. (Important note: If you do not want to walk the Causeway, there is a bus available that will take you to the end of the Causeway and then back to the Visitor's Center. However, no stops are allowed between the beginning and end of the bus ride!) You can get out of the bus to visit the Causeway area and then catch the next bus back to the Visitor's Center. So, if you ever find yourself near Belfast, Northern Ireland, do not miss visiting this UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is well worth the trip to see it!
A UNESCO World Heritage site is a cultural or natural landmark designated by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having "outstanding universal value" to humanity. Inscribed on the World Heritage List, these sites receive international protection under a treaty administered by UNESCO, aiming to preserve them for future generations. There are three types of sites: cultural, natural, and mixed.
(A little fun fact: The Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland was used as a model for one of the real-world locations in the How to Train Your Dragon movies. They used the unique basalt columns and dramatic/rugged landscapes as a significant inspiration while filming the live-action adaptation of all of the films. So, this area was "kind of" featured in all of those movies!) When our granddaughter saw our photo album of the trip, she stated that the pictures we ("Grandma and Heppaw") took looked just like what she saw in the recent How to Train Your Dragon movie. Grandkids…they are very cute and brilliant!!
Our next stop was Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland, and the excursion we booked was called the Best of the Scottish Highlands. We stopped at the prettiest little town, Luss, Scotland (near Glasgow). We walked around the town, taking some great pictures of the little houses with beautiful flower boxes everywhere. We also visited the small town of Inveraray (on Loch Lomond) for lunch at a nice restaurant and finally saw the famous "Bog!" (FYI: Loch Lomond is the largest lake in Great Britain and is the boundary between Scotland's Lowlands and Highlands.) We also toured Inveraray Castle. We walked through the castle, admiring everything in it, especially the "Armoury Hall". This part of Scotland was, indeed, very scenic. There was even a historic song written about the area called "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond".
The Scottish Highlands are a mountainous region encompassing northwest Scotland. Loch Ness is at the centre, overlooked by the ruins of medieval Urquhart Castle and known for mythical monster “Nessie”. Northeast, near the city of Inverness, dolphins swim in the Moray Firth. Southwest, in the Western Highlands, trails wind up Ben Nevis, the U.K.’s highest peak, and red deer roam Glencoe valley with its waterfalls.
SHETLAND IS. - JARLSHOF RUINS
The next day, we headed to one of our favorite stops, the Shetland Islands (Lerwick), Scotland. We booked a tour to the ancient Norse Settlement, "Jarlshof Ruins". The history of this area indicates that Vikings from Norway began this settlement in about 850 AD. It was bright and sunny outside; however, the temperature was very COLD, and the wind was blowing like CRAZY off the sea! (We were freezing the whole time we were on this tour.) So, do not be fooled by the beautiful (sunny) pictures with the bright blue skies!
This is also the location where we saw some really cute Shetland Ponies right outside of a Lodge (that, to me, looked like a little castle)! We walked around the area, taking pictures and trying to huddle together, when our tour guide stopped to explain the history of the area. We then boarded our warm bus and headed to the Hoswick Visitor's Center to do a little shopping and use their facilities before we headed back to our ship. We were very happy to be out of the cold weather!
We headed back to the dock where our ship was located and walked around the beautiful historic town of Lerwick for a little while. It was much warmer in town than it was at the Norse Settlement we toured. We visited a few stores and Fort Charlotte (a fort that was originally built in 1652) right in the middle of the town. We also saw a store selling goat soap bars that had a real goat outside the store! (Now, that's a picture I couldn't miss taking!) You just never know what you are going to see in these cute little towns!
Our next stop was at Invergordon (Inverness), Scotland. We booked an 8.5-hour tour called Ultimate Scottish Highlands and Loch Ness. (We were going to be off the ship most of the day! Yay!) Our tour guide showed up ("Angus") and he looked great! He was wearing a Scottish kilt with all the extras attached!! Yay…a tour guide that finally gets it!! (He was going to get a big tip at the end of the day for wearing that outfit!) I also planned to take a picture with him later in the day!! (Make sure you look at the picture I took of us later.)
Angus took us (first) to the Culloden Battlefield and Visitor's Center. We walked around the battlefield where (in 1746) the final Jacobite Rising came to a brutal end. It was one of the most harrowing battles in British history. (FYI: I loved the beautiful rock walls that were built all around the Culloden Visitor's Center and just had to take a few pictures in front of them…What can I say? I do love all kinds of rocks and fossils!) LOL!! After we toured the Culloden site, we headed to Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness. The weather had started to turn much colder, and the wind had picked up to a point where we could only tour the castle because they had to cancel our boat ride on Loch Ness. Bummer! We really wanted to see if we could find NESSIE (the Loch Ness Monster) on the lake!! So, we settled for touring the castle by the water and taking a few pictures of Loch Ness. We also took a few pictures of the ancient Trebuchet (a/k/a catapult) at Urquhart Castle, and finally our tour guide, "Angus". There was also a large gift shop near the castle and Loch Ness, so, of course, I bought a small stuffed "Nessie" to take home with me! (Oh well, that did make me feel a little bit better since I did not get to cruise around on Loch Ness in a small boat looking for him!! I am not so sure I would have wanted to see a big Monster on the lake anyway…especially in a small tour boat!
So, after touring Urquhart Castle and the Loch Ness area, we headed back towards our ship. Angus, being the great guy that he was (wearing a skirt, so sorry…I meant a Kilt!), had one more idea on his mind that all of us did not know about. He took us a little out of the way to visit Robertson's Larder & Gift Shop in Inverness to show us their real, live HIGHLAND COWS!! OMG…they were the cutest cows ever!! So, we all jumped out of our seats and fled out of the bus so we could go see (up close) those adorable Highland Cows!! (And, to shop for a few minutes in Robertson's wonderful store, of course.) That's where I bought my cute little Highland Cow for my desk!! (FYI: Angus' tip was going to be huge at the end of the day!) LOL!! Now, that's a great tour guide!! The whole bus was happier as we headed back to our ship. We even forgot (for a few minutes) that we did not get to ride around in a boat on Loch Ness…Those adorable Highland Cows really saved the day!!
The next day, we should have been heading to Edinburgh, Scotland. We had a tour booked to see Edinburgh Castle, and then we were going to have some free time in the city on our own. Unfortunately, the ship's tenders, which would have taken all the eager tourists to the dock so they could catch their tour buses to go on their excursions in Edinburgh, were canceled. We were told by the ship's Captain that the winds had picked up and it was just too dangerous to use the ship's small tenders to go to shore. (Another Bummer!!) So, we all watched, in dismay, as our cruise ship just sailed away from the port that would have taken us to the City of Edinburgh! (That was the first time we ever missed seeing a port because of high seas and small tenders.) We really were not happy, but we understood why we could not use the tenders to get to the shore. Sometimes, "CHIT HAPPENS"!! So, the ship and its crew scrambled to rearrange the entire day. They came up with some fun stuff to do on the ship since all the tourists were upset about missing Edinburgh!
We had our first "Silent Disco Night" on a cruise ship. That is where you wear headphones and dial in the type of music you want to hear. The headphones light up in different colors depending on the music you want to listen to and dance to. We enjoyed watching everyone dance in the atrium area of the ship to all the different kinds of music. It was kind of funny to watch. (Overall, I think the crew did a pretty good job trying to make up for the port we missed.) As the old saying goes…" Don't want to mess with Mother Nature"…and, of course, high winds in a small ship's tender. Maybe someday, we will go back to Scotland to visit Edinburgh? Possibly on another cruise? Only time will tell…
So, with now two days at sea behind us, instead of one, we were very glad to finally reach Le Havre (Paris), France. Most of the ship's passengers (I am sure) were planning to leave the ship for at least a few hours that day. Some had booked excursions to either Paris, Normandy, or Le Havre. (Especially after being stuck on the cruise ship for two whole days!)
We booked a tour to see Paris, France, for (probably) the last time in our lives. We had visited Paris twenty-eight (28) years ago with our three children (for 2 days) and had enjoyed seeing the city back then. It was now time to see Paris in only one day! (Quite Impossible!) The tour bus, however, took us all around Paris. They did the best they could do in one day! We only got out of the bus to eat lunch at a nice restaurant on the Champs Élysées, and then again, one more time, at the Eiffel Tower. We had about one hour to visit the Eiffel Tower and walk around the park area below it. Not much time at all, however, it was wonderful to actually see the Eiffel Tower one more time!
Seeing Paris from a bus for most of the day was okay; however, you really want to stay in Paris for many more days to really enjoy all the city has to offer. The last time we visited Paris, we toured the Sacré-Cœur Basilica and Notre-Dame Cathedral. We drove by the Arc de Triomphe, the Moulin Rouge, and the Champs Élysées. We took a tour of the Chateau de Versailles and visited The Louver (for only 3 hours – time was an issue…we were touring with a soccer team and arrived late in the day…we literally raced through the Denon Wing of the Louver.) We saw some of the most beautiful paintings on the walls and the ceilings as we raced by, trying to get to the Mona Lisa and the beautiful Venus de Milo statue before the museum closed! Please do not do what we did! The Louver has so many wonderful things to see…take your time and see it all! It may take you more than a few days! So, if you plan on visiting the "City of Lights", do some research. There are numerous things to see and do in Paris, France. Be prepared before you go to visit this fascinating city!
We headed back to our ship, knowing that our 12-day cruise to the British Isles would end the next day. So, we packed our luggage and then enjoyed one more night on board the Regal Princess.
PARIS
Overall, the trip we took to London and the British Isles was wonderful. We really enjoyed visiting London, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Paris, France. The good news was that we were not heading home the next day. We were going to stay in London for two more days before we headed back home. We always try to extend our trip (if possible – for a few days) after disembarking from any cruise ship. That way, you have some time to get your "land legs" back!! LOL! So, keep that in mind if you ever decide to visit London and the British Isles. London is a big city and very crowded; however, it is a wonderful place to visit for a few days. We spent five (5) extra days in London and had a great time!
Until the next time…Take care and, HAPPY TRAVELS TO ALL!
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