British Isles Cruise – The UK and Ireland are known for their beautiful landscapes that are picture-perfect. I recently went cruising with Princess Cruises onboard the MS Royal Princess on a British Isles cruise. I still consider myself a newbie to the world of cruising.
I will tell you one thing, it’s a different world travelling on the sea and Princess Cruises just gave me a wonderful experience for a first-time cruiser to make it more relaxed and fun!
I keep telling my friends from abroad that when they want to visit the UK that there is more to see and experience in the UK than just London. Another way of exploring the UK is through the sea on the best cruise lines with the best cruise ship packages onboard.
Read More: Best UK Travel Itinerary for 2 Weeks
The British Isles are composed of Great Britain and Ireland and little tiny islands dotted around the Celtic Sea, the Irish Sea and the English Channel. Seeing the British Isles from the sea (cruising) will give you a different sense of perspective on travelling.
Princess Cruise Lines has 18 cruise liners in its fleet that offers a variety of premium and luxury services for different clientele and markets. Princess Cruises serves a wide array of cruising experiences that deliver the best cruise lines for couples and families, there is always something to do for all ages.
Read More: Things to do on a Cruise Ship Especially on a Sea Day (Royal Princess)
Royal Princess is the Princess Cruises flagship and it embodies the Princess Cruises style and elegance, as well as British culture. The ship’s godmother is the Duchess of Cambridge, thus you can see find a commemoration nook about the ship’s christening near the reception.
British Isles Cruise itinerary
Appreciating the beautiful landscape that is just on my doorstep is often something overlooked. I was invited by Princess Cruises to go onboard the Royal Princess around the British Isles.
I was super delighted with this offer and excited to experience everything first-hand. As a first-time cruiser, I had a mix of emotions and excitement not knowing what to expect. As I’m not familiar with the cruising drill yet! I find it so convenient to ease me into cruising because it is one of the popular cruises from UK.
We were also very lucky with the weather. The sun came out to greet us for the whole duration of our cruise. Yes, it was so sunny in Scotland!
English weather has its reputation for being erratic and miserable, however, during our cruise, it was a completely different story! The sun was out and it was blissful sunny weather in each port of call.
During our British Isles cruise, I saw the rugged limestone cliffs that paint the picturesque beauty of the British landscape. Each port of call opens up another window to show us a glimpse of their heritage and culture.
Living in the UK for a decade and actively travelling around the country made me realise that there is more to see in the British Isles and it’s just on my doorstep.
Ports of Call
Here are the ports of call for the British Isles cruise that I did with Princess Cruises. I joined the Royal Princess and embarked on my 6-day cruise from Dublin to Edinburgh.
- Southampton (England)
- Cork (Ireland)
- Dublin (Ireland) — This is where I joined the cruise.
- Belfast (Northern Ireland
- Greenock (Scotland)
- Inverness (Scotland)
- Edinburgh (Scotland)
Here is the screenshot of my cruise personaliser where you can manage all the things you might need to enhance your cruise experiences like getting your drinks packages, shore excursions, spa appointments and Wi-fi.
Read More: Things to do on a Cruise Ship Especially on a Sea Day (Royal Princess)
Passenger Life onboard Royal Princess
My Balcony cabin
The Balcony cabin where I stayed in Royal Princess exceeded my expectations and more.
My cabin was like a proper land-based hotel room. The cabin is spacious with a double bed, dressing table, cabinets, fridge, TV, shower and toilet. See more of the photos below:
The balcony is equipped with seats and a table and is just enough size for two people. It was my favourite part of the cabin. The mattress is so comfortable and spacious. It definitely helped me sleep like a baby this bed certainly made me feel at home in my cabin.
For a first-time cruiser on this type of ship, the premium top-class quality of service that I received during my cruise with Princess Cruises really converted me to how I see cruising and life onboard.
Royal Princess is like a floating city and it’s more than just a hotel or merely a cruise ship! I now understand why people see cruise ships as their second home. People on board from staff to your fellow passengers will make you feel at ease and relaxed. Everyone has cheerful vibes and smiles!
Fun Facts about Royal Princess:
To construct Royal Princess it took:
- 3 million man hours
- 37,000 tons of steel
More than 3 times the amount of steel in Los Angeles’ Disney Concert Hall - 4,000 km (2,484 miles) of electrical cable
Enough to travel between the company’s offices near Los Angeles, Calif. and New York City - 360,000 liters (95,000 gallons) of paint
More than twice what is reportedly used per year on the Golden Gate Bridge - 200 tons of marble
More than 30 times the amount of marble in Michelangelo’s famous David statues.
All Day Dining and Specialty Restaurants
There are 16 food outlets onboard that range from all-day dining, buffet, snacks bar and speciality restaurants. You will never be hungry onboard!
The delightful treats, food and drinks are just within your reach in every corner of the ship. Everything is made fresh on board by the skilled hands of the chefs that work tirelessly to deliver these yummy delectable delights onboard. All the main meals are included in the price of your cruise, and that is pretty much the majority of the restaurants onboard.
If you want to have a little fancy evening meal, you can then book a sumptuous dinner in any of the speciality restaurants onboard with an additional cover charge on top of your bill.
You can pre-book this in advance before your cruise, or book on the day of your embarkation. Book it as soon as possible, as they can get pretty full and busy.
I highly recommend the steakhouse onboard – Crown Grill. Oh, their steak is definitely the best I have ever had in my life! Food outlets onboard typically serve the most popular British food to give the passengers an extra taste of the British Isles.
On the beverage side, the bars onboard are particularly lively in the evening with the live band and the passengers are looking their best with their fancy frocks.
Drinks are overflowing with your favourite ale, fancy wine and refreshing cocktails and at the Sea View bar, you can also enjoy the talented bartenders with their cocktail-making flair show!
We were honoured to have the chance to visit the galley, where all the food magic happens.
Welcomed and escorted by the Executive Chef and Food and Beverage Manager of Royal Princess, they showed us around the galley and explained how the food preparation flows from the soup kitchen, pastry kitchen, main kitchen and up to the food service stations.
Everything works like clockwork and is meticulously planned months in advance and executed with precision from the sourcing of the fresh produce, preparation, cooking and serving of the food.
Our Bridge Tour
This is one of the great tours that we did onboard Royal Princess during our British Isles cruise.
It was not my first time visiting the bridge of a ship, however, it was my first time checking out the bridge on a gigantic cruise ship like Royal Princess. The officers explained to us how they manoeuvre the ship and how to dock it. If you are into technical nautical stuff this is pretty interesting!
The ship uses a lot of very sophisticated radar technology to make sure the optimum safety and precision of everything onboard. The officers also briefed us on different cruise ship drills and procedures on how they run things on the cruise ship.
Fun Facts about Royal Princess:
Royal Princess has:
- A top speed of 23 knots
Equal to 26.5 miles per hour - 15,000KW of transverse (sideways) thruster power
The original Love Boat, Pacific Princess had a forward propulsion power of about 13,500KW. So Royal Princess can go faster sideways than that ship could travel forward. - An anchor that weighs 14 tons
- The Sea Walk glass is 28mm (1.1 inches) thick
More than 4 times thicker than the average car windshield glass
Entertainment and Shore Excursions
You can never run out of things to do on a cruise ship and onshore!
On-Board Entertainment
Royal Princess has a wide variety of onboard entertainment that will surely keep you engaged and entertained, whatever your interests or age might be!
At first, I was a bit sceptical about the activities onboard. The silly naïve me thought that cruising can be boring and not for an outgoing type. Well, I was wrong!
The ship is massive and still can’t believe that I can manage to clock in around 10,000 steps just by walking around the ship and checking out different venues of activities and entertainment.
I honestly can’t fathom how many events and activities were going on onboard, especially on a Sea Day where everyone is on board!
In Royal Princess, the majority of the entertainment and activities can be found in the midship atrium area from Decks 5 to 7.
You can find the various activities and entertainment on board of Royal Princess here.
And if you fancy just staying in the comfort of your own cabin, the entertainment can be your great selection of films on your tv. Wi-Fi is also available onboard, but it can be pricey, so use it wisely.
Shore Excursions
Everyone is looking forward to some great shore excursions when the cruise ship docks at a new port. It is one of the main activities when you go cruising unless you are a DIY person who prefers to do everything at your own pace and arrange it yourself.
Joining Shore excursions are fun and convenient and it can be arranged in advance or just head to the Shore Excursions desk. The group tours tend to be a bit cheaper than the private ones and of course, groups tend to go at a slower pace due to the volume of fellow passengers that are travelling with you during the excursions.
The private tours, on the other hand, are on the pricey side but you get what you pay for. The flexibility and convenience are definitely worth the price not to mention that you can also personalise your shore excursions if you have decided to go for a private tour (as long as you have enough time to do so).
During the British Isles cruise, all our shore excursions are on private tours so we managed to beat all the queues. So if you have the extra cash, I would recommend the private tours but it doesn’t mean that group tours would be less appealing as you will be visiting the same tour highlights.
Read More: Shore Excursions: Cruising Tips for First Time Cruisers
Pool, Sports and Spa
If you want to hide and relax from it all, “The Sanctuary” on Deck 17 of Royal Princess is the best place to be.
It’s like having your own private nook with a few fine touches. You can either have your own sunbed or even have your own private cabana for the whole duration of your cruise or for a day! Best of all, it’s only for adults.
Just make sure to keep the noise down, relaxation is going on!
Royal Princess recreational facilities (gym, swimming pool, jogging track, lawn court and much more) are located on Decks 16 to 19 of the ship and the Lotus Spa is located on Deck 5 near the reception and shore excursion desks.
While onboard I tried a superb relaxing spa service from Lotus Spa, I opted for the 1-hour Bamboo Massage.
It was my first time trying the bamboo massage as I thought it was something different and I had never tried it before. I made a little research to make sure that I won’t be getting any surprises during the spa session.
On the day of our spa appointment, we filled out a standard assessment form and then chilled out in the waiting lounge while waiting for our therapist.
The Lotus Spa has its own bathrobes, towels and locker room so if you have to change your clothing or use your own bathrobes, that is perfectly fine. The spa treatment can be summed up in a few words, it is so relaxing and wonderful!
I must say that it is one of my most awaited onboard experiences. I love being pampered and of course, while onboard will be the best time to do it, maybe during a sea day, just like ours.
Typically, my back gets so tender after a massage but thank goodness for the anti-inflammatory gel that they put on my back after the session, it does make a big difference. No aching and tenderness for me! I’m such a happy girl after my massage session.
Our pampering session didn’t stop there, we also tried “The Enclave”, a thermal suite after our treatment. It has some neat heated and water beds, a sauna, hammam, thermal pool and sensory showers.
It’s a great place to wind down after the relaxing spa treatment at the Lotus Spa.
FAQ on Royal Princess and Princess Cruises
Does Princess Cruises have hair dryers?
Yes. It is located on the right-hand side drawer of the dressing table.
Can you smoke on Princess Cruises?
Yes. The Churchill Lounge is the specific area where you smoke on board.
Does Princess Cruises offer drink packages?
Yes. Princess Cruises has various drinks packages to offer onboard. From different wine, whiskey and cocktail masterclass tasting experiences up to daily charge beverages are all available.
The most common packages are the:
New Grounds – $36USD per card, for all the coffee lovers.
Unlimited Soda & More – $8.05/person/day, for unlimited soft drinks, mocktails, juices and complimentary hot chocolate on board.
Premier Package – $59.99/person/day, for cocktails, wine, beer, bottled water, varieties of tea, soda, specialty coffees, and more.
You can pre-book these drink packages on your cruise personalizer.
Does Princess Cruises have Wi-Fi?
Yes. There is chargeable Wi-Fi access onboard. Various satellite Internet packages are on offer on various plans:
600 Minutes – $199.00
400 Minutes – $159.00
200 Minutes – $99.00
100 Minutes – $69.00
Pay as you go Plan (Per Minute) – $0.79
Wi-Fi signal can be temperamental. It can depend on where you are onboard, plus it can depend on where you are at sea. So make sure to turn off your network data on your mobile to avoid an unnecessary hefty bill. The maritime internet is so expensive! Just keep your phone in aeroplane mode.
What are Princess Cruises prohibited items?
Here is the list of the prohibited items on board.
Do you have to pay gratuities on Princess Cruises?
An optional gratuity will be automatically charged to your account per person on a daily basis depending on your cabin. You can check this on your cruise personaliser.
Princess Cruises laundry prices
Yes, there are laundry services on board. You can also use self-service laundrettes and iron and ironing boards are also available and can be found on each cabin deck.
The rates for the self-service laundry are:
$3 for washing, $3 for drying and free of charge for using the iron and ironing board.
Overall, I had a truly wonderful experience on our British Isles cruise onboard Royal Princess. The Premium services of Princess Cruises really made the trip special and matched an incredible itinerary around the British Isles.
They are truly true to their word that you will “Come Back New”.
Have you cruised with Princess Cruises or been on British Isles Cruise before?
Would love to hear about your experience too!
Special thanks and disclaimer:
I have been invited to join and experience the British Isles Cruise of the Princess Cruises UK PR Media Team to share my personal experience onboard. All opinions and words in this post are my own.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ryazan Tristram
Travel Writer & PhotographerRyazan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Tourism and Hotel Management. She also has more than 10 years of work experience gained from working in the hotel and travel sectors in Asia and Europe. Her work has been featured and published in BBC, Huffington Post, Reader’s Digest, Discovery Channel, World Travel Guide, MSN, CNBC, GMA, Daily Mail UK, Lonely Planet, and many more. She is currently living in the UK as a dual citizen (British-Filipina). Join her in travelling around the UK, Europe, and beyond with a mission to promote sustainable tourism and share travel guides, travel tips, foodies, history, and culture.
5
5
Looks like an interesting itinerary and ship. Although I’ve sailed on several different cruise lines, I’ve not yet been on Princess. Bridge tours are definitely fascinating; on Celebrity Eclipse, they showed us how there’s a glass floor on the wing of the bridge to help them check things out when berthing. I’m not surprised at all with your step count; despite all the great food onboard, I always seem to come home lighter – probably due to mainly sailing big ships, the gym, and plenty of walking ashore.
Yes, it was a great cruise around the British Isles. Surprisingly we had plenty of sunshine as well. It was totally exciting to visiting the bridge and getting new maritime knowledge from the officers.
A great experience you had there! 🙂 I’ve never been on any cruise in my life, yet. Love how you makes your writing interesting. But the Wi-Fi charges are quite expensive, or those are standard charges on cruises?
Yes, the wifi onboard are pretty reasonable compared to the hefty maritime internet.
Cruises are not my type of vacations, I get seasick almost instantly and it makes the whole trip a nightmare. 🙁
Oh dear! So sorry for you. Have you tried taking some seasick tabs they are pretty effective.
Cruises are not my type of vacation since I get seasick almost instantly. The spa section looks great!
I have never been on a cruise (I think, if a high school trip on a boat to Greece doesn’t count as a cruise), and I am not a fan- but the circle you did goes around all the regions I want to visit! Especially Scotland in the sunny weather (and I don’t know why everyone accuses British weather to be miserable, I’ve been to England twice in October, and the weather was pretty nice actually!). Also, didn’t know that the maritime Internet was so expensive, which is maybe a good thing, to completely switch off during your 6 days of cruising.
Oh! You should try it once. It’s a great fun. The British weather is very temperamental, but we were so lucky to have a glorious weather on this cruise.
It sounds like you had a fabulous cruise. Imagine Scotland being sunny! I spent 18 months in the UK and can practically count the number of sunny days on both hands haha. I have never been on a cruise before but this looks like a perfect one, docking at some beautiful places. I also like how you included lots of facts throughout your post. It made it really interesting to read.
This itinerary looks amazing. It literally hits every spot! I’ve only been to London so far (simply because of time restraints every time) but would LOVE to see more (especially the Channel Islands). Definitely adding this to my bucket list.
P.S. I originally hail from Ryazan! How did you end up with this name??
I have never been on a cruise but it is something that I have always wanted to try at least once. Royal Princess and Princess Cruises sounds ideally to me. I could definitely do the British Isles and go through the English Channel. I also love the idea of the different drink packages that they have available.
We’re not fans of cruises because we prefer to be on land than on water, but I must say that the itinerary seems interesting! Also I’m surprised to see how large the rooms are on the Royal Princess!
I’ve never really considered the British Isles as a place for a cruise, but that itinerary really peaked my interest! And you’re so lucky you got some sunny days out there. Your balcony room looked so lovely and comfy – between that and the spa it seems like you could be content even if you weren’t blessed with such great weather! I’m not big on cruises, but I do definitely prefer the DIY route for onshore excursions, what about you? What was your favorite stop on the itinerary?
Sounds like a wonderful trip and a unique way to see the British Isles. No better way than on the ship that’s godmother is the duchess, herself. I have not cruised before, but these pictures makes me wan to change that. It looks like a luxury hotel.
Looks like a wonderful trip ; and no better way to see the British Isles than on the ship whose godmother is the duchess herself. I have not cruised before, but this makes me want to. It looks like a luxury hotel.
WHAT TIME OF YEAR DID YOU CRUISE?
Hi Debra, We cruised the British Isles around May. 🙂