DH surprised me with a 12 night British Isles/Western Europe cruise with 2 nights pre-cruise in London as an early "milestone" (50) birthday present. He sprang it on me mid-June and we were sailing July 25. While I had a mental list of all the things I've wanted to see in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, I did some major on-line research, most of it here on CruiseCritic.com in record time.

Planning and anticipation is a larger part of the enjoyment of any trip and this was no exception. I had a blast in the 5 weeks, trying to figure out how to maximize all our time. We started our time well in London by taking the Heathrow Express to Paddington Station. I swear that this train went so fast in parts, I thought I was on one of the rides at Six Flags! Well worth the 29 pounds.

We used 20 years accumulated Amex rewards points to book 2 nights at The Milestone Hotel located across the street from Kensington Gardens in London. They e-mailed me pre-stay to find out our preferences and, once we arrived, the staff (especially Terry and Malcolm) treated us as if we were the owners of the hotel and greeted us with a welcome fruit plate and champagne cocktail. If we ever win the lottery, we will definitely stay there again ;). Cab ride through Hyde Park cost us just under 8 pounds. Read more