Before your cruise

British Isles

England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, often with a stop across the Channel. Every ship has its own ports, so pick the countries on your ticket.

Say: You alright? (yoo awl-RYTE), Hello, how are you? (a friendly greeting, not a worried question)Cheers! (CHEERZ), Thanks, goodbye, or 'to your health' when raising a glass
Try: Full English breakfast, Fish and chips, Sunday roast
See: Tower of London, Palace of Westminster and Big Ben, Stonehenge
Money: Pound sterling (£), also called the British pound, divided into 100 pence
Good to know: Drive on the left, in miles. Traffic drives on the left, and road signs show distances in miles and speeds in miles per hour. The usual limits for cars are 30 mph (about 48 km/h) in towns, 60 mph on ordinary country roads and 70 mph (about 112 km/h) on dual carriageways and motorways. In Wales the default in built-up areas is 20 mph.

Say: Dia duit (DEE-uh gwitch), Hello (literally 'God be with you')Go raibh maith agat (guh rev MAH AH-gut), Thank you
Try: Irish stew, Soda bread, Colcannon
See: Newgrange (Brú na Bóinne), Skellig Michael, Cliffs of Moher
Money: Euro (€), since 1999 (notes and coins since 2002); before that, the Irish pound (punt)
Good to know: Drive on the left. Cars on the whole island of Ireland drive on the left. In the Republic, speed limits and distances are in kilometres, up to 120 km/h on motorways. In Northern Ireland they are in miles per hour.

Say: Bonjour (bohn-ZHOOR), Hello, good dayMerci beaucoup (mair-SEE boh-KOO), Thank you very much
Try: Baguette, Croissant, Crêpes
See: The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre, Notre-Dame de Paris
Money: Euro (€)
Good to know: Always start with 'Bonjour'. Say 'Bonjour, Madame' or 'Bonjour, Monsieur' when you walk into a shop or café, and 'Au revoir' when you leave. Skipping it is seen as rude. After about 6 pm, say 'Bonsoir'.

Say: Bonjour (bawn-ZHOOR), Hello, good dayMerci (merr-SEE), Thank you
Try: Mussels with fries, Belgian fries, Flemish beef and beer stew
See: The Grand-Place, The Atomium, The Horta Museum
Money: Euro (€), since 2002. Before that, the Belgian franc
Good to know: Mind the language. Language is a sensitive subject in Belgium. Dutch is the language of Flanders in the north and French of Wallonia in the south, while Brussels is officially bilingual but mostly French-speaking. English is widely spoken in Flanders and in tourist areas of Brussels, but less so in Wallonia, where a few words of French help.

Say: Hallo (HAH-loh), HelloDank u wel (DAHNK uu vel), Thank you very much (polite)
Try: Stroopwafel, Raw herring (Hollandse Nieuwe), Bitterballen
See: Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Amsterdam Canal Ring
Money: Euro (€), since 1999 (notes and coins since 2002); before that, the Dutch guilder. The Caribbean islands use the US dollar
Good to know: Watch out for bicycles. Cycle paths are everywhere, often paved in red asphalt or marked with a round blue sign with a white bike. Do not walk on them, and look both ways for bikes, not only cars, before you cross.