Compare Britain’s Brilliant Art and Architecture: A Queen Mary 2 Voyage by Road Scholar vs Grand Tour of Scotland, England & Wales by Tours of Distinction
Compare details and see what other travelers are saying.
| Trip |
4.5 | Great
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 13 days | 10 days |
| Price From | $ 4,395 | $ 4,300 |
| Price Per Day | $ 338 | $ 430 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Large ship cruise | Small group tour |
| Lodging Level | Premium | Premium |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Airfare included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
12 Breakfasts, 10 Lunches, 11 Dinners |
8 Breakfasts | 5 Dinners |
| Description |
Join Dr. Steven Parissien, director of the award-winning Compton Verney museum, visiting fellow at the University of Oxford, author and television contributor, for a voyage into the history and grandeur of England’s architecture and art. Delve into fascinating topics during your crossing on the magnificent Queen Mary 2 then spend four nights in Oxford to experience country manors, eccentric royal residences, outstanding museums and the architecture of the “City of Dreaming Spires.” |
Scotland evokes images of bagpipes, the Loch Ness Monster, Edinburg’s vennels and wynds of Old Town, Glasgow’s Victorian grandeur, and the rugged beauty of the Highlands. Mystical Wales beckons with the breathtaking beauty of Snowdonia, walled cities, and Medieval Castles. More than 900 years of history awaits you at Windsor Castle, Her Majesty, The Queen’s favorite residence. An experience of a lifetime that is easy, inclusive and affordable awaits you on this guided tour of the United Kingdom. |
Day 1: Arrival Day, New York City
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: New York Marriott Downtown
Afternoon: Arrivals continue, with free time for those who have already arrived. At 6pm we will have an Orientation in the hotel. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. This program is staffed with both a Group Leader, who will accompany us throughout the program and deal primarily with logistics, and a Study Leader who will lecture, conduct field trips and serve as an information resource on program-related topics. We will review the program theme, the up-to-date Daily Schedule and any changes, discuss safety guidelines, emergency procedures, roles and responsibilities and answer any questions you may have. We have set aside some free time in the schedule for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner: A seated Welcome Dinner will be taken in the hotel dining room with coffee, tea and water. Other beverages are available for purchase.
Evening: Free time to settle in, relax and get a good night’s sleep for the programme ahead.
Day 2: The Frick Collection & The Queen Mary 2
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Queen Mary II.
Breakfast: In the hotel dining room. A breakfast buffet with a range of hot and cold items, as well as coffee, tea, water and fruit juices.
Morning: We begin our explorations of British art and architecture by investigating the world-class collection of British works at one of the world’s most impressive private galleries – hosted in a sumptuous Fifth Avenue mansion – The Frick Collection. Built in 1913 by wealthy industrialist Henry Clay Frick, today the gallery hosts works by Turner, Constable and Gainsborough among others. We then depart by motor coach for the Queen Mary 2 at 1:00pm.
Lunch: You may take a late lunch aboard the Queen Mary 2.
Afternoon: Group transfer from the hotel to the Queen Mary 2 boarding dock and embarkation on to the ship. You will then be able to take some time to unpack and familiarise yourself with the ship.
Dinner: Taken in the Britannia Restaurant. Delicious menus designed by Cunard’s Global Culinary Ambassador, Jean-Marie Zimmermann await you in Britannia and Britannia Club Restaurants. Make a dramatic entrance down the grand staircase into the elegant Britannia dining room and revel in the sumptuous menus and perfectly attentive service.
Evening: Free time. See a show tonight in the ballroom, or relax and watch a movie in the theatre, or perhaps wander to one of the bars for a beverage and chat. Perhaps even wander through the library, one of the best shipboard libraries available, to find a book and that perfect reading chair.
Day 3: The Georgian Revolution
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Queen Mary II.
Breakfast: Breakfast on board in the venue of your choosing. Select one of the King’s Court dining options on Deck 7, go down to the Britannia Restaurant or relax with breakfast in your room as you watch the televised descriptions of the day’s on board activities.
Morning: Your Study Leader begins his insights into British art and architecture with an illustrated lecture on Baroque Britain and the Georgian Revolution. We’ll examine the astonishing architectural adventurousness of late-Stuart Britain, with sublime creations ranging from Oxford’s Sheldonian Theatre to London’s famed St. Paul’s Cathedral, before revealing an early Georgian period that was a constantly shifting world of dynastic change, social unrest and excessive gin drinking. It was this backdrop that was heavily reflected in the art of Britain’s first great native painter, William Hogarth.
Lunch: Lunch on board in the venue of your choosing. Your options include the various King’s Court venues, the Britannia Restaurant, Todd English (at additional cost) or a light lunch in the Boardwalk Café if the weather permits.
Afternoon: Free time to enjoy a variety of shipboard-enrichment activities. Consider taking a class such as watercolour painting or ballroom dancing, enjoying one of the ship's swimming pools, and more.
Dinner: Taken in the Britannia Restaurant.
Evening: Free time. You may choose to enjoy a show in the ship’s theatre, practice your dance steps in the ballroom or simply return to your stateroom and enjoy one of the movies screened on the ship’s TV.
Day 4: The Golden Age of British Painting
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Queen Mary II.
Breakfast: Breakfast on board in the venue of your choosing.
Morning: Settle in with your Study Leader as we discuss Neoclassicism and the Golden Age of British Painting. Between the creation of the Royal Academy and the advent of Neoclassicism British artists developed an appropriately grand and aspirational palette with which to express their increasing wealth and self-confidence, allowing painters like Reynolds, Gainsborough and Ramsay to flourish.
Lunch: Lunch on board in the venue of your choosing.
Afternoon: Free time. Choose from among the incredible variety of onboard activities, before joining your Group Leader and Study Leader for a welcome cocktail party.
Dinner: Taken in the Britannia Restaurant.
Evening: Free time. Enjoy a variety of shipboard-enrichment activities, including many kinds of evening entertainment featuring dancing, music and more.
Day 5: King George IV: Patron of the Arts
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Queen Mary II.
Breakfast: Breakfast on board in the venue of your choosing.
Morning: This morning we look at the fascinating figure of George IV. George was often regarded as the finest patron of the arts ever to sit on the throne and the colour, fun and eclecticism of the Regency period was epitomised by his larger-than-life persona. British art and architecture reached triumphant new heights during his reign and innovation was rife, however George himself was to deteriorate into an object of vicious satire.
Lunch: Lunch on board in the venue of your choosing.
Afternoon: Free time to take advantage of the many educational, social and physical activities available on board, or simple to relax in one of the deck chairs with a view of the glistening Atlantic.
Dinner: Taken in the Britannia Restaurant.
Evening: Free time.
Day 6: The Gothic Revival & The Pre-Raphaelites
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Queen Mary II.
Breakfast: Breakfast on board in the venue of your choosing.
Morning: Today we’ll examine a period of innovation, reflection and turbulence in early Victorian Britain as the Gothic Revival of the 1830s and the rise of the Pre-Raphaelites changed the way in which Victorians looked at the world. However, artists began to struggle with reconciling the benefits of mass-production in the process of artistic creation, leading to influential critics such as John Ruskin and William Morris beginning to question the benefits of the Industrial Revolution and yearning for a simpler time.
Lunch: Lunch on board in the venue of your choosing.
Afternoon: Free time. You can grab a ticket for this afternoon’s planetarium show, polish your bridge skills during a tournament, or perhaps retreat to the spa for a massage.
Dinner: Taken in the Britannia Restaurant.
Evening: Free time.
Day 7: Victoria & Albert
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Queen Mary II.
Breakfast: Breakfast on board in the venue of your choosing.
Morning: Discover just how important Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were in shaping the cultural heritage of Britain, from grand building programs to patronage of the arts. We’ll examine Victorian architecture such as the Houses of Parliament and the “Cathedrals of the Steam Age” – Britain’s beautiful Victorian railway stations. We’ll also look at how the monarchy influenced the Victorian art world, and how some artists deliberately looked in the other direction and became increasingly fascinated with the everyday life and experiences of the common man.
Lunch: Lunch on board in the venue of your choosing.
Afternoon: Free for shipboard activities.
Dinner: Taken in the Britannia Restaurant.
Evening: Free time.
Day 8: The Country House in Modern Times
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Queen Mary II.
Breakfast: Breakfast on board in the venue of your choosing.
Morning: Your Study Leader will lead a final session as you prepare to disembark and begin learning about the art and architecture of Britain first hand. Today we look at Georgian & Victorian Oxford. We’ll discuss the innate aesthetic conservatism of this University City and explore the history of the great country houses that England is justifiably famous for.
Lunch: Lunch on board in the venue of your choosing.
Afternoon: Free time to prepare for disembarkation, and perhaps enjoy a final few activities on board.
Dinner: Taken in the Britannia Restaurant.
Evening: Free time to enjoy your last evening on board ship.
Day 9: Disembarkation & Transfer to Oxford: Basildon Park
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel
Breakfast: Early breakfast on board in the venue of your choosing.
Morning: We depart the Queen Mary 2 and make our way to the motor coach for our transfer to Oxford. En route we will visit the National Trust’s Basildon Park, a Georgian mansion set in landscaped parkland and a major location for the filming of Downton Abbey. The house has been painstakingly restored by its current tenants and today appears much as it would have during the 18th Century.
Lunch: Lunch will be taken in an historic English pub.
Afternoon: The transfer continues, before we check in and have time to relax before dinner.
Dinner: In the hotel.
Evening: Free time. Your Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions should you wish to further explore Oxford.
Day 10: Georgian Oxford & The Ashmolean Museum
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Accommodation: Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel
Activity note: Walking up to three hours on paved streets. Rest stops available.
Breakfast: In the hotel.
Morning: Today we explore Oxford, the “city of dreaming spires”. We’ll begin at the Ashmolean, Oxford University’s repository of the arts and Britain’s oldest museum, before exploring how the city’s architecture developed throughout its history – from the colleges of the University to the terraces of the poor.
Lunch: Taken in a local restaurant.
Afternoon: We continue our exploration with a walk around the architectural sites of this magnificent city. Expect to see the Clarendon Building, the Radcliffe Camera and a selection of the colleges that made Oxford a famous seat of learning.
Dinner: In the hotel.
Evening: Free time, or enjoy an optional walk with your Study Leader to some of Oxford’s historic pubs. The pub is a very British institution and treated as much more than just a place to drink; it was in public houses that free thinkers, radicals and intellectuals met to let innovation flow as freely as the beer.
Day 11: Compton Verney & Upton House
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch
Accommodation: Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel
Breakfast: In the hotel.
Morning: This morning we board the motor coach and make our way to Compton Verney, a former Georgian mansion turned national art gallery. The building is a Grade I listed house built in the early 18th Century and its current interiors were originally designed by influential neo-classicist architect Robert Adam.
Lunch: Taken at Compton Verney.
Afternoon: We continue on to the National Trust’s Upton House. Home to one of the finest private art collections in Britain, Upton House itself has had a long and storied history – as well as expansive and beguiling gardens.
Dinner: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.
Evening: Free time.
Day 12: Victorian Oxford
Meals: Breakfast and Dinner
Accommodation: Oxford Spires Four Pillars Hotel
Activity note: Walking up to three hours.
Breakfast: In the hotel.
Morning: Free time.
Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon: For our last afternoon in Oxford we’ll enjoy a walking exploration of the stone and brick delights of the city. From Butterfield’s Keble College to Park Town and North Parade we’ll examine an era when, briefly, Oxford led the world in architectural innovation.
Dinner: Farewell dinner in the hotel.
Evening: Free time.
Day 13: Program Concludes, Oxford
Meals: Breakfast
Breakfast: In the hotel. Some participants may depart prior to breakfast.
Morning: Transfer to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) for onward flights. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future.
Day 1 - Depart for Glasgow, Scotland
Transfer to the airport for the flight to Glasgow, Scotland.
Day 2 - Arrive Glasgow - Pitlochry
Following arrival in Glasgow Airport, you will be met by your Local Irish Guide and escorted to your awaiting motor-coach. This morning, you will enjoy a tour of Glasgow City, often described as Britain’s finest Victorian City. In 1999, its architecture won it the accolade of ‘UK City of Architecture and Design’. Your city tour will also include a visit to Glasgow Cathedral, one of the most ancient and historic sites in the city. This afternoon, you will travel to Pitlochry known as the Gateway to the Highlands, where you will check into the beautiful Athol Palace Hotel for a two-night stay. This evening, you will enjoy dinner in your hotel. (D)
Day 3 - Scottish Highlands
Today, you head north to the Scottish Highlands. You travel through the breath-taking Cairngorms National Park to Culloden where the last major battle in Britain was fought on April 16th, 1746. This morning, you can relive the drama with a visit to Culloden Visitor Centre. You continue to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands, where you will have some free time for lunch. This afternoon, you will enjoy a guided cruise on Loch Ness, hear the historic intriguing tales surrounding a mysterious monster, and see the spectacular ruins of Urquhart Castle. From here, you return to Athol Palace and enjoy another delicious dinner. (B & D)
Day 4 - Blair Athol Distillery – St. Andrews – Edinburgh
After breakfast and before departing Pitlochry, you will visit the Blair Athol Distillery and enjoy a guided tour followed by a wee dram before departing. You continue to Dundee before crossing the Tay Bridge to St. Andrews. Not only is St. Andrews famed as the home of golf, it is also an ancient ecclesiastical capital and Scotland’s oldest university. You continue south traveling over the Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh City for a two-night stay. (B)
Day 5 - Edinburgh
This morning, a tour of Edinburgh City awaits you. You will travel down Princess Street and the historic Royal Mile before visiting the Palace of Holyrood House - the official Scottish residence of her Majesty the Queen. Hear the tales of some truly intriguing characters - the Bodysnatchers, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Greyfriars Bobby. You will visit the majestic Edinburgh Castle and enjoy the breathtaking views of the city from the castle ramparts.
This evening, you will enjoy the Spirit of Scotland Show at the Jam House. This will be a traditional Scottish evening of song and dance accompanied by a great selection of quality Scottish food. (B & D)
Day 6 - English Lakes District – Caernarfon, Wales
This morning, you depart Edinburgh and travel south to the romantic town of Gretna Green for your first stop. You will have an opportunity to visit the Famous Blacksmiths Shop with over 260 years of history and heritage before departing. Your tour continues through England’s scenic Lake District, associated with the poet, William Wordsworth and children’s author, Beatrix Potter. You continue to Conwy where you will visit Conwy Castle regarded as one of the great fortresses of medieval Europe. From here, you travel to Caernarfon for a two-night stay. (B & D)
Day 7 - Snowdon Mountain Railway – National Slate Museum – Caernarfon Castle
Today, we travel a short distance to Llanberis and board Snowdon Mountain Railway. This Victorian railway climbs 1085m to the Summit of Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales, where one of the world’s greatest panoramas awaits. From the visitor center, you will get some spectacular views of the valleys below, and on a clear day you can see Ireland in the distance. Following this adventure, you travel to the National Slate Museum and learn the story of the Welsh slate industry. On returning to Caernarfon, you will visit Caernarfon Castle, one of the most impressive castles in Wales. The remainder of the evening is free. (B)
Day 8 - Windsor Castle – London, England
This morning, you depart Caernarfon and head south traveling by the foothills of Cotswold’s mountains before arriving in Windsor. Here, you will visit the impressive Windsor Castle, one of the Queen’s official residences. You will see the State Apartments and St. George’s Chapel where Prince Harry and Megan Markle were married. Following your visit, you travel to London City for a two-night stay. (B & D)
Day 9 - London
After breakfast, embark on a panoramic tour of the city. You will see many famous landmarks such as Westminster Abbey, Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Following your tour, the remainder of the afternoon is free to explore this wonderful city on your own. (B)
Day 10 - Depart London
Breakfast at your hotel. Transfer to London Heathrow Airport for check-in for our flight home. On arrival back in the USA, transfer home. (B)
