Cruises To The British Isles & Europe

Elsie from England is pleased to present a small selection of cruises to the British Isles and Europe. For many, a cruise is the only way to travel as it combines both comfortable transport, a home-away-from-home with minimal packing-unpacking, and interesting ports of call. For others, the ideal is a combination of land and cruise travel, particularly to spend more time in the large capital cities, or simply to extend one's vacation. Either way, we can assist you with planning, with finding just the right cruise, with discounted airfares, and the expertise of our cruise specialists.

Call Elsie from England for special rates on all of these cruises

The British Isles - with Princess Cruises

Western Europe - with Princess Cruises

Isles of Britain & Ireland - with Linbland Special Expeditions

The British Isles

If you've longed to shop for crystal and tartans, to explore quaint thatched-roof villages and to ponder the mysteries of Loch Ness and the Ring of Brodgar, our British Isles cruise offers all this and more. We'll have you browsing for Waterford crystal and English woolens; marveling at cathedrals and castles; and taking in the breathtaking scenery from Land's End to the Orkney Islands. 

Ports include:

Cork (Cobh)
Ireland's second largest city boasts Patrick Street and the pedestrian only Paul Street. Here you'll find everything from Waterford crystal to tweeds and woolens.

Paris/Normandy (Le Havre), France
Enjoy the 'joie de vivre' of Paris with its museums, monuments, parks, cafes and shops. You'll see the Eiffel Tower, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Champs Elysees and much more.

Cornwall (Falmouth), England
It's hard to imagine a more beautiful spot than Cornwall. Visit Land's End and Penzance and be sure to bring along plenty of film to capture it all.

Cruise Itinerary

Cruise Ship - Royal Princess

Cruise 2001 - June 28th & August 3rd

Call Elsie from England for special rates on all of these cruises

Including: Britain, Spain, France, Ireland, Holland, Belgium

Our Western Europe Cruise is not to be missed. Imagine exploring the unforgettable cities of Paris, Oslo, Copenhagen and Amsterdam, plus spending time in Berlin and Brussels. This Pacific Princess vacation is a once in a lifetime experience. 

Ports include: 

Edinburgh (Rosyth), Scotland
Scotland's capital city is fascinating from the Georgian crescents of New Town to Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyrood House and St. Giles Cathedral.

Brussels (Antwerp), Belgium
The capital of Belgium is delightful from the Grand Place to the Royal Palace. The port city of Antwerp is one of Europe's hidden treasures.

Cornwall (Falmouth), England
 It's hard to imagine a more beautiful spot than Cornwall. Visit Land's End and Penzance and be sure to bring along plenty of film to capture it all.

Cruise Itinerary

Cruise Ship - Royal Princess

Cruise 2001 - June 16th & August 15th

Call Elsie from England for special rates on all of these cruises

Isles of Britain & Ireland

Our exploration of the vibrant seacoasts of England, Ireland and Scotland is a quintessential Lindblad Expeditions journey, combining a close-up view of the isles' colorful history and culture with the unexpected wildness of their western shores. Even if you have already visited these isles, they take on a whole new dimension when you explore them with Lindblad Expeditions. 

Instead of familiar tourist stops, you see a different, far-removed side that few visitors -- and even few local residents - have ever seen. Traveling aboard our 110-guest Caledonian Star, you explore places of stunning beauty and enchanting history that have remained surprisingly unspoiled. You visit ancient sites shrouded in mystery, majestic castles steeped in lore, and small hamlets and lovely islands where cherished traditions have not yet disappeared. A Remote Region of Stunning, Rugged Beauty Two of the unexpected delights are the natural beauty and abundant birdlife found along these rugged coasts -- tiny Staffa Island is famed for its deep sea caves and puffin colony, and Little Skellig's sheer cliffs are home to an enormous colony of gannets. The warm Gulf Stream makes possible the glorious gardens of Inverewe and Tresco. And, of course, you'll meet the warm and exuberant people who proudly inhabit these remote islands and villages. 

The June 23 departure will feature a very special guest: journalist Robert MacNeil.

Our journey covers many of the lesser-known places that lie between Edinburgh, Scotland and Dartmouth, England. We hope you'll decide to join us

Itinerary:

Depart for Edinburgh, Scotland
We depart on our flights to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Edinburgh/Embark Ship
We arrive in Edinburgh, transfer to the port of Leith and embark the Caledonian Star to begin our adventure. This afternoon, we tour the great city of Edinburgh, seeing its castle and bustling streets.

Fair Isle, Scotland
Today we land at rarely visited Fair Isle, which lays claim to being the most isolated settlement in the British Isles. The 70 or so inhabitants are rugged yet amiable people, who have become very special friends in the 11 years that we've been visiting. They are proud of their island, and of course, their world-renowned woolen crafts. But Fair Isle is also famous for its puffins, kittiwakes and migratory birds. After a visit to the bird observatory, we join our island friends for tea and cakes in the community center.

Orkney Islands, Scotland
Few places in the world have the impact of the Stone Age sites of Orkney. The standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar and the megalithic tomb of Maes Howe are stunning manifestations of the culture that we see revealed in the excavated 6,000-year-old stone-slab village of Skara Brae. In the afternoon, we visit the smaller islands of Orkney, where the farming family of Zawadski invites us into their baronial manor for an afternoon of tea and walks through the gardens and wilderness shorelines. With luck, we may see lazy grey and harbor seals, as well as nesting eider ducks (famous for their down).

Inverewe and Ullapool, Scotland
This morning we visit the famous Inverewe Gardens -- a riot of subtropical color with 2,000 acres of exotic plants, shrubs and trees from all over the world, including the world's northernmost palm trees. In the afternoon, we enter the active little port of Ullapool. We have free time to walk through this neat town of whitewashed cottages along the edge of Loch Broom, and to shop for highland crafts and clothing.

Exploring the Outer Hebrides, Scotland
Along the wild, western coast of Scotland are the Outer Hebrides - islands steeped in history and legend. Gaelic is still widely spoken here; music is the language of choice; and weavers use traditional methods to make the world's finest woolen fabrics. Because conditions change rapidly, we leave the day open for exploration, perhaps visiting offshore islands known for their birdlife, or walking among the ancient stone circles that dot the haunting moorland. If conditions permit, we venture to the Isle of Lewis, where the astonishing Neolithic Stones of Callanish await us. Wildlife and mystery abound as we sail among these "farthest isles."

Isles of Skye and Rum, Scotland
This morning is devoted to exploring the Isle of Skye, legendary for its towering mountains and challenging landscape. Zodiac cruises and wilderness walks, the peat-smoke intrigue of remote distilleries, and outpost bastions of castled clans are a few of the options available. This afternoon we anchor at the Isle of Rum, a nature reserve and site of Britain's first-known inhabitants. We walk along inviting forest trails to the eccentric Kinloch Castle, where an afternoon cocktail party is a complement to the enchantment of one of Scotland's most cherished natural settings.

Iona and Staffa Islands, Scotland
St. Columba called Iona "love of my heart" and chose it as the site for his monastery. As the heart of Celtic Christianity, the spirit of Iona has endured throughout the ages, and today the tiny island remains one of the most powerful spiritual centers in the world. We walk through the ancient nunnery and along the grizzled stone walls to 12th-century Iona Abbey. Sixty (60) kings lie buried on these grounds, a testament to the moving history of the island. In the afternoon, we visit Staffa Island, famed for its great columnar basalts and deep sea caves. It was here that Mendelssohn wrote his haunting "Fingal¹s Cave" overture. The rest of the day is spent exploring among the islands of the Inner Hebrides.

Donegal, Ireland
Donegal, in Gaelic "Dun na nGall" or "fort of the foreigners" (the Vikings), is an ancient and dramatically beautiful town. Donegal has all the attributes to become a major tourist center, yet mercifully, and probably by choice, there is a reluctance for it to boom along with some of Ireland's more southern counties. Donegal Castle, with its imposing gabled tower, and the 14th-century abbey are among the places we visit.

Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
These stark islands, inhabited long before recorded history, contain many pre-Christian and early Christian sites. The most dramatic is Dun Aengus, a stone fort that is one of Europe's finest prehistoric monuments, dating back to perhaps 4000 BC. From the edge of a 200-foot cliff overlooking the sea, the view is staggering, and wildflowers -- bright yellow and purple -- are everywhere. At sunset, we pass the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare.

Skellig Islands and Ring of Kerry, Ireland
Today we explore the Skellig Islands, first approaching rocky Little Skellig. The sky can appear almost white here as thousands of gannets leave their roosts on fishing forays. Just a half-mile distant is magical Skellig Michael, rising abruptly from the sea, with wildflowers blanketing its slopes. 500 feet atop the island are the beehive huts of a Celtic Christian monastery, built in the sixth century. In the afternoon, we disembark for a drive along the famous Ring of Kerry, passing through the greenest and most fertile part of Ireland with spectacular views along the coast. We visit the colorful village of Sneem, winner of Ireland's "tidy town" award. Houses here look like doll houses, with the front of each home painted a different color. There's time to walk through this charming village, sample an Irish coffee, and shop for woolens at one of the many intriguing shops.

Isles of Scilly, England
According to legend, the Isles of Scilly are all that remain of Lyonnesse, a lovely land ruled by King Arthur before it vanished beneath the Atlantic. In the morning, we land on the island of Tresco and visit the fabulous Tresco Abbey Gardens. The Gulf Stream allows an astounding variety of subtropical plants to flourish at these northern latitudes, and numerous birds, including puffins, shearwaters and sandpipers, are often seen here. The afternoon is free to stroll the streets of St. Mary's, the largest town of the Scillys, with a storied nautical past, or to ramble the paths of Tresco's backlands.

Dartmouth, Devon, England
A charming coastal town, Dartmouth has a great seafaring history. We stroll Dartmouth's narrow streets and along the quaint waterfront, observing many fine old buildings that recall its vivid past. The afternoon is at leisure to visit with shopkeepers, explore the fort, or join a naturalist-guided walk.

Dover/Disembark/Home
This morning we disembark in Dover, and transfer to London's Heathrow Airport for homeward-bound flights.

2001 Departure Dates: May 19th & June 14th

Costs Per person - double occupancy 

Category 1 US$6,540
Category 2 US$7,140
Category 3 US$7,860
Category 4 US$8,460
Suites US$11,700

Costs Per person - single occupancy 

Category 1 US$8,820
Category 2 US$9,660
Category 4 US$11,460

Voyage Cost Includes:
Accommodations aboard ship
All meals aboard ship
All shore excursions and sightseeing
Entrance fees
Transfers for group flights
Tips (except to ship's crew)
Taxes and service charges
Services of ship physician
Lindblad Special Expeditions' expedition staff and expedition leader

Voyage Cost Does Not Include:
Air transportation
Baggage/accident/cancellation insurance
Items of a personal nature
Gratuities at your discretion to ship's crew

If you would like to share accommodations, we will be glad to make arrangements at the double occupancy rate, in Categories 1 and 2. In addition, third and fourth person rates are available for some cabins at half the double occupancy rate.

Call Elsie from England for special rates