TUESDAY JUNE 22, 2010 CIRCUMNAVIGATE BRITAIN & IRELAND ON THIS 12-DAY VOYAGE.

SPECIAL FARES FROM ONLY £999!

Georgian and Regency elegance blends with Gallic charm around St Peter Port’s tiered streets. Palms warmed by the Gulf Stream thrive in the Isles of Scilly, while Blarney smiles are sure to warm your cockles and mussels around the Emerald Isle. Wicklow Mountains and Celtic crosses all line up with Dublin’s cobbled quads. Maritime heritage and Merseybeat echoes still resonate around Liverpool. Scottish castles and distilleries welcome us in Oban, while Loch Ness tales endure in the Highlands. Scott’s Antarctic vessel RSS Discovery lies berthed in Dundee, and regal Edinburgh also comes within our reach.

St Peter Port French and English ways meld together around the streets of this Channel Island capital. Guernsey jumpers and low duty shopping will tempt many while links with author Victor Hugo will intrigue others. Explore the museums of Castle Cornet or the fortifications that date back to World War II and the German occupation.

Tresco More remote even than Land’s End, the Isles of Scilly benefit from weather you wouldn’t expect in Britain. A warming Gulf Stream encourages all sorts to grow: a visit to Tresco’s Abbey Gardens showcases tender exotic plants you normally only find in Madeira, South Africa and New Zealand. The 17-acre gardens feature both formal and informal beds, while the grounds also house the Valhalla collection of ship figureheads, part of the National Maritime Museum.

Dublin Competing with established landmarks such as Trinity College, St Patrick’s Cathedral and the many Georgian streets lined with elegant fanlight doorways, the stainless steel Dublin Spire on O’Connell Street courts controversy. Spend time enjoying the charms of this convivial capital, sipping a Guinness by the Liffey, or take off into the emerald green countryside around the Wicklow Hills to the monasteries, lakes and Round Tower of Glendalough, founded by St Kevin as long ago as 520AD.

Liverpool The iconic towers of the Liver Building look out over this historic port, once the gateway to Britain’s empire. The city’s energy and heritage are reflected around its regenerated Albert Dock, home to the Beatles Story Museum, the contemporary works at the Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Among the exhibits in the ship-shaped museum are displays about Word War II, life at sea as a merchant seaman and the brand new Titanic, Lusitania and Forgotten Empress gallery.

Belfast Perhaps the best-known name but probably the least known of any major capital! Samson and Goliath – two mammoth cranes and signature silhouette of the birthplace of the Titanic. Murals around Shankill and Falls Road are poignant reminders of the recent ‘Troubles’ yet uphold Belfast’s belief in its future. From the city with Celtic roots you can follow in the footsteps of St Patrick whose mission was to convert Celtic Ireland to Christianity. Explore the delightful coasts and glens of County Antrim or uncover the myths and legends of a UNESCO world heritage site – the Giant’s Causeway.

Oban Dubbed the ‘Gateway to the Isles’, Oban provides a perfect stepping stone to its tranquil island neighbour of Kerrera, to the wild flowers of Lismore, and to Iona, burial place of Scottish kings and the spot whence St Columba spread Christianity to Britain and parts of Europe.

Curiosities in the area include Fingal’s Cave on the Isle of Staffa and the ‘Bridge over the Atlantic’ where obedient Scotsmen would change out of their kilts to observe laws passed after the Jacobite forces defeated Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden. The Inn nearby became known as ‘the house of trousers’.

Invergordon Link up with a list of Highland highlights that lie nearby: scenic drives through spectacular glens will offer options that include visits to Dunrobin Castle, to a whisky distillery to see how the world’s finest malts are created, to the shores of legendary Loch Ness and the atmospheric ruins of Urquhart Castle, or to the Tartan mills of Inverness.

Dundee All-weather distractions come in many forms around the city. A call at Discovery Point will invite you to experience some of the extreme weather conditions that faced Captain Scott and his fellow explorers. His Arctic expeditionary vessel, the RSS Discovery, is permanently berthed nearby. Out in the Angus countryside, don’t miss Glamis Castle’s fairytale turrets, once the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.

*At these ports you will be taken ashore by ship’s or local tender

YOUR CRUISE INCLUDES

• The Great Liners – continuous broadcast of the famous video series
• Rare archive shipping film never made public before
• Sea days dedicated to one of the shipping companies of the past
• Special dinner menus taken from actual menus of the shipping companies we are celebrating
• Distinguished Maritime speakers on board
• Masterclasses by marine artist Robert G. Lloyd
• 12 days on the mv Discovery including all meals and entertainment on board
• Captain’s cocktail parties and gala dinners
• On-board gratuities for your cabin steward, restaurant waiter and his/her assistant – worth up to £180
• FREE parking at Harwich – worth £78, or FREE return coach transfers from London Victoria, Stansted and Luton Airports
• All port charges
• Porterage of luggage from the car park or cruise terminal at Harwich direct to/from your cabin
• Comprehensive Guest Speaker programme on board
• All on board service charges – others charge up to 18% on drinks etc