Day 1 – Dover (for London), England

Departs 06:00 pm.

Visible for miles from sea, the White Cliffs of Dover are an instantly recognizable symbol of England. Modern highways make Dover the doorstep to London – Britain’s ever-fascinating capital. Visitors to this great city have a wealth of pleasures to choose from. Explore the notorious Tower of London and view the Crown Jewels. Visit Windsor Castle or see Westminster Abbey. The choices are fascinating and endless. Dover is also your gateway to Kent’s green countryside, dotted with old medieval towns and castles.Dover has played a major role in world history since the days of the Norman invasion. Today 13th century Dover Castle dominates a harbour filled with cross-channel ferries and merchant and passenger shipping.

Day 2 – Rotterdam, The Netherlands

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 03:00 pm.

The largest port in Europe, Rotterdam is an intriguing mix of the old and the new. The city’s lineage is ancient – Count Willem III granted city rights to the sleepy fishing village on the Rotte in 1328, yet much of the city dates from the six decades following the end of World War II. An important industrial center and a major European port, Rotterdam was among the first targets of the Nazi blitzkrieg against the West. On May 14, 1940, the German Luftwaffe firebombed the city, Rotterdam was gutted. The post-war years saw a slow rebuilding but by the early 1960s the maze of port facilities extended all the way to the North Sea. Today, this city of over half a million is the economic powerhouse, not just of the Netherlands but of Northern Europe.The Nazi bombardment of 1940 gutted most of the old city. As a result, Rotterdam’s architecture is an intriguing mix of old and new: modern glass skyscrapers often stand adjacent to 19th- and 18th-century buildings.

Day 3 – At Sea

Day 4 – Edinburgh (South Queensferry), Scotland

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

South Queensferry is the gateway to Edinburgh, the political, commercial and cultural heart of Scotland. Nestled between the Highlands and the Border Hills, Edinburgh is a gracious city noted for its superb skyline, its impressive collection of architecture and its beautiful parks. The streets of the elegant New Town are lined with graceful Georgian buildings, many designed by the great architect Robert Adam. Edinburgh has also exerted a tremendous cultural force on Europe and the English-speaking world. The International Festival has been one of the premier European cultural events for over half a century. Among those who have called the city home are the writers, Robert Burns, James Boswell, and Sir Walter Scott and the philosophers, Adam Smith and David Hume. To stroll the streets of Edinburgh is to experience one of the world’s great cities.Note: South Queensferry is an anchorage port. Passengers transfer to shore via ship’s tender.

Day 5 – Invergordon, Scotland

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

In 1933, an enterprising editor in Inverness enlivened a slow news week with the story of an odd sighting in Loch Ness. The legend grew overnight – and today individuals still scan the dark waters of the Loch for a sight of Nessie, the Loch Ness Monster. Legend goes back as far as the 6th century and insists that the celebrated Loch Ness Monster inhabits a cave beneath the picturesque ruins of Urquhart Castle. Welcome to Invergordon, your gateway to Loch Ness and that area of the Highlands known as the “Great Glen.”

Day 6 – Orkney Islands (Kirkwall), Scotland

Arrives 07:00 am, departs 04:00 pm.

Just north of Scotland lay the Orkney Islands. Washed by the furthest reach of the Gulf Stream, this chain of over 70 islands offers dramatic landscapes that range from sea cliffs rearing 1,000 feet above the waves to sweeping white sand beaches. Bird watchers flock to the Orkney Islands, drawn by the multitudes of sea birds. Divers explore the wrecks lying in the clear waters of Scapa Flow, the Royal Navy’s fleet anchorage in two world wars. And most fascinating of all, the Orkney Islands boast the greatest concentration of prehistoric sites in all Europe, including the mysterious Ring of Brodgar and 5,000-year-old Skara Brae.Vikings – Norsemen – ruled the Orkney Islands from the 9th to 13th centuries, leaving in their wake such monuments as St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall. This hint of Scandinavian influence can be heard in the lilting accent with which Orcadians speak.

Day 7 – Portree (Isle of Skye), Scotland, United Kingdom

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 06:00 pm.

Day 8 – Belfast, Northern Ireland

Arrives 11:00 am, departs 11:00 pm.

The capital of Northern Ireland – part of the United Kingdom – Belfast has experienced a renaissance since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 that promised an end to the decades-old “Troubles” between Catholics and Protestants. Stretching along both sides of the River Lagan, this graceful city of Victorian and Edwardian buildings has become a cosmopolitan tourist destination. Once a major industrial center, Belfast is also your gateway to the rich, Irish countryside of Counties Antrim and Down.Belfast was an industrial giant in the 19th century, famed for its linen and its shipyards. Explore this exuberant city, marvel at the Giant’s Causeway or shop for superb Irish linens.

Day 9 – Glasgow (Greenock), Scotland

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 11:00 pm.

Glasgow was Scotland’s great industrial center during the 19th century. Today, the city remains the commercial and cultural capital of the Lowlands. Lying on the banks of the River Clyde, Glasgow boasts some of the finest Victorian architecture in the entire United Kingdom, including the stately City Chambers. Elegant Princes Square offers excellent shopping, and among the host of museums and galleries, the Burrell Collection features a superb treasure trove of paintings and art objects.Note: Your ship docks in Greenock, which is approximately 45 minutes from Glasgow.

Day 10 – At Sea

Day 11 – Liverpool, England

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 09:00 pm.

This great industrial port grew to prominence as a result of trade with the Americas. That tradition continued in the ’60s as the Beatles mounted the first wave of rock ‘n’ roll’s “British Invasion”. Actually, the city possesses cultural charms beyond the Beatles. Liverpool is home to two of the finest neoclassical buildings in Europe. At nearby Port Sunlight, magnate William Lever built a model industrial village and created the Lady Lever Gallery. The museum is home to a superb collection of English paintings and furniture.

Day 12 – Dun Laoghaire (Dublin), Ireland

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 07:00 pm.

Day 13 – Cork, Ireland

Arrives 08:00 am, departs 05:00 pm.

Day 14 – At Sea

Day 15 – Dover (for London), England

Arrives 03:15 am.

Visible for miles from sea, the White Cliffs of Dover are an instantly recognizable symbol of England. Modern highways make Dover the doorstep to London – Britain’s ever-fascinating capital. Visitors to this great city have a wealth of pleasures to choose from. Explore the notorious Tower of London and view the Crown Jewels. Visit Windsor Castle or see Westminster Abbey. The choices are fascinating and endless. Dover is also your gateway to Kent’s green countryside, dotted with old medieval towns and castles.Dover has played a major role in world history since the days of the Norman invasion. Today 13th century Dover Castle dominates a harbour filled with cross-channel ferries and merchant and passenger shipping.