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 Northern Ireland 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 Optional Extension and/or the London Optional Extension.
*This program runs in an alternate direction of June 4, 2024.
Program Details
- 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.
- Visit to the UNESCO World Heritage-inscribed Giant’s Causeway in coastal Northern Ireland.
- 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, with lunch.
*This program runs in an alternate direction of June 4, 2024.
Day 1 - Depart Home City
Day 2 - Arrive in Glasgow, Scotland/Embark Le Dumont d'Urville
Day 3 - Fort William/Glencoe
Day 4 - Portrush, Northern Ireland
Day 5 - Llandudno, Wales/Bodnant Garden/Caernarfon Castle
Day 6 - Dublin, Ireland
Day 7 - Day at Sea
Day 8 - Cherbourg, France/Utah Beach/Sainte-Mère-Église/Pointe du Hoc
Day 9 - Honfleur/Caen, France/Omaha Beach/Normandy
Day 10 - Portsmouth, United Kingdom/Disembark
Day 11 - Return to home city
*This program runs in an alternate direction of June 4, 2024.
Le Dumont d'Urville
Exclusively Chartered, Five-Star Luxury Small Ship
Le Dumont d'Urville, launched in 2019, 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.
Edinburgh and Glasgow Pre-Extension Option
Explore 2 of Scotland’s greatest cities and their histories of clans, medieval knights, and royal and religious intrigue on this 4‑day itinerary. Visit Edinburgh Castle and view the Crown Jewels of Scotland. See the sites of Trossachs and visit Stirling Castle, home of the Stuart kings. See Glasgow’s 12th‑century cathedral and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. Accommodations are in the 5‑star Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa.
London Post-Extension Option
Take an immersive, half-day London City Tour to see the iconic West End landmarks of London, including Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. Visit the Churchill Museum to walk in his footsteps through the underground maze of rooms in the wartime bunker, such as the War Cabinet Room and the Map Room, which has remained intact as it was at war’s end. Accommodations are in the 5‑star InterContinental London Park Lane.
Optional Extensions 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.”
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.
