Amanda PhillipsFor many cruise passengers, the ultimate luxury of a sea voyage is not so much floor-to-ceiling service or endless dining options; even sumptuously-appointed cabins can play second fiddle to the delight of driving to the port of embarkation. Here porters will unload as much luggage as you care to pack from boot to boat, and before you can say “bon voyage” you’ve set sail.
With queues at airport security, restrictions on what you can take with you on the aircraft, punitive weight restrictions, expensive parking, not to mention delays and cancellations due to striking air traffic controllers across Europe, it’s little wonder the number of passengers choosing to cruise from Scottish ports has soared. To match this demand cruise lines have departures from Greenock; Dundee and Rosyth.
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is a family-operated company, justly proud of their Norwegian heritage. Their 804-passenger Black Watch has a series of summer and autumn cruises from Rosyth to a variety of ports. These include: Greenland; Iceland; Norwegian fjords; Germany; the Baltic and St Petersburg; France; Guernsey; Portugal; Madeira and Canary Islands. There’s also a cruise around Scotland allowing you to discover ports such as Kirkwall; Ullapool; Invergordon; Portree and Fort William. There are also two cruises from Greenock on board the 839-passenger Boudicca in May. One visits the Hebrides, Western Isles and Invergordon, while the other heads to the Norwegian fjords and Kirkwall.
Cruise & Maritime Voyages specialises in adults-only cruises and attracts older couples and singles. There are seven cruises aboard the 1,250-passenger Magellan from Dundee between July and September sailing to the Norwegian fjords; Baltic capitals; Iceland and the Northern Isles. The 800-passenger Marco Polo has a ‘Grand British Isles Discovery’ cruise from Greenock in August. This perennially-popular ship is also sailing from Rosyth from June through August to the Baltic and St Petersburg; Greenland; Iceland; Scottish Isles and Faroe Islands; as well as Spitsbergen; North Cape and the Land of the Midnight Sun.
The other hidden gem of the Scottish cruising scene – Hebridean Princess – has a summer-long array of sailings from Oban as well as spring and autumn departures from Greenock. This, the world’s smallest luxury cruise ship, has a Royal Warrant as it was chartered by Her Majesty, The Queen for her 80th birthday in the summer of 2006 and again in 2010 to celebrate the 60th birthday of Princess Royal. For more information call our cruise specialists now on 0800 484 0314 or click on www.barrheadtravel.co.uk.
