Cruising the UK

Sara. We have booked a 12 day Oceania UK cruise beginning end of Aug roundtrip London. We have been to London only. We would love to visit more places around Scotland and Ireland. Many people will comment that they prefer land trips only. We do both…often add on extra days pre-post cruise.

My experience with cruising in the UK was cruising out of Southampton on a Norway cruise and stopping in at Newcastle on the way back. I know people who have done the “British Isles Cruises “ and really enjoyed themselves. I’ve also traveled independently on several trips and done one Rick Steves tour, which was Best of South England.

I say all that because I want to assure you that there are a variety of ways to travel and explore the UK and they are all likely to be a very positive experience whichever you choose.

What it really gets down to is what are you wanting from your trip this time? Different ways of travel have different goals and outcomes, pros and cons, and you just need to find the one that matches you.

A cruise offers you a fairly easy way to get a “taste” of several locations. It can also be budget friendly if you are a careful shopper. It takes care of pretty much all the logistics of lodging, food, entertainment and transportation. Some people love this, others do not. Your time on location is limited to the time you are in port and shore excursions through the cruise line can be spendy. Some people really like unpacking just once and having their hotel move with them.

Traveling independently gives you much more freedom over your itinerary, but involves much more work on logistics. You find the hotels and the transportation. Instead of traveling to your next location while you sleep, you are spending travel time during the day. A plus is that you choose how long you stay at a location rather than follow someone else’s schedule.

A tour provides support with logistics, a knowledgeable guide, and a set itinerary. It does allow for free time during each day for you to explore your interests on your own. Usually there are unique experiences the independent traveler would have a challenge to replicate.

If you really want to take a cruise, go ahead and do so! If you find you want to travel independently, go for it! If a tour sounds appealing, check some out. You don’t have to worry that there is a “better way” to travel. There is only the way that seems to meet your travel needs for this trip.

There are quite a few you tube videos about British Isle Cruises. Watching some of them may help you decide what you would like.

Beautifully said, Carol.

Sara, Carol's post above is very good advice from a very experienced traveler. I would highly recommend following her advice and listening to her words of wisdom.

Carol said it very well. We like cruises for the water, the ship, and the convenience. We like land travel to explore in more depth the cities and countries we visit. The downside of a UK cruise will be having very limited time for wonderful destinations like (I'm guessing) Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin (not in the UK), Liverpool, Portsmouth, and of course London. And no time for any place that isn't near the coast. The upside will be unpacking once, having all your food and lodging taken care of, and enjoying beautiful coastal or ocean scenery.

Our only cruise experiences in the British Isles were on a long transatlantic cruises that stopped at Cobh (Ireland), Weymouth, Southampton, Dover, and the Shetlands. They were fine but certainly no substitute for all the places we went on other trips by land. Up to you which way is "better."

I did a 2 week cruise on a small ship, mostly Scotland. We started in Aberdeen, went to Fair Isle, then Shetlands (2/3 stops), Faroes (3/4 stops), then stops in Stornoway, Fingal's Cave, Iona, stop on Skye, etc. (Not got that in the right order, hard to remember exactly and I've missed a few stops, I think). We finished in Troon. Ship could have a max of 120 passengers. Mostly Brits. The trip was just after the pandemic, so some things not quite back to normal.

For me it worked well, I had not been to any of the places and I got a bit of an introduction. Even though the weather was awful. Some of the stops we stopped in port, some we went by inflatable. There were talks on the ship about what we would see. Flora and fauna etc.
I was a solo traveller but never felt that was a problem, there were maybe 10-12 other solo travellers. Cruise Line was Noble Caledonian - its a bit pricy usually, but I think at the time they were doing deals to fill up the cabins, I got a last minute type offer.
I enjoyed it and would happily do another trip with them.

Yes agreed….once again Carol gave a great response…always helpful.. I chose a British Isle cruise so we could see more in less amount of time. Loved London….need to see more and more. That’s how we travel. The cruise Itinerary is everything. Less interested in what ship offers. We stay in inner cabins. We don’t pay for extras. Less costly. We will enjoy the coastlines and seascapes. Also excited to see the countrysides and walking the cobblestones of historic villages and cities! Hoping for decent weather.
Many prefer more intensive time in one location. It is truly what interests you most. Part of my travel fun is doing the research. And I do alot! You have been given great suggestions how to do that. So again….no one can tell you how to travel. Have fun with your planning!

The better way to travel, or the "best" way to travel, is the way YOU want to travel.

Look at all the different ways mentioned and then ask yourself which one calls out to you the most. Which one covers the things you want to experience.

Whether it be my water or land or air.....if it's what you prefer it's the "best" way.