If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. NorthLink Ferries sail daily from Aberdeen to Shetland and from Shetland to Aberdeen, sailing every evening and arriving the following morning. The best time for a North Sea cruise is at the height of summer, during the months of July and August, for calmer waters and fantastic, sunny weather. To help you plan your North Sea voyage, we've put together details on the best time to take a cruise, how to prepare for bad weather and highlights along the more popular routes. Northlink Ferries ships are designed with comfort in mind, with well-appointed lounges, bars and dining facilities with menus containing a selection of fine island, and local Scottish mainland, produce. Members who are knowledgeable about this destination and volunteer their time to answer travelers' questions. Don't miss the Royal Mile in Old Town, connecting the hilltop Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse. In June it'll be virtually light all night, so you could find yourself outside admiring the views as the boat sails close by Fair Isle. If you have any problems retrieving your ID, please check your Junk Mail and then contact us. Travelers from Southampton embark on the North Sea toward the Baltic with stops in Belgium, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Riga, Tallinn, St. Petersburg (with an overnight stay), Helsinki and Stockholm before returning to the initial port of call. As an alternative (mentioned in a previous post) you could get up to Orkney, then take the boat from Kirkwall to Lerwick. Even better on way back. When you get on board, go to Reception - theres usually a notice there giving sea conditions for that nights sailing. These are the same ferries which sail directly to Shetland but on certain days of the week they sail indirectly and stop at Hatston (outside Kirkwall) in the Orkney Islands. Embark in Amsterdam. Good to hear from you Cazinatutu. Alternatively, has anyone left their (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Book you sailing and cabins as soon as you have dates. This archipelago of 100 different islands, with only a small number inhabited, boasts a breathtaking coastline, abundant wildlife (from sea birds to marine life) and plenty of history. The UNESCO World Heritage site of the Giant's Causeway, considered the eighth natural wonder of the world, is a must-visit attraction near Belfast. With some of the worlds oldest architecture and magnificent archaeological sites, rich culture, festivals, breath-taking coastlines and fascinating wildlife - Scotlands Northern Isles are the perfect destination for you to discover. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-53660154', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');car, do book early - hire cars can be in short supply in the peak visitor season. The islands have anything from a well-established classical concert series through to lots of wild walking.. https://grouptours.northlinkferries.co.uk. They take cruisers to the British Isles, Norwegian fjords, Scandinavian highlights and some even go as far as Russia. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-53586205', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Flights are definately expensive, but then again any time I've looked into it the ferry fares are pretty pricey too. The boat seems to roll, and so at worst you slip down the bed a bit! I worked in Lerwick for a few weeks, and it's easily up there with (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? This famous seastack is usually the first landmark visitors can tick off their bucket list. Shetland Islands. I've done the trip on the Norrna in April and may. Dont eat fatty food, have a pint , take a sleeping pill and go to bed early. In 1472 the Scots annexed both Shetland and Orkney. Direct Ferries Limited has its registered address at Direct Ferries Ltd, 2-3 Three Rivers Business Centre, Felixstowe Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP10 0BF, United Kingdom. Need to have at least one adult on each journey, Aged 60 +/ students / disabled passengers. Olsen predominantly serve the U.K. market. Birds, natural history generally, walking, archaeology, local history/culture, music etc etc?? Open tickets are valid for up to 12 months from booking date (see ticket conditions). Shetland measures about 70 miles from Sumburgh Head in the south to Muckle Flugga off the coast of Unst in the north. Public transportation is top-notch and will help you navigate the city and visit the Anne Frank House, Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum. Glad you enjoyed your visit at what can be a very variable time of the year weather-wise. In January both its Shetland ferries were seriously damaged by large waves within a week of each other. Not a day out on that nightmare sea. If you do hire a car, Bolts car hire is a good choice, they will meet you at the plane and you just leave the car at the airport in your return. A spectacular bit of bad (but unfair) PR? Well, we can get 'blips' weather-wise, but generally the sea conditions are fine then. To reach Scrabster the A9 is the road to take. You can book the whole cabin for just the 2 of you. There can be a rough patch where the ferry crosses approaches to the tidal race that becomes the Pentland Firth. We are thinking of visiting both The Shetland and Orkney Islands next year as part of a month long trip to Scotland, probably commencing early June. Legend has it that giants strode over the sea to Scotland using the columns. As with most European and U.K.-based cruise trips, flight times from the States are long, so allow yourself an extra day or two in your embarkation city. 77 reviews. Cruises originating in Amsterdam go northbound along the North Sea and take you to Edinburgh, Glasgow or the Isle of Lewis in Scotland and then head to Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Dublin or Cork, Ireland, before returning to the U.K. with various stops in Liverpool, Wales, Guernsey, the Isles of Scilly, or Dover before returning to Amsterdam. . NorthLink Ferries connects Scotland with the Isles of Orkney and Shetland, operating 363 days per year and providing the lifeline service to the Northern Isles, with islanders and visitors all using the service. Now operated by Serco, NorthLink Ferries fleet of magnificent ferries provides a very high standard of comfort while meeting and exceeding all the latest safety requirements. The shipping forecast is issued four times a day at 2300, 0500, 1100, 1700 UTC and covers a period of 24 hours from 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC respectively. For those with accessibility requirements, there are cabins, lifts, toilets, and wheelchair access in public areas. And we were. Think positive - the sea may be like a millpond for you My wife and I have just done this crossing. What we nob need t o know is whether the 5 nights/4 days in Shetland is sufficient for the major sights. Norwegian fjords. For full details, prices and booking visit the Northlink Ferries website. Whatever you do, delete the Aberdeen to Shetland sailing from your thoughts, it's truly horrendous. Need to take into account costs of leaving your car at the airport or taxis to Dyce, as this is twenty pound each way from town. With regular sailings for passengers and cars from Scrabster and Aberdeen, travelling to the Orkney and Shetland Islands from the Scottish Mainland is more convenient than ever before. Please refer to GMDSS services, INMARSAT SafetyNET or international NAVTEX for the latest information. If you depart from Southampton, expect to travel the North and Irish seas, with stops in destinations such as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Cork, Liverpool, Guernsey and Normandy before returning to Southampton. Because the North Sea is shallow, with an average depth of less than 328 feet, its waters can get choppy -- a result of tidal patterns and storms. Yes, it can be very rough - north west Scotland, the Orkneys and Shetland Islands are notoriously windy. A 10% concessionary discount on passenger and vehicles fares is available to senior citizens (aged 60 years and over), to adults aged 16 or over in full-time education and to disabled passengers. Other attractions include the National Museum of Scotland, Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and Calton Hill (home to the unfinished National Monument). NorthLink Ferries also sail from Scrabster on the north coast of Scotland to Stromness in Orkney. Many cruises leave from England's Southampton port for the British Isles or the Norwegian fjords; another popular embarkation port is Amsterdam, with cruises visiting the nations along the Baltic Sea. The Aberdeen terminal is conveniently located at Jamiesons Quay, in the heart of the city. Walking is not high on our agenda - myself aged 59 with 2 hip replacements last year. Take a magical mystery tour through the birthplace of The Beatles. You can take your own car, motorhome or bike and there are pet-friendly cabins and kennels for your four-legged friends. If you have a lot of Tesco clubcard points it may be worth converting them to Avios (air miles) as you can often get these flights through avios rewards due to the BA codeshare. For contact details visit our. High Faeroes 1042 slow-moving and declining 1035 by midday tomorrow. Liverpool, England. I worked in Lerwick for a few weeks, and it's easily up there with Iceland in the windy stakes. See famous landmarks, including Penny Lane, Strawberry Field and the band's childhood homes. Cruises in the months of September and October have occasionally encountered weather-related issues resulting in missed ports and diversions. This is my first ever posting - thanks for any advice! 18:00 (UTC) on Wed 1 Mar 2023 The sea connects with the English Channel in the south, the Norwegian Sea in the north and acts as a gateway to the Shetland and Faroe Islands. Every night, one ship travels from Aberdeen to the Lerwick while the other ship sails from Lerwick to Aberdeen. We are on the boat 'south' - ie mainland Scotland - next weekend for a wee break so fingers crossed for crossings as good as yours!. Book a cheap ferry to Shetland online. Cruises usually have an overnight stay, so you can take in as many of the city's attractions as possible, from The State Hermitage Museum (the second-largest art museum after Paris' Louvre), Catherine Palace and Peterhof Palace and Gardens to the impressively restored Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood and St. Isaac's Cathedral. I posted this on the Greenland forum for the same poster: https://earth.nullschool.net/#current/wind/surface/level/orthographic=-9.45,52.97,427/loc=-12.213,60.953. This might influence what you could do and where you could go in 4 days. The boat is filled with people starting their revelry a little early. NorthLink Ferries connects Scotland with the Isles of Orkney and Shetland, operating 363 days per year and providing the lifeline service to the Northern Isles, with islanders and visitors all using the service. I wonder if you made it Shetlands in August. While all this churning brings up nutrients to the surface that help its marine life thrive, it's not ideal for cruising outside of the summer months. Worst crossings I have done were force 10. If you're taking a ferry over to Shetland for Up Helly Aa, make sure you do it on Sunday night before the festival. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-91798875', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');Iceland in the windy stakes. Plenty to see on both and they're quite different. The ship sailed within view of Scotlands north coast, then crossed to the Faroe Islands, and from there to Iceland. I think these beautiful islands at the most northerly edge of our Kingdom deserve a little effort to reach. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. To use our mobile site, please enable JavaScript. The price is 175 each. Shetland Islands, Scotland. This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity. Compare Northlink Ferries timetables and prices now with all alternative ferry operators before booking your ferry ticket. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-53583427', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');London with numerous stops on the way, intending to spend maybe 5 nights in each of the Island groups. , but generally the sea conditions are fine then variable time of the city and visit the Ferries! Car, motorhome or bike and there are cabins, lifts, toilets, and access... Agenda - myself Aged 59 with 2 hip replacements last year Aberdeen to the tidal that. And the Palace of Holyroodhouse 's easily up there with ( ta &... April and may the city and visit the northlink Ferries also sail from Scrabster on the forum! 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