Cardiff girl

On 4/7/2024 at 3:30 PM, DianeCcruiser said:

Do they have taxis available at the shuttle bus parking to take you to the town center of Bruges and back?

If no taxis does the 15- 20 minute walk have benches to rest on. 
We’re looking at the “ Bruges on your own”

Thank you

 

I don't recall any taxis around the coach park in Bargeweg. There may have been benches in Minnewater Park, which you walk through to the centre, but if you have mobility issues, could you find others to share a cab? They go straight to the centre, meaning more time in Bruges and shorter queues for boat trips, etc, if you're the first ones there! 

I think they're two different processes, and if you're happy with what you've got I'd cancel your balcony bid and save the ££. When are you going? Hope you have a lovely first solo cruise. There should be plenty of opportunities to meet up with other solos. 

32 minutes ago, Pine Man said:

It's then a very, very long walk along the old river bed, now a park, to the city centre or catch a local bus when dropped of the shuttle.

Google maps has the 24, 25, 35 and 95 buses into the city from Museu de les Ciences stop. 

Then the challenge is finding the bus stop back 🤔... 

1 minute ago, terrierjohn said:

Madeira departure is normally about 5:00pm with all onboard time 4 :30, since it's a full nights cruise to Tenerife.

Goes to show you can't assume - three different times we've experienced between us. Maybe it's earlier on the bigger ships? Anyway, a cab back from Reid's shouldn't take long so as long as you book a sensible time you should be OK. Loads of other diners will be going back to the ship. 

I've emailed P&O customer service in the past and got arrival and departure times, though with the caveat that they could change. 

Sandancer, in the past Funchal has been 9.30 aboard for 10pm sailaway on the standard Canaries/Madeira route, but on repositioning it's 5.30 for 6pm. Does it say 'early evening'?

Thanks for this. Jumping on this, what about shuttles for Palma de Majorca and Cagliari? 

We got a pair of swans on Azura in December. I think it's down to the steward, if there are kids or an occasion, but generally speaking, don't expect towel animals. MSC still do them, along with turndown. 

1 hour ago, edinburgher said:

No we didn't go to any market in part as we didn't know our exact timing for the things we really wanted to do, also as the market you mention was, to our understanding, selling fish, meat, fruit, cheese and veg and as we didn't want any of those it didn't seem worth losing time on..

 

Yes, it should be obvious when you reach the top of the very long and steep road. You would be aiming for the Citadel area.  You can find cagliari tourist sights/sites online on a city map.

Google will be your best friend as we found all the bus routes for Cagliari online and noted the numbers we wanted, also the current fare., and also the stops so you only need spend some time doing online homework. But local passengers at the lower stop will confirm if you are boarding the correct bus, or those on the bus will tell you when you are there, as will the driver if you ask.  (Just ask Citadel or Cittadella per favore?) And no, we don't have any more knowledge of Italian other than menu items 😀

 

We saw many many flamingos. After walking back down to the central area, we walked a few yards to the end of that road, then took a left and you will see the bus stops for the beach/park area ahead of you.

 

It is a long straight road and without going into the park itself, we simply got off the bus at a stop just after we had spotted (from the bus) many  in an area alongside the road opposite the beach.  If you sit on the left side heading there you may see them too.  (The road divides the beach area from the flamingos and the park)  i don't think we were actually in the park itself as there wasn't an obvious entry point where we were and we didn't need to walk around a park area looking for them.. Returning to the port we only had to cross the road to a bus stop for the opposite direction from the one we arrived from.  We also had time for a short walk along a section of the beach (which runs for a few miles).

 

Thanks very much - really useful. I read about local wine sold at the market, though if they mainly sell produce then it's less of a priority. The 'nature park' area sounds quite undeveloped, so it sounds like you got the best of it. 

On 8/15/2023 at 8:44 AM, edinburgher said:

If reading previous posts via the above link tempted you to stay in town, do take either a taxi or a public bus up to the top area of town, as the walk up is steep, long and not to be underestimated. It is really quite an attractive town to visit with many photo ops along the way, and if you like flamingoes, this is the place for you.

 

All our info was easily found online, including bus routes, bus stops , sights info etc.Google is your friend.

Thanks, Edinburgher. Any particular highlights in Cagliari? Did you go to San Benedetto market? Were the local buses easy to work out, and is there an obvious 'top of the hill' stop to aim for? Also, did you see flamingoes? The reviews of Molentargius nature park seem a bit mixed. Thanks. 

On 1/7/2024 at 9:34 AM, 9265359 said:

 

The nearest SuperDino is https://maps.app.goo.gl/RiUYBxSmH1LtRwaR8 - stop in on the way back from a stroll to Parque García Sanabria.

SuperDino has lots of choice, is slightly cheaper than the Spar, with a nice 30 min walk back to the ship. 

On 12/31/2023 at 3:06 PM, elmsliebev said:

we were on in October and found an indoor market stall in Sardinia selling plastic 1.5 litre bottles of wine "en vrac" (like mini petrol pumps!). The guy gave us some tasters and it was really good so we bought a bottle to take back on (4.5 euros!), no problem taking it onboard. 

Was the market in Cagliari? Can you remember where it was? Sounds interesting, thanks. 

On 8/1/2017 at 11:37 AM, tom_uk said:

 

I wrote that post on my blog just over 5 years ago, and it's still one of the most popular pages - it accounts for just under 10% of all the page hits I get. It's actually been viewed just over 55,000 times, and there are over 100 comments by readers. I'm glad that people are finding it useful!

Hi Tom, are you still blogging? I can't open that link - would be great to see it, if possible? 

On 8/1/2017 at 11:37 AM, tom_uk said:

 

I wrote that post on my blog just over 5 years ago, and it's still one of the most popular pages - it accounts for just under 10% of all the page hits I get. It's actually been viewed just over 55,000 times, and there are over 100 comments by readers. I'm glad that people are finding it useful!

Hi Tom, six years on it's still in demand!  🙂 That link didn't work for me - is the post still available? 

I always try to praise the main crew I've met on those forms but haven't had one after three P&O cruises.

Around a quarter of the people in the Facebook group for my recent Aurora cruise had an email a day or two after getting home - no clue why it's so random. 

P&O said I could send feedback to  po.guestsupport@carnivalukgroup.com. 

It used to affect crew pay - maybe that's with other lines. We fill in the Shine Awards slips by reception for cabin crew, waiters and others who make a great impression. 

1 hour ago, lindyloo22 said:

I have never been asked to see insurance, but I print off the pages that show our names, name of insurer, amount your insured for and when policy starts and ends.

Last year I was asked to show my insurance with cruise cover & covid cover highlighted, but haven't been asked recently.

I print the main summary with my details, plus the numbers & details on how to claim, and I keep a copy on my phone. 

Also, on our return, we stopped to take photos of the ship but were told off by a port official and told to get straight on the ship - so it seems the shuttle across the port is unavoidable. 

I've just done this journey with P&O.

We'd planned to walk to the Zeebrugge station. We were straight off the ship but would have missed the Zeebrugge hourly train waiting for others to fill the shuttle out of the port. We got the free shuttle to Blankenberge, just missed one train and caught the next an hour later. We had 3ish hours and returned at 2pm to be sure to be back onboard in good time. Day returns were two for €7 on a summer 2 for 1 offer. 

Someone who paid €40 ship excursion was annoyed she'd paid more than us but she'd had a full, straightforward day in Bruges.

We enjoy public transport, but it takes longer and can be unreliable. 

On 7/25/2023 at 3:43 PM, beyondthepalace said:

We will be in Zeebruge 12/27/23 on MSC Euribia. We don't mind an adventure but we are trying to get to Bruges the easiest way possible. Am I understanding this correctly as once we get off the boat, we will have to take a shuttle bus to the transportation center to get ANY form of transportation into Bruges? Yes I see that train/bus might be cheaper but with 2A & 2C, might be easier to get cab. 

The easiest way to get to Bruges is probably an MSC excursion or a taxi from the port gates, assuming there are enough waiting. The local shuttle from near the port gates is cheaper & fairly straightforward.

Shuttles and trains stop around 10 /15 mins walk from the centre of Bruges, taxis get you closer. 

2 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

Cabs can take you right into the centre of Bruges, yes, so they’ll be the fastest option.

 

Having never taken one I couldn’t tell you how many there are. I have never seen a long line of them waiting at the terminal - or for that matter any waiting - but then I’ve never looked for them so maybe they’ve been there and I just haven’t noticed them. Sorry.

 

As for whether a cab would take you to Zeebrugge-Strand station, again I couldn’t tell you. My guess would be yes, and it would probably cost about €10 or less, but the driver wouldn’t be over the moon about it when they’re expecting a nice €62 fare into Bruges.

 

If you don’t want to walk to the train station you can catch the coastal tram which stops at ‘Kerk’, about a 5 minute walk from the cruise terminal. It’s only two stops to the ‘Strandwijk’ stop, then another 5 minute walk to Zeebrugge-Strand station. OR stay on the tram 4 more stops to Blankenberge and catch a train from there. 

Thanks again. I'd probably enjoy the walk, just trying to work out the fastest/easiest way to get there. 

Re taxis, I'm the same - I didn't see any last time, but I wasn't looking. 

Maybe the best thing is to enjoy the various stages of the journey and see them as part of the day out.

At least I know all the various options now (apart from the 33 bus from Blankenberge 🚍). 

Also, would a taxi drop off at Zeebrugge-Strand station, and how much would that cost, roughly? 

1 hour ago, gumshoe958 said:

Until Sunday 27th August the trains run from Zeebrugge-Strand 7 days a week.
 

From Monday 28th they run from Zeebrugge-Dorp on weekdays and Zeebrugge-Strand at weekends.

 

Adventurous because people happy to walk for half an hour to get a train are a rare commodity on CC! I thought I was the only one who did that!

 

Don’t forget to factor into your timings the unavoidable shuttle bus ride between the ship and the cruise terminal. It takes less than 5 minutes but if you just miss one you may have to wait for the next one to fill up. Ship to train should take 45-50 mins but I’d allow a bit more to be safe.

Thanks, Gumshoe. I was straight off the ship in Oct, then sat on that port shuttle for ages waiting for others to come and fill it up!

It seems that, with the walk across the park from shuttles and trains, the short journey from Zeebrugge to Bruges takes at least an hour, or more with queuing/missed connections. 

So, if a taxi is €62x2 return, it'd be €31 each if they let four share. Are there many cabs, and do they drop closer to the centre? 🤔

18 hours ago, riki10555 said:

So getting off the ship about an hour before the bus departure time would be enough in your opinion?

An hour should work but personally, I'd allow longer to feel comfortable.

Last Oct Border Force wanted to see every passport on our ship, causing anxiety and delay. Sometimes four or five big ships disembark on the same day. 

National Express has a Change and Go add on. You can board any available coach 12 hours either side of your departure for £5 per passenger each way.

35 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

I should point out that Zeebrugge-Strand station is only served 7 days a week during the summer holidays. The rest of the year, it’s only served at weekends and during the week trains run to & from Zeebrugge-Dorp station instead, which is slightly closer to the cruise terminal (a 20-25 minute walk).

Thanks, that explains why I've seen both station names given. It seemed like it might be simpler than getting a shuttle to Blankenberge, also quicker & cheaper than shuttles. 

I guess we'll see how we feel on the day. 

Has anyone tried the 33 bus from Blankenberge? The cheapest but slowest option, I think. 

Has anyone got the train from Zeebrugge? It's supposed to be 30 mins walk from the cruise terminal & the trains go hourly. 

On 7/17/2023 at 1:20 AM, CRUIS4ME said:

We used a shuttle. We caught the shuttle outside the port terminal.  Cross the street and on the left corner, a line formed to get tickets and catch the shuttle.   Recommend get off ship immediately and try to be in the first bus that departs.   Coming back, recommend to catch shuttle by three o’clock.   It’s a 45 min trip.   

I used the local shuttle last Oct. It's Cruise Express, €20 direct or £21.80 through Viator. It runs from 8.30 - 12 noon every half hour. It comes back every half hour from 4 hrs before boarding.

It was a bit chaotic - those who'd prepaid told to wait with those queuing to pay, while the first bus went past empty. Other people found it fine so maybe I was unlucky. I left Bruges 2pm to be sure to get back. 

https://www.cruise-express.be/en/services/bruges

I read that taxis are fixed rate €62 each way. The P&O shuttle is currently £39 for a half day, £40 for a full day.