Detailed Itinerary
Embark Azamara Journey from 1:00pm onwards. All aboard 4:30PM.
Welcome Cocktails & Briefing this evening. Meet your fellow participants and PerryGolf staff.
Overnight: At Sea
Today it's time to relax and reset. Make your reservations early for The Sanctum Spa, a world-class wellness facility offering a full range of health, beauty and restorative treatments. Complimentary fitness and nutrition classes are available along with a fully equipped gym on Deck 9 offering magnificent sea views. There's room for everyone on the Pool Deck both in and out of the sun. Service to your lounge chair is available from The Pool Bar where the attentive staff is always ready to offer an inclusive cocktail, beer, bottled water, soft drink or fresh towel. The Patio restaurant serves casual fare during the day then completely transforms itself into a sit-down al fresco dining experience at night with table linens and candles. Elegant specialty dining is available for beef at Prime C and Italian at Aqualina. Windows Café serves casual buffet dining with every imaginable choice indoors and out at the sensational Sunset Bar.
What a way to spend a day!
Overnight: At Sea
MAX FAULKNER: Today play Royal Birkdale A course which provides a formidable test of links golf with each hole running in valleys between towering sand hills. Royal Birkdale hosted the The 137th Open in 2008 when Padraig Harrington lifted the Claret Jug to complete back to back wins, and it is again host in 2017. It was of course the site of Arnold Palmer's Open win in 1961. The club hosted The 146th Open in 2017 won by Jordon Spieth over Matt Kurchar with a sensational finish.
FRED DALY (& GOLF LITE “A”): Situated next door to Royal Birkdale, Hillside Golf Club is widely regarded as the best links never to have hosted The Open although it has been a final qualifying site for the event on many occasions. The links weaves through sandhills and tranquil pines to deliver a variety of holes certain to test the best players. The course is well known for its wonderful conditioning and slick greens. The back nine holes are considered among the best in Britain.
SIGHTSEEING: Liverpool is a UNESCO World Heritage City. It offers a unique mix of contemporary and classic architecture. The city's many exclusive independent boutiques and unique gift shops make it one of the leading retail destinations in England. It is a sports mecca with its Premier League football, Rugby League club, major championship golf at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) and Aintree Racecourse. Best of all, it is home to The Beatles. You can walk down Penny Lane. You can visit Strawberry Field which was a Salvation Army children's home said to be the place that inspired John to become a musician. Visit the site and have your photo taken next to the famous gates.
Enjoy Liverpool on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Liverpool Celebrates 50 Years of the Beatles VIDEO
Overnight: At Sea
There is a lot to do in Dublin. A good place to begin is The National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street for a well-designed archaeological collection featuring Bronze Age gold jewelry and Viking swords. The stars of the show are the “bog people” — preserved corpses of men who were killed (presumably sacrificed) and tossed into peat bogs during the Iron Age. The preservative qualities are remarkable. Dublin is home to St Patrick’s Cathedral of course but much of Ireland’s history can be read in Christ Church Cathedral, which dates back to circa 1030. Finally, while craft beer is certainly the popular new thing, a pint of “the black stuff” is still required drinking on any trip to Dublin. The Guinness Storehouse museum at the St. James’s Gate brewery explains how the stout is made and how to pull a proper pint at the correct 45-degree angle and waiting 119.5 seconds before topping it off.
Enjoy Dublin on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: At Sea
Today attend (as a golf package inclusion – also available as a weekend purchase option for accompanying guests) the third round of The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club. A convenient transportation schedule will operate between the ship and the championship venue.
SIGHTSEEING: Belfast in the early 20th century had the largest and most productive shipyard in the world, gaining global renown with the launch of the RMS Titanic. Located on the slipways where she was built is a stunning new museum, opened in time for the 100th anniversary of Titanic's only voyage and tragic demise. Today the city and riverfront are undergoing a 21st century transformation, but many exuberant Victorian and Edwardian buildings still sport the carved heads of kings and queens. As you explore the city, keep an eye out for 'the murals'. These somewhat troubling freelance works appearing on building walls provide insight into the period known simply as 'The Troubles'.
Enjoy Belfast on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: In Port – Belfast, Northern Ireland
Today attend (as a golf package inclusion – also available as a weekend purchase option for accompanying guests) the final round of The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club. A convenient transportation schedule will operate between the ship and the championship venue.
A second day to enjoy Belfast on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: At Sea
MAX FAULKNER: Today play Prestwick Golf Club one of the world's oldest clubs and whose very testing and traditional links hosted the very first Open in 1860. The winner was Willie Park from Musselburgh with a score of 174 for thirty six holes, two shots clear of the legendary Tom Morris. Prestwick was home to the first eleven championships and then held it jointly along with The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield). Prestwick's twenty fourth and last Open was in 1925 when Jim Barnes from the USA won. Only the Old Course of St Andrews has hosted more Open championships than Prestwick.
FRED DALY (& GOLF LITE “B”): Today play the Ailsa Course of Turnberry. Lying on a spectacular curve of rockbound coast, the coastal scenery is magnificent especially from the 4th through the 11th and passing the famous landmark lighthouse at the turn. No one can ever forget the 1977 'duel in the sun'' between Jack Nicklaus & Tom Watson. In 2009, the Ailsa Course hosted The 138th Open when when 32 years later Tom Watson almost clinched the championship as a 59 year old, losing out to Stewart Cink in a play off for the famed Claret Jug.
SIGHTSEEING: Glasgow, a reinvented industrial center in western Scotland, has solidified its reputation as a cultural hub. Charles Rennie Mackintosh is one of the first names to know; he was a prodigious architect, interior designer and artist, and the city has a wealth of his work. Stop by his Willow Tea Rooms for a cup of tea and a scone. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum whose blue and gold inlaid ceiling, Art Deco hanging lamps and marble floors are sufficient reason to visit, let alone the impressive art collection that includes Salvador Dal's controversial 'Christ of St John of the Cross'. Glasgow has an abundance of excellent seafood dining. The oyster bar at Rogano in Exchange Square is where power brokers celebrate deals with a glass of Champagne and a dozen oysters in a space designed to look like a 1930s Art Deco cruise liner. At the Pot Still, an institution that dates from 1857, choose from over 450 malt whiskies like Lagavulin or Arran.
Enjoy Glasgow on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: In Port – Greenock, Scotland
MAX FAULKNER: Today play the Ailsa Course of Turnberry. Lying on a spectacular curve of rockbound coast, the coastal scenery is magnificent especially from the 4th through the 11th and passing the famous landmark lighthouse at the turn. No one can ever forget the 1977 'duel in the sun'' between Jack Nicklaus & Tom Watson. In 2009, the Ailsa Course hosted The 138th Open when when 32 years later Tom Watson almost clinched the championship as a 59 year old, losing out to Stewart Cink in a play off for the famed Claret Jug.
FRED DALY (& GOLF LITE “A”): Today play Prestwick Golf Club one of the world's oldest clubs and whose very testing and traditional links hosted the very first Open in 1860. The winner was Willie Park from Musselburgh with a score of 174 for thirty six holes, two shots clear of the legendary Tom Morris. Prestwick was home to the first eleven championships and then held it jointly along with The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield). Prestwick's twenty fourth and last Open was in 1925 when Jim Barnes from the USA won. Only the Old Course of St Andrews has hosted more Open championships than Prestwick.
A second day to enjoy Glasgow on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: At Sea
Today it's time to relax and reset. Make your reservations early for The Sanctum Spa, a world-class wellness facility offering a full range of health, beauty and restorative treatments. Complimentary fitness and nutrition classes are available along with a fully equipped gym on Deck 9 offering magnificent sea views. There's room for everyone on the Pool Deck both in and out of the sun. Service to your lounge chair is available from The Pool Bar where the attentive staff is always ready to offer an inclusive cocktail, beer, bottled water, soft drink or fresh towel. The Patio restaurant serves casual fare during the day then completely transforms itself into a sit-down al fresco dining experience at night with table linens and candles. Elegant specialty dining is available for beef at Prime C and Italian at Aqualina. Windows Café serves casual buffet dining with every imaginable choice indoors and out at the sensational Sunset Bar.
What a way to spend a day!
Overnight: At Sea
MAX FAULKNER: Cruden Bay offers an internationally famous golfing experience – old fashioned links golf at its best – on one of the finest courses in Scotland. Creating unique challenges with greens and fairways hidden between massive dunes, driveable par fours, blind shots and of course gorgeous view of the North Sea. Cruden Bay is a regular among the world’s top 100 clubs.
FRED DALY (& GOLF LITE “B”): Today play Trump International Golf Links. Imagine Dr Martin Hawtree’s delight, the third-generation golf course architect with many achievement to his credit including his service as the R&A’s go-to for modifying Open venues, when he was chosen to design the newest links course in Scotland this century along a spectacular 3-mile stretch of North Sea coastline, with almost unlimited resources. Trump International Golf Links may represent his finest hour. The round combines high ground with striking views before descending into secluded valleys between monstrous dunes. It is a sight to behold.
SIGHTSEEING: The harbor city of Aberdeen sits by the North Sea, located between the rivers Dee and Don. Remote and northerly, Scotland’s third largest city is a surprising gem with distinctive architecture and a cosmopolitan feel. Aberdeen stands apart from other Scottish cities. You won’t hear Gaelic around these parts, as this bright sunny port more closely resembles a typical English city. Walk the bustling, mile-long Union Street to peruse high-street shops and venture into local independent stores. Explore the spirit of Aberdeen’s maritime history in Footdee - a traditional fishing village full of quirky outbuildings - or one of the many local museums.
Enjoy Aberdeen on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: At Sea
MAX FAULKNER: Carnoustie is regarded perhaps the most difficult course the game's greats face in The Open, golf's oldest championship. While the links is relatively flat it is exposed to the elements. A combination of length and accuracy are required as golfers face narrow corridors from the tee. Approach shots demand precision to the greens heavily guarded by steep bunkers and burns. Arguably the toughest finishing holes in championship golf, errant shots are severely penalized.
FRED DALY (& GOLF LITE “A”): Today play Kingsbarns Golf Links. Its sandy, linksland soils are the basis for this heritage, and produce the fine-bladed fescues which are the cornerstone of fast-and-firm playing surfaces that characterize links golf. Designed by Kyle Phillips and opened anew in 2000, its rebirth has been shared with golfers from near and far with outstanding reviews. The links features spacious rolling fairways, large greens, and exceptional sea views on every hole. A challenging yet enjoyable champion-standard traditional Scottish links course.
SIGHTSEEING: Once most famous for its industrial character, Dundee has evolved into a vibrant art, design, music and theatre scene. It's the UK's first designated UNESCO City of Design and now has the first design museum outside of London. The new V&A Museum of Design is housed in a world-class building at the heart of the newly transformed waterfront. Visit and learn the story of Scotland's outstanding design heritage. McManus is Dundee's major museum, but don't miss the Dundee Contemporary Arts. A focal point for the arts and design crowd, the building serves as a design shop, hip café, gallery and arts cinema. Just as must-see is the Dundee Science Centre (formerly known as Sensation), a museum devoted to the senses: slide through a cut-away head on a pink tongue, before exiting through a nostril. Sensational, indeed. Down by the waterfront you can explore the Royal Research Ship Discovery, launched in 1901 to explore the South Pole. In the evening the west side of Perth offers great bars and a wonderful view over Britain's most powerful river, the Tay. Find a bench with a pint of Deuchars IPA and watch the river go by.
Enjoy Dundee on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: At Sea
Enjoy a leisurely morning at sea before afternoon arrival into Edinburgh.
SIGHTSEEING: Edinburgh - the inspiring capital of Scotland - is a historic, cosmopolitan and cultured city. The setting is striking; a city perched on a series of extinct volcanoes and rocky crags which rise from the generally flat landscape of the Lothians with the sheltered shoreline of the Firth of Forth to the north. Edinburgh Castle dominates the city-center and from its ramparts you can look down on medieval lanes that hold over a thousand years of history, mystery and tradition. You will also see a modern, dynamic capital where international festivals attract the world's leading performers, galleries display cutting-edge art, and bars, restaurants and clubs create a lively, cosmopolitan atmosphere with a distinctly Scottish twist. No visit to Edinburgh would be complete without a walk up the Royal Mile, which stretches from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's official residence in Scotland, to Edinburgh Castle. The route is lined with tourist shops but be sure to explore the narrow alleys called closes that lead off the Royal Mile.
Enjoy Edinburgh on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: In Port – Edinburgh, Scotland
MAX FAULKNER: Today play Dumbarnie Links the dramatic and exciting new kid on the Scottish golf landscape. Located 9 miles south of St Andrews, the layout plays over 345 acres, part of the 5,000-acre Balcarres Estate held by Lord Anthony Balniel and his family since the 16th century. Designed by Clive Clark, a member of the 1973 Great Britain and Ireland Ryder Cup team, the site is highlighted by a mile and a half of sea frontage featuring panoramic views over the Firth of Forth. Its dual elevations, which are connected by a flowing escarpment, provide a number of elevated tees where holes play directly towards the sea.
FRED DALY (& GOLF LITE “B”): Today play the King's Course of Gleneagles Hotel. The King's course was the inspiration of James Braid, five time winner of the Open championship. It opened in 1919, representing the finest 'classical' golf course design. It is certainly one of the most beautiful and exhilarating places to play golf in the world. With the sweeping views from the tees all around, the rock-faced mountains to the north and the green hills to the south, and the peaks of the Trossachs and Ben Vorlich on the western horizon.
A second day to enjoy Edinburgh on your own or via Azamara Shore Excursions®.
Overnight: In Port – Edinburgh, Scotland
Disembark Azamara Journey at 9:00AM.
GOLF COURSES BY FLIGHT* | |
Mark Faulkner Flight |
View Map |
Scotland | England |
Ailsa, Turnberry |
Royal Birkdale Golf Club |
Fred Daly Flight |
View Map |
Scotland | England |
Ailsa, Turnberry |
Hillside Golf Club |
*About our FLIGHT NAMES, selected in honor of two great Open champions
MAX FAULKNER FLIGHT
Max Faulkner was an Englishman and famously won The Open Championship in 1951 at Royal Portrush, the only time it was held in Northern Ireland prior to 2019. Faulkner was introduced to golf at a young age by his father, a club professional who had once been an assistant to the legendary James Braid. Whilst Faulkner played in 26 Open Championships, golf was then not the global game it is now, and as a result he never played in any of the other 3 major championships, however he did play in 5 Ryder Cups, including the famous 1957 event at Lindrick, which was Great Britain & Ireland's only victory against the USA between 1933 and 1985.
FRED DALY FLIGHT
Fred Daly was born in Portrush, Northern Ireland and was a regular professional tournament winner in the late 1940's. He is best known for winning the 1947 Open at Royal Liverpool while he was the club professional at Balmoral Golf Club in Belfast. In winning the Open Championship he became the only Irishman to win The Open until Padraig Harrington won it in 2007, and was also the only Northern Ireland major winner until Graeme McDowell won the 2010 US Open.
Find out more about history, venues and champions of The Open