Day 11 - London, England

This morning starts early for the Tauck group. We are asked to be aboard the motor coaches at 7:15am for a drive to one of London's most popular tourist attractions, the Tower of London. As our coach departs the hotel, we are introduced to Linda, our local tour guide for the day.

Linda, local tour guide

On the drive to the Tower of London, Linda described many of the sights we were passing and their historical significance. Again, Tauck has selected an excellent local guide. Linda also explained that the reason we were on the coach at such an early hour was so our group could have private access to view the Crown Jewels before the hordes of tourists arrive. Tauck arranged for an early-access private VIP tour for their guests!

Soon after arrival, we are greeted by our Yeoman Warder for a tour of the grounds.

The Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London, and Members of the Sovereign's Body Guard of the Yeoman Guard Extraordinary, more commonly referred to as Beefeaters, are ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. To become a Yeoman Warder, each must have completed at least 20 years of military service.

Our Yeoman Warder led us through the grounds, stopping periodically to show where individuals were beheaded by King Henry VIII, including two of his six wives! It was a short, but fascinating walking tour. Soon, we arrived at the Jewel House, where the famed Crown Jewels are stored. There are military guards out front, and security is extremely tight.

Unfortunately, cameras are not allowed to be used when you enter the Jewel House, so I cannot show any photos of my own. Otherwise, I would have taken a photo of the British Scepter with the Cross carried by Queen Elizabeth which has a 530 carat "Star of Africa" Cullinan diamond (see below). The diamond has an estimated value of over $2 billion! No less impressive are the many crowns on display from various kings, queens, princes and princesses over the ages. I had seen the Crown Jewels back in 2003, but seeing them in a small group without the pushing and shoving of a crowd is definitely the way to go. Thank you, Tauck!

British Scepter with the Cross

After viewing the Crown Jewels, we were given about an hour to explore the grounds on our own. I split from the group and decided to walk through the White Tower.

The White Tower

The White Tower is perhaps the most famous castle keep in the world. Nearly 1,000 years ago, it was built to awe, subdue and terrify Londoners, and to deter foreign invaders. It is an iconic symbol of London and Britain. The White Tower houses the Royal Armories and there are some pieces that date back 350 years, a fact which I found fascinating.

Royal Armories

Our group departed the Tower of London and drove just a few miles to St. Paul's Cathedral. St Paul's is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point in London.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

As you can see from the photo, it is an absolutely beautiful day to be touring London with clear skies and an outside temperature of about 70 degrees (F). This St. Paul's church was completed in 1697 and has the second-largest unsupported dome in the world.

If you Google Lagniappe, you will find the definition as “..something given as a bonus or gratuity.” Well, Tauck has a habit of throwing in a Lagniappe or two on every journey, and today it is a flight on the London Eye!

The London Eye (formerly The Millennium Eye) is 443 feet tall and was the world's tallest Ferris Wheel when it opened in year 2000. There are 32 sealed and air-conditioned capsules, each one capable of holding up to 25 people. A flight on The Eye takes about 30 minutes (one 360 degree rotation) and offers unbeatable views of London.

The view of London from The Eye

This was a really cool way to end our tour of London, with a birdseye view of the entire city! And of course, Tauck secured VIP passes so we got to bypass the huge lines of tourists and locals waiting to gain entrance to The Eye. 

You could see all of these attractions on your own in London, but you would not have the VIP access that Tauck provides, nor the experience of Tauck Tour Directors. When we returned to our hotel this afternoon, I asked Dale, one of the Tauck Directors, for a recommendation of a restaurant close to the hotel. She mentioned that there was a great little Indian restaurant just a block from the Churchill. What a great tip! I took her recommendation, and it was amazing.

This evening, we all gathered in one of the hotel's meeting rooms for a farewell cocktail reception. Everyone enjoyed their favorite beverage from the open bar, and trays of hot and cold hors d'oeuvres where passed around. A classical quartet provided beautiful background music as we all reminisced about the last 11 days together.

After an hour of mingling at the cocktail reception, we were invited to a beautiful and delicious Farewell Dinner in the adjoining room. It was a fitting end to another exceptional Tauck experience. 

Watch for our full review of Tauck and Ponant Le Soléal coming soon to CruiseReport.com.

Day 10 - Portsmouth, England

This was my third time in Portsmouth, actually the fourth if you consider an embarkation and disembarkation of the same cruise as two visits. It never occurred to me that there was anything worth seeing here, but that's why you travel with Tauck. They know stuff.

The iconic Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth

Disembarking a ship, even a "small" ship with only 200 people, can be stressful and chaotic. Tauck did an excellent job of splitting the disembarkation process into three separate groups, each with their own disembarkation time slot. It makes things go much smoother. We had until 6am this morning to put our checked/large bags out in the hallway for collection. By 8:30am, our group was heading down the gangway to the port shuttle waiting to take us to the terminal building.

Guests disembark in Portsmouth

Once in the terminal, we identify our pieces of luggage, and take them to a nearby truck where they are loaded to be delivered to our hotel in London. The entire process is very efficient. Motor coaches outside the terminal are labeled based on the Tauck Tour Director to which you are assigned. Tauck could not make it any simpler!

After boarding our coach, we are introduced to Jean, our local tour guide for the morning. As the coach meanders through Portsmouth, Jean educates us as to why this is such an interesting place, and why it is worthy of a longer visit.

Jean, our local tour guide in Portsmouth

Soon we arrive at Portsmouth Historical Dockyards for our morning excursion. We are each given tickets and are basically on our own to explore the dockyards. There are a lot of different exhibits here, restaurants and gift shops. I wasted no time in heading straight for the HMS Victory.

HMS Victory

The ship was launched in 1765 and is famous as Lord Nelson's flagship. Perhaps she is best known for her role at the Battle of Trafalgar on October 21, 1805. With 104 guns, this ship was built to do some serious damage. And, she has been immaculately preserved. The ship has been through multiple repairs and restorations over the decades. It was fascinating to walk through the decks to see the cannons, and how the sailors live, all 850 of them!

Cannons on one of the upper decks

I found it interesting that the cannons got larger as you descended into lower decks, with the largest being on the lowest cannon deck. I cannot even imagine how loud it must have been with all of those cannons firing. After touring every deck of the Victory, I walked through the Mary Rose exhibit.

The Mary Rose is a warship of the English Tudor navy of King Henry VIII. After serving for 33 years in several wars, she saw her last action on July 19, 1545. While leading the attack on the galleys of a French invasion fleet, she sank in the straits north of the Isle of Wight. The wreck of the Mary Rose was rediscovered in 1971. It was raised in 1982, in one of the most complex and expensive projects in the history of maritime archaeology.

Remains of the Mary Rose

Trying to imagine more than 500 men on a ship that size is mind-boggling. When she sank, 500 men died, only 35 survived. The presence of both the Mary Rose and the HMS Victory make a visit to the Portsmouth Historical Dockyard a must. If you are cruising into or out of Portsmouth, plan an extra day or two as there is a lot to see here.

After our time at the dockyards, we re-boarded the coaches for a short drive to our lunch destination. Tauck arranged for a group lunch at The Still and West, a Portsmouth pub located right on the waterfront.

My traditional pub dish, a meat pie with gravy, mashed potatoes and cabbage was very good. And, the pint of Guinness made it even more enjoyable! As with all Tauck arranged events, everything is included in the price, even gratuities.

After lunch, we once again boarded the coaches for the two-hour drive to London. We arrived at our hotel, the Churchill Hyatt, at around 5pm. Again, Tauck has thought of everything. Instead of having to stand in line to check-in, our Tour Director brought our room keys to the coach and handed them to us as we disembarked. Nice.

Tomorrow, we will be exploring London.

Day 9 - Guernsey

Even from Deck 5 (forward) I can hear the anchor being deployed as Le Soléal lingers off the coast of Guernsey this morning. That's a sure sign that we will be tendering into the port city of St. Peter Port.

Le Soléal anchored off the coast of Guernsey

In the Middle Ages, Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, was a notorious haven for pirates. By the 19th century it became famous as a summer resort for wealthy Victorians. But, its easy reach from Normandy made it a strategic target when it was seized by German forces during WWII. Fortifications, bunkers, pill boxes and observation towers built by the Nazis are still present on the island.

The Guernsey waterfront

Tauck offered four different excursion choices in Guernsey and I chose the most physically demanding: the "Cliff Top Hike and Gin Tasting." After a short tender ride from the ship to shore, we met our local guide, Gill. She escorted us to a minivan for a 15-minute ride to the starting point of our hike.

Local guide, Gill

Our hike begins atop the cliffs of Guernsey, with a clear view of the city below and La Soléal anchored in the distance. The walking path soon narrows, allowing only single-file hiking.

Guests choosing this excursion should be in good physical health. Good walking shoes or hiking boots are a must. There is uneven terrain, rocks and many steps. I was wearing a brand new pair of Skechers and was surprised how well they performed. Tauck claims that it is a Level 4 activity and I would certainly agree.

Our first rest stop was a WWII German bunker.

This was the first time most of us had ever had the opportunity to go inside an actual bunker, and it was quite interesting. After our brief bunker visit, the hike continues down the path and around the island. The wildflowers along the hiking path are in full bloom.

Gill would periodically stop along the trail to allow guests a chance to catch their breath and take a drink of water as she described the terrain, or the significance of what we could view from the current vantage point. I have to say, the views were incredible. And, we had the benefit of perfect weather.

By the end of the hike, I was ready for a rest. The hike was truly exhilarating and Gill kept a good pace. I have been in need of some exercise, and I got it! Our hike ends at Bella Luce, a luxury boutique hotel where they distill their own gin.

Bella Luce

When we enter the bar at Bella Luce, a bartender is pouring each of us a gin and tonic using one of their own house gins.

We all sat at a large table in a private dining room and enjoyed our late-morning gin and tonic. Soon, a representative of the hotel shows up and begins educating us about gin. She went into great detail about how gin us distilled, and how different gins will have different flavors based on the spices used in the distilling process. Who knew?

We were given the opportunity to taste four different gins, and I was surprised at how different each one tasted. You really can tell a difference. I am not a gin drinker, but I have a new appreciation for the spirit after this tasting. It was one of the most unique and educational tastings I have ever attended. As we departed the tasting room, we were invited to view the still that is currently in use to make a batch of house gin.

All in all, today's excursion was one of my all-time favorites. Great weather, good exercise, beautiful scenery and a little booze at 11am in the morning. What more could you want? Sadly, this is our last day aboard Le Soléal, but the trip is not over. Tomorrow, we will be in Portsmouth where we will disembark. Still more to come.

Day 8 - Isles of Scilly

The skies are blue this morning and temperatures in the 50s. Perfect day for my St. Mary's Island Garrison Walk, right? Well, maybe not.

As you can see in the photo above, there is no port or dock, so a visit to the Isles of Scilly requires tendering, and repeated attempts by the local tender boat to tie up to Le Soléal did not go well.

Local tender boats make several attempts to tie up to Le Soléal

Guests watched from Deck 3 aft as the tender boat would surge 3 to 4 feet with the swells, and the Captain made the wise decision that it was just too dangerous. So, all excursions were cancelled. It appeared that most of the guests, while disappointed, were understanding of the situation and reassured that Tauck would never compromise on safety.

I decided this would be a good opportunity to visit the bridge. Le Soléal has an open-bridge policy and guests are invited to stop in and have a look around.

Bridge officers still use paper charts in addition to computerized charts

The Captain heads the ship towards Guernsey from the bridge

During my visit to the bridge, Jill, one of the Tauck Tour Directors, was using the bridge PA system to broadcast information about the Isles of Scilly to the entire ship.

Jill informs guests from the bridge

As Jill gives her talk over the PA system, guests were invited to enjoy Bloody Marys in the two ship's lounges! Tauck Directors (and Ship's Liaison) did an excellent job of mitigating the circumstances of a missed port call.

This afternoon, Bridget Ashton gave a lecture on "These Amazing Isles" in the ship's theater. At 4:30, Tauck Tour Directors gathered everyone in the theater for the dreaded Disembarkation Talk. You know, the talk that signifies it's almost time to go home!

Tauck Tour Director, Stacie Knight, explains what will happen after we disembark Le Soléal in Portsmouth

In spite of a missed opportunity to visit Isles of Scilly, it was still a relaxing day aboard Le Soléal.

Tomorrow, Le Soléal will be in Guernsey.

Day 7 - Cork, Ireland

It is cold and raining this morning when Le Soléal docks in Cork, Ireland. All of the Tauck excursions are scheduled for afternoon departure, so we have free time this morning to sleep in, or do some self-guided discovering of Cork. I chose the latter. After my daily blogging duties, I disembarked the ship at around 9:45am for a short walk. Whenever you disembark, there is a table of bottled water available for the taking at the gangway.

The ship has also provided umbrellas for guest use, and they will be needed today.

Several guests have the same idea: to walk to St. Patrick street, a major shopping street in Cork. The walk only takes about 10 minutes from the ship. Fortunately, thanks to the small size of Le Soléal, the Captain was able to dock the ship right in town on the banks of the River Lee.

Le Soléal docked in Cork, Ireland

I have no real objective in walking into town other than to get some much needed exercise. It just feels good to get out and walk, even if it is in the rain. When I arrive at St. Patrick Street, I find it is almost deserted. There are very few pedestrians this morning.

St. Patrick Street was re-developed in 2004 and has been considered Ireland's premier shopping street ever since. The wide sidewalks make it perfect for walking; however, it is not a pedestrian street. There are a few cross streets which are controlled by traffic lights. The street is lined with local stores and high-end Irish and British shops. Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, they are all here. I found a nice souvenir shop where I was able to get a few goodies to take home.

Souvenir shop on St. Patrick Street

After about 45 minutes of walking both sides of the street, I headed back to the ship to get ready for my afternoon excursion. After lunch, groups began boarding motor coaches for a variety of local tours. I chose to visit Blarney Castle. The drive to Blarney Castle takes about 45 minutes, and of course, our local guide takes that time to educate us on the Cork area. Our guide is quick to point out all of the American companies that have located in Cork because of the low corporate tax rates (12.5%). Apple, Facebook, Bristol-Meyers, and Intel, are just a few of the companies mentioned. She seemed grateful for all the jobs provided to Irish citizens.

When we arrived at Blarney Castle, we were dropped off near Blarney Woollen Mills, a massive store selling every sort of Irish-made woollen items. There is a small pub, an ATM, and restrooms.

After allowing guests to make a "comfort stop", our local guide leads the way to the castle, which is about a ten-minute walk away. The castle was much smaller than I imagined it would be.

Blarney Castle

Of course, the main reason for visiting Blarney Castle is to "kiss the Blarney stone", which requires a walk up 127 uneven stone steps to the top of the castle. Then, you lay on your back and are placed in a position, sort of upside down, so you can kiss the stone. Uh, no thanks. I am not kissing anything that has been kissed by thousands of tourists!

The opening at the top through which you kiss the stone

Instead of climbing the steps, I decided to get my exercise by walking some of the many paths that surround the castle. There are several gardens on the property which are quite nice, and lots of tree-lined paths. You could easily walk for two hours on these paths.

I walked for about 45 minutes in total solitude. It was nice, albeit still drizzling and cool. There are plenty of signs along the paths so you cannot get lost. After walking back to the castle, I decided to go back to the drop-off point and visit that little pub. I sat with a few other Tauck guests and we all enjoyed a pint of Guinness and swapped stories about our journeys.

All in all, it was a great day in Cork. Even though I did not kiss the Blarney Stone, I got to see the castle, enjoy a great walk, and make some new friends.

Tomorrow, we will be in the Isles of Scilly.

Day 6 - Liverpool

This morning Le Soléal is docked in Liverpool, England. The city of Liverpool stretches along the east bank of the River Mersey. While most North Americans think of Liverpool as the birthplace of the Beatles, this is also an historic shipping and trading port. Liverpool has the reputation of being "England's finest Victorian city."

Le Soléal docked in Liverpool (on the River Mersey)

There were five different excursions offered in Liverpool today. However, with only a few hours to explore the city, guests will only get a small taste of what the city has to offer. I opted for the "A Walk Through Liverpool", which was only an hour and a half. Honestly, if I had it to do over, I think I would have chosen "A Taste of Chester" tour. I would have had more walking exercise and some other guests I spoke with seemed to really enjoy that tour.

Our walking tour started at 8:30am just outside the cruise terminal building. We met Paul, our local guide for the day.

Paul was not as grumpy as he may look in the photo, that is just the best picture I could get. Sorry, Paul. We walked a couple of hundred yards to a memorial to the engine room workers on the Titanic, all of whom remained at their post as the ship was sinking.

Marine Engine Room Memorial

As we continue our walk into town, we stop from time-to-time to learn more about the history of Liverpool. We end up across the street from the Town Hall building. The building was featured in the Beatle's movie "A Hard Day's Night".

Liverpool Town Hall

Just a few blocks from Town Hall, we arrive at Mathew Street. Situated in the Cavern Quarter at the heart of the city, Liverpool's most famous street not only houses the Cavern Club but numerous references and connections to the "four lads who shook the world" and Liverpool's long musical heritage. There's shopping, bars and pubs, and on summer weekends the street is packed with partying locals and tourists.

The Cavern Club is located on Mathew Street. The Beatles made their first appearance at the club on February 9, 1961, after returning to Liverpool from Hamburg, Germany. They made 292 appearances at the club.

Of course, no visit to Mathew Street would be complete without taking a selfie with a life-size bronze statue of John Lennon. The statue leans against the Wall of Fame. Each brick in the wall is inscribed with the name of a group that played at the original Cavern Club.

After our visit to Mathew Street, the tour was to continue to the Liverpool Museum. I decided to peel off from the group and do some souvenir shopping and exploring on my own. Liverpool is an easy city to navigate on foot and there is a large shopping district just 15 minutes walking from the cruise terminal.

Our ship sailed from Liverpool at 12 noon as we were enjoying lunch. I captured a quick photo of a Dazzle Ship as we sailed down (or up) the Mersey.

Dazzle Ship

This afternoon, there was a movie showing in the theater and most of the guests attended. The movie was "Out of Ireland" and it was a documentary on the mass emigration of Irish to the USA and Canada.

Tomorrow, we will be in Cork, Ireland.

Day 5 - Isle of Man

This morning, Le Soléal is docked in Douglas, the capital city of the Isle of Man. As guests disembarked in Douglas, they were greeted with bagpipe music.

My only prior knowledge of the Isle of Man is from the annual TT motorcycle race held here each May. The Isle of Man TT race has been held every year since 1911 with only a brief six year delay during WWI.

Isle of Man TT race (photo courtesy of IOMTT.com)

Even though motorcycle racers tear up the roads of the island at speeds of up to 200mph, our motor coach took a much more leisurely pace. Our coach departed the port of Douglas at around 9:00am heading to the far southwest tip of the island to the small village of Cregneash.

The drive to Cregneash took us through the Manx countryside with rolling green pastures, stone fences and sheep, lots and lots of sheep. And, of course, lots of baby lambs.

During the drive, our local guide gave us the history of the island and how the Isle of Man is a self-governing "dependency" of Britain. There are close to 80,000 residents on the island, many of whom come here for the lower income tax rates (maximum rate is 20%). While the island may be short on population, it is not short on scenic views. The twisting roads undulate through the green countryside with very little traffic. No wonder this place is popular with motorcyclists.

It took about an hour to reach the tiny village of Cregneash. Much of the village forms a "Living Museum" dedicated to the preservation of the traditional Manx ways of life. Cregneash Folk Village shows the typical way of life of a small Manx village in the 19th century.

Many original Manx cottages have been preserved and exhibit Victorian farming and fishing equipment. Historically, most of the cottages’ roofs were thatched, and this is reflected on many of the preserved buildings. There are also a number of private homes in the village, but their external appearance is controlled to maintain an older look.

In the workshop, a blacksmith demonstrates some of the tools and techniques used to make horseshoes and other metal equipment of the time.

The visit to Cregneash was all the more special because of the near-perfect weather today. It is a crisp 58 degrees (F), but the sun is shining and the skies are clear.

The Scenic Heritage Trail tour was enjoyed by all. On the drive back to Douglas, we passed through a couple of other small towns and enjoyed more of the beautiful countryside. We were back on board Le Soléal in time for lunch, after which, I walked back into town (about a 10 minute walk). There is a pedestrian shopping street in the center of town with lots of shops and cafes.

After some souvenir shopping, I returned to Le Soléal. This afternoon, Tauck guests were treated to a performance in the theater by local Manx musicians.

Le Soléal docked in Douglas, Isle of Man

It was another great day with Tauck Small Ship Cruising!

Tomorrow, we will be in Liverpool, England.

Day 4 - Belfast

After breakfast this morning, guests began to gather in the Main Lounge on Deck 3 aft. On this cruise, there are six Tauck Tour Directors as well as a Tauck "Ship Liaison", and, all are on hand this morning to make sure guests get on the correct excursion. On a "typical" cruise, both the onshore and onboard elements are presented by the cruise company. Understandably, the cruise line’s focus is primarily on the onboard experience. On a Tauck small ship cruise, Tauck can focus on providing the ultimate destination experience, leaving the onboard experience to the cruise line, in this case, Ponant. It's like getting the best of both worlds!

By 8:20, the first group of guests begin disembarking for excursions in Belfast. Tauck gave guests seven different tours to choose from prior to sailing. All local tours are included in the Tauck cruise/trip fare, as are all gratuities (even gratuities for local guides).

Tauck guests disembark in Belfast

In most destinations, Tauck will offer a "leisurely option" for guests who either have mobility issues, or simply want to go at a slower pace. I decided to see what the leisurely option was like, so I booked "Leisurely Belfast & Panoramic Highlights". Our excursion was scheduled to begin at 8:40am, and disembarkation was very smooth. No standing in long lines like on larger cruise ships. Within a few minutes, we were off the ship and boarding our motor coach. Upon boarding the coach, we are introduced to Linda, our local guide for the day.

Linda, our local guide

Our first stop was the Parliament building of Northern Ireland.

Parliament of Northern Ireland

Throughout the tour, Linda attempted to educate us on Ireland's troubled past, and how Northern Ireland became separated from the rest of the country. There are deep divisions in the country along religious lines that go back centuries. With the majority of the residents in the northern part of Ireland being Protestant descendants of colonists from Great Britain, the British Parliament divided Northern and Southern Ireland in 1921.

Our next stop was a visit to Belfast Castle where we had an opportunity to walk through the gardens. The skies are blue this morning and the sun is shining, making for some great photo opportunities. The castle is set on the slopes of Cavehill Country Park, in a prominent position 400 feet (120 m) above sea level. Its location provides unobstructed views of the city of Belfast

Belfast Castle

After our brief visit to the castle, we drive into the City Center where we can visit City Hall and the Titanic Memorial located there. The Titanic was constructed in Belfast. In fact, during that time, Belfast was the largest ship building center on Earth!

The Titanic Memorial at Belfast City Hall

Our final stop on our Panoramic Highlights tour is a visit to the Botanical Gardens, located next to Queens University Belfast. We had an opportunity to enjoy the scenery and actually sit and soak up some rare Irish sunshine.

Botanical Gardens

Another benefit of Tauck tours is the smaller group sizes. Most cruise line tours will be so crowded that it can become an unpleasant experience. Tauck manages the size of the local tours to make them more manageable and enjoyable.

Smaller group sizes and much more enjoyable

We are back on board Le Soléal in time for lunch. I decide to try the Tauck Cheeseburger in the main dining room, and it was quite good! This afternoon, we were treated to a very informative lecture by Dr. Eamon Phoenix on "The Troubles" where he gave an in-depth history of Ireland's troubled past.

Dr. Eamon Phoenix

This evening is the Captain's Welcome Reception and Welcome Dinner. Guests lined up in the Theater to meet Captain Patrick Marchesseau (don't even ask me how to pronounce that). Afterwards, the L'Eclipse Restaurant was open for the Captain's Dinner.

Tomorrow, we will visit the Isle of Man.

Day 3 - Embark Le Soléal

This morning, Tauck guests board motor coaches for a one-hour drive to the small town of Enniskerry, home to Powerscourt. Powerscourt is a large country estate well known for its lavish gardens, ranked #3 in the world by National Geographic.

Powerscourt

Tauck guests are given tickets to visit the gardens, which are quite spectacular. Unfortunately, it is a bit cool, cloudy and rainy, but it is easy to imagine how beautiful these gardens would be on a sunny day.

There are also some very nice shops within the Powerscourt complex and two championship golf courses that are immaculately manicured. In fact, Tauck has arranged a special lunch for us today at the golf clubhouse.

View of the championship golf course at Powerscourt

After a leisurely lunch, we board the coaches for the drive back to Dublin and a visit to the Guinness Storehouse.

Each Tauck guest was given a ticket good for a pint of Guinness (or, a soft drink for those who do not drink beer). Having never tried Guinness, I wasted no time taking the elevator to the 7th floor, location of The Gravity Bar. The Gravity Bar is on the top floor and offers a 360-degree view of Dublin. Today, the bar is packed with people, but that just adds to the experience. I quickly obtain a pint of the dark brown Guinness and begin to learn why this is a source of pride for Dubliners.

If you have never tried Guinness, it definitely has a deeper, richer flavor than American beer. It almost has a hint of coffee taste. But, it is very smooth and I enjoyed it.

Cheers to Guinness!

In addition to The Gravity Bar, there is one level with restaurants and pubs where you can dine, and enjoy a Guinness. Another level has the Guinness Academy where you can taste variations of Guinness, and even learn how to draw a pint from a tap. The bottom floor is a massive gift shop with every imaginable logo item for sale. This is a place I would want to return to should I visit Dublin in the future.

After our visit to Guinness, the motor coaches leave for the port of Dublin, where Le Soléal is docked and waiting for guests.

Embarkation in Dublin was simple. The ship has been fully chartered by Tauck for its 185 guests, far below the 234 capacity of Le Soléal. We are guided to the lounge on Deck 3 where we are greeted with a Welcome Aboard fruit drink.

Welcome drink

The line moves very quickly and soon I am surrendering my passport in exchange for a stateroom key. A quick photo is snapped for security purposes, and that's it! A steward grabs my hand luggage and escorts me to my stateroom (507).

I will go into more detail about the stateroom in my final review, but it is very contemporary, has plenty of storage space, and a few unique characteristics you don't often see on cruise ships. The balcony will definitely come in handy.

There was little time to unpack before we were instructed to meet in the ship's theater to be greeted by the Captain, the ship's Cruise Director and Tauck's Cruise Director.

The Captain greets guests in the theater

After the introductions, we were instructed to return to our stateroom to don our life vests and return to the theater for the muster drill.

Guests gather in the theater for the muster drill

This ship takes safety very seriously and the muster drill was one of the most thorough I have seen in many years. Guests are also informed of the ship's "no-smoking inside the ship" policy. Yeah!

Tomorrow, we will be docked in Belfast, Ireland. I have a Belfast Panoramic Tour scheduled for the morning.

Day 2 - Dublin, Ireland

After a restful night of much needed sleep, we started today with breakfast at the Conrad Dublin, the Tauck hotel for this journey. Tauck has arranged for guests to enjoy a complimentary breakfast at the hotel, and it was delicious. By 8:30am, we are boarding the brand new Mercedes motor coach for a city tour.

Guests board the Tauck motor coach for the morning tour of Dublin

The motor coach is so new it even smells new! And, it is very comfortable. Dale, our Tauck Tour Director introduces us to Carol, our local guide for the day and soon we are on our way through town with Carol providing insightful commentary along the way.

Our first stop is St. Patrick's Cathedral, the national cathedral for the Church of Ireland. The amazing structure dates back to 1220 and no visit to Dublin would be complete without a stop here.

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Carol gave us a thorough tour of the Cathedral, pointing some very interesting historical facts.

Local guide, Carol, guides a tour of St. Patrick's

We re-board the motor coach for a short ride to Trinity College Dublin for a tour of the Old Library Exhibition and the Book of Kells. Neither Rickee nor I had ever even heard of the Book of Kells, yet hundreds of people were lined up outside the exhibit to gain entrance. Fortunately, Tauck has procured VIP tickets for our group, so we go to the front of the line!

Photography is not allowed inside the museum, so you have to go in person to see the exhibit. The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. The fully developed style of the ornamentation of the Book of Kells places it either from the late 8th or early 9th century. The book (there are actually four of them) is quite small, but fortunately, the museum has enlarged photos of many pages showing the elaborate ornamentation.

A short walk upstairs takes guests to The Long Room in The Old Library. The Old Library serves Trinity College and the University of Dublin. It is the largest library in Ireland and, as a legal deposit or "copyright library", it has rights to receive material published in the Republic of Ireland free of charge; it is also the only Irish library to hold such rights for the United Kingdom (Wikapedia). The Library is the permanent home to the famous Book of Kells. The Long Room contains 14 busts of famous philosophers, and those who supported the College.

Busts in Long Room Trinity College

After our visit to Trinity College, we boarded the motor coach for the short drive back to our hotel. It is now lunch time and Tauck has given us the rest of the day to explore Dublin "on our own". The location of our hotel is perfect for short walks to many of Dublin's historic sights and points of interest. We spend the rest of the day enjoying Dublin, doing some souvenir shopping, and getting some walking exercise. We are convinced that Dublin is a city in which we would like to spend more time.

Tomorrow, we will board Le Soléal for the cruising portion of this British Isles adventure. Stay tuned!

Day 1 - Arrive in Dublin

We arrived in Dublin, Ireland, after an all-night flight from DFW to London Heathrow (on British Airways), then a short flight from London to Dublin (on Aer Lingus). As we expected, it was cool and rainy when we arrived in Dublin. Our checked luggage was already on the carousel when we arrived at the baggage claim area. We exited the secure area of the airport and found TJ waiting for us with a Tauck sign, and an iPad with our names on it.

TJ meets us outside baggage claim

The ride to our hotel from the airport took about 30 minutes, but was quite comfortable in TJ's new E-class Mercedes. When we arrived at Conrad Dublin, check-in was quick and efficient. We were recognized as Tauck Guests and given a packet from our Tauck Tour Director along with our room keys. When you travel with Tauck, they take care of all of the details.

Conrad Dublin

Inside our packet was a schedule informing us of a cocktail reception and dinner at 6:15. That only gave us a couple of hours for a much needed nap after having been up all night on our flight! By 6:15, we were back in the lobby of the hotel where 65 other Tauck guests had gathered for the short walk to our evening’s festivities.

Tauck guests gather in lobby

Tauck has divided guests on this trip into three groups, with each group staying at a different hotel. This is a great technique to keep functions from feeling over-crowded. Soon, our Tour Director, Dale, was leading us on a short 15-minute walk past St. Stephen's Green, a beautiful park dating back to 1663.

Dale leads the way

Soon, we arrive at Cliff Townhouse where we find an open bar and some of the most delicious hors d'oeuvres I have ever tasted. There was a BBQ-glazed pork belly that was to die for. Guests mixed and mingled while enjoying their favorite cocktail, wine or pint of Guinness.

Our evening meal was held on the ground floor of Cliff Townhouse. The evening menu offered a choice of starter, main course and dessert. Complimentary red and white wines were poured during dinner.

Before dinner was served, we were entertained by Irish singers and dancers performing traditional songs and dances. A few Tauck guests even got into the act when they joined the dancers on the floor for a special Irish jig. During dinner, we sat next to a gentleman who had traveled all the way from Queenstown, New Zealand. His journey consisted of four different flights with more than 25 hours of flying time!

Irish dancers entertain Tauck guests

By the time dinner was over, jet lag was setting in and we were pretty tired. We decided to walk back to the hotel, even though we were not entirely sure how to get there. Tauck Directors offered to get taxis for any guests who did not want to walk back, but we decided to give it a try. We found our hotel after only a couple of wrong turns during the walk. Dublin feels like a "safe" city in which to walk, at least in this part of town. Once back in our room, we wasted no time climbing into the comfortable beds for some much needed sleep. Tomorrow, Tauck has a morning of exploring planned for us. More to come!