Hello everyone,

I’ve wanted to take this Norway cruise for a very long time. The first time I booked it was in July 2020 with Azamara. Unfortunately, it was canceled, as everyone remembers. When I tried to book it again, the prices (already a bit high with Azamara) had simply doubled. So, since then, I’ve been keeping an eye out every year for any opportunities...

The last time we sailed with Princess was eleven years ago, and things didn’t go very well. I came back pretty unhappy with their service and quite disappointed. Despite the $600 they gave me as credit for a future cruise, I’d never set foot on one of their ships again.

But this time, the opportunity arose—a fantastic itinerary with lots of stops, a reasonable price for 16 nights (I’ll share the details in the conclusion), and a ship that’s not too big, so to speak, with only 3,000 passengers. I’m not expecting much from the cruise line this time and am boarding the ship with low expectations beyond the itinerary.

Princess has introduced an app to download before the cruise. It’s essential because online check-in is no longer available, and the agency doesn’t send a travel journal. Everything is done through the app. After completing the check-in on the app, we only know that we’ll need to pick up our key, the Medallion, at embarkation by following the blue line in the terminal and presenting our passport.



Up until our departure, the weather forecast for the coming week in Norway is disastrous—rain, rain, and more rain. It was pretty much the same two years ago before our Iceland cruise, and in the end, the weather turned out fine.

If you’re ready to embark on the Emerald Princess to discover this beautiful cruise and the stunning landscapes of Norway, let’s go!

Southampton - Sea day - Bergen - Olden - Åndalsnes - Sea day - Tromsø - Honningsvåg (North Cape) - Alta - Sea day - Molde - Trondheim - Two sea days - Edinburgh - Sea day - Southampton

Hi, flight ticket booked for Scotland—10 days in May! 🙂

First question: I see on websites that starting from 01/04, a visa might be required to visit Scotland... How long does it take to get one, and what’s the cost?

Second question: What are the must-see spots, and what itinerary would you recommend for 10 nights?

Thanks for your tips! 😉

Hi there! Here’s a quick review of my cruise on the REGAL PRINCESS. This was my 35th cruise and my second on the REGAL PRINCESS, which I first discovered in 2017 during a Caribbean cruise. A few months ago, we received an email from PRINCESS changing the itinerary—DUBLIN and EDINBURGH were replaced by two Scottish islands. We were a little disappointed, but since we’d never sailed around the UK, we didn’t really know any of the ports anyway. The itinerary was: SOUTHAMPTON AT SEA KIRKWALL INVERGORDON AT SEA STORNOWAY GLASGOW BELFAST AT SEA CORK AT SEA PORTLAND LE HAVRE SOUTHAMPTON

A 13-day/12-night cruise for 1350 € per person in a guaranteed deluxe balcony cabin. PRINCESS assigned us a balcony cabin on deck 8 with a large balcony. We ended up happy with our cabin, even though we’d initially preferred a higher deck. I’ll admit I hesitated to choose this cruise because of the weather—I love sunshine and good weather—but the desire to discover new ports won out, especially with the promise of heading to Corsica afterward to soak up some sun again 😉

On PRINCESS, as Catherine mentioned, there’s no card—everyone has a medallion! I loved this system, which unlocks your cabin door as you approach. It’s really well thought out!

We took the EUROSTAR from Lille to London, then a train from London to Southampton the day before. We stayed in a nice IHG hotel near the port.

EMBARKATION It’s Friday, August 1st. After a good breakfast and a quick check-out, we realize our UBER app isn’t working in England ;(. We have to go back to reception to ask for a taxi because, even though the hotel is close to the port, the ship is still over 2 km away—hardly ideal with luggage! The problem is that many hotel guests also requested taxis... so we wait a good 30 minutes before ours arrives! We get to the REGAL PRINCESS pretty quickly but are shocked to see a huge line outside!!! We hadn’t seen that in over a decade! Not the best start! 🙁



TO BE CONTINUED!

Hi there,

Do you have any advice about accommodation? Which neighborhood?

What’s something original to see?

And any other useful tips... thanks

After our amazing experience in the Lofoten Islands in summer 2023, I suggested to Jean Marie another trek I’d been wanting to do for a long time: the Skye Trail in Scotland.

A few photos of this stunning island and he was sold and ready to go.

The route is available on the excellent WalkHighlands site HERE (there’s also a Cicerone guide on the subject). And since I thought it was a shame it avoided the Black Cuillins, I added a 3-day detour in that area.

We took advantage of the May bank holidays in 2024, partly to avoid the peak tourist season and also the midge period—because for some reason, mosquitoes love me 😠!!

27/04 – Day 1 – Transfer to Skye and start of the trek: Rubha Hunish - Flodigarry 28/04 – Day 2 – Flodigarry – just before the Old Man of Storr 29/04 – Day 3 – Old Man of Storr – Portree, then bus to Sligachan 30/04 - Day 4 - Sligachan - Glenbrittle campsite via the Fairy Pools 01/05 – Day 5 – Round trip to Sgùrr na Banachdich from Glenbrittle campsite 02/05 – Day 6 – Round trip to Coire Lagan and walk on the Rubh an Dùnain peninsula 03/05 – Day 7 – Return (hitchhiking) to Sligachan campsite and hike in the Red Cuillins 04/05 – Day 8 – Resuming the Skye Trail – Sligachan – Elgol 05/05 – Day 9 – Elgol – Somewhere on the climb to Bla Bheinn 06/05 – Day 10 – Somewhere on the climb to Bla Bheinn - Broadford 07/05 – Day 11 – Visit to the Armadale Castle and park 08 & 09/05 – Return to Glasgow, visit the city, and return flight And here’s the summary

Hi there, I found a cruise on the Queen Victoria departing from Southampton, but the trickiest part is getting to Southampton. We’re leaving from Marseille or Paris if that’s easier. Thanks for your tips, have a great day!

Hi fellow travelers,

I think October is my favorite time of year to start planning our summer holidays. We're planning a 12- to 14-day trip to Wales (with a few detours into England) next July. After quite a bit of reading, we’ve put together a first itinerary. Just to set the scene: we’re a couple in our late 30s (38 and 37), traveling with our kids aged 9 and 6. We’ll be leaving from Champagne with our car—a sedan—and crossing the Channel by ferry. For the legend: purple stars (things we’d like to see, though we’ll obviously prioritize based on your feedback), orange beds (two-night stops), green beds (one-night stops). Ashford will be a quick overnight stop on the way out, and Swindon a brief stop on the way back (this one might be skipped depending on ferry times). Don’t be surprised not to see Caerphilly or Tintern—they’re already ticked off from our Scotland road trip! 😉



Here’s our shortlist of things to see (in no particular order), keeping in mind we’re especially keen on historical sites like castles, religious landmarks, and a few scenic walks:

Pembroke, Aberaeron, Aberystwyth, Arthur's Stone, Brecon Beacons, Abereiddy Bay, Cadair Idris, Caernarfon, Conwy, Carew Castle, Dolbardarn Castle, Dolgoch Falls, Fforest Fawr, Gower Peninsula, Harlech Castle, Laugharne, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgor... (you get the idea, lol), Llanthony Priory, St. Andrew's Church, Pen y Fan, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Puzzle Wood, Skirrid Inn, Mount Snowdon, St Davids Bishop's Palace, Stokesay Castle, Tenby, Tretower Castle, Valle Crucis Abbey. Thanks in advance to anyone who shares feedback! 😎

Back in the good old days when the UK was part of the European Union, a European ID card was all you needed to visit. After Brexit, a passport became required. Now, on top of that, you’ll also have to pay (£10) for an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation):

UK expands digital travel system to include more visitors - GOV.UK

Eligible Europeans can start applying for this ETA from March 5, 2025, and it will be mandatory for travel from April 2, 2025.

Hi,

I applied for a visa to go to Great Britain soon (May, Manchester) via the official app on February 22.

I haven’t received any response yet... normally the processing time is 3 days... and there’s no way to contact them (unless you pay).

Has anyone already applied through this app? If so, how long did it take to get a response?

Thanks

Hi everyone,

I’m leaving for England tomorrow and I absolutely need to get my ETA. Problem: my phone’s camera is broken and the app requires a photo… I’m starting to panic a little—does anyone know how I can handle this? 😱

Help!! Thanks

Hi,

There are rumors going around about the ETA: it must absolutely be on your smartphone in the "ETA" app.

Paper documents might not be accepted. Is this real or just a hoax? Thanks, I’m leaving in 3 weeks. My passport is good to go and my ETA is still valid for a year, but I only printed the email I received. Thanks everyone.

Hi everyone, We’re looking for info on the stopovers in NEWCASTLE, SOUTH QUEENSFERRY, INVERGORDON, and LERWICK. Cruise departing from Hamburg. Thanks in advance to those who can tell us if the ports are far from the cities, what there is to see, and whether we can manage excursions on our own... Have a great day

Hello fellow travelers 😎, I’m taking advantage of VoyageForum’s comeback 😉even better😉 to post my request for help. Thanks for reopening this essential forum. My wife and I are planning a trip to Scotland in April-May 2025, in a camper van (L 8.70 x H 3.00). I’m mentioning this just to avoid roads that won’t work for us. However, we also enjoy parking and exploring by bike. We’ve already prepared the first part of this trip well. To combine business with pleasure, we’d like to continue on to Wales and Cornwall. This extension will last about 20 days. The second part of our trip will start in Chester and end in Dover. We’d love to hear from "seasoned travelers" who’ve already done these routes—tips on must-see places and landmarks, possible stops at campsites, motorhome areas, or "wild" camping spots without issues or restrictions. And of course, the culinary stops! All of this with respect for the places and people. I’m sure I’m forgetting some things, but I’ll build our itinerary as I gather information. A big THANK YOU to everyone who shares their experiences and recommendations. Gérard 😉

Hi everyone,

I spent a couple of weeks in the Shetlands (Unst, Yell, and Mainland) last October in the north of Scotland. I’m sharing my discoveries from this rarely talked-about destination.

I’m updating my travel journal as I go.

To follow the adventure, it’s right here >> http://www.ilyeutunmatin.com/search/label/Shetland

Happy travels and happy reading! Runnie