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First Transatlantic Cruise


Geema

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We just booked our 1st transatlantic cruise on 4/5-4/20 on Brilliance of the Seas. I have a few questions I am hoping you all can help me with.

1. Will we need a visa in addition to our passports?

2. Does the ship have self-laundry facilities on board? Trying to avoid 4 bags of luggage!

3. Ports are Azores, Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Amsterdam. I don't see any excursions for Cork. Any suggestions for the other ports? We are not beach people.

All I can think of now...sure there will be more.

Have a great day everyone!

TIA

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If you're a US or Canadian resident, you won't need a visa, butt you will need to have a valid passport with six months of validity. 

I'm headed to Cork on Sunday but try eCoach, which offers fast track admission to Blarney Castle and free time in Kinsale. Dublin we're simply don't in our own by precooking tickets to the popular sights. 

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3 hours ago, DocLC said:

If you're a US or Canadian resident, you won't need a visa, butt you will need to have a valid passport with six months of validity. 

I'm headed to Cork on Sunday but try eCoach, which offers fast track admission to Blarney Castle and free time in Kinsale. Dublin we're simply don't in our own by precooking tickets to the popular sights. 

Can you book eCoach ahead of time or when you get there? Thanks for the advice.

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No laundry facilities onboard. Number of luggage bags depends on how light you can travel. We can easily make it with 3 checked and 2 carry-ons. Just did 23 days with that much.

 

Oh, and take care of the ship for me, I will be on it for the return sailing from Amsterdam to US in September  2018......

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Guest toodle68

They have a service where for $30?  they will launder anything that fits into the bag they supply. So you can get your smalls, tee shirts and shorts. There is dry cleaning on board for a price too.

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12 hours ago, Geema said:

We just booked our 1st transatlantic cruise on 4/5-4/20 on Brilliance of the Seas. I have a few questions I am hoping you all can help me with.

3. Ports are Azores, Dublin, Cork, Waterford and Amsterdam. I don't see any excursions for Cork. Any suggestions for the other ports? We are not beach people.

Have a great day everyone!

TIA

I'm from and live in Waterford City. How long are you in port for? I presume the ship is docking in the seaside village of Dunmore East.

Once I know how long you are in port for I can offer suggestions. Waterford City is the oldest city in Ireland and full of history.  It was founded by Vikings in 914 A.D. and the old city walls still remain in parts of the city 

let me know your interests

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In Cork City check out the following things English Market, Cork City Goal, Spike Island Tour https://corkcitygaol.com/about/

http://www.spikeislandcork.ie/

If you have time Blarney Castle is worth a visit. The grounds of the castle are lovely and could spend a whole day exploring the grounds. 

Kinsale in Cork is a lovely also. Really good seafood. http://www.fishyfishy.ie/ http://www.manfridaykinsale.ie/

Charles Fort in Kinsale is worth a visit http://www.heritageireland.ie/en/south-west/charlesfort/

However i feel you wont have time to visit Blarney Castle & Kinsale in one day. 

 

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6 hours ago, MoBrien said:

I'm from and live in Waterford City. How long are you in port for? I presume the ship is docking in the seaside village of Dunmore East.

Once I know how long you are in port for I can offer suggestions. Waterford City is the oldest city in Ireland and full of history.  It was founded by Vikings in 914 A.D. and the old city walls still remain in parts of the city 

let me know your interests

We are in port from 7am to 4pm.  We would be interested in a tour of the city, seeing where Waterford crystal is made, hubby loves history. Thanks for any suggestions!

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14 hours ago, Geema said:

We are in port from 7am to 4pm.  We would be interested in a tour of the city, seeing where Waterford crystal is made, hubby loves history. Thanks for any suggestions!

If your hubby loves history then I would recommend Reginald's Tower, Medieval Museum and Bishops Palace which are all in the Viking Triangle.  http://www.waterfordtreasures.com

House of Waterford Crystal is also within the Viking Triangle. The tour is approx 50 minutes and you could do this either before or after the above museums.  https://www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com/content/attractions-waterford

For a walking tour of Waterford City I would recommend Jack Burtchaell  historic walking tour of Waterford. http://www.jackswalkingtours.com/

I would also recommend the Waterford Greenway which a is  spectacular 46km off-road cycling & walking trail along an old railway line between Waterford and Dungarvan. http://www.visitwaterfordgreenway.com/http://www.deisegreenway.com

I would recommend bike hire from Greenway Waterford Bike Hire https://www.waterfordgreenwaybikehire.com/   https://www.facebook.com/greenwaywaterford/

Another option is Mount Congreve Gardens http://www.mountcongreve.com/ and you can also access Mount Congreve Gardens from the Greenway if you wish to stop off to visit the gardens or just stop off for refreshments & snacks in the Cafe on site. 

Another option is the Copper Coast  Geopark (your ship might have this as a shore excursion).   The Copper Coast gets its name from the 19th Century Copper Mines that lie at its heart.  It comprises of approx 25 kilometers of spectacular coastline consisting of  beaches and coves buttressed and enclosed by rocky headlands.   Oceans, volcanoes, deserts and ice sheets all combined to create the rocks, which provide the physical foundation of the natural and cultural landscapes of The Copper Coast.       https://coppercoastgeopark.com/

Curraghmore House & Gardens in Portlaw, Co Waterford. It opens from Easter to September for guided tours at 11am & 2pm Wednesday to Sunday. Outside this, you must contact them to arrange private tours. However note from Dunmore East where your ship will dock its approx 45 mins drive each way. http://curraghmorehouse.ie/

Your ship will dock in Dunmore East which is approx 25 minutes drive to Waterford city. On your return allow extra time as there can be delays with traffic at certain times of the day in the city.      If yourself or your husband like water activities then check out Dunmore Adventure for things like Kayaking, open canoeing, rock climbing etc.        http://www.dunmoreadventure.com/

 

Any other info you need on the city, let me know. The above is just a taster of what you can do in the city, if you were hiring a car for the day then there are plenty more options outside the city i.e Mahon Falls in the Comeragh Mountains, Ardmore in Co Waterford, Colligan Woods Walk in Dungarvan, Dromana Gate Bridge etc

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On 6/29/2017 at 1:15 PM, DocLC said:

If you're a US or Canadian resident, you won't need a visa, butt you will need to have a valid passport with six months of validity. 

I am sure it will not apply to you or those traveling with you that there are exceptions to the visa waiver program. For example if a US citizen wanted to visit New Zealand then they would be eligible for to do so under the visa wavier program unless they had a criminal conviction which resulted in a 1 year or more jail sentence, did not satisfy immigration that they did not intend to work in New Zealand, did not satisfy immigration they did not intend to leave the country after 90 days or had been denied entry into any country in the previous 5 years. I believe entry conditions are the same for New Zelander heading to the US under the Visa wavier scheme as well. In these cases you may still be granted a visa but would have to apply for one before leaving your home country (For example if the criminal conviction was a number of years ago and they weren't seen as a risk to the community then it is likely they would be granted a visa).

Again, I am sure non of this is an issue in your case but it should be noted that just because the US and the UK (and Australia and New Zealand etc) have visa wavier agreements it does not meant that this applies in every case. When in doubt check with your travel agent (Another good reason to use a travel agent as they will know all the ins and out for visa requirements for countries you are visiting) or check on that countries governments immigration or tourist websites.

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8 hours ago, MoBrien said:

If your hubby loves history then I would recommend Reginald's Tower, Medieval Museum and Bishops Palace which are all in the Viking Triangle.  http://www.waterfordtreasures.com

House of Waterford Crystal is also within the Viking Triangle. The tour is approx 50 minutes and you could do this either before or after the above museums.  https://www.waterfordvisitorcentre.com/content/attractions-waterford

For a walking tour of Waterford City I would recommend Jack Burtchaell  historic walking tour of Waterford. http://www.jackswalkingtours.com/

I would also recommend the Waterford Greenway which a is  spectacular 46km off-road cycling & walking trail along an old railway line between Waterford and Dungarvan. http://www.visitwaterfordgreenway.com/http://www.deisegreenway.com

I would recommend bike hire from Greenway Waterford Bike Hire https://www.waterfordgreenwaybikehire.com/   https://www.facebook.com/greenwaywaterford/

Another option is Mount Congreve Gardens http://www.mountcongreve.com/ and you can also access Mount Congreve Gardens from the Greenway if you wish to stop off to visit the gardens or just stop off for refreshments & snacks in the Cafe on site. 

Another option is the Copper Coast  Geopark (your ship might have this as a shore excursion).   The Copper Coast gets its name from the 19th Century Copper Mines that lie at its heart.  It comprises of approx 25 kilometers of spectacular coastline consisting of  beaches and coves buttressed and enclosed by rocky headlands.   Oceans, volcanoes, deserts and ice sheets all combined to create the rocks, which provide the physical foundation of the natural and cultural landscapes of The Copper Coast.       https://coppercoastgeopark.com/

Curraghmore House & Gardens in Portlaw, Co Waterford. It opens from Easter to September for guided tours at 11am & 2pm Wednesday to Sunday. Outside this, you must contact them to arrange private tours. However note from Dunmore East where your ship will dock its approx 45 mins drive each way. http://curraghmorehouse.ie/

Your ship will dock in Dunmore East which is approx 25 minutes drive to Waterford city. On your return allow extra time as there can be delays with traffic at certain times of the day in the city.      If yourself or your husband like water activities then check out Dunmore Adventure for things like Kayaking, open canoeing, rock climbing etc.        http://www.dunmoreadventure.com/

 

Any other info you need on the city, let me know. The above is just a taster of what you can do in the city, if you were hiring a car for the day then there are plenty more options outside the city i.e Mahon Falls in the Comeragh Mountains, Ardmore in Co Waterford, Colligan Woods Walk in Dungarvan, Dromana Gate Bridge etc

Thank you so much for all this info. I really appreciate it!!

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4 hours ago, Geema said:

Thank you so much for all this info. I really appreciate it!!

Your welcome. If I can help with any other questions you may have for the other cities you be stopping off at in Ireland, don't hesitate to ask & hopefully I can answer the question.

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17 minutes ago, MoBrien said:

Your welcome. If I can help with any other questions you may have for the other cities you be stopping off at in Ireland, don't hesitate to ask & hopefully I can answer the question.

The only other question I can think of now is what would the best way to get to Blarney Castle from the dock? TIA

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5 minutes ago, Geema said:

The only other question I can think of now is what would the best way to get to Blarney Castle from the dock? TIA

You can get the train from Cobh into Cork City (Kent Station) and from there you need to get the number 215 bus to Blarney. Once you arrive at Kent Station you will have approx 10 minute walk to the bus stop. When you get off the train just ask someone to give you directions. The bus driver will let you know when you are in Blarney. 

You could also use local tour bus companies such as http://cobhcoaches.ie/blarney-castle-tours/ or http://www.ecoach.ie/

Your other option is a taxi but more expensive . Approx €40-€50 each way depending on traffic (note you do not tip cab drivers in Ireland)

I'm not sure if you are aware that Cobh was the last port for passengers to embark on the Titanic so their is a small museum in the town etc 

 

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