British Isles

The British Isles is a 14-night Europe cruise aboard Arcadia, operated by P&O Cruises. Departing Southampton on June 15, 2027, the voyage visits 8 ports.

Length: 14 nights
Departs: Jun 15, 2027
Returns: Jun 29, 2027
Ports of call: 8
Days at sea: 6

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Itinerary

Day 1 Jun 15, 2027 Southampton Cruises from Southampton are part of a storied maritime heritage. Famous ships have sailed from Southampton port and, before commercial air travel, it was the gateway to the world with Hollywood celebrities like Bette Davis and Elizabeth Taylor passing through to board a Southampton cruise. In its atmospheric Old Town, 12th-century churches, cobbled streets, and timber-framed houses like the impressive Tudor House & Garden sit side-by-side, surrounded by one of the most complete Medieval city walls in the UK where the Bargate – the ancient entrance – still stands intact. There are bustling marina-side bars, shiny shopping districts and a vibrant cultural quarter where the Mayflower Theatre puts on West End musicals and the SeaCity Museum catalogues Southampton’s seafaring past. Some of England’s most impressive landmarks are an easy drive away, including the Neolithic wonder Stonehenge, the picturesque spa city Bath or Buckingham Palace, Tate Modern and Tower Bridge in the bustling capital of London. Discover 5,000 years of history and more on a Southampton cruise. Southampton port guide Search cruises visiting Southampton

Day 3 Jun 17, 2027 Belfast Reborn as a cool, modern city, Belfast has successfully left its troubles behind, emerging as a hotbed of culture and architecture, where the comfort of a cosy pub is never far away. Take a voyage of discovery in its maritime quarter, home to a celebrated museum dedicated to the most famous ship ever built, which was constructed right here in the city’s shipyards. A walk across the Lagan Weir Footbridge brings you to Belfast’s fascinating Titanic District – an area of the city devoted to its rich ship-building heritage. The state-of-the-art Titanic Museum brings the story of the doomed vessel to life, and is the largest museum dedicated to the infamously ‘unsinkable’ ship. Wind up a nautical-themed ramble along the Maritime Mile with a visit to SS Nomadic, the smaller cousin of the Titanic, and a ship which serves as a fascinating time capsule back to the pomp and grandeur of the Titanic, while also telling its own stories of service in both World Wars. There’s just enough time to give the 10-metre long Salmon of Knowledge sculpture a quick peck for luck, before continuing to explore. A stark barbed wire and graffitied sheet metal barrier marks an abrupt scar through the city’s residential areas. The Peace Line was constructed during the height of the Troubles, when Belfast was plagued by sectarian divisions between Protestants and Catholics. Nowadays, you can jump in a black taxi tour to see the colourful murals and living history of the walls, which stand as a stark reminder of the fragility of peace. After exploring the city’s historic divisions, a reminder of Belfast’s uniting creativity can be found at the Metropolitan Arts Centre – a seven-storey tall building, which invites light to gloriously cascade inside. The Cathedral Quarter is a cobbled blend of flower-adorned pubs, restaurants and theatres, and venues where music spills out onto the streets at night, and many a pint is cheerily shared. Belfast port guide Search cruises visiting Belfast

Belfast photo — Day 3 Jun 17, 2027 Belfast Reborn as a cool, modern city, Belfast has successfully left its troubles behind, emerging as a hotbed of culture and architecture, where the comfort of a cosy pub is never far away. Take a voyage of discovery in its maritime quarter, home to a celebrated museum dedicated to the most famous ship ever built, which was constructed right here in the city’s shipyards. A walk across the Lagan Weir Footbridge brings you to Belfast’s fascinating Titanic District – an area of the city devoted to its rich ship-building heritage. The state-of-the-art Titanic Museum brings the story of the doomed vessel to life, and is the largest museum dedicated to the infamously ‘unsinkable’ ship. Wind up a nautical-themed ramble along the Maritime Mile with a visit to SS Nomadic, the smaller cousin of the Titanic, and a ship which serves as a fascinating time capsule back to the pomp and grandeur of the Titanic, while also telling its own stories of service in both World Wars. There’s just enough time to give the 10-metre long Salmon of Knowledge sculpture a quick peck for luck, before continuing to explore. A stark barbed wire and graffitied sheet metal barrier marks an abrupt scar through the city’s residential areas. The Peace Line was constructed during the height of the Troubles, when Belfast was plagued by sectarian divisions between Protestants and Catholics. Nowadays, you can jump in a black taxi tour to see the colourful murals and living history of the walls, which stand as a stark reminder of the fragility of peace. After exploring the city’s historic divisions, a reminder of Belfast’s uniting creativity can be found at the Metropolitan Arts Centre – a seven-storey tall building, which invites light to gloriously cascade inside. The Cathedral Quarter is a cobbled blend of flower-adorned pubs, restaurants and theatres, and venues where music spills out onto the streets at night, and many a pint is cheerily shared. Belfast port guide Search cruises visiting Belfast

Day 4 Jun 18, 2027 Killybegs Killybegs has offered mariners a safe haven from the churning waters of the Atlantic Ocean for centuries. Its sheltered deepwater harbor opens out into Donegal Bay and the vast northeastern Atlantic. In ancient times, the town consisted of no more than a huddle of small beehive-style huts called “Na Cealla Beaga,” a Gaelic phrase from which the town takes its current name. Fast-forward to today, and the maritime theme is just as strong. Modern-day Killybegs is a tight-knit seafaring community with Ireland’s largest fishing fleet. This part of County Donegal is also home to a number of traditional industries and artisan workshops, where craftspeople specialize in carpet-making, weaving and knitting. Killybegs is surrounded by some of the most scenic landscape Ireland has to offer. As a stop along the 2,500-kilometer-long coastal route known as the Wild Atlantic Way, there are several stunning spots you can’t miss, including the white, sandy expanse of nearby Fintra Beach and the vertigo-inducing cliffs at Slieve League. Come here to soak up the small-town atmosphere and drink in the natural beauty that abounds. Killybegs port guide Search cruises visiting Killybegs

Day 7 Jun 21, 2027 Stornoway (Isle of Lewis), United Kingdom Founded by the Vikings in the early 9th century, Stornoway is located on the scenic Isle of Lewis, the most northerly of Scotland’s Hebrides islands. Visiting Lewis is like taking a step back in time, where ancient stone circles stand on the same land as modern day Stornoway, Gaelic is spoken alongside English, and during the summer months, “local people can still be seen cutting the peats, and in the winter the distinctive dry smell of the peat fires drifts in the wind.” With its spectacular cliffs, moorlands and fresh-water lochs, the region is home to a diverse wildlife habitat of eagles, deer, otters and numerous species of indigenous birds, while Lewis’ several rivers have significant runs of salmon and sea trout, which make for great fishing. There are also beautiful remote beaches like Tolsta, Bostadh and Traigh Chuil, adventure boat trips for regular sightings of seals, porpoises and dolphins, and historical attractions such as the impressive Lews Castle, the Whale Bone Arch and Latta Mill’s Stornoway.

Day 8 Jun 22, 2027 Lerwick, Scotland Lerwick, the port where your MSC cruise ship awaits your return, is very much the focus of Shetland’s commercial life. All year, its sheltered harbour is busy with ferries and fishing boats, as well as specialized craft including oil-rig supply, seismic survey and naval vessels from all round the North Sea. In summer, the quayside comes alive with visiting yachts, cruise liners, historic vessels such as the restored Swan and the occasional tall ship. Behind the old harbour is the compact town centre, made up of one long main street, flagstone-clad Commercial Street, whose narrow, winding form, set back one block from the Esplanade, provides shelter from the elements even on the worst days. From here, narrow lanes, known as closses, rise westwards to the late Victorian new town. The northern end of Commercial Street is marked by the towering walls of Fort Charlotte, begun for Charles II in 1665, burnt down by the Dutch fleet in August 1673, and repaired and named in honour of George III’s queen in the 1780s. Exhibits at the Shetland Museum, in a wonderful purpose-built waterfront building, include replicas of a hoard of Pictish silver found locally, the Monks Stone, thought to show the arrival of Christianity in Shetland, and a block of butter, tax payment for the King of Norway, found preserved in a peat bog. MSC Northern Europe cruises also offer excursions to Scalloway, once the capital of Shetland, which however waned in importance throughout the eighteenth century as Lerwick grew. Nowadays, Scalloway is fairly sleepy, though its harbour is busy enough. The town is dominated by the imposing shell of Scalloway Castle, a classic fortified tower house built with forced labour in 1600 by the infamous Earl Patrick Stewart, who held court in the castle and gained a reputation for cruelty and corruption.

Day 10 Jun 24, 2027 Invergordon The Highlands in the northern part of Scotland are known for their magnificent scenery, boasting a landscape of dramatic mountains and forested hills. This region also is of historic importance and full of legends including the fabled Loch Ness monster. For centuries, Scotland was England's principal enemy. Then in 1603, James VI of Scotland became James I of England, thus establishing the first political union between the two countries. Despite these ties, Scottish nationalism persisted.The resistance came to an end in 1746 when Bonnie Prince Charlie, in a sad but heroic attempt to reclaim the throne, was defeated in the Battle of Culloden. It changed the social structure of the Highlands forever. Powerful clans were disarmed; for many years wearing kilts was prohibited because the kilt was seen as a symbol of Scottish pride. Scotland ultimately was ruled from London. Invergordon is the port for Inverness, the capital of the Scottish Highlands and junction of many routes. Over the centuries, Inverness was often the focal point of clashes between Highland chiefs, and the Crown. Today the town is a popular tourist attraction as well as a gathering place for the clans of the surrounding area. Many of the traditional Scottish events take place here each summer, including the Highland Games and the Sheep Dog Trials. Invergordon is also a good starting point for excursions to many of the area's attractions, including the Battlefield of Culloden, Loch Ness, the villages of Tain and Cromarty, historic castles and old whisky distilleries. The local economy relies heavily on tourism, in addition to fishing and agriculture. Enjoy the picture-perfect scenery and perhaps an opportunity to chat with a Highlander eager to introduce you to his fabled land and its rich heritage.

Day 12 Jun 26, 2027 Glasgow A titan of culture and character, with a disarmingly warm welcome, Glasgow is a lively, Scottish city with bucket-loads of personality. Built on a bedrock of hard-work, and deep industrial roots, the city is a fascinating balance of old and new. Architectural treasures like the elegant Glasgow City Chambers of 1888 blend with new, angular shocks like the Riverside Museum and armadillo-shaped Clyde Auditorium - both part of a clutch of exciting new developments along the River Clyde’s banks. View less Also towering over the river - and perhaps Glasgow’s mightiest symbol - is the Titan - a colossal crane and an almighty reminder of Glasgow’s heritage as a constructor of giant battleships and cruise liners. It is far from a grey industrial city these days, however, and leafy parks, manicured gardens and stacked galleries douse the city with its colour and cultural intrigue. George Square is at the heart of it all, overlooked by Glasgow City Chambers and adorned with memorials, columns and statues honouring influential Scots and Prime Ministers of history. The sounds of shoppers and searing bagpipes rattle along the bustling Buchanan Street, where you can stroll and shop to your heart’s content. Stumble across the West End - Glasgow’s quirkier side - which is brimming with brightly painted cafes and pubs of character and characters, and the perfect spot for a sit-down. Glasgow’s Medieval Cathedral is the city’s oldest building and one of Scotland’s oldest cathedrals, while the university is an immaculate, turreted and vaulted temple of learning. With enormous concert halls, overflowing museums and storied castles, Glasgow is one of the United Kingdom’s most characterful, rewarding cities. Glasgow port guide Search cruises visiting Glasgow

Day 13 Jun 27, 2027 Holyhead, UK Today the city of Holyhead is connected to the large Welsh island of Anglesey by a causeway known locally as The Cobb, but until the mid-19th century, it was on its own separate Holy Island connected by a bridge. Its protected harbor and location adjacent to the Irish Sea made it an important port from Roman times. Its beautiful St. Cybi’s Church is in fact situated in the remains of a Roman three-walled fort, the Caer Gybi, facing the harbor. The harbor’s three-kilometer breakwater is the longest in the United Kingdom, and made the port a crucial safe haven in inclement weather for ships plying the busy routes to industrial Liverpool and Lancashire. Until the completion of the London to Liverpool railway, Holyhead held the Royal Mail contract for Dublin. Your ship docks today at a jetty that originally served a lucrative aluminum smelting operation, until the closing of a nuclear generating facility cut of the supply of inexpensive power. A waterfront Maritime Museum provides insights into Holyhead’s long history as a seaport. Visitors are welcomed at the picturesque South Stack Lighthouse, and at the adjacent RSPB nature reserve, which offers views of the sea cliffs and their abundant nesting populations of puffins, fulmars, razorbills, guillemots, gannets and other seabirds, as well as seals, dolphins and other wildlife. The Anglesey countryside also holds prehistoric dolmens including the Trefignath Burial Chamber, and a nostalgic old Welsh farmstead called Cyfellion Swtan that charmingly preserves the traditional lifestyle or rural Wales.

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Show all 28 cabin grades

Name	Supplier code	Type
Deluxe Balcony	EA	Balcony
Deluxe Balcony	EB	Balcony
Deluxe Balcony	EC	Balcony
Deluxe Balcony	ED	Balcony
Deluxe Balcony	EE	Balcony
Deluxe Balcony	EF	Balcony
Single Balcony	QF	Balcony
Large Inside	OA	Inside
Large Inside	OB	Inside
Large Inside	OC	Inside
Inside	PA	Inside
Inside	PB	Inside
Inside	PD	Inside
Inside	PE	Inside
Inside	PF	Inside
Single Inside	SC	Inside
Outside	LB	Oceanview
Outside	LC	Oceanview
Outside	LE	Oceanview
Outside	LF	Oceanview
Outside (Obstructed View)	NB	Oceanview
Outside (Obstructed View)	NC	Oceanview
Suite	B1	Suite
Suite	B2	Suite
Suite	B4	Suite
Mini Suite	CA	Suite
Mini Suite	CB	Suite
Mini Suite	CE	Suite