We recently took a mini cruise to Bruges on P&O Ferries from Hull and had a fantastic time both on the crossing and in the city itself.
Sailing on Tuesday night we set sail from Hull on the Pride of Bruges cruise ferry. With three of us in our party, we decided to take the car so we could drive to Bruges and time-permitting into Holland too. On the outward journey we had booked a Club cabin and Standard 2-berth inside cabin.
The Club Cabin really is the way to go if you want to travel in style. With a double bed, sofa, fridge with a selection of drinks (non-alcoholic due to UK customs rules), toiletries, TV and fresh fruit it makes a perfectly relaxing way to cross the North Sea.
For those on more of a budget, the standard inside cabin is the cheapest way to travel, but still has comfortable bunks and an ensuite shower room with basic toiletries and towels. There’s not too much room, but you can still store your bags and there’s a stool in front of the mirror for those who need to do their makeup!
Departing Hull we then made our way to the Four Seasons carvery buffet where there was a great choice of food – from roast meat to curries, fresh salad, seafood and burgers and chips for the kids (or the grown-up kids!). The friendly and efficient staff even served soup to our table, plus a reasonably-priced bottle of Grolsch and a delicious bottle of red wine. The remainder of the meal is self service and you can visit the buffet as many times as you like – with the range of dishes on offer it’s a bit like being a kid in a sweet shop.
After dinner we took a walk out on deck – we we’re lucky enough to sail on a beautiful sunny evening – to see the ship passing Spurn Point and out into the North Sea. With glassy-smooth seas and a gentle pace it’s impossible not to relax and look forward to the rest of your journey.
Back inside, and there was a game of bingo underway in the Sunset Show Bar with a good mix of people from holidaymakers, school parties and commercial drivers. Much fun as the bingo seemed, it was a little loud for talking so we headed upstairs to the Piano Bar where a pianist played classic music at a comfortable volume for chatting. It was quieter up here but still a good mix of people playing cards, chatting and generally relaxing.
Once the night was drawing to a close it was back to the Sunset Show Bar where the pace had picked up with a pretty decent singer covering some pop & rock classics, much to the entertainment of the younger crowd. After the live set, a DJ played requests for the crowd and kept everyone entertained either dancing or watching the moves from the sidelines. The bar is big enough that there’s plenty of space around the dance floor, but also quieter corners too.
At closing time – 1am – we retired to our respective cabins for a comfortable night’s sleep. Clambering into a top bunk may not be for everybody but the the big kids in us, there’s still something exciting about it! The cabins are comfortable and you can adjust the temperature to suit – for some reason the cabins are always really cold when you first arrive – probably so the cleaners don’t roast as they prepare the cabins!
To save time in the morning, a quick shower before bed is ideal and the shower in the Standard cabin, although small, still has a decent flow and plenty of hot water. I wonder how many people ignore the warning to shower with the door closed in case the steam sets off the smoke alarm.
The only slight niggle with the cabin was the door, which vibrated noisily with the rhythmic motion of the ship (which in itself is nicely soporific) – easily solved though by wedging a sock in it. For an extra £10 it was possible to upgrade to an outside cabin with a sea view.
Now come the morning and my major niggle with most ferry crossings – the repeated announcements that seem to start hours before arrival in port. Everything from “the restaurant is now open for breakfast” to “the shop is open” and seemingly many more, each awakening you from your slumber. Now, I do realise the announcements have to be loud enough wake you but I do wonder if there needs to be so many. Presumably P&O want to get customers to the shop and to the restaurant etc, but for thos who would just like some sleep it’s a pain – especially bad on the route to the continent because you already lose an hour with the time difference.
Anyway, following the announcement to return to the cars, we made our way to the vehicle deck and were quickly directed off the ferry and on to Belgian immigration. Pleasingly, this was quick and efficient and we were on our way to Bruges in no time – more of which in another post shortly!
You can book P&O Zeebrugge ferries direct with AnyFerry.com.
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