Expeditions
The British Isles’ wild beauty makes for an exciting and fascinating expedition cruise. There’s plenty to satisfy everyone’s curiosity, with numerous cultural attractions and historical sites, as well as awe-inspiring wildlife havens.
Our expedition ships and our fleet of expedition boats make it possible to venture to places off the beaten track, from remote beaches in the rugged Scottish Hebrides to the sandy coves and small fishing villages of England’s Cornwall.
Your knowledgeable Expedition Team will help you get the most out of your cruise. Prepare for an unmatched experience, whether you’re visiting a traditional Scottish island distillery, an English seaport, or a colony of seabirds.
Photo: Getty Images
Unearth a wealth of nature, culture, and history at every turn, from the chalk cliffs of England’s Dover to Scotland’s windswept Shetland Islands. Our expedition ships allow us to explore the coastline and isles in depth. We drop anchor at forgotten natural harbors and beaches and pull up to historic Welsh ports and Irish cities.
Unearth a wealth of nature, culture, and history at every turn, from the chalk cliffs of England’s Dover to Scotland’s windswept Shetland Islands. Our expedition ships allow us to explore the coastline and isles in depth. We drop anchor at forgotten natural harbors and beaches and pull up to historic Welsh ports and Irish cities.
The British Isles are made up of several nations, each with their own intriguing culture, customs, history, governance, and even language. England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland collectively make up the United Kingdom, while the Republic of Ireland is a separate country. Along with hundreds of smaller islands, such as the Isle of Man, they are often referred to as the British Isles.
Romans, Vikings, and Normans have inhabited the region, meaning there is plenty to learn about the islands’ complex past. Explore age-old monasteries or walk among the ruins of ancient settlements. The legacy of these ancients lingers on. Few places conjure a mystical sense of antiquity as powerfully as the stone circles, standing stones, and other monuments erected by Neolithic cultures.
The seas and coasts around the British Isles are rich with wildlife, from humpback whales and basking sharks to dolphins and seals. Islands like St. Kilda and the Treshnish Isles are also home to immense colonies of seabirds, including Atlantic puffins, razorbills, black-legged kittiwakes, and northern gannets.
The complex geology, diverse natural habitats, and mild climate of the British Isles make them home to a huge array of wildlife. Multitudes of seabirds nest on craggy islands amid seas supporting 16 types of cetaceans. The shores and beaches are havens for crustaceans, rockpool life, and shorebirds.
Several dolphin varieties inhabit the waters of the British Isles. Known to be naturally playful and inquisitive, dolphins seem to enjoy following in the wake of the ship, jumping acrobatically with the waves. It’s normal to spot bottlenose, short-beaked, common, and Risso’s dolphins, as well as harbor porpoises. Pods of dolphins can be several hundred strong, with the common dolphin forming the largest groups.
The seal is one of the largest animals you’re likely to spot. There are two varieties of seal in the British Isles: the common seal and the grey seal. Common seals (a.k.a. harbor seals) are the smaller type. You’re likely to catch them around harbors (as you may have guessed) or on beaches. Grey seals can be much bigger—up to 660 lbs—and sometimes congregate in groups of up to several hundred.
It would be an understatement to say that the British Isles are rich in seabird life. Aside from gulls and the iconic puffin, the coasts and islands of the British Isles are internationally important breeding grounds for many types of seabird. For example, 90% of the world’s Manx shearwaters can be found here, along with 68% of the northern gannets and 60% of the great skuas.
Explore the beautiful and scenic British Isles, from rugged cliffs and remote islands that are havens for wildlife to historic cities packed with culture. We cruise to England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man.
Experience these sites first hand with shore landings, guided walks, and nature treks along sandy shorelines and coastal footpaths, as well as on rocky islands and around remote lochs. There are also a number of captivating ports and cities to explore, including Liverpool, Portsmouth, Glasgow, Waterford, and Belfast.
Together with the Expedition Team or local guides, join walks to interesting viewpoints and sites, such as Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland and the fabulous Tresco Gardens on the Isles of Scilly. Wherever you go, you’ll have plenty of chances to enjoy the views of these most scenic spots on foot.
* Please note that some of these are optional activities at an additional cost
There are many fascinating villages, ports, and cities around the British Isles to explore on foot. From the picturesque Viking-founded city of Waterford in Ireland to small fishing villages on the coast of Cornwall, there plenty of trails and nature walks a short distance from wherever we dock.
Keep your eye out for the abundant wildlife while we’re cruising the British Isles. St. Kilda and the Treshnish Isles are home to colonies of thousands of seabirds. Around the coasts, observe otters, seals, and shorebirds. From the observation deck, see if you can spot any of the 16 types of whale and dolphin inhabiting these waters.
Optional excursions offer special experiences that bring you closer to the places we visit. Visit one of the nine whisky distilleries on the isle of Islay, experience the world’s largest captive tropical rainforest at Cornwall’s Eden Project, or choose another fine excursion.
* Please note that some of these are optional activities at an additional cost
This included program is designed for photographers of all skill levels. It gives you tips to help better capture the spectacular photo opportunities around the British Isles. You may also have the chance to join a more intensive one to two-hour Photo Adventures session.
* Please note that some of these are optional activities at an additional cost
The microscopes and other high-tech equipment in our Science Center allow for hands-on demonstrations and workshops, deepening your understanding of the places we visit. We also invite you to participate in Citizen Science projects, which contribute to important research.
On board and on shore, our Expedition Team gives in-depth lectures on a variety of topics to bring your cruise to the next level. They choose subjects specific to your destination and cover the British Isles’ unique history, cultures, and wildlife.
