Our Azamara British Isle Cruise

By Hank Schrader, USMA ’71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

www.dreamdestinations.com

It has been quite some time since I wrote a blog about ocean cruising.

There is great value in smaller cruise ships and the more I thought about it, the more I need to communicate how I believe the smaller ocean cruise ships will lead the way on cruising’s return to our oceans.

So, today, I’d like to tell you about our 14 day British Isle cruise on the Azamara Journey in 2017. When you get to see all we were able to experience, I think you might want to consider this wonderful type of cruise for your next vacation when it is safe to return to the oceans and seas of our world.

Ready?—let’s go!

Overview

We sailed on the Journey in July 2017.

The voyage started in Southampton, England. We visited Ireland, Wales and ended up in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Ship Features

This is a well-designed ship. The Journey carries 694 passengers.

There are 3 dining areas. Discoveries is the main dining room. The Deck 9 buffet restaurant is called Windows. Patio is an outdoor a la carte restaurant.

The ship also features two specialty restaurants, "Aqualina" and "Prime C".

**A beef eater’s delight—my prime rib at Prime C!**

As always, Anne took a great picture of our stateroom.

Route Overview—13 Night British Open Voyage

We boarded the Journey on 19 July 2017 at Southampton, England.

On the voyage, we visited St, Peters Point, Channel Islands, Cork (Cohb) Ireland, Holyhead, Wales, Liverpool, England, Dublin, Ireland, Belfast, Northern Ireland, Glasgow (Greencock), Scotland, Isle of Skye (Portree) Scotland, Invergordon, Scotland, and Edinburgh (Leith), Scotland.

This was a special Perry Golf cruise. Many on the cruise got to play golf in most ports and they also got to attend the final day of the British Open.

St Peter Point, Channel Islands

The Channel Islands are located in the English Channel. St. Peter Point has a population of about 18,000 folks. This is a picturesque place and has a great castle in St. Peter Point.

Here are some pictures:

Cork (Cohb) Ireland

The port of Cohb was a gateway from Ireland for many who immigrated to the United States—in fact over 17 million. It is also the final port that the Titanic stopped at prior to the tragic sinking after departing in route to the United States. We took the local train into to Cork and enjoyed this visit very much.

Here are a few pictures:

**Annie Moore Statue in Cobh. She was the first immigrant to arrive at Ellis Island. The statue includes her 2 brothers.**

**Sign explaining the Annie Moore statue.**

Liverpool, England

If you are a baby boomer like me, most grew up loving rock and roll music. As I’m writing this, I’m listening to 60’s and 70’s rock, as I do most days in the office. So, a chance to see the home of the Beatles was awesome.

**Display of the Cavern Club in the Beatles Story Exhibition**

**The famous photo from an album cover on display in the Beatles Story**

Dublin, Ireland

Returning to Dublin was a treat. The capital of Ireland never gets old. We decided to visit the Guinness Storehouse and there is nothing like a pint in the home of this world famous brew.

**One of the displays on how Guinness is brewed**

**Anne with a pint of Guinness and her camera at the Storehouse**

Belfast, Northern Ireland

We had never been to Belfast and this wonderful town did not disappoint.

**Alfred Tower Belfast, Northern Ireland**

Glasgow (Greencock), Scotland

In Glasgow, I chose to take a tour and visit Stirling Castle. Stirling Castle defends the passage between the Lowlands and the Highlands and is said to be the most strategic place in all of Scotland. After two epic medieval battles, the Battle of Sterling (1297, with forces led by Braveheart, William Wallace) and the Battle of Bannockburn (1314 with forces led by Robert the Bruce), the castle became the primary residence of the Stuart monarchs.

It is huge and an impressive castle.

**One of the many halls in Stirling Castle**

Isle of Skye (Portree) Scotland

This is a remote, wild area for the most part and a unique visit that would be quite hard to do except on a cruise ship. It is nicknamed the “Misty Isle” and has some of the best scenery in all of Scotland. The village of Portree has about 3,000 folks and is the largest settlement on the Isle of Skye—the locals say there are more sheep than people on the isle.

I took the Circular Scenic Tour and Dunvegan Castle Tour. Dunvegan castle has continuously been inhabited for 800 years (most of any Scottish castle). It is the ancestral home of the Chiefs of the Clan MacLeod.

I really liked the gardens.

Invergordon, Scotland

This is a very good look at the Scottish Highlands. Here are some pictures of Invergordon:

I took a very good tour here to Cawdor Castle and Gardens, which included a stop at the famous battle of Culloden, were the forces of Bonnie Prince Charlie of the Jacobite rebellion (a struggle to retake the British throne by the Stuarts) were defeated in 1746 by the English forces. This battle ended the power of the Scottish Highlands clans and laws enacted repressed much of the Scottish culture.

The ancestral home of the Campbell’s of Cawdor, the castle complex has been inhabited for over 600 years. Located in the Scottish Highlands, it is more a mansion than castle, despite its’ outward appearance as a defensive castle, with some awesome gardens.

Edinburgh (Leith), Scotland

Perhaps one of the more interesting areas of the British Isles, we really enjoyed our chance to return to Edinburgh.

My Final Thoughts

One of the advantages of small ship cruising on Azamara is longer stays in port, and I think you can see how exciting and educational this 13 night cruise was. It was an awesome look at the British Isles

We hope this inspires you to dream about European travel—and then take action when travel restrictions are lifted! We will be ready to help!

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 49 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

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