xplore both cosmopolitan London and the quintessentially British countryside in the Cotswolds, admiring a variety of popular attractions such as Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London and the historic city of Oxford.
DAY 1
Fly into London Heathrow or London Gatwick Airport. Here you will be met and transferred to The May Fair Hotel.
Although every effort will be made to have your room available prior to the 3:00pm check in, this cannot be guaranteed. If you have an early arriving flight you may wish to book an extra night to guarantee early availability of your room.
Note: Once you have gone through Customs and Immigration you will collect your luggage at the carousel, walk through the “nothing to declare” channel and then exit into the arrivals hall where your driver will be waiting with a sign with the cruise line logo. Should you not be able to locate your driver within a few minutes, as he may be assisting other guests, please contact the local agent via the phone number listed below.
DAY 2
London is a city that inspires and amazes! A capital that basks in its rich history where around every corner there is something new, yet something very familiar. We take you on a tour of this majestic city, fully guided by a London expert.
Your day begins in a Royal Palace after breakfast at your hotel and a short drive outside the city.
On the banks of the River Thames, Hampton Court Palace started life in 1515 as a magnificent brick stately home for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Seized by Henry VIII at Wolsey's downfall, the Palace was enlarged and became home for Henry and wife number two, Anne Boleyn.
Explore with a Hampton Court guide the Tudor bedrooms, oak panelled corridors, and extensive Royal kitchens. Visit the magnificent chapel and banqueting hall. See how the Palace received a makeover by Sir Christopher Wren during the late 17th century reign of William and Mary. Enjoy the works of art from the Royal Collection on display throughout the building and take time to stroll around the grounds, admiring the fountains and getting yourself lost in the famous Hampton Court maze!
Return to the city for a superb 2-course lunch in a top London restaurant to enjoy a ‘Taste of Britain’ menu followed by a champagne cruise on the River Thames as you pass by the iconic Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, and the Palace of Westminster.
In the afternoon enjoy a guided panoramic tour of the city, starting from Parliament and Westminster Abbey, peer along Downing Street, home of the British Prime Minister, circle around Trafalgar Square, see vibrant Piccadilly Circus and the opulent Albert Memorial and view the city's famous museums such as the Victoria and Albert and the Science Museum. Head into Knightsbridge to drive by Harrods and then take a short walk for a photo stop outside Buckingham Palace before returning to your hotel at the end of this entertaining and rewarding day.
Please note: Parts of the itinerary may be reversed depending on local traffic conditions.
Upon returning to your hotel, the evening is at spent at your leisure, dinner is on your own.
DAY 3
Today you will delight in a rewarding and informative tour of the great city of learning, Oxford, with its majestic University buildings and colleges followed by a traditional pub lunch and tour of the wonderfully beautiful Cotswold Hills with its bucolic landscapes and attractive old stone villages.
To begin the day there will be an eye opening and educational tour of Oxford University which will include a visit to one of its most prestigious colleges, New College. Oxford is made up of 38 colleges, where students live and take tutorials, and one University, providing lectures and exams for students attending those colleges. We will learn of the famous names that attended Oxford, politicians, writers, artists, and inventors. Explore the cobbled streets that link libraries to chapels, lecture rooms to exam halls. Despite the name, New College is one of the oldest colleges in Oxford. New College was founded in 1379 by William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester, as The College of St Mary of Winchester in Oxford. Architecturally, New College was innovative in its design, in that it was all planned around an enclosed quadrangle (?nished 1386). This was the first quadrangle of its type. Alumni include British Actor Hugh Grant, Poet and Playwright Oscar Wilde and esteemed Author J.R.R. Tolkien.
Next, take a drive though the delightful rolling hills and meandering streams of the Cotswolds, to honey-coloured stone villages down narrow country lanes. Time seems to have been given very little chance to march forward around these parts. Cottages of 17th century weavers’ homes stand next to chuckling streams, gentle rolling green hills and hidden valleys that stretch across these limestone uplands. With an expert guide on board your coach you will set about exploring this area and meander through this wonderful landscape.
Visit Burford where the old weavers’ houses cascade down to the valley of the River Windrush below and see Stow on the Wold with its ancient marketplace and hilltop views. Enjoy a hearty pub lunch in an old English hostelry during your journey around the Cotswold Hills as well as photo stops and guided walks in each of the villages you call into.
Please note: Parts of the itinerary may be reversed depending on local traffic conditions.
Back in London at your hotel, the remainder of the evening is at your leisure and dinner is on your own.
DAY 4
After breakfast and check out, begin your journey to the ship via one of the wonders of the world and the best-known prehistoric monument in Europe ‘Stonehenge’.
Entry to the site is included, with an audio guide. Kindly be in the lobby 15 minutes prior to departure, having settled any incidentals, where you will be met by a local representative.
Land Program Details Step by Step
• The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.
• Itineraries with the up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.
• The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.
• Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.
Extra Nights
• All extra nights booked through the cruise line are confirmed at the hotel that is used on the FIRST NIGHT of your land program
• If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until day 2 of the program.
• If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.
• If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.
DAY 1
Fly into either London Heathrow or London Gatwick Airport.
Transfer to your hotel for 3:00pm check in.
The remainder of the day and all meals are on your own
Overnight at The May Fair Hotel or similar hotel
Meet and Greet and transfers
• Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.
• Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.
• Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.
• If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.
DAY 2
AM Full English breakfast at your hotel
8:45am Depart hotel by executive coach
10:00am Arrive Hampton Court for entry and guided tour with expert guide
12:30pm Depart Hampton Court, short drive and arrive lunch venue
1:15pm Lunch
3:00pm Thames River cruise
3:45pm Panoramic coach tour with photo stop
6:00pm Approximate return to your hotel, dinner on own
Overnight at The May Fair Hotel or similar hotel
DAY 3
AM Full English breakfast at your hotel
7:30am Depart hotel by executive coach
9:30AM Arrive Oxford. Guided walking tour ending with entry to New College
12:30pm Depart Oxford
1:15pm Two course lunch in a Cotswold’s local village pub or restaurant
2:30pm Cotswold’s Village tour with photo stops
3:45PM Depart the Cotswolds
6:30PM Approx. arrival back at the hotel.
Overnight at The May Fair Hotel or similar hotel
DAY 4
AM Full English breakfast at your hotel followed by check out
8:45am Depart hotel for Stonehenge
11:15am Arrive Stonehenge
1:15pm Depart Stonehenge
2:30pm Approximate arrival at the ship in Southampton for embarkation
Expected Weather:
Weather in the United Kingdom is very unpredictable. You may experience rain at any time.
What to Bring: Prepare for moderately mild weather at all times and be able to supplement basic dress with a warm sweater and/or a rainproof top. Pack sensible footwear, as most rural attractions and even some urban areas are best described as “rugged terrain,” and the ground is wet occasionally. Also bring hats and sunglasses.
Local Currency: Pound Sterling. USD are not accepted however all major credit cards are widely accepted.
Electricity: 230v / 50hz (plugs are 3 square pins). An adjacent switch typically controls outlets. We recommend brining a universal travel adaptor for electric devices.
Documents and Visa Requirements: Please check with your embassy for up-to-date visa information for your nationality. A valid passport is also required.
Accessibility
NOTE: For guests who utilize a wheelchair or with accessibility needs, lifts are available and 90% of the sites are accessible to wheelchair users. Guests need to be able to walk up and down the steps of the tour coach with little to no assistance. Visitors with hearing or visual impairments are able to enjoy the sites using sign language audio guides and tactile displays. Any guests using a scooter or wheelchair should contact the cruise line and have their booking noted. Wheelchairs must fold and scooters need to come apart in order to fit in the coaches. Accessible rooms in the hotel need to be requested in advance and are subject to availability.
Hotel address:
The May Fair Hotel
Stratton St, London W1J 8LT, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7629 7777
*We will only substitute hotels in unforeseen situations. If similar hotels are substituted, they will be of equal ratings and standards. If you are not notified of any changes then you will be staying at the hotel listed in the program.
Program Includes:
• 3 nights at the May Fair Hotel (superior room) or similar hotel
• Transportation and the services of an English-speaking tour guide for two days of sight-seeing and all associated expenses
• Taste of Britain 2 course meal with a drink in a top London restaurant
• Entry to Hampton Court with guided tour by expert Hampton Court guide
• River Thames cruise with commentary and glass of champagne
• Two course meal and a drink in a Cotswold’s village pub
• Entry to New College and Oxford guided walking tour
• Entry and audio guide at Stonehenge
• Transfers
Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.
Program Excludes:
• Meals or beverages not listed above
• Gratuities to drivers or tour guides
• Hotel incidentals, including mini bar and room service
• Personal expenses
Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, and gravel or natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation. Weather appropriate clothing; hats; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are generally recommended.
Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land Programs must be purchased no later than 90 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 90 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released. Arrangements for accommodation and transfers will be at the expense of guests.
