... * By the way, a mini-cruise break of this ‘genre’ (trying to be posh here) is, in this case, a night on the ferry, a day trip into Amsterdam via arriving at Rotterdam (all coach transfers between Rotterdam and Amsterdam included) and another night on the ferry returning home – ... Read review
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Record Rent a Car is present in the main spanish airports and has a very wide fleet. We offer: exceptional discounts, free additional drivers,
unlimited mileage... subscribe to our Club Record and take advantage of special offers.
Advantages: Inexpensive, leisurely, makes a prelude to a good trip Disadvantages: Er, probably loads if you can't stand being on water
...merits of a ‘bargain break’ P & O deal to either Holland or Belgium and decided to go for it three weekends ago as it proved a cheap and cheerful way to spend some time on the continent and was guaranteed not to break the piggy bank (the QE2 cruise will be featured some time next year folks so wait up – no but seriously we are both currently saving for our own ‘dream trips’)! So, Switch cards in hand and phone to ear, ... ...journey are second to none. P & O widely brag that the ferries used on the route between Hull and Rotterdam are “the world’s largest luxury cruiseferries” and it’s difficult to argue with that. ‘The Pride of Hull’ and ‘The Pride of Rotterdam’ ferries are a cut-above their Dover to Calais ‘sister ships’ and are (despite their ‘little-on-the-large’ size) still roomy, airy, elegant ... more
Ok, I’ll say it now. I’m sorry about the title but do consider that I have been away for ages so what do you expect? I’m still breaking myself in gently. I’d like you to remain nice to me at all times. OK!?
Anyway, to cut to the chase, a friend and I decided that there had to be at least some small excuse in each our lives for a little bargain break somewhere along the lines. Unfortunately, the maximum time we could afford was less than a weekend at most and we thus, being Northerners, decided on a mini-cruise break from Hull to Amsterdam to help kill the monotony and give us a change of scenery for a few hours. Says a lot for the north of England folks, I know. * By the way, a mini-cruise break of this ‘genre’ (trying to be posh here) is, in this case, a night on the ferry, a day trip into Amsterdam via arriving at Rotterdam (all coach transfers between Rotterdam and Amsterdam included) and another night on the ferry returning home – PHEW! *
We’d each heard from a few other friends about the merits of a ‘bargain break’ P & O deal to either Holland or Belgium and decided to go for it three weekends ago as it proved a cheap and cheerful way to spend some time on the continent and was guaranteed not to break the piggy bank (the QE2 cruise will be featured some time next year folks so wait up – no but seriously we are both currently saving for our own ‘dream trips’)! So, Switch cards in hand and phone to ear, we booked the break approximately 36 hours before sailing time – a kind-of strong-willed, ‘sans panique’ last minute decision. Impressive, eh?
We arrived at Hull at 4:00pm on the day of sailing to the spacious yet, how shall we say, unpretentious boarding area at Hull docks – sounds so, so glamorous doesn’t it (?) (grey river ‘Umber, grey sky, great bridge though down the line and oh yes! – I almost forgot to mention- free car parking!) and eventually boarded the ferry at around 4:30pm for the nine o’clock sailing. “Hmmm, a little early?” Jules started to think but merrily made her way along the queue to board the ship. Check-in consisted of a ‘get-tickets’ job at the main entrance of the boarding and then showing a boarding pass and passport at entrance to the ship. No problems, fine, on to the ship, start thinking about duty free and then - “ding, ding, ding” alarm bells began to tinkle in the head of our fair Jules – “What no security?” she cried like a long-lost sheep peering over a wall, her heart now beset with angst. Well, yes, maybe I am exaggerating a little but it did concern me that, in these times of just travel concerns, not a single bag or other piece of luggage was checked or scanned. Call me unjust or just downright cynical but isn’t a ferry trip (and a long one at that (10 hours approx.)) about the same in travel and terror terms as a flight? I’ll leave to decide your own answers but to me, flight and/or ferry are about on the same agenda. Worrying?
Independent of security issues though, the ships used on this journey are second to none. P & O widely brag that the ferries used on the route between Hull and Rotterdam are “the world’s largest luxury cruiseferries” and it’s difficult to argue with that. ‘The Pride of Hull’ and ‘The Pride of Rotterdam’ ferries are a cut-above their Dover to Calais ‘sister ships’ and are (despite their ‘little-on-the-large’ size) still roomy, airy, elegant and rather sleek vessels. On top of this, for us, both crossings were extremely smooth and we hardly knew we were actually at sea.
To fill the time between boarding and sailing there is a good amount of things to do on the ship to stop you from getting bored. The ship has duty-frees shops (as you would expect) which specialise in cosmetics, booze and chocolate (no harm there then!) and are open from boarding until approximately 11:00pm so you have loads of time to buy or browse as obviously, a sensible person will leave their purchasing until the return trip for reasons I will go into later. Regarding this shopping there are certainly some bargains (as well as the obligatory crap) in store and I would recommend the odd ‘in-boat’ splurge. On the homebound trip I made full use of the current lager offer of 5 cases of Stella Artois (each case 24 x 25cl bottles (aw, cute) and got one case free (hurrah!) for the shockingly cheap price of £24. 65 or 38.70 Euros (can’t get a symbol for it on my PC - grrrr). Anyway, that is 144 bottles to you mate. Cheap at half the price (or thereabouts)! It’s about the same pricing as can be found at continental hypermarkets like Auchan and deals like this are normally exclusive to one product on ship. Wine prices are also drastically reduced but, as a wine snob (and you have to be careful dahling!) I felt there was little choice in brands and variety. If you are a spirits fan however then Bob’s your uncle – if you know a brand’s name then dependable is your game (must stop watching those quiz shows)!
The ship also offers other traditional forms of entertainment in terms of two cinemas (with a choice of a handful of films available to view at the supplement cost of £6) and a revue-style ‘after dusk’ entertainment show. The latter is not really my type of thing so I suggested we obviously trawl the bars (and we did!) spending most of our time in an Irish bar drinking pint-on-pint of cool and cheap Amstel (Irish v Amstel? – no, I don’t get it either).
I guess there are (at least) another three features that have to be covered in order to justify the strengths of taking such a cruise, all of them being the mega-important, backbone issues of accommodation, food and price. Happily, I can again comment positively on all of them.
Accommodation, as you would expect, is either in inside or outside 2 or 4 berth cabins. We booked a seaview ‘outside’ cabin for the additional £10 upgrade cost. Our cabin was equipped with 2 (rather strange but comfortable) couch cum beds complete with fresh and clean bed linen and pillows (important – remember cleanliness is next to godliness in my travel dictionary), hanging space, storage space as well as a handy en-suite ‘bathroom’ (containing sink, basin and shower). Nothing was amiss in here and, although small and basic, I couldn’t fault a thing. Sorry consumers!
Food came at a price or at a supplement extra to the cost of the voyage. The pre-book (reduced) price we paid AT TIME OF BOOKING was £12.40 for a buffet dinner and £6.35 for breakfast. Dinner was (as it says on the tin) buffet style with waiter/waitress service for the first part of the meal for orders of entrées, wine and other drinks. There was a choice of three main courses, salad bar(s) various desserts and a cheeseboard (and I’m a sucker for a good cheeseboard). Again, I couldn’t fault either the food or the price. Ditto breakfast with a choice between either full English or continental to the sight of Rotterdam’s dramatic portside architecture. Sorry that I have no further complaints consumers! Mucho apologies!
The last thing to be said (and always the last thing dear friends!) concerns the price. How much for this little sojourn? Well don’t worry my customers – it’s not that much really. All in all (2 night’s accommodation, coach transfers on the continent, outside cabin and two dinners and breakfasts) the trip came to a rather un-whopping cost of £110 pounds each! Rather impressive for the transport costs of a different day trip me thinks (and I haven’t even gone into the antics in Amsterdam, they’re for another opinion somewhere and a large one at that)! Be wary however that positive price changes are a part of P & O’s policy and they often offer ‘two for one’ or BOGOF deals on some crossings according to season. You’ll find all the blurb on this and more at [www.mycruiseferries.co.uk] as well as information on deals between their other route of Hull to Zeebrugge (with Bruges as the day-trip destination).
So in eventual summary, I would wholeheartedly recommend this trip to anyone wanting a quick and cheap change of scenery. That said, the trip is possibly only economical for those of us that live in the north of England/Midlands region and/or in fair commuting distance to Hull. Personally, I would certainly travel this enjoyable way again but might sensibly address some rather large safety issues with the company before I go.
It would be fair to say that the ‘experience’ of being on board ship is both pleasant and relaxing whilst eliminating some of the hassles of airport travel. The trip, seen either as a mini-break or as an extended day-trip, from English coast to Rotterdam (and beyond!) is not quick but, taking place as it does during the night, this ‘mini cruise’ can offer a sensible and casual alternative to arriving at the continent and can act as a prelude to a really fun day’s play – but, like I said, that’s ANOTHER opinion.
Anyway, happy travels and, as ever, please enjoy!PS - Any questions then, as usual, feel free to just guestbook away!
Advantages: Price, great surroundings, great facilities Disadvantages: entertainment, food
We travelled on the Pride of Rotterdam for a Mini-cruise to Amsterdam. It was very cheap (£50) for the weekend, and involved two nights in a cabin aboard the ship, and a full day In Amsterdam.
Booking was very simple, although I did not do it. It was done on the Internet, although they accept phone and in-person bookings.
The Port at Hull is very easy to find and is well signposted, once there it is obvious where to go. We arrived at about 7, 2 ... ...were already in one of the various bars on board.
Checking in was very simple, show your passport and booking number, and up four escalators and your aboard.
The Cabin.
This was how I expected it, very small, but all that you need. There was a shower and toilet in it, and bunk beds.
The Ship.
The Pride of Rotterdam and its sister ship, the Pride of Hull, are the two largest "roll on roll off" ferries in the entire world. And it was big. There ...
hcafcdan 05.03.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of P & O North Sea Ferries
Advantages: Loads to do, fun, better than camping Disadvantages: Alcohol + Rough Sea = Chunder
We took the P&O Cruise ferry from Hull to Rotterdam. Booking was easy, all done online and you could choose your cabin. We were lucky enough as we booked early to get an outside cabin.
The price was amazing, two for one offer making the total cost of the trip just £70.This included: Free long term parking at the hull terminal, two nights in an outside onsuite cabin., the travel to Rotterdam and coach transfers from Rotterdam to Amsterdam. So that ... ...prebook your meals, a dinner and breakfast costs £21 each. So if theres two of you going and want dinner and breakfast on the outbound and return it costs £82. More than the actual voyage itself! This doesnt include any alcoholic drinks either. It is a buffet dinner and a buffet breakfast with plenty to choose from so its not actually that bad a price. You can buy meals on board but i was told this costs more.
We arrived at the ferry terminal, there ...
Boom6 28.11.2006
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of P & O North Sea Ferries
Advantages: Fast direct overnight channel crossing Disadvantages: can be expensive compared to driving to Harwich
This is another long overdue Op, I've been meaning to write about P&O north Sea Ferries for a long time but never got around to it...
As most of my friends know I took my car to Germany in June 2002, via the Hull to Rotterdam 'Cruise ferry', I sailed out on the 'Pride of Hull' and my return crossing was on her sister ship 'The Pride of Rotterdam'.
Hull Docks
The ferry terminal is very accessible if a little confusing for the first timer as some ... ...the last 1000 yards, access is via a small security gate on what looks like a perimeter style road, this suddenly opens out almost opposite the ship into what looks like a large car parking area for buses and cars with a multi-storey car park on one side, the port terminal facilities and check in are at the base of this multi story car park, check in was painless we were given our boarding cards and then directed around the back of the building to ...
Dalesman 15.01.2003
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of P & O North Sea Ferries
Advantages: Can take a car full of stuff to and from the continent Disadvantages: No excape from booze cruisers except in expensive cabins
I've had to use P&O North Sea Ferries for 3 return trips between Hull and Rotterdam since 1990 travelling with a vehicle. 2 out of the three trips I had to move cabins to get away from passengers who looked as if they might be using the boat as a cheap alternative to a homeless hostel in Hull. The fact P&O promote their ferries as cheap "booze" cruises obviously attracts a certain element who won't endear themselves to those who have been seduced ... ...cabins to those willing to accept a ferry full of booze cruisers can also be a sophisticated cruise liner as if some unseen force keeps the well heeled and the great unwashed apart. If you want a "civilised" trip, perhaps getting one of these more expensive cabins and staying in there is the best option.
The standard of the entertainment onboard can be seen by searching YouTube for "North Sea Ferries""entertainment". I tended to find a few seconds ...
MrDavis 10.09.2008
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of P & O North Sea Ferries
Advantages: Modern, Attractive, Stylish, Comfy, Enjoyable Disadvantages: Expensive at times, can get fully booked
Travelling on the North Sea has in recent times developed a bad reputation. Passengers usually expect any old tub waiting to carry them on an overnight crossing, with poor cabins and no proper facilities. But no more. P&O Ferries have re-branded themselves with a new cruise-style background, and it really does work.
Company Background
----------------------------
The company started in 1966 as North Sea Ferries, a joint venture between P&O and ... ...from Hull to Rotterdam, the company quickly expanded to operate a passenger service to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge and various freight routes. Not much changed till 1996 when P&O bought out Nedlloyd’s share to become a wholly owned P&O company. In 1997 P&O European Ferries freight routes from Felixstowe to Rotterdam and Zeebrugge were combined with the old North Sea Ferries services to form P&O North Sea Ferries.
In 2001 the company introduced ...
monkfeesh 12.09.2002 (18.02.2003)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of P & O North Sea Ferries
Reliability
Comfort
Similar reviews »
Reviews which might be of interest for "P & O North Sea Ferries"
Advantages: A fantastic sailing experience, from beginning to end Disadvantages: That it had to end!
Having just returned today from a very pleasurable break away courtesy of P & ONorthSeaFerries, I felt that I would like to share my experiences with you all so that you can judge for yourselves whether or not a minicruise is for you.
To set the scene, I had booked myself and my fiancee onto the Hull to Rotterdam Return Motorist MiniCruise sailing at 21:00, driving my little Citroen Saxo over to Europe. I had also booked cabin accommodation, with a Standard 2-Berth Bed Outside Cabin on the outward journey, and a Standard 2-Berth Bunk Inside Cabin on the return. This choice of accommodation was slightly against us due to large volumes of passengers on the return journey, but due to the fact that I was only booking a week before sailing, I was chuffed to get on at all!
We had seen an offer in the Sun newspaper, where we had to ...
son_of_a_teacher_man 03.06.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of P & O
Advantages: They Have a variety of Routes Disadvantages: Chancea Are You Won't Want to Use Them
strongly of smoke. It was also very unclean, and the bins seemed full everywhere. At the bar, when I asked for a coke I was told there wasn't any left. There wasn't even a video lounge, let alone a cinema. And on an overnight crossing as well.
The whole experience was enough to make me, and my family, never wish to travel DFDS again. The Admiral of Scandinavia currently serves on the Harwich - Cuxhaven route. Be Warned. My advice would be, if you live in Northen England or Scotland, to Drive to Hull and Use P&ONorthSeaFerries - fantastic, clean and modern facilities. Or, in Harwich, use Stena Line's Harwich- Hook of Holland Service.
Thanks for reading. ...
Hull to Zeebrugge
As I used to live in Belgium and my grandmother lived in England using P&OFerries (at the time it was called NorthSeaFerries 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 ...
galaxynicole 18.08.2005
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of P&O Ferries
