A cruise is a fantastic way to explore Britain – this is how to do it
Travel on a ship and there are no traffic jams, no meal budgets to bust and no worries about flight delays or cancellations, given that most round-Britain cruises depart from the UK. Just board, unpack and wake up each day somewhere new.
Traditionally, Americans have been the biggest fans of sailing around Britain, as it’s the ideal shortcut for the top sites in one holiday, but Britons are catching on. Edinburgh, Plymouth, Liverpool, Newcastle, Belfast, the Isles of Scilly, Orkneys, Shetlands; you can visit them all and more on ships big and small, with a variety of cruise itineraries that show off the best the UK has to offer.
Going ashore, there are magnificent cathedrals, sheer cliffs teeming with seabirds, ruins, geographical wonders and world-class distilleries and wineries.
The classic itineraries
Typically, ships sail anticlockwise, circumnavigating north along the east coast to the Orkney or Shetland Islands, cruising across the top of Scotland and returning south via the Irish Sea and the English Channel.
Calls vary, but Belfast, Edinburgh, Kirkwall in the Orkneys, and Liverpool figure regularly for their history, wildlife and, of course, with the latter, the Beatles.
Other stops might include Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, Dublin and Newcastle, from where shore excursions visit Hadrian’s Wall. Invergordon is a favourite for its proximity to Loch Ness and world-famous Highland whisky distilleries.
Portland appears now and then for such diverse attractions as a swan sanctuary and tank museum.
A popular variation on the classic voyage is a semi-circumnavigation that takes ships north through the Irish Sea to Greenock and back the same way, with possible calls into Belfast and Cobh (Cork) in Ireland, Liverpool, Holyhead in Wales and Douglas in the Isle of Man.
A few ships take the long way around, sailing the west coast of Ireland, adding Killybegs, Bantry Bay and Galway to the port roster.
UK departure or fly-cruise?
Most Britain Isles cruises sail from Southampton, but also Dover and Portsmouth.
UK regional ports get a look in now and then, with sailings from Oban, Rosyth, Greenock (Glasgow) and Aberdeen, and Liverpool and Newcastle. Celebrity Cruises has a 12-night circumnavigation of Britain from Amsterdam next April. It’s a nice itinerary, but unless you are a die-hard Celebrity fan, a round-Britain cruise from the UK makes more sense.
How long are sailings?
Full circumnavigations average 10 or 11 nights. For semi-navigations, allow between a week and nine days. Five-day island-hopping mini cruises in Scotland or along the south coast to the Isles of Scilly give first-timers their sea legs, and regulars a blast of ocean air between longer voyages.
Offbeat options
Along the south coast, the Cornish towns of Fowey and Falmouth feature on a handful of cruises, both acting as gateways to the Eden Project. Plymouth pops up now and then, throwing in Spanish Armada history, stories of the Pilgrim Fathers and Devonshire cream teas (it’s cream then jam, in case you were wondering). One or two itineraries call into Torbay on the so-called “English Riviera”.
The Channel Island of Guernsey adds a sombre note, with museums that tell of life under the Nazi occupation during World War Two, but lifts the spirits with fine beaches and coves. Small ships also call into the Channel Islands of Jersey, Alderney and car-free Sark. Sticking with islands, Tresco in the Isles of Scilly is a botanical garden hot spot.
Small ships and vessels with an expedition slant aim for the more remote corners of the UK; the Farne Islands off the Northumberland coast and Fair Isle, between the Orkneys and Shetlands, where the human population (around 50 per island) is far outnumbered by sheep and seabirds.
St Kilda in the Outer Hebrides is a puffin-spotting paradise with an intriguing history – after decades of food shortages and isolation, its remaining 36 inhabitants were evacuated in 1930 and never returned.
Who to book with
Big or small ships, luxury craft, British-style vessels, family holidays with a lively American vibe, expedition cruises; they are all exploring the British Isles in 2025, ensuring something for all tastes.
Hebridean Island Cruises’ 48-passenger Hebridean Princess, a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth II, has food, music, wildlife and walking-themed cruises in the Inner and Outer Hebrides from Oban. In late July it ventures south to Portland and explores the Channel Islands and Isles of Scilly before returning home in September.
The Majestic Line, also based in Scotland, has five ships for between six and 12 passengers and three, six and 10-night cruises around the Scottish islands.
Staying small and British, Noble Caledonia’s 118-passenger Hebridean Sky and Island Sky do the rounds of the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, the Hebrides and Ireland on various cruises, calling into familiar places and a few others many will never have heard of.
Ambassador Cruise Line, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines and over-50s specialist Saga have taster cruises around Scotland, Ireland and the south coast. Hop on round-Britain cruises with Fred Olsen or Saga in May and be out on deck spotting whales and dolphins with members of the marine wildlife charity Orca.
For a very British affair, P&O Cruises will be celebrating Britannia’s 10th anniversary with a 14-night spin around the UK in June 2025.
Between them, American lines Oceania Cruises, Princess Cruises and Holland America Line have lots for budding circumnavigators, with 10 sailings going all the way around Britain and others that pair the UK with Ireland.
Family favourites Disney Cruise Line and Carnival Cruise Line promise fun for all ages with semi-circumnavigations from Southampton and Dover respectively.
For the ultimate in luxury, and champagne on tap, consider Seabourn or Silversea. The latter has new luxury-cum-expedition island-hopping sailings in the UK, with lots of hiking and coastal cruising on rigid inflatable boats.
HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions) adds to the adventure options with wildlife spotting, birdwatching and hiking on a couple of expedition voyages in the Hebrides.
When to go
Cruises run in spring, summer and autumn, but with the unpredictable British weather, whenever you go you might be lucky with hot, sunny days or find it wet and overcast. Departures are limited – Carnival, for instance, has only two sailings, one in June, the other in August – so often the when-to-go decision is made for you.
Health and safety
Follow the precautions you normally would when visiting big cities. Be aware of your surroundings and don’t carry lots of cash or expensive jewellery. All cruise lines have in-room safes where you can lock up your valuables.
