I’m really encouraged by the emerging interest in customised pre and post cruise extensions for Southampton, Dover, Tilbury and Harwich sailings and this week I’m offering you another hors d’oeuvres trolley with some more tasty offerings.

Downton Abbey produced a lot of interest last week and Harry Potter might get a good response this time around.  Kids aren’t the only fans of the young wizard and as my wife and I have read and enjoyed the books and the films, you might get a very pleasant surprise when you offer the idea to an older audience.  The Warner Brothers Studio Tour is amazing.

If you let the train take the strain out of the 1 hour 51 minute journey, Vikings and the Grand Hotel’s cookery school will catch the eye. Gin, grand houses, gardens and the Cotswolds make an appealing combination as does the Battle of Hastings that changed history in 1066.

This all sounds well and good, but do we deliver? Check the final story and you’ll see that we certainly do!

In the Footsteps of Harry Potter

The highlight of this 2-3 night itinerary is a tour of the London filming locations and a visit to Platform 9 ¾ before heading out to the Warner Brothers Studio for an afternoon spent discovering the Wonders of the Wizarding World.  If you can add an extra day, the university city of Oxford provides a fun adventure for Muggles and Wizards alike. Read More

The Best City Hotel in England

The Grand, York’s Five Star hotel has scooped the top accolade at the 2019 Luxury Lifestyle Magazine Readers’ Travel Awards. And it is a double celebration for the city, as York beat both Edinburgh and London to be voted Best UK City. 1 hour 51 minutes by train from London, and with its own Cookery School, promote a 2-night York-based cruise add-on.

Use British Movies and TV Series to Sell UK Cruise Extensions

Downton Abbey, Inspector Morse, Harry Potter, Keeping Up Appearances, Doc Martin and Poldark.  For months if not years, these blockbusters have been steadily building in Britain.  Read my Britain Insider column and offer pre or post cruise add-ons that are tailored to your client’s specific interests, time frame and budget.  Read on and let’s exchange emails about how fiction can be turned into reality.

Just Apply Your ImaGINation

An intoxicating press release from a Cotswolds Distillery coincided with an Inside Track reader’s gin-themed request for a small group pre-cruise extension. My response? A Cotswolds-based tour with some wonderful stately homes and gardens and each day finishing on a gin-infused note!  It also works as a 3-4 night tour before heading into London for the next 3 days. Take a look.

Shaking the Dust Off the History Books

For Dover arrivals or departures, this 2-night tour includes the amazing WWII tunnels in the white cliffs under Dover Castle, some historic 11^th century churches on Romney Marsh, visits to Pashley Manor and Borde Hill, both former winners of the prestigious Christies/Historic Houses Association Garden of the Year Award and a change of pace with a nostalgic ride on the Bluebell Railway. Read More

How Did We Do?

Our clients recently returned from the private tour in Ireland that you arranged for them and haven’t stopped talking about the incredible guide they had, the accommodations and the exemplary service you provided. It was a pleasure working with Custom GB – looking forward to many more years of excellent service!  Lani Goldthorpe, CTC, Co-Owner & Consultant, Sea the World Cruises & Tours, Inc, Marathon, Florida.