This is the culmination of the Scotland/British Isles travel posts. This time, I invited my friend, Sheila Echols-Smesny to join me for a British Isles Cruise Q & A. I’m totally intrigued by Scotland travel as you can see and happy to have included this series here on my blog…
I found Sheila on instagram, I believe after I was searching #outlander and stumbled upon the amazing costume replica she had made of the despicable Black Jack Randall that she made for her husband to wear. She amazed me by her awesome talent. We started messaging about Ancestry DNA and the rest was well, history. I was intrigued by all her cruises and asked her to join me for my travel series this Fall. So here is our conversation about British Isles Cruises…
How many times have you been on a British Isles Cruise?
Twice- once in 2015 with my mother (huge Outlander fan), a friend, and her mother, and again this year with my husband, that same friend, and her boyfriend
What keeps bringing you back there or what draws you to the British Isles?
My mother is adopted, so the first trip was after mom’s first DNA test where we found out our mitochondrial origins were most likely British Isles. I wanted to give her her geographic origins. And she had always wanted to go to Scotland. It just seemed perfect to explore the isles that way. Since then we’ve had more DNA tests confirming British Isles origins. I loved it so much I planned to go back with my husband, and that was this years trip.
Where do the cruises typical disembark from and how do you get there?
Both times we cruised out of Southampton, a large cruise port south of London. It was very easy to fly to London, stay several days, and arrange for a pre-cruise tour to Stonehenge that would also take us to the port. Ports around the isles once on the cruise were to major cities in Ireland and Scotland (Cork, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Portsmouth, etc.).
Is it more affordable?
Yes and no. Cruises are typically around $100/day but the British Isles cruises we’ve been on were over 10 days and over $100/day plus pricey excursions. I love the ease of transport but I think if I needed cost efficiency, train travel would be cheaper. Then again, cruises include meals.
What are your favorite ports?
Having been twice via cruise, my favorite ports have been Guernsey in the Channel Islands, Belfast in Northern Ireland, Kirkwall (Orkney) and Edinburgh in Scotland. That’s a lot, isn’t it?
What are your favorite excursions?
I loved Giants Causeway because of the brisk weather, light hiking, and geologic wonder (it’s one of the only places in the world to see columnar basalt). Also seeing the Neolithic standing stones in Kirkwall. And hands down Edinburgh Castle and Royal Mile in Edinburgh.
What do you recommend people see while on their British Isles cruise?
If you’re from the United States I highly recommend castles and other historical landmarks that we don’t have here. It’s incredibly humbling and awe inspiring!
What are your tips for people planning a British Isles Cruise?
Reserve excursions very early, the good ones sell out fast and it would be very disappointing to miss out. Most ports are far from attractions, unfortunately, so excursions are quite necessary. Our traveling companions didn’t book Hadrian’s Wall excursion when we did, and they weren’t able to see it. I’d also recommend not planning on shopping, there’s very little time for sight seeing and even using the restroom. Speaking of, restrooms are few and far between during excursions, and the lines are terrible. Best method is to visit pubs for a beverage so you can use their facilities…which seems counterproductive but very fun! Study the sites before the cruise that way you can wander off from the group on your own and explore at your own pace. Tour guides are wonderful, but they go at a slow pace. Most of the guests on British Isles cruises are an older crowd.
What is different about British Isles cruises than say Bahamas and Alaska besides the weather?
British Isles cruises are like stepping back in time, but on a floating hotel that takes you place to place. The other passengers are older, way less rowdy, and definitely less children on the ship. It’s interesting how much the passengers on a ship set the tone and energy for a cruise. So I love the British Isles cruises for how relaxing they are. Alaskan cruises are a mix of people, so there’s something for everyone. Less history in Alaska but far more wilderness. Alaska reminded me a lot of Scotland actually.
Caribbean cruises are for party goers and sun. So we’re more lively and silly on those cruises.
What is the same?
Cruising, in general, is my preferred method of vacation because I do a lot of pre-planning well before the trip. Once on the ship, my itinerary is set and all I need to worry about is what time to assemble for excursions. Everything else is relaxing and stress free for me. I like that they are essentially floating hotel/resorts with meals included. I just love that. I’m usually very tied and busy and stressed at home, so cruising recharges me.
Do you recommend this way of travel for families with children or leave the kids at home?
I have cruised with my friends that have kids and it’s their preferred mode as well. We cruised Alaska together and have a cruise booked out of Miami with them again next year. They love it- the ships are safe and there are a ton of activities/food options, and shows on the ships for them. Each cruise line is different but on Carnival, once the kids are 2 years old (potty trained not necessarily), they can go to kids camp while the parents do their own thing on sea days. Other lines require the kids to be potty trained. Most cruise lines don’t charge for this service so it’s like free babysitting. How cool is that?!
Have you ever been to the British Isles other than cruising? If so, which do you like better.
We have flown in and out of London en route to other destinations or cruises so we’ve spent a bit of time in the city but haven’t been elsewhere around the Isles except on excursion. Cruises are great for getting a quick stress-free snapshot of a region the first time, and then returning on your own later at your own pace. My husband and I would love to spend a solid week in Scotland now that we’ve cruised there and know what to expect.
I have recaps of my first British Isles cruise on the blog and will post this year’s trip probably after the new year.
British Isles Cruise Part 1- Planning
British Isles Part 2- England, Ireland and Northern Ireland
British Isles Cruise Part 3- Scotland and France
Sheila is a geocartographer by profession in Houston, Texas, but in blog life she’s a world traveler, cruiser, wine enthusiast, runner, costume maker, and dog mom. Sewing is her current obsessive hobby and a cruise ship is her happy place. Sheila shares her travels, costume tutorials, wine tasting and an assortment of other adventures on her blog, Red ShoesRed Wine.com and on instagram @redshoesredwine
