Depart USA

Arrive in the United Kingdom today. Learn about the educational background of the Wesley brothers, John, Charles and Samuel, Jr., when you visit Christ Church College at Oxford University. See Lincoln College and St. Mary's Church on your walking tour. Continue to your hotel for dinner and overnight.

Drive to Southampton on the south coast of England this afternoon to board the Oceania Marina.

Edinburgh replaced Scone as the capital of Scotland in 1437. Enjoy a tour of Edinburgh, where you can visit Edinburgh Castle, which has held a fort since Celtic times. St. Margaret’s Chapel dates to the 12th Century. The present-day fortress continues to serve as a military post as well as a museum. Visit St. Giles Cathedral, dedicated to the patron saint of Edinburgh, whose oldest portions date to 1124. See also Holyrood Castle, an official residence of the British Crown whose grounds date back to an Augustinian Monastery. Enjoy some exploration time in some of Edinburgh’s old neighborhoods. (Shore excursions will be on own today).

This starkly beautiful island holds many ancient treasures like the enigmatic Standing Stones of Stenness and the 5,000-year-old village of Skara Brae, amazingly discovered with furniture and preserved indoor drains. Visit the imposing trio of St. Magnus Cathedral, the nearby ruins of the Earl’s Palace, and the earlier Bishop’s Palace. (Shore excursions will be on own today).

The unspoiled Outer Hebrides is a world of its own, separated from mainland Scotland by more than water. The language is Gaelic, the attitude is heavily self-sufficient, and the wildlife is uncommon. The capital of the Outer Hebrides, Stornoway is tucked into a beautiful natural harbor on Lewis Island, which the Vikings repeatedly invaded. While renowned as a center for Harris Tweed, Stornoway is also home to the Neo-Gothic Lews Castle, the An Lanntair Arts Center, and a multitude of northern birds such as the Arctic skua, golden eagle, and corncrake. (Shore excursions will be on own today).

Enjoy an included day tour of Dublin. John Wesley made 21 trips to Ireland spanning 40 years. See Trinity College, which houses the 9th century Book of Kells. Explore St. Patrick’s Cathedral, built next to the well where Patrick baptized converts on his visit to Dublin. The present building is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. St. Patrick’s is adorned with funeral monuments, including the grave of Jonathan Swift (author of Gulliver’s Travels). In 1789, Wesley led many Dublin Methodists to the Cathedral for the administration of Holy Communion. Stop at the site of Whitefriar Street Carmelite Church, the first Methodist chapel in Ireland. Stop at St. Mary’s Church (The Church Pub today), where John Wesley’s first sermon was preached in Ireland at what was called Evening Prayer in St. Mary’s Church to “as gay and senseless a congregation as ever I saw.” Enjoy free time in Dublin for exploration before sailing for Belfast.

Enjoy a day in Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland. Explore the City Center with its 18th-century alleyways, City Hall, and St. George’s Market, one of Belfast’s oldest attractions. Or visit some of the “quarters,” like the Cathedral Quarter, where you can visit the Cathedral Church of St. Anne, or the Titanic Quarter, with its museum dedicated to the Titanic. City tours offer a chance to understand the Troubles and its Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods. (Shore excursions on your own today.)

Journey through the quiet English countryside. Green, rolling hills will delight you as you travel to remote Epworth in the Fen Country. Here, Samuel and Susanna Wesley raised their brood of children in the Old Rectory while he served the Parish Church for 39 years. When you visit their childhood home, you’ll become familiar with the upbringing and early life of John and Charles Wesley. You’ll see Memorial Church, built with contributions from around the world. Then, visit St. Andrews Church at Epworth.

Cheerful Cork sprawls about the River Lee in one of Ireland’s most stunning settings. Bridges crisscross the city, leading to landmarks like St. Anne’s Church and the Old City Gaol, where you’ll see the 19th-century prisoners’ graffiti. You can also join an excursion to scenic Kinsale and Blarney to visit Blarney Castle and the famed Blarney Stone. (Shore excursions will be on your own today.)

Port in the Torbay part of the English southern coast, frequently referred to as the English Riviera. Travel north to the ancient port city of Bristol, and you’ll have a lecture in one of Wesley’s early centers of ministry, the “New Room.” This oldest Methodist building in the world is unusually attractive in its basic simplicity. Then, visit the home of Charles Wesley, the famous hymn writer. Bath, a spa town of Roman origin, deserves its name.

Early disembarkation this morning and continue to central London. John Wesley left his mark on the town of London. You’ll have a lecture at City Road Chapel, the site of Wesley’s home and grave. Susanna Wesley is buried across the street in Bunhill Fields Cemetery along with other famous personages such as John Bunyan and Daniel Defoe. You’ll walk on Aldersgate Street, where on May 24, 1738, John Wesley had his “Warming of the Heart” experience. You’ll walk past the entrance of “Little Britain,” where Charles Wesley had his conversion experience just three days earlier. Visit St. Paul’s Cathedral, where John Wesley often worshiped. On the day of his conversion, Wesley came here for an afternoon service and was deeply moved by the choir’s anthem, “Out of the Deep Have I Called Unto Thee, O Lord.” Dinner is on your own in London.

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