The Luck of the Irish: Ireland Cruise

Dublin, the vibrant capital of Ireland, is a city brimming with energy and resilience. Once under British rule, Dublin has emerged with a distinct sense of identity, leading Ireland as a proud member of the European Union and reflecting its evolving role in modern Europe. The city has been home to some of the world’s most influential literary figures, including Oscar Wilde, James Joyce, W.B. Yeats and George Bernard Shaw. Iconic landmarks such as Trinity College, home to the esteemed Book of Kells, highlight its storied past, while the city also serves as a hub of artistic and cultural expression, with global musicians like U2, whose impact resonates from their Dublin roots, having invigorated its creative scene. Dublin’s vibrant pub culture offers a lively social fabric, where traditional and contemporary influences merge to create a city to explore both day and night.

You can choose from a selection of morning excursion options that best suits your interests and level of fitness (ask your Adventure Specialist for details), with time to explore Dublin this afternoon before gathering for a welcome event this evening. On the Walking Dublin tour, hear stories of Ireland’s emotional past while visiting iconic sites like St Stephens Green, Trinity College and the historic Huguenot cemetery. On the EPIC Tale of Emigration take a self-guided tour of the Irish Emigration Museum. And on the Guinness Story excursion, visit the factory for a tasting and self-guided tour.

After breakfast, travel to Kilkenny for a visit to Kilkenny Castle en route to the ship. Considered Ireland’s best preserved medieval city, Kilkenny mixes small-town intimacy with a big city buzz. The former home to the seat of the medieval Irish parliaments, it rivalled Dublin in importance which is evident in its imposing Norman buildings and marble-clad facades, even today.

Few buildings in Ireland can boast a longer history of continuous occupation than Kilkenny’s monolithic castle and few have a more fascinating family story. Kilkenny Castle’s 800 years of history is associated with the rise and fall of the Marshal and Butler families who rose in nobility from Earls to Dukes. In more recent years they were known for their marriages to famous personalities like Winston Churchill’s cousin, and Ellen Stager, an American heiress who brought quite a fortune into the Butler family. However, by 1922 Kilkenny Castle was embroiled in political problems when it was occupied by Republicans and besieged by troops of the Free State. In 1967, the family sold the castle to the Kilkenny Castle Restoration Committee for a mere £50. If you love a good riches-to-rags story, you will enjoy the story of Kilkenny and its powerful peerage on a self-guided tour of the castle and its grounds.

Next, make your way farther south to the county’s namesake, Waterford. Known as the city where culture meets the ‘craic’ (that is Irish for a good time), Waterford is a modern city with a layered history. Invaded by the Norsemen in 914, Waterford became a Viking settlement, which is reflected in its people even today. It emerged from the Middle Ages as a trading port with the wealth from goods that came from as far away as Newfoundland, the profits of which funded the construction of the many Georgian Mansions that line the city’s streets. A town for those who enjoy a good stroll, Waterford is easy on the eye, offers plenty to see and as its reputation suggests, is full of fun. Your time here is free to stroll this easily navigated city, before transferring to the ship.

This evening, complete an important safety briefing, before enjoying a welcome dinner, where you’ll meet your crew and expedition team.

Once a port town, always a port town. Cork sits proudly on an island in the middle of the Lee River. Surrounded by water, the city’s salty air tells the story of Irish emigration, with its historical harbor of Cobh and shores of Kinsale, famed as the port of boarding for the Irish who left for foreign lands. If your ancestors are Irish, there is a high chance they came through Cork. Today, the city has a flair for great gigs and modernized traditional dishes, and is considered an Irish food mecca that is centered around its restored 18th-century English Market. Your morning shore excursions offer you the opportunity to get the gift of the gab or follow those Irish who left their homeland for foreign shores.

You can choose from a selection of morning shore excursion options that best suits your interests and level of fitness (ask your Adventure Specialist for details). On the Titanic Experience & Queenstown excursion, take a walking tour of Cobh (formerly known as Queenstown) and visit The Titanic Experience for immersive audiovisuals to relive the maritime disaster, plus the Cobh Heritage Center’s Queenstown Story exhibition. Or choose the Blarney Castle & Stone tour to kiss the Blarney Stone, learn of its history and receive the gift of gab. Lastly, consider the Seaside Gem of Kinsale option, to visit the picture-perfect coastal town and learn of its naval historic importance.

This afternoon, aboard the ship, indulge in a quintessential Irish experience with a private whiskey tasting. More than just a spirit, this ‘saintly’ brew embodies Ireland’s essence. A local expert will share their deep passion and knowledge, guiding you through the rich heritage, meticulous craftsmanship and captivating stories that define this amber treasure. Prepare to immerse yourself in the world of Irish whiskey and discover why it holds such a special place in the heart of Ireland.

Arrive at Bantry Bay and tender to shore. The harborside town of Bantry is the gateway to the touring route known as the Wild Atlantic Way. It is easy to see why Ireland’s color of choice for everything is green, from its national sporting uniforms to its flag, as you drive the famed Ring of Kerry, tread the trails of Whiddy Island or explore the Beara Peninsula, surrounded by the lush grass-covered hills and dales of the Emerald Isle. For those choosing a morning excursion, Bantry itself is small enough for a comfortable stroll in the afternoon, with artisan shops, friendly cafes and, of course, plenty of pubs to try a local brew. The wild beauty of Ireland’s western coast is on show today, along with the life it offered, past and present. Here you’ll meet small-town Ireland with an insight into a different side to the Irish.

You can choose from a selection of morning or full-day shore excursion options that best suits your interests and level of fitness (ask your Adventure Specialist for details). For a morning option, Meet the Mayor of Whiddy Island for a tour of the small island (reached via 15-minute ferry ride) and notes on traditional baking and mussel farming, plus a pint; or visit the Beara Peninsula for a scenic drive (with possible stops, time permitting) along rugged, less busy coastline. Or choose the full-day Ring of Kerry tour for postcard-perfect photography, quaint towns, wooded valleys, pristine lakes and mountain passes.

This evening, go ashore to meet the locals on an Irish night out. There will be music, singing and plenty of storytelling or this simply would not be Ireland.

Join your breakfast club this morning as you sail at sunrise towards the Skellig Islands. Off the coast of County Kerry, two rocky pinnacles rise from the Atlantic Ocean. The Skellig Islands are world-renowned for their ornithological and archaeological significance. Skellig Michael is the site of a well-preserved monastic outpost of the Early Christian period and is now designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Little Skellig is equally renowned in matters of ornithology. As the home of 27,000 pairs of gannets, it is the second largest colony of such seabirds in the world.

Some 1,400 years ago a congregation of monks were searching for a place to practice their religion in complete solitude and isolation. Determined to build a monastery on these remote islands, generation after generation of monks hand-carved 600 stone steps with the simplest tools to build a hilltop monastery nearly 600 feet (180m) above the pounding waves. The survival of the terraces, oratories and six corbel stone beehive huts are to this day a testament to their skill and dedication. The archaeological remains show the dramatically spartan conditions in which the monks lived; however, after enduring several Viking raids, the monks eventually left the island in the 13th century. The site has subsequently become a place of Christian pilgrimage.

Note: The Office of Public Works (OPW) manages the Skelligs, and they no longer allow cruise ship passengers to land on Skellig Michael. Visitor numbers to Skellig Michael in recent years have reached the maximum permitted by UNESCO and any violation of UNESCO criteria will affect the future UNESCO status of the island. From the elevated height of your vessel, enjoy a cruise of the islands before reaching Dingle Bay and tendering ashore.

Once described by National Geographic Traveler as ‘the most beautiful place on earth,’ Dingle is away from the general tourist route, affording exclusive access to the wild west coast. Traditionally a fishing port, Dingle Harbor is where you’ll anchor and tender into town. Known for its rugged scenery, dramatic cliffs and sandy beaches, the surrounding promontory is the coastal heart of County Kerry, while Dingle itself has a bohemian flair and is famous for its hardware pubs where you can enjoy a brew and buy wares. Enjoy lunch on board before tendering ashore to experience a slice of Ireland’s rural lifestyle, while viewing the wild side of the country and the Irish who call County Kerry home.

You can choose from a selection of afternoon shore excursion options that best suits your interests and level of fitness (ask your Adventure Specialist for details). Explore the Dingle Peninsula & Tralee for a clifftop drive and visit to beehive-shaped, monk-built homes and an interactive museum, plus the quaint streets of Tralee. Choose the Life on the Land tour to farmlands to meet shepherds and sheep dogs plus visit 19th-century cottages. The Dingle Bay Kayaking excursion explores caves, coastline and the harbor of Dingle Bay with a local guide.

The breakfast club meets again this morning as you sail the fabled Cliffs of Moher. Towering over the West Clare coast, the Cliffs of Moher are best seen in the early morning from the sea. Visually spectacular, they sit astride the striking landscape of the Burren on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. At a height of over 650 feet (200m) at O’Brien’s Tower, and following the coast for almost 8 miles (13km), these ancient cliffs were formed over 320 million years ago, and today form part of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark. Enjoy a slow sail along the cliff face, before inching into Galway Bay and tendering to Galway town.

This popular west coast seaside town of Galway attracts a steady flow of local visitors. The Irish come here to walk its long promenade and as tradition dictates, kick the wall’s end for good luck, enjoy fish and chips straight from the newspaper and, of course, ‘go on the gargle’ in its cozy pubs.

You can choose from a selection of full-day shore excursion options that best suits your interests and level of fitness (ask your Adventure Specialist for details). On the Burren Badlands & Birds of Prey discover ancient limestone cliffs, caves & fossils, plus charming villages; also visit the Birds of Prey Center to take in eagles, owls, vultures and hawks, before free time in Galway. Or visit the Workhouse Museum for a guided exploration of Galway City followed by a tour of its museum exposing its historic countryside forced labor institutions.

The fishing village of Killybegs is gateway to the rugged beauty of Slieve League Cliffs and the dramatic backdrop of Ireland’s own Table Mountain, Ben Bulben. Jutting out of Sligo’s northern edge, the peninsula of Mullaghmore pokes into the North Atlantic. Land and sea meet in confluence along the coast of County Sligo, a landscape of jagged mountain peaks that inspired the work of Nobel-winning poet William Butler Yeats. Sail into the harbor of Killybegs in the early afternoon, with time to explore the nearby cliffs and their cliffside walk or learn about sustainable whiskey distilling at the family-owned-and-operated Adara Distillery.

You can choose from a selection of afternoon shore excursion options that best suits your interests and level of fitness (ask your Adventure Specialist for details). Choose the Slieve League Cliffs for Ireland’s ultimate sea cliff experience plus time in town. Or opt for the Adara Whiskey Distillery visit for weaving demonstrations and a tour of the facility and a tasting of their famous whiskey or gin.

An overnight sailing takes you to Northern Ireland and the fascinating city of Londonderry. Simply known as Derry to the Nationalist (Catholic) population but still referred to as Londonderry by the Unionist (Protestant) population, this border town has seen it all. The sectarian ‘Troubles’ of this predominantly Nationalist city may have blemished its reputation, but in recent years these tensions have eased, and although some suburbs retain their sense of division, strolling the streets is safe and the general population are happy to share stories of their stormy past and ambitious future. Come alongside on the river Foyle, the now open, natural border between the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Choose to stay in town to hear the city’s fascinating story, or head north to the coast to follow fables of giants and failed dynasties.

You can choose from a selection of morning or full-day shore excursion options that best suits your interests and level of fitness (ask your Adventure Specialist for details). Morning options include Londonderry-Derry—Past, Present, Future for a combo walking and coach bus tour of the city’s troubled past, or the Ulster Folk Park visit for immersive displays and historical reenactments of the over 250,000 people who emigrated from Ulster to North America. For a full-day experience, visit Dunluce Castle & Giant’s Causeway for the region’s most famous natural attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take in the interlocking basalt columns that create steps into the ocean, then visit the castle of MacDonnell clan famed, portrayed as the Castle of Pyke in Game of Thrones.

It is fair to say Belfast has endured its share of turbulent times. Famines, disease, invasions and recessions have painted a picture of a resilient city, but it was the more recent period known as ‘The Troubles’ that defined its image of division. Barbed wire, armed soldiers and constant bomb searches kept tourists away. Today however, Belfast has transformed thanks to open political dialogue and foreign investment. The city feels lighter, as if a heavy burden has been lifted from its shoulders.

Your day in Belfast is filled with stories of the workers who toiled for 14 hours a day to build the world’s most glamorous ship, the Titanic, the employment it created, and the race to finish her. Had they taken their time, would things have been different for the Titanic? Located on the site where the ship was built, the dockyard’s Titanic Experience may answer a few of your questions. From the dockyards, your tour skips ahead to the days of ‘The Troubles’ as you are guided through Unionist and Nationalist neighborhoods. The occasional security gate is a reminder that the island is still contested, but nowadays the city is split into seven virtual quarters, or cultural zones—Cathedral Quarter, Titanic Quarter, the Gaeltacht Quarter, Smithfield Market and Library Quarter, Linen Quarter, Market Quarter and Queen’s Quarter—rather than walled ones. Peek at Belfast’s quarters before turning south and returning to Dublin for your final night in Ireland’s capital.

This evening is a farewell to your fellow explorers and a celebration of all things Irish as you kick up your heels at an authentic traditional Irish dancing show, accompanied by a few ‘jars’ and a delicious Irish Farewell dinner.

After breakfast, bid farewell to all the Irish who have shared their stories with you, past and present, with a smile on your face and a story on your lips. An airport transfer shared with your fellow explorers is included for your onward flight.