Reservations 877·97·CRAFT  (877·972·7238)

14-Day ~ British Isles Knitting Cruise (Jun 2025)

Holland America Line


Start Date:

   

June 1, 2025

   

End Date:

   

June 15, 2025

British Isles Knitting Cruise (Jun 2025) ~ Knitting Cruises Description

14-day British Isles Knitting Cruise
w/ André de Castro
June 1-15, 2025

 

Cruising round trip from Rotterdam, this 14-day British Isles adventure aboard Holland America's Nieuw Statendam visits this region when the days are long and the weather is lovely. This cruise visits many favorite ports, including Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Lerwick, Stornoway, Belfast, Greenock, Douglas, Waterford, Cork, and Dover. This itinerary allows travelers to steep themselves in the region's rich history and learn about knitting traditions. Shop for yarn in charming shops, walk through beautiful gardens, learn about unusual geology, and take in dramatic seascapes and coastal scenery. Enjoy a cold local brew in a pub, take high tea at an outdoor cafe, and knit a few rows. There is no better way to see the British Isles than on this 14-day knitting cruise. For those seeking a more extended cruise, consider combining this voyage with the 14-day Arctic Circle Crossing June 15-29, 2025, visiting ports in Norway during the summer solstice.

 

 

While onboard, André de Castro will offer a range of knitting classes. André will share many great tips and techniques to give knitters a deeper understanding of knitting. Courses will include a range of popular topics. André will teach popular favorites such as Shetland Hap Shawls, Gansey Sweaters, Fair Isles Yokes, and a fun knitalong (KAL) shawl. The KAL will be open to everyone who wants to participate and take home a beautiful souvenir from their knitting cruise. No matter your skill level, André will help everyone kick up their skills a few notches!

 

 

  • Before the cruise, take an optional canal tour in Amsterdam, walk around the floating flower market, or visit the Van Gogh Museum.

  • Make a pilgrimage to Steve & Penelope's yarn shop in Amsterdam, home of Stephen West's Westknits.

  • Shop for souvenir yarn at Ginger Twist Studio and Kathy's Knits in Edinburgh.

  • Walk the Royal Mile through the heart of old Edinburgh.

  • Shop for Orkney Knitwear and yarn at the Judith Glue shop in Kirkwall, near the cathedral.

  • Visit one of Scotland's most famous medieval churches, St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.

  • Shop for yarn at Shetland Wool Brokers, Jamieson & Smith, and learn about the knitters, farmers, and designers who transform Shetland's wool into high-quality yarn, knitwear, and blankets.

  • Visit the Shetland Museum to learn about the cultural heritage of the Shetland Islands, including their unique history, traditions, and way of life. The museum also offers breathtaking views of the surrounding harbor and islands.

  • See demonstrations of traditional spinning and knitting given by the Shetland Guild of Spinners, Weavers, Knitters, and Dyers at the Böd of Gremista and Shetland Textile Working Museum.

  • Learn about the history of Harris Tweed in Stornoway and take an optional tour of the Callanish Standing Stones, stone monoliths pre-dating Stonehenge.

  • Enjoy the gorgeous gardens and historical landmarks and learn about the Titanic in Belfast.

  • Take an optional excursion to Lisburn outside Belfast to visit the Irish Linen Centre and trace the history of linen production from the earliest to the present with the 'Flax to Fabric: the Story of Irish Linen' exhibit and see live spinning and weaving demonstrations.

  • Tour the New Lanark Mill and World Heritage Site, learn the history of the town, see wool spun, shop for yarn, and have traditional high tea with a little free time to explore the grounds and shop.

  • In Dunmore East, take an optional tour of one of Ireland's few authentic woollen mills, Cushendale Woollen Mills. Operated by the Cushen family for five generations. See wool processed from raw fleece through to an exquisitely finished product and shop in the factory outlet.

  • Learn about Waterford Crystal in Waterford, Ireland.

  • Shop for Hedgehog Fibres at their dyeing studio in Cork.

  • Visit the Blarney Woollen Mills in Cork and shop for 100% made-in-Ireland Aran wool.

  • From the port of Dover, visit the rolling green countryside of medieval Canterbury or head into London, where you can shop, see a few sites, or visit the V & A Museum, where you can trace the history of fashion.