The Beauty of the British Isles - 2022

Your British Isles expedition begins! Today you’ll fly overnight from the U.S. to Edinburgh, Scotland.

Please note: If you're taking advantage of the pre-trip extension to Edinburgh, you will follow the pre-trip itinerary until Day 4, when you'll board the Ocean Explorer and join your fellow base travelers for the rest of the cruisetour. All activities and inclusions will be covered; please see the pre-trip extension itinerary for details.

If you purchased your airfare from Vantage, upon arrival in Scotland a Vantage representative will meet you and arrange transfer to your centrally located hotel. Settle in and if you like, enjoy a brief orientation in the historic center near our hotel. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a briefing and Welcome Dinner featuring musical entertainment from a traditional bagpiper. You'll also learn the history of this instrument, as well as a bit about Scottish clans, and more! 

Cultural Discovery:

• Welcome Dinner with musical entertainment from a bagpiper

The unforgettable city of Edinburgh unfolds before you as we ride and walk on a half-day city tour. Highlights of the Old Town include Edinburgh Castle, set high above the city on Castle Rock, and St. Margaret’s Chapel. Built around 1130, it is the oldest surviving building in town. Fast-forward to 18th-century as you explore the New Town, with its elegant neoclassical and Georgian architecture. Both districts are together listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip set sail to visit their far-flung dominion, they did it on board the Royal Yacht Britannia. You'll come aboard to inspect this elegant vessel, which often hosted a retinue of more than 45 guests. It still features the furnishings and décor favored by the Queen when the ship was launched in 1953. The balance of your day is free. Your Vantage City Host will be happy to assist with tips, directions, and making reservations.

Included Feature:

• Half-day Edinburgh city tour

After breakfast, we'll transfer to our awaiting ship in Invergordon via the gorgeous Scottish Highlands. This land of high mountain valleys, rushing trout streams, sparkling lochs, and sheep-dotted pastures was once the stronghold of Gaelic-speaking Scottish clans. Following the Highland Clearances of the 18th and 19th centuries, small farmers were largely driven from the land, so today this remote region is one of the least-populated areas in Europe.

Our route takes us through wildly scenic Cairngorms National Park, the largest in the U.K. We’ll stop for an included lunch in the town of Pitlochry, which blossomed as a tourist destination after Queen Victoria visited in 1842. Soon thereafter you’ll arrive in Invergordon and come aboard your ship. This evening, gather with your fellow travelers for a Captain’s Welcome Dinner.

Included Feature:

• Panoramic drive through the Scottish Highlands

Scenic Sailing:

• Wave goodbye to Invergordon and take in the Scottish scenery from the unique vantage of the open waters as you travel toward your next destination

Named for the strong tides that rip past the Point of Ness, it’s no surprise that Stromness was once a vital whaling port. It was later used by the British for shipping in times of war in lieu of the English Channel. At the Stromness Museum, you’ll discover the Orkney Islands’ natural history. Then learn about the Churchill Barriers, a series of four causeways linking the Orkney Islands that were built as naval defenses in WWII. Today, they serve as vital roads. World War II left a spiritual mark as well, and you and your fellow travelers will visit the ornate Catholic chapel built here by Italian POWs.

This afternoon, enjoy leisure time on board. 

Included Feature:

• Visit the Churchill Barriers

Cultural Discovery:

• Onboard lecture

Scenic Sailing:

• As you sail toward Stromness, find yourself enchanted by rustic homes on tiered hills and Old World architecture

Enchanting thatched-roof cottages await you today when you arrive at Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, first settled as a trade port by the Vikings. Your group will visit the prehistoric Callanish Stones — a hilltop, cross-shaped arrangement of standing stones with a circular ring and central monolith. Dating back some 5,000 years to Neolithic times, they are even older than Stonehenge and have been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Next, visit the nine thatched-roof cottages of Gearrannan Blackhouse Village. Here, at the Carloway Mills, you’ll see a demonstration of the region’s most time-honored craft — tweed-weaving. Lunch is back on board, and you'll enjoy an afternoon at leisure, with another eye-opening lecture planned. Tonight, be entertained by a troupe of Scottish dancers!

Included Feature:

• Half-day Isle of Lewis tour

Cultural Discoveries:

• Tweed-weaving demonstration
• Evening Scottish dance performance
• Onboard lecture

Scenic Sailing:

• Early this morning, admire the sights of quaint Scottish towns on the coast of the Isle of Lewis as you sail on toward Stornoway

If Brigadoon really exists, you might just find it today as the Ocean Odyssey takes you for a scenic sail around Skye, the Summer Isles, or the Shiant Isles archipelagos. This is when you’ll be grateful for the nimbleness of your expedition vessel, as we hug the rugged coastline and discover waterfalls that plummet off high cliff-tops right into the sea and romantic moors that sweep to the rocky shore. Watch out for shorebirds and local marine life, and keep your camera at the ready!

We'll have lunch on board and set out to explore. In a country of scenic superlatives, Scotland’s Isle of Skye will stand out in your memories as one of the most beautiful places on Earth. We’ll tender to the capital and port of Portree, where you’ll embark on a morning sightseeing tour that reveals medieval castles, and villages, and vistas of the mist-enshrouded Cuillin Hills; crystal-clear lochs; and fairy pools fed by tiny cascades and streams.

Put your discoveries into perspective today with another lecture preluding dinner.

Vantage Exclusive:

• Scenic daylight cruise around Skye, the Summer Isles, or the Shiant Isles archipelagos

Included Feature:

• Scenic tour of Skye

Cultural Discovery:

• Onboard lecture

Scenic Sailing:

• Depart Portree later today. Weather permitting, you’re sure to enjoy sailing around Inner Hebrides islands, a diverse archipelago that is also home to seals and seabirds

This morning you’ll anchor at Tobermory, an idyllic port whose waterfront is lined with multicolored houses, cozy pubs, crafts shops and inviting restaurants. You'll have some time at leisure to explore, perhaps visiting the An Tobar Arts Centre or the Mull Aquarium. 

After lunch on board the Ocean Odyssey, you’ll do something you never thought you’d do in Scotland — embark on a safari. The Isle of Mull has earned a reputation as the premier wildlife and birding destination, and on a ranger-led wildlife safari, you’ll go looking for the red deer, otters, seals, whales, and even eagles that populate this isle.

Follow it up with spicy sips thanks to a sampling session at Tobermory Distillery. If you’ve ever wanted to learn about the differences between Irish and Scotch whisky — along with what single malt means — this is your chance.

Before dinner, retire to the lounge for another fascinating talk.

Included Feature:

• Wildlife safari in Tobermory

Cultural Discoveries:

• Scotch whisky tasting at Tobermory Distillery
• Onboard lecture

Scenic Sailing:

• The vibrant seafront homes and vast terrain of Tobermory will capture your imagination both as you arrive and depart this port

Locals will tell you that the Giant’s Causeway was formed when the giant Finn McCool tossed massive boulders in the water in order to battle another giant across the way in Scotland. Scientists will tell you that this amazing natural phenomenon (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) was created when basaltic lava from an ancient eruption solidified into thousands of hexagonal columns. Your eyes will tell you that you are witnessing something quite otherworldly. Also breathtaking is the power and beauty of the Antrim coast, which you’ll travel along, too. Afterward, enjoy a delightful lunch in a local restaurant before continuing on to Belfast, Northern Ireland's capital.

The city that launched the Titanic is often remembered today for the Troubles — but as you’ll discover on a panoramic tour, with those days well behind it, Belfast bubbles with activity, centered on a revitalized Victoria Square.

Your tour ends at the Titanic Belfast museum, where you can mull over the stories behind this ill-fated ship.

Included Features:

• Belfast city tour
• Visit Giant’s Causeway

Scenic Sailing:

• Sail out of Belfast on the same route the RMS Titanic originally took

The Isle of Man is a protectorate of Great Britain, and therefore not technically a legal part of the United Kingdom. As such, it has its own independent parliament which has governed since 979 AD. Rich in flora and fauna, the island is also a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve, but your focus today will be the Isle of Man’s unique culture, called Manx. After breakfast this morning, you’ll hear a lecture on Manx culture to contextualize your discoveries today, which begin in the port of Douglas.

Here in the island’s capital, we’ll transfer by coach to Cregneash village, one of the last strongholds for Manx language and customs. After, we head to Castletown, the ancient capital of the Isle of Man and home of the preserved medieval Castle Rushen, which dates back to 1250.

We’ll head back to the Ocean Odyssey for lunch, enjoying a scenic ride with photo stop at Tynwald Hill. After lunch, the balance of your afternoon is free for relaxing, or discovering more of the Isle of Man on your own. 

After dinner tonight, enjoy an onboard performance featuring local entertainers.

Included Feature:

• Isle of Man sightseeing tour

Cultural Discoveries: 

• Lecture on Manx culture
• Evening onboard entertainment by local performers

Scenic Sailing:

• Admire the idyllic charm of Douglas when you cruise into the harbor this morning

This morning you’ll arrive in Holyhead and enjoy a short drive to majestic Caernarfon Castle, built between 1283 and 1330 by King Edward I.

Today, massive Caernarfon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it will take your breath away. Here you can walk along its interconnected walls, punctuated by impressive towers that loom above a central green studded with (now abandoned) villages. Caernarfon dominates the shoreline and you can imagine its importance in controlling coastal supply routes and providing access to the agricultural resources of neighboring lands.

En route to a traditional pub lunch, your Cruise Director will tell you more about the castle’s fascinating history. Then, visit the National Slate Museum, nestled into a mountainside, to witness a demonstration of the vanishing Victorian-era trade of slate splitting. Later this evening, enjoy a Captain's Dinner, then unwind with a musical performance. This evening a Celtic harpist will perform lively and lilting folk music, complemented by folktales and local lore to enhance the music.

Vantage Exclusive:

• Full-day excursion to Caernarfon Castle

Cultural Discoveries:

• Slate splitting demonstration at the National Slate Museum
• Evening onboard entertainment: Welsh folk music performance
• Onboard lecture

Scenic Sailing:

• The landscape changes again upon arriving in Holyhead

After breakfast, you’ll disembark in the tiny Welsh port of Fishguard and travel to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. This is the home of St. David's, the religious capital of Wales and the smallest city in the country. Enjoy your guided tour of the 12th-century Cathedral of St. David, which was built over a site where country’s patron saint, David, established a monastery in the 6^th century. The cathedral has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries. Other highlights include the 14th-century Tower Gate, Celtic Old Cross and a number of surrounding art galleries and pubs, which you can spend more time exploring during your afternoon at leisure.

This evening before dinner, learn from a local historian about Wales’ relationship with the British Empire over the centuries. Then, be enchanted by the sounds of a classical harp performance on board.

Included Feature:

• Half-day historical tour of St. David’s

Cultural Discoveries:

• Lecture on Wales and the British Empire
• Evening onboard entertainment: classical Welsh harp performance

Scenic Sailing:

• The views are sure to be just as memorable as the name of the coastal city of Fishguard

Scattered off the Cornwall coast like a handful of pearls lie the lovely Isles of Scilly. Today after breakfast you’ll visit the Tresco, tendering ashore to a paradise of shell-strewn beaches, flower-filled heaths, and dense forests.

Arriving at the Tresco Abbey Gardens you can hardly believe you are in England. For here, surrounded by protective stands of elm, sycamore, and oak, is a wonderland of exotic, subtropical flora from the Mediterranean and as far away as Brazil, Australia and South Africa. Walk with your guide among eye-popping bowers of bright orange bomarea, pink pincushion protea, spiny red and blue bromeliads, and more. Complementing the arboreal beauty are the maritime collections at the Valhalla Museum. Here you’ll admire items retrieved from shipwrecks dating back to the 17^th century, including 30 figureheads, a bronze cannon, quarter boards, and more.

Back on board you’ll enjoy a leisurely lunch and an afternoon presentation on a topic that has relevance both at home and here in Britain: immigration in the United Kingdom.

Included Features:

• Visit the Abbey Gardens of Tresco
• Visit Valhalla Museum

Cultural Discovery:

• Onboard lecture

Scenic Sailing:

• Arrive and depart in Tresco today and look forward to cruising between the varied Islands of Scilly

After breakfast the cruise portion of your journey concludes. You’ll disembark ship in Poole, set on the sweeping Dorset coast. It was from here that many of the troopships involved in the D-Day landings set sail for Normandy to rendezvous with history.

From here you’ll transfer through the English countryside, stopping in Windsor to enjoy lunch on your own. Then, explore historic Windsor Castle, the world’s oldest occupied castle. Built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, it has served as a royal residence since then, and the current royal family, the House of Windsor, took their dynastic name from this beloved site. If you see the royal standard flying from its ramparts, that means the Queen is in residence! After your tour, you’ll proceed to London and check in to your hotel, perhaps taking some time to relax before you visit the city’s best-known restaurants for dinner.

Included Feature:

• Tour of Windsor Castle

Scenic Sailing:

• Early this morning, sailing into Poole through the English Channel before continuing your journey

Today’s half-day, guided panoramic city tour takes you by coach and by foot to view some of London’s most notable landmarks — Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Big Ben, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and more. You’ll also enjoy an unforgettable visit to the Churchill War Rooms, the underground nerve center where Winston Churchill and his inner circle planned and executed Britain’s WWII strategy. Your afternoon is at leisure and lunch is on your own. This evening, return to your hotel to celebrate with your fellow travelers at a Farewell cocktail and dinner.

Included Feature:

• Half-day London city tour

After breakfast you’ll transfer to the airport for your return flight home. Or, if you’re joining our post-trip extension in Dublin, you’ll stay on for three more nights!