Over the last weekend in May, myself and nine of my friends
and family set sail on a mini-cruise with P&O Cruises from Southampton to
Bruges and then onto Guernsey. A wonderful time was had by all and I wanted to
share the adventure...
Bruges
Our first stop was the beautiful city of Bruges in Belgium.
Well, technically the boat moored in Zeebrugge (Bruges-on-Sea) so we got a 20
minute taxi ride to Bruges from the ship.
Tip... book a taxi to pick you up from the harbour, it saves
you waiting for half an hour as we did in the chilly sea air!
Often referred to as 'The Venice of the North' my highlight
was a 30 minute boat trip along the pretty canals while learning about the
history of the city. It did seem slightly strange getting off one large boat
onto another but it really is the best way to experience the city for just
seven Euro.
On the tour we were told all about the numerous churches,
learnt about the city's must-see museums, sailed past locations from the film
'In Bruges' starring Colin Farrell (good watch!) and even saw 'the most
photographed dog in Bruges' who has a delightful spot overlooking the water (what a life!).
During our short stay in Bruges (we were docked from 8am to
4.30pm), we decided as a group we had to experience three activities... beer
from Belgium, authentic Belgium Frites (chips topped with delicious mayonnaise)
followed by a taste of Belgium's finest chocolate! All were ticked off more
than once!
Top Recommendations:
Take a 30 minute boat trip around the city
A few treats from the artisan chocolatier 'Mary'
Guernsey
After a night sailing it was wonderful to wake up looking
over to the very picturesque island of Guernsey, especially as the sun had made
an appearance. The ship's anchor dropped and I was surprised to see that we had
to get onto separate smaller boats to get to St Peter Port, it was a little
choppy but nevertheless we embarked safely!
We stayed in St Peter Port for the duration (we had to be
back onboard for 5pm). My top recommendation would be to simply walk up and
down the pretty cobbled streets enjoying the views out to sea and admiring the luscious
green woodland areas.
I particularly liked nosing around the independent shops
such as Gywneth & Grey which sources unique lifestyle items for their
customers. The shop is just as delightful from the outside as it is from
within.
After we worked up an appetite, we stopped off in a tiny
restaurant, The Crow's Nest, overlooking the harbour where I would thoroughly
recommend trying some fresh fish and seafood. I had Moules Mariniere which were
the best I've ever tasted!
We felt it rude not to sample some traditional Guernsey
ice-cream after lunch so the girls got a cone each and devoured it overlooking
the sailing boats on the harbour.
Top Recommendations:
Stroll around the local independent shops and stop off into
Gywneth & Grey for one-off fashion pieces
Try The Crow's Nest for delicious food and a great view
The Mini-Cruise
Experience
Overall my first mini-cruise experience was a good one. Our
boat, 'Ventura' was relatively modern so the facilities were great and the
staff were so friendly and accommodating.
I enjoyed waking up to a new location every morning but
would have liked to spend longer in Bruges and Guernsey. I imagine Bruges looks
gorgeous lit up at night so it's a shame to have missed that.
To really enjoy yourself on a mini-cruise such as this, you
need to let go and get involved in the spirit of the ship. There were photographers
all around, a formal evening and themed restaurants, not usually my cup of tea
but I enjoyed them all the same!
Top Recommendations:
Book a table for your evening meal for every night you are
on-board - the food in the a la carte restaurants was surprisingly delicious
but I didn't rate the 'fast' food
Plan your activities in each of your docking points in
advance to make the most of the limited time-frame you have
to experience them
Jane x
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