Tips for Visiting the UK from a British Cruise Expert 

See the full conversation with Emma here - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8nX8LxCMbRs.html

It’s easy. First you have 3 countries, England, Wales, Scotland. Those 3 collectively are Great Britain and when you add in Northern Ireland it becomes the United Kingdom.

Your ports visited on the Rotterdam are Plymouth ( along way from London) and Dover ( a 2 hour drive from London and 2 hours back. Allow time for heavy traffic as well )You're time in port is 8am to 7pm so my advice is don't go to London on this trip and save it for later. Since you've never been to UK, you won't have been In a castle. Dover has a castle overlooking the English Channel. It is in excellent condition and has a long history from 11th century up to WW2. A lot of history and time to sample a pub.

This is a true story... My first trip to London we walked into a pub. Some of the locals realized immediately we were American and one of the guys asked me "How are things back in the colonies?" I replied... "Well, there is a lot more beer for everyone since we kicked all of the Brits out in the 1700s." We didn't pay for a drink the rest of the night and I still keep in touch with that guy. Have a great time in the UK! They are A LOT of fun!!!

My two favorite Cruise RU-vidrs in one spot, absolutely love the collaborations you do

As Emma briefly mentioned, 'Ireland' (as in the southern part of the island of Ireland - approximately three quarters of the land mass) is not part of the United Kingdom. The British Isles cruise on Princess includes port stops in Cork (at a port just outside Cork, called Cóbh and pronounced 'Cove') and Dun Laoghaire (pronounced 'done leery') which is in south Dublin and an easy scenic 20 minute commuter train ride into Dublin city centre. They are absolutely 100% in Ireland, not the United Kingdom. To mistakenly suggest otherwise would cause the same offence as one might expect of they went to Canada and insisted they were in the United States! 🙄

My family lived in London for just over 3 years and I have been to the UK many times. A lady with whom my wife works had a one day lay over in London and asked me what she should do. I told her that if I had only one day in London, I would walk down to the Thames, sit on the bank and cry. :) Then I gave her a long list of possible sights to see. For me, the top sight to see for a first time visitor is the Tower of London.

Tony, I have been to London about a dozen times including my first transatlantic Cruise. The one thing you absolutely have to do is visit the British library's historic documents room. It's free unless you want to make a donation. It takes about an hour if you're brisk or two hours if you're taking your time. In that time you will see Gutenberg Bibles, ancient Sumerian scrolls, one of the original copies of the magna Carta, Beatles lyrics handwritten on cocktail napkins, handwritten notes and journals by Shakespeare and Dickens and Carol and a wealth of other treasures of literature. I've done all the things to do in London and nothing compares with what I've seen at the British library historic documents collection. Also, a boat taxi on the Thames clipper line along the river is the best way to see London and if you're doing one thing Royal, make it the Tower of London. I really believe these are the things that you will find most rewarding on your visit to London if it's just a short one.

Although cash is not needed at most places, check your debit and credit card if it is in US Dollars. Your bank will charge a higher conversion fee (as much as 5 cents on the dollar more than the going rate) on the currency exchange and extra fees - 5 to 10 dollarsfor each transaction. I know it is too late now, but you could have obtain a prepaid debit card in the currency of your choice. My own opinion is to exchange a few hundred dollars in pounds and euros.

Go to WWII underground command center. Fascinating experience.

The first I went to London, we used the hop on, hop off bus. It was fantastic!

Do the Churchill War Rooms and the Tower of London.

I loved London the handful of times I went - not on a cruise. If I had a few hours, I would go to Harrods Food Hall. Other things I did on non-cruise vacations - theater, Victoria and Albert Museum, and guided walking tours. Hmm, maybe I need to visit London again. Have a great time Tony,!

A word from a Californian now living in Ireland- Use the UK as a general term . .but not if you are referring to or in the Republic of Ireland ( it is in the British Isles but is certainly not part of the UK.) Don't try to take the tube during peak work travel times. HoHos are OK, but you usually have extensive lines around the best sites. Taxis are very expensive as are trains from the ports. If it was my first time in England and I had limited time, I would honestly take an excursion - otherwise you're going to spend most of your time trying to get from place to place. The Tower of London is a must see, Buckingham Palace if you want. The Eye is a great viewing platform. The British Museum is magnificent but you won't have time to do it justice, I'm afraid. So many sights so little time!! Do take a tour to maximise your experience. And have a great time!!

You should go to the British Museum in London, it is amazing! And kill 2 birds with one stone, have afternoon tea there as well!

I spent 4 days in Southhamptom last year and found the people there incredibly friendly. It is an amazing city and well worth a stop (not just to get on/off a cruise).

Southampton to London is a long walk!

Abbey Road and Beatles Self walking tour is really cool if you have 1/2 a day. Get a pic in the crosswalk!

I love london!! We go a few times a year. If it was just a day I would have to see Buckingham palace and try and time it for the changing of the guards, walk to down street see Big Ben House of Commons picture inside a red telephone box go to a proper English pub and have a pint although I think you said you don’t drink so a nice pot of tea and cake would be as good.If you had time the Tower of London is amazing full of history and obviously the Crown Jewels, Covent Garden is lovely,cute shops and bars and street entertainers. Hope you have an amazing time🇬🇧

We spent 1 day in London and used the Tube exclusively. We would “pop” up and take pics and then go down to the Tube and take it to the next spot we wanted to see. I think we were able to “see” 10 to 12. It was crazy. 😂

Hop on hop off bus is a must for London first timers. Go to a pub , go to a park, British museum, ride the tube and a bus, Harrods food court.

I have such a crush on Emma Cruises. Then again, I have always had a weakness for a beautiful woman with an English accent. Thanks for the show, today, Tony. BTW, my favorite thing to do in London (besides getting fish & chips) was to get last minute tickets to the London Theatre. Normally we could get matinee tickets very cheaply and it was a great way to see both major productions and smaller, avant-garde shows.

I know you will appreciate getting to the UK by ship. You are gradually adjusting to their time zone. Anytime I am in a new city I love the hop on hop off bus. I ride the entire circuit before I get off at a choice location. Enjoy!!

So here's the brief explanation. The full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Great Britain is the big island which is split into England, Scotland and Wales (Cymru), which are all separate nations but part of the same country. Then Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK, is a part of the island of Ireland, most of which is the Republic of Ireland, which is a completely separate independent country. The British Isles, meanwhile, is a slightly problematic term to mean the whole big archipelago of islands including Great Britian, Ireland, and plenty of others as well. Where things get complicated is that there is no adjective meaning 'from the UK' so British is used instead, despite as we've seen part of the UK not actually being in Great Britain, and in fact Great Britain is often used interchangeably with the UK anyway, but we get upset if someone from another country does it without realising it's technically wrong. And that's without getting into the Isle of Man, Jersey & Guernsey which are Crown Dependencies and self-governing possessions of the British Crown but not actually in the UK. Basically, calling Wales part of England would be a bit like calling New Jersey part of New York, while calling Ireland part of Britain would be like saying Canada is part of the USA. I hope that helps!

I love when you content creators collaborate with one another. It shows there’s room for multiple content creators, and each have a bit different personality and perspective

Emma and Tony are the best of the best in RU-vid cruise information. Love their style.

When you go toBritish isle cruise be sure to rewatch her video it was excellent

I think you make everywhere you go, sound like it's the most wonderful place in the world.

Have a great time in uk. You will love it. Just to add many of the museums are free. Enrichment is a great thing and many of my American mates have really enjoyed accessing the information you can obtain. Relax and enjoy you won’t offend anyone.

Tube is great for getting around. Churchill War Rooms is a good tour, get tickets in advance. Westminster Abbey is also a worthwhile visit.

Taking the British Isles cruise in August. Can't wait. This was an awesome show for me today

Hi Tony, Great video! As someone who is half British (Yorkshire mum, Ohio farmer dad - weird combo I know) it was respectful to British culture. One thing I am surprised Emma missed (though she may have said it in podcast), is how many Americans call the whole of England (or the whole of the UK for that matter) "London". I have heard this many, many times, but most recently my doctor this week said "Have a good time in London" when I said I was going to the UK soon. Seriously? A man with a doctorate? I never said I was going to London. I either said England or the UK. I think people can do better with this one. But I look forward to your videos exploring the sights and the culture.

Pay extra care crossing a street in London. The cars are traveling from the opposite direction you are used to, and it's very easy to forget that. Westminster Abbey is INCREDIBLE, and would be a shame to miss. The line can be long. If you go get your ticket ahead of time.

If you are going to Stonehenge, go with the earliest tour of the day. Usually that is the tour where you get to go down and touch the stones. Maybe a little croozin' magic?

So happy for you, Tony. Emma is so awesome.

Love Emma Cruises, she's so spot on for me, just like you. Personally I would recommend the London Eye if you intend to go to the city. I did it a few years ago & loved every minute, but then it was a clear day & just before sunset, so the city was bright & far & wide. I paid the extra money to get on quickly & the pods are huge, you will be amazed if you do it, but again I would say only go if it's a clear day. Like Emma said the Hop on, Hop off busses are awesome & they go everywhere, you can't go wrong with them. Enjoy & cheers!

That was really interesting. Thank you Tony and Emma.

Aaah I’m so very here for this collab! 🙋🏽‍♀️ Hello from Brooklyn, NYC!

I sure loved the trains and transport in London. Especially the tube. Just “mind the gap” . London did remind me a lot of New York being a visitor. Hope you enjoy. We did some underground tour. It was fascinating. ❤👍

Great, Tony. We love Emma!! The London Tube is very easy to use. We loved it when we visited years ago.

I am from the UK in plymouth the barbican area is quit nice and also there is a nice grass area called The Hoe is quit popular, Dover people may love or hate it, I dont like it personally but I loved the castle and I feel that is worth looking around. And get good shots of the cliffs of dover with the chalk.

If you only have a day in London the Hop on Hop off Big Bus gets you around to see the most sites.

Harry is coming! Wifey is standing home with the kids!😊

Spent 2 days in London last May. One day at the British Museum with a guide and another 1/2 day touring the city in a classic black cab. Both booked through Trip Advisor. Highly recommend both. We spent the other 1/2 day taking a boat ride up the Thames and took the tube back. One word of warning. If 2 are travelling, you need 2 credit cards. I didn't know that and scanned my card twice. The exit swipe only allowed one of us to leave. Had to get a transit cop to let the other out.

Enjoyed listening to you and Emma.

I'd go to Stonehenge and Salisbury

Great video ❤

I'm sure Harry has an invitation so he should go. It's a huge day for his father, and I don't mean like a 16th birthday is a huge day, or a graduation is a huge day. How many people will be crowned King in a decade? Or a century? So yeah, he should go. But it's just my opinion and if he doesn't, that's up to him.

The touristy London bus tour provides a great orientation and allows you get your standard photos. An open top bus allows photos without the bus window. You can then decide where you want to spend the rest of your time. You may also want to check out one of the Rock & Roll tours. We love London and spent a few days there on our own ahead of our last two cruises.

I am such a bad fan. I didn't even realize you had a separate RU-vid podcast channel. You should mention that more!

Tony always look to your right when crossing a street. We had a nice time at Kensington Place. Enjoy Britain.

About 1 hr 45min from South Hampton to London. How many hours are you in port? If you go to London,do Hop on - Hop off. Great for riding around & hop off as you want. Laharve is about 2 he 30 min from Paris. 5 hours or so in travel. I'd rather go to Normany & the beach & cemetery. Really something to see. About an hour & 20 minutes away. Don't miss it. Have a wonderful time.

Hi Tony. Just caught this short version. Will definitely watch the pod cast later. Emma is such a fun person. Hope you're having a good time on the ship. As always thank you for all you do.

Agree with the suggestion of a river cruise in London - excellent way to view the Houses of Parliament and other iconic buildings along the river.

Enjoyed ur chat with Emma .. she’s so adorable.

Just watched this today. We're leaving soon on a British Isles and Iceland cruise.

If you like beer, visit Dancing Man Brewery in Southampton. Awesome place!

Good Evening Tony, I hope you are enjoying your Transatlantic crossing

MY 2 FAV cruise news people on the Planet!!! Love Tony & Emma's personalities and her accent and watch you both all the time and sooooo cool to see a vid of you both together again!!! Stay safe!

Safe travels Tony!

1 think I will say don't use buses as you'll be stuck in traffic most of your day take a tube if there not on strike. Could always take a Uber boat up the River Thames to the O2 arena there's loads of places to eat there is a microbrewery there. Borough markets a good place to go the oldest market by 1000 years it's about a 5- 10-minute walk to tower bridge you've also got HMS Belfast moored up there.

Great video. I was in the UK for about 2 weeks back in the 90s. Took the train to London several times; rented a car and drove to St. Andrews in Scotland. Visited many pubs. Good times.

Super enjoyed this! Gonna check out the podcast too.

When asking Emma about the various locations to see in london....I felt her pain as someone who grew up outside of washington DC. I had to take a step back and realize not everyone has seen the washington monument, the white house, the smithsonian museums, the national mall, lincoln memorial etc. As someone who has been to london on a day trip situation... in my opinion the Tower of London is a must. Granted im a huge history buff but its worth the "tourist" visit.

How long are you docked at Dover, because it can take up to 2 hours to get to London from there by train if you don't use the high speed? You could get a train direct to Rochester if you want some Norman and Dickensian history.

I would recommend taking a river cruise in London. It's a different way to see the city, usually with excellent narration, and you get to sit! You can get a boat tour at Westminster or Tower Bridge.

Love the picture!

Pizza is so yummy there and of course street fish and chips

Tony, we loved your Sydney & NZ videos (& Don’s too). I spent last summer in Ireland & then England. Lots of travel on trains & the staff were so friendly & helpful, except in London. Tap your card on the underground & fare is calculated end of the day. One day in London….I’d do the London Eye (Wheel)….see lots from there.

I would always warn that Southampton to London .. is a long journey (not mileage but in time) so I would be prone to go local rather than hit London as the defacto stop. Now if you go to the London Cruise terminal (Tilbury) London is close by. And Emma .. please never compare us Londoners with New Yorkers.

My hometown is Southampton but now live in Vancouver Canada. I would suggest checking out the Bargate, outer walls and Tudor homes. Gonna be a rushed day getting to London & back. Enjoy

As a flight attendant who has traveled to the UK many times, I always suggested that on their first day in London, to take a Red Hop on Hop Bus. Just don't hop off. You will get a quick view of all of the highlights and most popular things in London. You just have to sit there and listen. Then if you have time, travel back to one or two of those places. So you see the most and do not have to try to read a map, you may decide to take the tube, or subway as it is called, but then you miss things you could be driving by. You would also be staring at a map most of the time. Also, while trying to figure out if you cross the street or not, you will surely step out in front of the traffic because they drive on the other side of the road. So, get on the bus, let the driver think, and you can sit back and see everything. Have fun.

The hop on and off bus is worth it's weight in gold in London. That is the best way to see the sites if you want to do.

If you go to London go to the Royal Mews. It’s just behind Buckingham Palace it has all the royal vehicles and is really interesting and not a full on tourist thing.

Loved London and England. People are great. Emmas advice don payment options so true.

Remember, pints in the UK (20 fl oz) are larger than American pints (16 fl oz).

Nice job on the art work..😊

From Southampton Central station to London Waterloo takes 1 hour & 20 minutes and then a taxi will get to Buckingham Palace in 15 minutes

Great information. Emma was awesome. Thanks Tony for providing this.

Great interaction with Emma ! Sorry the 🐈 wasn’t in the video.

I LOVE that you and Emma have made a collab! I was supposed to have a client on your transatlantic those but unfortunately she had to cancel two weeks prior for medical reasons.

I missed my bucket list trip, a British Isles cruise cancelled by the start of C . I hope I get another chance.

Love your painting behind you!

People are generally friendlier in rural areas no matter where in the world you are. There are cultural differences however, that can create an unfriendly atmosphere if you are not aware and respectful of them. For example, in some cultures, you are the guest and they will invite you into their homes and share there food and other resources and treat you like royalty. In others though, you are a stranger who has changed the balance of their environment and can't be trusted. You can be accepted in either one but each has its own approach. I once knew a guy that, if he yelled insults at you, the correct response was to yell insults right back at him. You were his best friend if you could hold your own against him. Of course, facial expressions and posture play a role in that as well. ;)

I keep thinking about starting my own RU-vid cruise channel from the British point of view, I guess I'm just a bit nervous about how to go about it. Although I have not cruised as often as many, I'm still pretty knowledgeable with over 200 days at sea. I used to live not far from the English port of Dover and am indeed English, but have spent most of my life north of the border in Scotland. Yes we are much more friendly up here but what ever you do DON'T call Scotland England or get the 2 mixed up. Despite that some want independence, the mainland is Great Britain and hopefully will remain so, but that's going to get political so enough of that ! As I mentioned before, I used to live in the south, my parents were both Londoners so that's a city I know quite well. Like all major capital cities one day is not enough to visit and it covers many square miles. If there's 4 or 5 of you in a group a black cab can work out a reasonably decent way to spread the cost and it gets you door to door, the tube is fun but you need to know its routes and to be honest if you are in a group, expensive. A river trip on the Thames is a good way to see the sights, and there's the Maritime museum and Cutty Sark at Greenwich not forgetting the Royal Observatory in Greenwich Park. If you want a wow factor old pub then check out the 1875 Blackfriar , not far from the banks of the River and The Shard. Don't forget London is around 90 mins by train . Enjoy whatever you do. Rob

Thanks for the intro to touring in the UK. We'll be there in June on the cruise as well and looking forward to hoofing it around the various cities. We've toured the UK and Ireland previously by motorcycle, so it's not new ground for us.

I've been to England. If you want to see some of the features I would take a tour on a double decker bus. And try to go to Madame Tussauds wax museum if it is still there.

Does Babel offer a language lesson for your UK trip?

We stayed in London a day before and a day after our British Isles cruise. I'm sure it was the location of the hotel but it was filthy. Garbage, drugs and homeless everywhere. While we were cruising the Queen died, so needless to say we didn't get to do the real touristy stuff as the town was packed with people. Funny thing, the garbage on the streets had been cleaned up, all the dignitaries coming to town. I do want to go back but stay someplace better and not on skid row.

Burroughs Market under the London bridge.

🌼☘💮 Top 'o de mornin' to ya from Galveston, Tx. 💮☘🌼 say Emma we Love your coverage of all things UK especially the friendliness of folks up north. Nice to meet cha. 🤠😍my hubs George and I watch British comedians on u-tube. Here is a Hollywood tidbit regarding Megan+Harry this week as They are all over our news feed. 🌼🌷🌼 Harry is into drawing & painting now that he has stepped back from the Royal family. You could even say, "He is the Artist formerly known as Prince."

I would love to visit there

Hi Tony, I hope that you are having an awesome time. Love all of the history you have been telling us about. I don’t know how I managed to miss this vlog so I am watching it now 😂❤ I wish that Jenny B. Wanted to go with you too ❤

I've been to London a few times and really you can do a 4 hr tour or the hop on hop off bus and see the entire city in less than a few hours. London is surprisingly small, like next than 5 or 10 miles (I think). If you are a Harry Potter fan the Harry Potter Studio tour is pretty cool but it's like an hr drive outside of London (I think).

The reality is that most people don't do nearly enough research that they should before booking a trip. The information is out there, it just takes time to go through it. If you can't take the time to plan properly, postpone your trip until you do.

Have a great visit.

Your American accent will automatically get people chatting with you even in London. Pop in a pub when it's not busy and ask questions and everyone will probably have an answer! Even in London but especially if it's a smaller town or village

Saying hello from Puerto Rico Tony love you guys

I loved your cliffhanger. Should Harry attend or not? Inquiring minds want to know! 😮

1. Things to do in London: This is NOT an Emma approach as it's really expensive compared to walking around. Book a Blue Badge tour of some part of London. The Blue Badge tour guides are VERY knowledgeable. In our case we asked for a Charles Dickens highlights. Wow, did he bring the books to life. We could have asked for pretty much anything, royals, tourist highlights, ghosts, etc. 2. UK, England, Britain: I like Emma's answer. Call it the UK and most folks won't argue with you. More specifically the UK includes England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Humorously it does not officially include some places like the Isle of Mann. Britain is the island that includes England, Wales, and Scotland. England is the country in the south of Britain. Like I said the UK should be fine in most cases. [Chris and I narrowboated several times in England, Wales, and Scotland. In addition we did the tourist thing in London. We took QM2 across to get home twice and made it a point to ask table mates, etc. lots of tourist questions just like this one.] Thanks to you and Emma for a fun vid. David