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Program Overview

Discover the legacy of the Celts in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, England, and France on this carefully
curated 9-night itinerary. Enjoy two full-day excursions to the hallowed beaches of Normandy on the 80th anniversary of D-Day—each accompanied by acclaimed historians Dwight David Eisenhower II and Allen Packwood OBE. Your Celtic journey begins in Glasgow, Scotland, before continuing to the Isles of Iona and Tobermory and then onward to Wales. From there, you will cruise to Dublin, Ireland, and then on to England before arriving at the shore of France to visit Utah Beach in Cherbourg and Omaha Beach in Caen. Complement your tour with the Edinburgh and Glasgow Pre-Program and/or the London Post-Program options.

*This program also operates in the reverse order.

Program Details

May 28 to June 7, 2024 (Le Bellot) June 4 to 14, 2024* (Le Bellot)
From approximately $7,495 plus air View Terms & Conditions
  • Eleven-day, 9-night cruise from Glasgow, Scotland, to London, England, featuring guest speakers Dwight David Eisenhower II and Allen Packwood OBE.
  • Excursion from Fort William through the breathtaking Scottish Highlands, featuring Glencoe, Scotland's most scenic glen.
  • Leisure time in the charming 18th-century port town of Tobermory, Isle of Mull.
  • Visit to the inner Hebridean Isle of Iona featuring the historic Iona Abbey.
  • City tour of Dublin to see St. Patrick's and Christ Church cathedrals and visit Trinity College to see the Book of Kells.
  • Two full-day excursions to the historic D-Day beaches of Normandy on the 80th anniversary of D-Day, accompanied by special guest speakers Dwight David Eisenhower II and Allen Packwood OBE.

Day 1 - Depart Home City

Day 2 - Arrive in Glasgow/Embark Le Bellot

Day 3 - Fort William for Scottish Highlands

Day 4 - Isle of Iona/Tobermory, Isle of Mull

Day 5 - Holyhead, Wales for Caernarfon

Day 6 - Dublin, Ireland

Day 7 - Tresco, Isle of Scilly, England

Day 8 - Cherbourg for Utah Beach

Day 9 - Caen for Omaha Beach and Arromanches

Day 10 - Portsmouth/Disembark/London, England

Day 11 - London/Return to home city

*Program runs in reverse on the June 4 departure.

Le Bellot

Exclusively Chartered, 5-Star Luxury Small Ship

Le Bellot, launched in 2020, ushers in a new generation of 5-star small ships, combining revolutionary design and a new standard of luxury for unparalleled cruising. Dock in smaller ports inaccessible to larger ships, where authentic cultural experiences and majestic scenery await you.

Learn more about the Le Bellot >

Edinburgh and Glasgow Pre-Program Option

Discover two of Scotland’s greatest cities and their histories of clans, medieval knights, and royal and religious intrigue on this 3-night program extension. Visit Glasgow’s 12th-century cathedral, the only medieval church in mainland Scotland to survive the reformation of 1560, and historical Edinburgh Castle. Accommodations are in a 5-star hotel.

London Post-Program Option

Explore the storied history of London, a city that continues to rewrite its narrative. Visit the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and step into Churchill’s Cabinet War Room—which offers a rare glimpse into a secret World War II bunker. Spend 2 nights in a 5-star hotel.

The Pre- and Post-Programs Options are available at an additional cost. Details will be provided with your reservation confirmation. 

Grandson of General and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Professor David Eisenhower is a noted historian of World War II and the Cold War. His 1986 bestseller, Eisenhower: At War 1943–1945, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. Eisenhower received a B.A.in history cum laude from Amherst College. Following graduation, he served in the United States Naval Reserve for three years as an officer on the USS Albany; shortly afterward, he earned his J.D. cum laude from The George Washington University Law School. Today, Eisenhower is Senior Fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute and a Public Policy Fellow at the Annenberg School of Communication and the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches “Communication and the Presidency.”

Allen Packwood OBE Guest Speaker

Meet acclaimed guest speaker Allen Packwood OBE, Director of the Churchill Archives Centre and a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge, England. He was co-curator of “Churchill and the Great Republic,” a Library of Congress exhibition, and of “Churchill: The Power of Words,” a display at the Morgan Library in New York. Packwood is the author of How Churchill Waged War, has lectured extensively on Sir Winston Churchill, and organized a 2009 conference titled “The Cold War and its Legacy”—attended by senior representatives from China, Germany, Romania, the Russian Federation and the U.S.

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Program Itinerary

Days 1 and 2 Departure / Glasgow, Scotland / Embark Le Bellot

Begin your journey by boarding an overnight flight and arrive the next day in Glasgow. Embark the Le Bellot in the afternoon.

Day 3 Fort William for Scottish Highlands

In Glenfinnan, see the Glenfinnan Viaduct, immortalized by the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter film series, and the Glenfinnan Monument commemorating the Jacobite Highlanders that rallied against King George II. See Neptune’s Staircase, the longest staircase lock in Britain and an incredible feat of engineering. Explore Glencoe, one of Scotland’s most scenic landscapes.

Enjoy the afternoon at leisure and attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner this evening.

Day 4 Isle of Iona / Tobermory, Isle of Mull

Visit the inner Hebridean Isle of Iona, the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland, to see its restored abbey and intricate Celtic crosses. Later, join Allen Packwood OBE on board the ship as he discusses the complexity of the D-Day operations and Sir Winston Churchill’s role in its undertaking.

Day 5 Holyhead, Wales for Caernarfon

From Holyhead, travel across the quaint Isle of Anglesey and over the Menai Strait to North Wales—the cradle of Celtic culture, where Welsh remains the mother tongue. Visit beautiful Bodnant Garden and experience the grandeur of the UNESCO World Heritage-designated Caernarfon Castle, a 13th-century fortress built by Edward I of England as a defense against the marauding Welsh.

Day 6 Dublin, Ireland

Enjoy a panoramic tour of Dublin, featuring St. Patrick’s and Christ Church cathedrals and grand O’Connell Street, lined with statues of Irish statesmen. Enjoy a traditional Irish music and dance presentation.

Day 7 Tresco, Isle of Scilly, United Kingdom

Visit the family-owned island of Tresco, famed for its 19th-century Tresco Abbey Gardens, built around the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey. Explore the garden’s Valhalla Museum, home to an eclectic collection of 30 shipwrecked figureheads recovered across the Isles of Scilly.

Day 8 Cherbourg, France for Utah Beach

Visit Pointe du Hoc and continue to the Church of Angoville-au-Plain to view its stained-glass rendition of the American Airborne parachute drop. Nearby, visit Utah Beach and the Utah Beach D-Day Museum. 

In Sainte-Mère-Èglise, one of the first French villages to be liberated by American forces during World War II, see its famous church, where American soldier John Steele caught his parachute on the steeple and “played dead” for two hours before being taken prisoner.

Day 9 Caen, France for Omaha Beach and Arromanches

Drive to Longues-sur-Mer, where the coastal German artillery battery remains intact. Continue to Omaha Beach, where Allied forces landed on June 6, 1944, and walk the historic Normandy shores.

In the company of Professor Eisenhower, contemplate the solemn commemorative crosses and Stars of David in the American military cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer.

Join your fellow travel companions for the Captain’s Farewell Reception this evening.

Day 10 Portsmouth, United Kingdom / Disembark / London, England

Day 11 London / Return to home city

Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the U.S. or Canada, or continue on the London Post-Program Option.