British Isles or Iceland experience?

[Marga]

Hi, 

 

On the board today to get some advice. We have been on 4 cruises so far all with Royal Caribbean. We went on Symphony and Wonder which we liked. We went on Jewel which we didn't like because of the lack of a Solarium. 

We went on Odyssey which we loved the most out of all of them. 

 

We want to book a cruise for the summer of 2023. Our preferred destination would be a Croatia cruise since that is the only one in the south of Europe we haven't done. We have done the Mediterranean twice and that was enough. Also did Greek Isles and Holyland. Flying is not an option. 

From Venice to Croatia are a lot of jice ports but the ships there all seem to be very old and not to our liking. 

 

Looking at Royal Caribbean that leaves us with Anthem of the Seas from Southampton. We are looking at British Isles cruises or the ones to Iceland. 

We are hesitant to book because we are unsure what cruising is like in an area of Europe that is not warm and sunny all summer.  What we like about cruising is not only the ports but also the cocktail / swimming pool experience. 

 

So I would like to hear from people who took a cruise in this part of Europe and wondered if you liked or disliked it? Were there mainly British people on board or was it the usual mix of passengers? 

Any tips are welcome. 

 

Also, recommendations for other not-Royal Caribbean ships that have a kids-free Solarium would be welcome as well. 

[twangster]

Jewel has an adult only Solarium.  I was on her last week.  

[Marga]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

Jewel has an adult only Solarium.  I was on her last week.  

True, but when we were on her (9 day cruise), the no kids rule was not enforced at all. It was very noisy there maybe also due to the fact that it is an area people pass trough in stead of being at the far end of the ship. 

[Ray]

Can't comment on cruising the UK but i stay there so i can comment on the weather! 

If you wake up to go onshore and the sky is clear and it's 20+ c bring a brolly just in case! 

Further north you go ( scotland )  then you can experience 4 seasons in 1 day ( this is not a joke ) 

On the other hand you could get a week of glorious sunshine with temperatures in the high 20s 

But then again we have had snow in June! 

You may have realised its impossible to predict UK weather ...even when you go to bed you haven't a clue what tomorrow will bring.

[Bruin Steve]

We were just on an Iceland cruise (on Celebrity Summit) just this past August...It was our second cruise to Iceland--This one was Iceland/Greenland/Canada, the prior one was British Isles and Iceland.  We happened to love it.  The scenery is extraordinary--unlike anywhere else on earth.  And the culture and feel are very much different than other European cruises.  The passengers were very typical of Celebrity--a mix of people but a majority American...with some British, Canadian, Australian and a sprinkling of others...No different than the mix on any other European cruise we've been on.

However, if what YOU cruise for is warm weather and lounging at the pool, this is probably not the cruise for you.  You may as well stick to the closest warm weather cruise to wherever you live.  Iceland was often chilly and rainy.  Cold weather gear was needed at times.  Sometimes VERY needed!

If you want to spend a little more of your time seeing interesting and different places, then I would highly recommend doing an Adriatic cruise...That is one of my favorite itineraries.  Absolutely LOVE Dubrovnik, Kotor, Corfu, etc.  If it gets down to Malta or over to Greece or Turkey, even better.  I wouldn't worry about "older" RCCL or Celebrity ships.  They are still pretty nice...sometimes even better in some respects as they're often smaller and less crowded.  Unless you are cruising for the Ice Shows, Zip Lines and Surfing pools, they will have everything you want and need--bars, lounges, pools, shows, dinner.

For US, we cruise first, for the itinerary--to see new and different places...art, architecture, history, culture.  The ship is secondary...We spend a lot of time--especially on European cruises--in port...and we come back to the ship to change clothes, have a couple of drinks, eat a nice dinner, see a show and sleep.  Sea days are good for relaxing between hectic port stops.

In fact, if you crave "adult only" areas, remember some of those smaller ships--without all the kid-oriented amenities--will have far fewer kids.  Iceland will have fewer kids.  And you may wish to try Celebrity...

Good luck... 

[berkeleykel]

7 hours ago, Marga said:

True, but when we were on her (9 day cruise), the no kids rule was not enforced at all. It was very noisy there maybe also due to the fact that it is an area people pass trough in stead of being at the far end of the ship. 

Was it during school holidays? If you want warm weather but minimum kids, September is a good option (at least in the Med/Adriatic where it will still be hot).

[Linda R]

I have done 2 cruises on Anthem out of Southampton, plus a transatlantic on Anthem that ended in Southampton.. On all those cruises we stayed 3-4 days in London, after cruise.  I have done May and September on those cruises.  We had nice weather for them.  While there is a big mix of nationalities on ships out of England we found lots of Brits.  And we loved it.  And some of the food catered to British, like scones, which were so good.  One of the reasons we took cruise out of Southapmton is to go to Normany, France.  Wanted to go to the beaches like Omaha, Juno, etc.  Visit the military graveyard and museums.   

[Babsy47]

We took a Norway and Iceland cruise and loved it.  We had four days in Iceland, and we enjoyed every one of them.  It is an hiking/nature port where you need to get out to experience the amazing beauty of the place.  It is not warm, but it stays light until late.  It is more Alaska weather than anything else.