It was great being back onboard Silversea’s Silver Endeavour for my third expedition (previously an epic journey through Iceland, Greenland, Canadian Maritimes, and the United States Eastern Seaboard and a Fly-the-Drake Antarctica experience). This time, my expedition is more of a cross between Irish and Scottish whiskey tastings and cuisine, ancient historical sites, and North Atlantic wildlife.

Upon boarding, I was greeted by some familiar faces, both from the staff and the expedition team. Silver Endeavour will be my home for the next eleven days. And, speaking of home, this time I am staying in a Classic Veranda Suite, which is essentially the same as the Superior and Deluxe Veranda Suites except it is on a lower deck with a solid windscreen and more forward. As with my prior stays in other suites, the fit, finish, and design (including abundant storage) are excellent. Having just completed a drydock, I haven’t really noticed many changes other than new carpeting throughout and some new furnishings.  Other than that, and an actual Future Cruise Desk, I’m not sure there are any others of note, but I’ll keep my eyes open. (I’ve previously written  extensively about Silver Endeavour’s suite and public spaces, so I won’t repeat myself here. She is, however, a beautiful ship.)

The one issue I have had is that Silversea allows guests to pre-book the alternative restaurants (Il Terrazzino and La Dame) without limitation, so if you want to dine in Il Terrazzino every night you can. This effectively prevents many guests from dining there. Same with La Dame. The Grill is a larger venue, so it really isn’t as much of an issue.  As a result, even after a few days to let things shake out, I have been prevented from dining in either venue for the entirety of the cruise despite my efforts even weeks before departure. This needs to be changed. (It is the least of my concerns, but it is an issue.)

Our first day was in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Having been there about ten years ago with a very extensive exploration, I chose the included eight-hour Giant’s Causeway and Dunluce Castle excursion, because I have had several clients say they really wanted to see the Giant’s Causeway. It is definitely not how I would have preferred to spend my day, but alas, this is my job, and I felt compelled to use this day to find out what it really was all about. 

To be honest, I think the best way to describe the Giant’s Causeway is that it is interesting to see, but definitely not worth the hour’s drive each way and three hours to explore it. To me, there has been some excellent marketing for what, in reality, is a half-hour experience that doesn’t warrant anyone who hasn’t been to Belfast forgoing exploration of the city and its powerful history of political and religious conflict. (Also of note, it is not for anyone with mobility issues, and while a complimentary bus can take you down to the site, you would be limited to see the rock formations from afar.)

Making the most of it, however, I did enjoy the beautiful shoreline and its cliffs while taking in about a three-mile hike. Along the way we did see two teams of workers with chisels and hammers pounding on the rocks. They advised they were removing coins that tourists have placed in the crevices; supposedly for good luck. However, the coins were causing damage and over time the splitting of the boulders. 

Afterward, we had a truly delicious lunch of Irish beef, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, turnips and carrots, as well as Yorkshire pudding.  But, saving the best for last, probably the best and largest serving of Pavlova that anyone could ever experience!

After a bit of a wander, including views of an extremely challenging golf course, it was time to head to Dunluce Castle, a long-abandoned complex high on a cliff with magnificent views…except for the portion of the castle that was lost to the sea when part of the cliff fell away during a violent storm.  Again, while we were given about 1.5 hours, 30 minutes was probably enough. In fact, the guides called the buses back early as everyone was finished exploring the site. And, again, it was interesting, but not worth the hour’s drive each way.

Keeping in mind that this is sort of a cross between a cruise and an expedition, the cruise portion is not my main focus. That said, I felt I accomplished what I wanted to and, hopefully, will save some clients from missing out on better opportunities when visiting Belfast by not relying on the local/internet marketing alone.

In contrast, the next day, Port Ellen on the Isle of Islay was fantastic. Silversea offered two hikes and a whisky distillery tour. I chose the longer 8 km hike, figuring the distance would discourage those who probably couldn’t keep up, as there was a shorter, 5 km, option. These walks were offered twice and were coordinated with a subsequent whisky tour and tasting, nicely spreading out the 200 guests. I didn’t need to have another whisky tour, and figured I could find a whisky tasting, or at least create one of higher quality, in the charming small town, and forego the tour.

Silversea did a great job of having two guides on the hike; one for those of us who could hike and one for the slower, possibly not as able, guests, or those who wanted more storytelling along the way. Because it was literally impossible to get lost, they were fine with anyone turning back if the hike became too much.

When I started the early morning walk, I noticed a door emblazoned with “Ardbeg House” and hoped it would be open when I returned, as it is the brand of a Scotch whisky that I enjoy on occasion. But I would have to wait until after the walk. Shortly thereafter, I saw a door with a painted “Public Bar” above it. Noted! Then I saw a large sign “Islay Rum”. At that point, I was confident my whisky tasting plan would pan out.

With everything planned so well, it was an enjoyable 2.5-hour/5-mile experience. While a good part of the “hike” was on a road, the views and house-spotting were enjoyable. Then we turned into Cairnmore Woods, a short but charming wander leading us to a stacked stone wall and views of a beautiful beach; our next stop…which required traversing a tidal creek. (While most balanced on a sort of stepping-stone bridge, I just walked through the shallow waters. Waterproof hiking boots!) The walk continued to another small road and out to a lighthouse of sorts. It was built as a monument to a lost love, but as years went by, romance faded as people passed on, and a navigational beacon was added.

I left the group at that point and enjoyed a stroll back into town. The Islay Rum and Public Bar were closed. That wound up being fortunate because Ardbeg House was open, and when I opened that door: “Wow!” An amazingly beautiful space that was actually the lobby to a small hotel, and, through the double doors and down the stairs, what could be my favorite modern whisky bar of all time! I subsequently learned that Ardbeg is owned by LVMH (Moet, Hennessy, Louis Vuitton) and then it made sense as to why this luxury ode to Ardbeg was in this sleepy little town.

I settled into a faux(?) crocodile leather banquette and was presented with a whisky list of at least 100 whiskies, with most obviously of Ardbeg origin. How to choose? That was easy: Whisky Flights, of which with no real time constraints, and with very generous pours, turned into three:

• Taste of the Feis:
  • Ardbeg Smokiverse
  • Ardbeg Spectacular
  • Ardbeg Heavy Vapours
• The Three Distilleries Pathway (I felt this was mandatory since these are the Big Three of the Isle of Islay)
  • Laphroaig Ten Years Old
  • Lagavulin Eight Years Old
  • Ardbeg Ten Years Old
• Rare and Refined
  • Ardbeg Homecoming
  • Ardbeg 25 Years Old
  • Ardbeg House Reserve

While most were delicious (other than the Laphroaig, which to me tastes like dirt), the third tasting was over-the-top…and, of course, by far the most expensive.

With impeccable timing, just as my tastings were finished, it was 12:00 p.m. (Please don’t judge me for engaging in such an impressive tasting before noon!) and lunch was now being served:

• Bangers and Mash
• Seafood Chowder
• Fish & Chips
• Applewood Smoked Mac & Cheese, and, of course,
• Sticky Toffee Pudding.

While we were having lunch, a local fixture (and a huge man), Barry started chatting with us and then his friends, who were celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary (and who were up until 11:00 p.m. lambing some sheep – showing us videos of it, joined in. We bought them a round and they bought one back. So nice. 

And with that you would think I’d be done, but the lovely bartender said, “You really should try this last one. It has a smokey bacon flavor.” OK, one for the road! Suffice it to say, that was pretty much the end of my day…and a good day it was.

Next up was Lunga, Scotland, and a morning of getting up close and personal with puffins. Nothing more needs to be said, other than if hanging with puffins doesn’t make you smile, nothing will (other than, possibly, penguins).

The afternoon was spent on Iona, Scotland, which started with an attempted bird walk. We were told it was raining, so I dressed accordingly with waterproof pants, my Goldring Travel parka (which I gave to all of my clients on this expedition), and a few layers, as it was also supposed to be a bit windy. The good news is that there was no rain and it was quite warm. The bad news is that there were over 30 people on this very amateur bird walk, but more so that I felt like an absolute idiot walking around the neighborhoods dressed like it was Antarctica (as was everyone else). Suffice it to say, the bird walk was really just a walk, but it was an otherwise pleasant 2.5-mile experience.

Afterward, it was off  to the Iona Abbey Tour, which, again, I begrudgingly went to as an obligation of my job. Ugh. Well, what a treat! Our guide, Ann, was one of the kindest, most passionate, and engaging people I think I’ve ever met. She loves living on Iona and shares everything from history to local life…and did it talking with us, not at us.

Original Book of Kells

I have to admit that while seeing quite a number of important artifacts that have been instrumental in the development of Christianity was interesting, there was only so much of the Abbey I could take in (noting many were absolutely enthralled!). 

As I was about to abandon the Abby, one of the Silversea guides and I heard a sound, looked at each other, and said, “Corncrake!” So, you want to know what a Corncrake is? It is a bird that is extremely hard to see because it hides and nests in tall grasses and looks like a thin, brownish chicken that returns to Iona every spring to nest. While the rest of the group continued on exploring the Abbey, I scoped the field where the Corncrake’s call came from, but all I saw was about a dozen Graylag Geese.

Closing out the day was a sail by an island that had the same geological phenomena that I saw at the Giant’s Causeway…only bigger and more impressive.  Yeah, I know. I could have explored more of Belfast rather than wasting that day. Live and Learn…and trust Goldring Travel to tell it like it is.

Overall, Silver Endeavour, her staff and expedition team are doing an outstanding job, the itinerary has been diverse and is an interesting balance between cruise and light expedition. This is a unique itinerary and, while I thought it would be an interesting Goldring Travel Culinary & Cultural Expedition, the fact is that it is a great balance for those who want to experience a bit of expedition but not leave the comfort, style and service of Silversea…like caviar and champagne while getting ready for dinner.