Your holiday summary
| Holiday type |
Ocean cruises |
|---|---|
| Travel type |
Make your own way |
| Price range | From £875 |
| Travel partner | Newmarket Holidays |
| Duration | 10 nights |
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Need help with your booking? 0330 333 6731 |
Grand British Isles Cruise - Marco Polo ex Tilbury
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Scotland, the Orkneys and the Hebrides; the Irish capital; North Wales; the Scillies and Guernsey. All are featured on this wonderful summertime cruise around our "sceptred isle".
- 10 nights' accommodation in your choice of cabin
- Full-board arrangements including full breakfast, luncheon, dinner, afternoon tea and midnight snacks
- On-board entertainment as arranged
- Calls at ports as detailed in the itinerary
- The services of a friendly, professional crew and cruise staff
- Port charges and taxes
- Single and upgrade cabins are available for a supplement
Make your way to Tilbury and Marco Polo, which sails this afternoon. This evening, enjoy your first dinner on board, get to know the staff and some of your fellow passengers, and look forward to the exciting days ahead.
Day Two
Today is spent at sea, with a host of diversions and entertainment to enjoy.
Day Three
This morning we'll tie up in the great natural harbour at Invergordon on Scotland's rugged East Coast. Step ashore to explore, or join a shore excursion, perhaps to Inverness in search of Nessie. Golfers may head to the fine course at nearby Dornoch, while whisky connoisseurs can make a pilgrimage to the celebrated Ord Distillery!
Day Four
A day of Orcadian delights as Marco Polo docks in Kirkwall, just a mile from the waters of historic Scapa Flow, where the German Fleet was scuttled in 1919, and HMS Royal Oak sunk in WW2, prompting the construction of the famous Barriers, the beautiful Italian Chapel serving as a reminder that they were built with the aid of Italian prisoners of war. Shore excursions will include highlights of this island, where history, archaeology, crafts and wildlife are inextricably intertwined.
Day Five
After cruising the scenic waters of Scotland's Western Isles, we'll arrive in Stornoway, capital of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. These beautiful, unspoilt islands, inhabited continuously for over 6,000 years, retain a rich, timeless culture. Explore, or join the excursion to the mysterious and ancient standing stones at Callanish, thought to be nearly 4,000 years old.
Day Six
The beautiful island of Mull offers breathtaking scenery, abundant wildlife and a spectacular coastline. The small town of Tobermory, familiar to many, with its picturesque, multicoloured houses encircling the waterfront, is a delightful place to explore, as is nearby famous Duart Castle, seat of Clan Maclean.
Day Seven
to explore, as is nearby famous Duart Castle, seat of Clan Maclean.Day SevenToday finds us in Dublin - great city of culture and learning; home to Joyce, Yeats, Wilde and Swift, birthplace of Shaw; and one of Europe's most engaging capitals. Grafton and O'Connell Streets teem with shoppers, and the famous bars and pubs buzz with the energy of locals and visitors alike.
Day Eight
This morning finds us in the fabled Isles of Scilly. 'Marco Polo' anchors in still blue waters, giving you the opportunity to go ashore to explore Hugh Town on St Mary's and the flower-strewn byways beyond, and stunning Tresco, where the world famous Abbey Gardens house Britain's finest subtropical plant collection.
Day Nine
Guernsey's delightful St Peter Port welcomes Marco Polo this morning, and the day can be spent enjoying the pleasures of this beautiful Channel Isle. Don't miss 800-year-old Castle Cornet, which guards the entrance to the harbour, nor the medieval, cobbled central quarter of St Peter Port, where countless shops and colourful stalls offer tax-free gifts.
Day 10
Exquisite Honfleur, with its picturesque harbour surrounded by terraces of gabled houses, lies at the mouth of the Seine, and is the gateway to the stunning Normandy countryside. Explore this favourite retreat of French Impressionists, or venture further afield, perhaps to the famous Normandy beaches or to the historic 'Joan of Arc' city of Rouen.
Day 11
This morning Marco Polo makes her way back up the Thames, and you disembark in Tilbury at the end of a wonderful voyage.
MV Marco Polo
In an age of vast, impersonal, floating hotels, 22,000-tonne 'Marco Polo', her profile marking her out as the epitome of sea-going elegance, is a beautiful ocean-liner in the classic tradition. Offering high levels of comfort, sumptuous dining and a genuinely warm welcome from the crew, 'Marco Polo' will offer everything you'd expect of such a high-class vessel.
Fully stabilised and air-conditioned, 'Marco Polo' boasts eight passenger decks, which are serviced by four lifts and three wide stairwells. Out on deck a vast amount of space ensures plenty of viewing opportunities when cruising through scenic waters, and more-than-ample room for sunbathers to top up their tans, while belowdecks you'll find facilities to cater to all your cruising pleasures by day and night. In addition to the comfortable lounges and bars, beautiful main dining room and light and airy bistro there's a shopping arcade, a library, a card room and an internet room. The Spa, Beauty and Fitness Centre spoils the body-conscious with a gym, a hair and beauty salon, a table-tennis room, a massage and sauna area, and even deck-top Jacuzzis.'Marco Polo"s 15 categories of cabins and suites all offer private facilities with showers or bath/showers, TV with satellite, 'view from the bridge' and in-house movie channels, telephones, hairdryers and personal safes. Cabins have a variety of twin and double beds, with upper berths for third and fourth sharing passengers. Outside cabins offer porthole or larger windows. Your cabin will be looked after your steward/stewardess and housekeeper, who will ensure that beds are made, towels are changed and toiletries replenished. All cabins feature 110v and 220v current and have an electrical socket. Even in the most economical cabins, the standard features are impressive.
