When I was just a boy of 11, I was lucky enough to get my first chance to go to sea on the old school cruise ship SS Uganda. It’s tiny by today’s standards but at the time, it was full with just a few hundred children on board, sleeping in holds that had been converted into dormitories.
A sheep dog in training ... with ducks!
However, this cruise gave me a taste for life at sea and I promised myself to take a real cruise one day. My cruise on the Uganda ended at Greenock, near my home in Scotland. Having seen ships docking in Greenock and working in the town on odd jobs over the years, I thought it would be nice to cruise up the Clyde in a modern cruise ship. The first Princess ship I ever saw was Golden Princess and the following year, I took my first Princess cruise aboard this very ship. While relaxing at home a few months later, I was pleasantly surprised to see Golden Princess was doing a Northern Europe cruise and she was docking at Greenock. So without delay, I booked it.
Now my friends thought, “why take a cruise to your own country and to a port only a short drive from my house?” Well, not only did I do the cruise (and a great cruise it was), but I even booked a tour out of Greenock called “A Taste of Scotland.”
So I joined my fellow cruise mates from all over the world and headed off for the coaches. As we drove out of Greenock I listened to the familiar lilt of our local guide as she filled us in with background about the area. Our first stop was at the Sheep Dog School at Aberfoyle. A fun stop it was with the sheep dogs working not with sheep … but with ducks!
Trossachs National Park.
We then went on a tour through the Trossachs and landed up at a fine castle for lunch. We were greeted by a piper, and served local Scottish fare. The castle sits on the banks of a loch and we enjoyed outstanding views. After my meal, I started to chat to the piper and the shock on the man’s face was incredible. Here was a tourist speaking in his own tongue among the many U.S. accents. He was so impressed a local had decided to take a tour of his own country.
We then drive to Loch Katherine and took a trip on the very old paddle steamer, the Sir Walter Scott. A few more hours traveling through fantastic scenery and we were back at Greenock. Getting off the coach I took time to thank our tour guide and again she was speechless to find there had been locals on the tour.
Our day ended with an amazing sailaway and the highland dancers and bag pipes were appreciated by all onboard. As we were sailing away in early evening in summer, we still had some sunshine and we were followed by loads of small boats down the Clyde. They waved flags and blew their whistles and our captain played along and replied to all with a blast from the ship’s mighty horn. This got a cheer from the hundreds of onlookers lining the main road along the shore line.
Steve shot this cruising up the Clyde - his dream came true!
So I had completed a long held wish to return to the Clyde and dock in Greenock on a real cruise ship, but more than that I had a great day. I had visited places close to home that I had never thought of stopping, and really enjoyed myself.
How many of us travel the world in search of new experiences and things to see, and forget to look around our own homelands, and what better way to see them than from a Princess ship.
Wonderful memories,”Sailing doon the clyde,back to bonnie Scotland and my fireside”!Thanks for sharing,Steve
Hello Susan
Nothing better than coming home to Scotland
yours Steve
Hi Steve, nice story. I totally agree about seeing around your homeland as well as travelling afar. Princess cruise have it all covered as far as I can see. Jill and I enjoyed our time with you and Donna on the Ruby Princess (TA) this year. I am in Scotland in October so will call to try to meet up with you both to speak about a Princess cruise on the Caribbean.
Regards Ian.
Hello Ian
Would be great to meet up with you either in Scotland or on a Princess cruises
yours Steve
Steve,my grandparents were from Greenock, My grandfather worked on the docks there and later migrated to Australia. I have visited once but would love to sail up the Clyde as you describe so will have to put Greenock on my cruising bucket list.
We are going there in May 2011 on the Grand Princess. Your story makes us more aware about Greenock
Hi Steve, we were both born in Greenock, have lived in Canada for the past 54 years but there is something magical about sailing up the Clyde. In our case 3 of our 40 odd crusies (mainly with Princess) have been “Round the UK”. Never tire of that run and will sail on “Crown Princess” in August 2011 to again relive the experience and our childhood in this wonderful part of the world.
Hello Ed & Anne
I will be visiting the Crown for a day in August, will bring back many happy experiences, have a great cruise and if you want a fun day out then visit the sheep dogs.
yours Steve
byeah…
Thanks to get sharing this information. Nevertheless it certainly could be actually great to get some rather more details!
Thanks Steve for sharing your story. My father is from Pasiley, he came to Canada after WWII. I am so looking forward to our cruise on the Crown in August 2011 and seiing his hoemtown.
We have cruise ships come into our port from June to the end of October every year and there is always someone from Saint John on one of the ship’s….like you getting a different look at their hometown.
Makes me long for Scotland even tho I have only been there once.
Hi Pauline,
The SS Uganda was a sad loss, for those who have never heard of her or her sisters, she was a very old ship SS = Steam Ship, yes that old that was converted to take school children on trips around Europe and North Africa. These trips did cost a bit but were excellant value for money, at that time the ship was part of P&O. It was still a school trip so we had classes to attend every day
but the four stops we had on our 14 days made it all worth while. Many here in the UK can trace there cruising roots back to these ships. I do not expect we will every see the like again. She also acted as a hospital ship in the Falklands war.
yours Steve
Steve, good to read your story. Brings back a lot of memories for me. I went on board the Uganda and Nevasa as a Party Leader or teacher from an inner London school with groups of pupils in the late 1960′s then worked for P&O and British India and my first posting was to travel from Yorkshire (my home) taking the train to Glasgow then to Greenock or Tail of the Bank full of apprehensoin and excitment to start my Merchant Navy career and join the Uganda as an Asmat or Assistant Matron and the start of seven wonderful years at sea mostly as a Children’s Hostess or Chilly Ho seeing lots of the world, making lots of friends I still have today and joining many ships in Sydney and ending up living in Australia……as a climatic refugee. I fell in love with the very blue skies and I married an Aussie whose father’s family came from Glasgow!
Steve, thanks for sharing your story. They say the best thing about travel is not the destination, but the journey. Scotland is on my bucket list, and I have wanted to see it since I learned that my Great-grandfather McNew had a Scottish name!
HI Steve, Thanks for the wonderful story & the reminder to see our own hometown through a travelers eye.
Hi Steve – many thanks for sharing your story! The theme of discovering what’s in your own backyard is a journey in itself!
Thanks for sharing your fun time! I like what you had to say about finding the hidden treasures around you.
Thanks, Steve, for sharing your story with us!