Does anyone agree with me that the new layout for Ciao isn't that great?
Does anyone agree with me that the new layout for Ciao isn't that great?
Member since:21.01.2003
Reviews:132
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Hull to Zeebrugge
As I used to live in Belgium and my grandmother lived in England using P&O Ferries (at the time it was called North Sea Ferries and not owned by P&O) was the main way of going to see her. Now, I live in the UK and my dad still lives in Belgium, I still use the service today although there have been a lot of changes since P&O took over and not all is good.
++ The ways to book your mini cruise ++
There are three ways to book. Through - Your travel agent, - telephone 08705 980 333 (Mon-Fri 8am - 8pm, Sat-Sun and Bank Holidays 8am - 6.30pm) - Via the online website http://www.poferries.com
Through your travel agent, I'd say is not recommended as they won't get you the best deal and it will cost you extra in the long run.
Through the telephone and online, they are pros and cons with both of these options. The Pros of the telephone are that you can book shared cabins (which I will explain later), which you can't online and you're more likely to get a better deal and the dates, cabins and extras that you want to have. Also through the phone is the only way of booking mini trips/cruises.
Cons of the telephone are that it costs you money because if you don't know what you want, they will rattle off what they can offer you and as the saying goes time is money. So you really need to know what you want to book before you telephone them Also it's slow as sometime the line is bad or you can hear so many people chattering in the background that you have to keep repeating what they ask you and keep asking what they have just said to you.
Pros of the online website are its quick and easy and only cost your internet connection (and most people are now on broadband so it will be just pennies). You can take your time looking at different dates, cabins and if you really want to have dinner and breakfast.
The cons are that the website is hard to use at times. It doesn't tell you the prices of the cabins nor does it tell you how many cabins are available on the dates that you want and if they aren't any cabins available it doesn't tell you for example that there's no economy cabins available it's just blank. Also a lot of people don't like using their credit cards online and for credit cards, there's a £3 penalty for paying that way. Also mini cruise, which are cheaper are only available by telephoning P&O.
++ How to book by telephone ++ Dial this number 08705 980 333 and follow the instructions. Then you will be put through to an operator. They will ask you questions on when you want to go, from where, what cabin you would like and the good thing for students and other people alike is that through the phone, you can ask for a share cabin.
A share cabin is for people who can't afford £300 for a return trip especially in peak season. What happens is that you share with up to 4 other people to make the cost go down. For a return trip in peak season, you will pay about £100. Okay, they are some drawback like for one, you are sharing with other people that you don't know but you're not in your cabin all the time and if you don't like the look of your bunkmate, you can go to the reception and ask for a different room, which I have done in the past and
they have been happy to comply.
Back to the telephone call, if you are happy with the price and what you've just booked, they start to ask for your contact and credit card or debit card details. Then they will give you the reference number that you need for the terminal.
MiniCruise can only be booked through the telephone. What is a minicruise then? A 2 or 3 nights stay either in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Brugge from Hull and from Portsmouth to Biblao. As a Foot passenger, the Minicruise includes 2 nights on board one of our luxury Cruise ferries in a 2 berth inside ensuite cabin, return city centre Coach transfers on the Continent and Free car parking at Hull.
Price start from Saturday - Thursday Departures £60 per person Friday Departures £105 per person
Go to the main P&O ferries website and normally you will get a screen that asks you: Country of residence Language (only English at the moment) Select your site. Normally, you would click on passenger Then when you've selected what you want click the enter button. Then a blue box appears on the screen with various things you can choose.
Type of journey - Land bridge (only for going to Ireland Liverpool to Dublin and Cairnryan and Troon to Larne) - MiniCruise (they refer you to the telephone number as you can't book this online) - Single - Return
Then it says about promotional code, which is for people that travel quite regular with P&O and they get them through the post or promotional codes that certain newspapers offer sometimes throughout the year.
The choice of routes you have are Dover - Calais Portsmouth - Le Havre Hull - Rotterdam Hull - Zeebrugge Portsmouth - Biblao Calais - Dover Le Havre - Portsmouth Rotterdam - Hull Zeebrugge - Hull Irish Routes
Then you get to choose the dates, how many people are travelling with you and if they are adults (16+) or children (4-15yrs or under 4). Even if you're bring a cat or a dog. Then you get the method of travel: bicycle, car, car and caravan, car and trailer, car roof box and trailer, car with roof box, foot, minibus, motorcycle, motor home & motor home and trailer.
I'm based my info on the Hull to Zeebrugge return route. I've chosen the dates 20/08 Hull - Zeebrugge and I will return on the 31/08 Zeebrugge - Hull. I'm by foot.
I click on the 'get quote' button. It takes me to another page. At the top, they ask me if I went any meals on board. You can choose none, dinner only, breakfast only or breakfast and dinner. You still can get vouchers for the meals on board but it's a lot more expensive. More on that later.
Then there's a list of the accommodation available on the dates you have chosen. Club Family 5 Berth Premier 4 Berth Outside Premier 4 Berth Inside Standard 4 Berth Outside Standard 2 Berth Outside Standard 2 Berth Outside Standard 4 Berth Inside Standard 2 Berth Inside Standard 2 Berth Inside Economy 2 Berth Inside
The most expensive is at the top and the least expensive is at the bottom. The cabins, to be honest don't really vary that much unless you pick Premiere or Club cabin.
So a return trip to Hull - Zeebrugge can cost from £100 - £500 per person. Depending on the time of year, the cabin you choose, what method of travel you have and if you want the meal onboard or not. Of course, the more people go, the less expensive it is.
I click that I wanted an Economy 2 Berth Inside go and coming back. I choose to have no meals onboard.
Then it tells you the quotation; I'll copy it so you can see
outbound Hull - Zeebrugge Saturday 20 August 2005 19:00 - Sunday 21 August 2005 08:30 PRIDE OF YORK Return Zeebrugge - Hull Wednesday 31 August 2005 19:00 - Thursday 01 September 2005 08:00 PRIDE OF YORK Sub total £34.25
Then they add the accommodation which is £200 so it's £100 each way. The total comes to 234.25
If you're happy with your selection, click to continue. Then it will ask for your contact details and ask for you to agree with the terms and conditions (the standard 18 million pages that they want you to read and understand) and click on book now then they will ask for your credit card details. Then that should be processed and you will get a conformation email with the reference code that you take to show at the terminal. They don't send out tickets anymore only to travel agents and then you have to book well in advance.
++ Getting to the terminal ++ To go this website and it will show you the directions to Hull by Car, Rail or by Bus. It's pointless just copying into the review. http://www.directferries.co.uk/hull.htm It's best to get there for four o'clock as that's when boarding of the ship starts.
++ Check in at Hull ++ Just go to the front desk. You may have to queue. Have your reference number ready and your passports too. The person on the desk will give you your ticket as well as your return ticket if you have on.
The tickets are your boarding card and voyage coupon. You show your boarding card when you get on board and voyage coupon is for a bookmark. Only kidding, it's for when you have a return trip, you have to show this instead of your reference number. It also tells you how much you paid for each way. Also on your ticket, it tells you the departure time. 19:00 both ways. Check in time is at least 90 minutes before that so make sure you get there in time. It's best to get there for around four o'clock as that's when boarding of the ship starts.
Then if you are foot passenger, you go through customs and up the stairs to the terminal lounge where you wait until they make an announcement. If you're in a vehicle, you can go back to your vehicle and wait until they tell you can board the ship. The check in at Zeebrugge is just the same.
++ The terminal in Hull ++
The lounge décor could do with an update as I remember that it only changed when I was about 7. That's about 15 years ago. There were 4 vending machines but the soft drinks and sandwich vending machines were out of order and they had been the last time I went, which was nearly 7 weeks previous. There's a children's play area, 2 arcade machines and 2 paying telephones. There are toilets for men, woman and also a disables toilet. They were very clean and nice. They also had a TV in lounge for entertainment but Cricket
Pictures of P&O Ferries
Pride of York
is really not my cup of tea. There were plenty of seats available but they could have been slightly more comfy than the hard plastic chairs they had provided.++ The terminal in Zeebrugge. ++
It's light and air and the décor is not too bad. Upstairs, there are no vending machines but a little café that opens at 2 o'clock but is not open in the morning when you get off the ship. There's a child's play area and the toilet are nice and clean as well. Again with the hard plastic chairs. There's no TV in this terminal but you can have a free newspaper if you can read Dutch.
After waiting at both terminals, there and back. They both have the same procedure. They make an announcement; we can finally board the ship. You have to show your passport again and then they tear the strip of your boarding card and now you're on the ship.
++ The ships you sail on ++ When you arrive at the terminal, you will see the ship directly. P&O Ferries on the Hull - Zeebrugge route have two ships. Pride of York and Pride of Bruges I went on the Pride of Bruges. It looks like it's recently been painted or washed down.
++ Pride of Bruges ++ As I stepped onto the ship, the staff greeted me with friendliness and told me where I could get my key even though I'd been on the ship a million already. I went to my cabin, which was on the red deck, they floor you are on when you board the ship anyway.
I put the key in the slot and open the door. I'd booked a Standard 2 Berth Outside. I look at the cabin. In the corner, they are the bunk beds. Next to that behind a door, are the toilet, shower and sink. Opposite to the bunk beds, there's a mirror and small chair, which is perfect for doing your make up in the morning. Next to the mirror, there are some hangers and pegs to hang your clothes. In the bathroom, you can find towels (if there isn't enough ask at the reception and they will get you some more). In front of the mirror in the bathroom, you will also find some little bottles of shampoo and shower gel and a little mini soap. Just like they do in hotels. The shower is divine. The water pressure is perfect and temperate is just right. It's regulated through the mixer tap on the wall.
The lay out of the ships is Green deck Red deck Blue deck
There are lifts and stairs to get to all of the decks. The lift also goes to the car decks but not when the ship is sailing so don't forget anything in your car.
++The Green Deck ++
The green deck is where the restaurant is. From experience, I know to avoid the restaurant as it's pricey (the vouchers for dinner alone is £16.50, £12 breakfast I think and 32.50 for both if you buy it on ship) and although you can eat as much as you want, the food is quite horrible since P&O ferries took over from North Sea Ferries. They also have a children's entertainer on green deck so I've been told as I don't have children, I do not need this service.
++The Red Deck ++
The red deck where all the shops are. They are 3 shops. Magazines, newspapers, chocolate, etc Perfume, make up, Spirits and some other knick knacks Wine and beer shop They are nice but sometimes the items are overpriced but its lovely just to look around them when you're bored or need a stretch.
There are 2 bars on the red deck. The main bar that has a disco floor and the wine bar for the more relaxing and quiet drinks. The main bar has children's entertainment in the summer until nine o'clock then it either has a pub/bar quiz or just song by a DJ. In between this, there's live music entertainment but I'd bring some earplugs if I was you because lately the "band" has been terrible. If you don't fancy going to the restaurant for a bite to eat, I suggest you go to the continental café. They do coffees, teas, orange juice and a lovely assortment of Danishes, croissant, muffins and sandwiches. It's great in the morning as they bake the croissants and Danishes fresh. It will cost you about £3 for an orange juice and two croissants (that's what I always have) Also on the red deck is the information desk, foreign currency exchange desk and the exit (shore gang way for in the morning to leave the ship again). Information desk is where you can buy your cinema ticket, complain about your cabin or get your tea/coffee deliver to the door in the morning for £1.50. Foreign currency exchange is where you get your Euros but also get some pounds as well. Remember there's a charge of £3 for each transaction.
++ The blue Deck ++ On the blue deck, there's the cinema and the piano bar. Like I said you can buy your cinema tickets downstairs on Red Deck at the information desk. You have the choice of three films. For example 19.00 The fantastic Four 21.00 Batman Begins 23.00 Sin City
They don't swap them around as there's only one room for the cinema so if it's on that time, that's the time you have to watch it. The tickets costs £4.50 for an adult and think its £2.50 for a child under 12.
The piano bar is where the older generation likes to crowd around in as it's quiet and less noisy and loud than down in the main disco bar and the wine bar isn't really big enough. Also they seem to like listening to the piano. I remember that my gran used to love the piano bar, it was her favourite haunt on the ship. In the right hand corner of the piano bar hidden away, there's a TV. Sometimes, it's on especially when it's something important like the World Cup, Olympics, and Euro 2004 etc.
++ General information ++ The drinks aren't that expensive to buy in the ship's bar and either is the spirits, beer and wine to take home with you. There's a toilet on the red deck next to the disco bar for the men and next to the shops for the women. You can go out on deck for some fresh air on blue deck and red deck. Wrap up warm as it can be very chilly and also be careful when it's windy because you don't want to lose your handbag or expensive items or worse fly over the edge of the ship into the sea. Close the door when showering as it can set off the fire alarm in your cabin. Take sea sickness tablet, just incase. Believe me when it gets stormy (I know), nobody is immune to it. Dinner is served at 19.00 until 9.30 Breakfast is served at 6.00 in the morning local time and stops when we dock.
++ Leaving the ship ++
The shops close about 15 minutes before we dock so get your spirits, cigarettes ... before that time. The people start to crowd around information desk around 7.30 but everyone is going to get of the ship so don't worry so much about being first. You have to have your passports ready again. At both terminals, there's a bus to take you to either Brugge or Hull Town centre but when you are in Hull, the bus isn't always there so it's better to go in a taxi so you can catch your bus or train well on time.
++ My experience ++ Since I've been going back and forth since I was little baby, I'm used to the ship and also know some of the staff. Although, it has changed a lot since P&O Ferries bought out North Sea Ferries. The change of ships was some getting used to since the new ones to Rotterdam came, we got to the old ship off the Rotterdam line and they were put onto the Zeebrugge line. I like the smaller ships better. They were cosier. They also changed the name of the ships. They were called Norsea and Norsun but as P&O's ships all started with Pride; they changed it to Pride of York and Pride of Bruges. Also the food in the restaurant used to be better and it was included in your ticket price. A voucher for breakfast and dinner now is far too expensive, for the rubbish quality you get. The staff are great really friendly even the ones that are new and don't know me because of course some even don't recognise me as I'm not 9 anymore lol. Travelling on the ships is great and fun experience but it's only for a couple of times. I recommend you go on a mini trip, have fun. Maybe go with a coach full of people then the price is nearly nothing. If you do the trip too often like me, the ship will become very boring to you. But it is a must have experience for everyone. Especially kids. I remember having a ball as a kid on that ship. Dancing in the disco, meeting new kids … really fun.
Recommended :D
To contact them in Zeebrugge P&O Ferries Leopold II-dam 13 8380 ZEEBRUGGE Telephone : 02 710 64 44
To contact them in Hull P & O North Sea Ferries Ltd., King George Dock E.Yorks HU9 5QA Telephone : 0870 129 6002/ 01482 708244 (for lost items or complain about the company)
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Advantages: Inexpensive, wide variety of things to do. Fun for the whole family Disadvantages: Not much time in Bilbao, not for those prone to motion sickness, small cabins
Gladallover 30.12.2007 (30.12.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of P&O Ferries
Advantages: Inexpensive, wide variety of things to do. Fun for the whole family Disadvantages: Not much time in Bilbao, not for those prone to motion sickness, small cabins
Gladallover 30.12.2007 (30.12.2007)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of P&O Ferries
Advantages: relaxing and inexpensive way to visit the continent for a short break. comfortable cabins excellent food Disadvantages: crossing can be rough in winter months and lack of security is a bit worrying in the present climate
Aug 18th, 2005
exceptional by (31%):
very helpful by (69%):
