Optional Shuttle Bus Services

[old man of the sea 1953]

Will we have to have a shuttle bus for any of the following ports and how much please,

 

Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Cherbourg 

 

Many thanks,

[Dwalkerdave]

16 minutes ago, old man of the sea 1953 said:

Will we have to have a shuttle bus for any of the following ports and how much please,

 

Rotterdam, Zeebrugge, Cherbourg 

 

Many thanks,

Rotterdam - No

zeebrugge - Yes to Blankeburg NOT Brugge, you can then get train to Brugge or book a direct transfer from ship to Brugge with P&O but it is a bit pricey.

Cherbourg - sorry don’t know !!

[Son of Anarchy]

Last time we were in Zeebrugge, we took the shuttle to the dock gate, and there was a company running buses to Brugge.  I think it was about €20 return and took about an hour each way.

[tring]

Not sure about the bigger P&O boats, but have been to Cherbourg with Fred and they dock within walking distance of the town in a similar location to where the ferries stop.

 

You may particularly want to go to Bruges, but an alternative is to while away a day in Blankenburg.  It is a fair sized seaside town so you could browse the shops and/or buy some chocolate on the way to the seafront then stroll along the front if the weather is good.  Plenty of bars/coffee shops around and picking up a light lunch could be reasonably priced there.

[ann141]

If P and O (rather than the port authority) provide a shuttle bus it is usually free if you have paid the Select Fare.Otherwise it is usually 4 or 5 Euros each way.

[P-L-B]

Just to add to the above post.

The practicalities of being charged or not (Saver or Select) is taken care of because your cruise card is scanned as you board the shuttle bus.

[ozzysdad]

Depending on what you want to do in Cherbourg there may not be a need to do a shuttle if you just want to just visit the maritime museum housed within the cruise terminal, it's literally a few minutes walk and was priced at €18 for adults and about €10 for children and you can come and go as you please, it's split into 3 or 4 displays the highlight for me being the audio tour of Redoubtable, a nuclear sub they have on display in a dry dock.

[Selbourne]

You don’t need a shuttle bus in Cherbourg. It’s a very easy walk into the town along the harbour side, and I was pushing a wheelchair. I would echo that the Museum next to where the ship berths is well worth a visit. The Titanic exhibition within it is excellent, much better than the one we went to in Halifax, Nova Scotia last year. You can get an audio guide (in English) for a self guided tour inside the Nuclear Submarine. 

 

With Zeebrugge, if you don’t go on a P&O tour you can get a shuttle to Blankenburg (as has been said). If you want to get a cab to Bruges (as we did) then it’s best to pre-book, as taxis are no longer allowed in the port so tend not to be available for walk up passengers. You have to get the (Free) internal port shuttle to the dock gates where your cab will meet you. We pre booked using Martins Taxis, who were excellent and drop you off / pick you up right in the centre of Bridges (which buses or trains don’t). Taxis are fixed price and you pay on the day. Do not pay in advance. This isn’t allowed under local laws and some people on our cruise had been scammed by paying in advance and no cab turned up. 

 

Haven’t been to Rotterdam but we are going there later this year, so will be interested to know whether a shuttle is needed and, if so, where it drops you off.

[old man of the sea 1953]

Thanks to everyone. What is Saver or Select. Booked this cruise through an agent. 1st time with P&O

[Selbourne]

Deleted as duplicated post 

Edited February 24, 2019 by Selbourne
Duplicated post

[Selbourne]

11 minutes ago, old man of the sea 1953 said:

Thanks to everyone. What is Saver or Select. Booked this cruise through an agent. 1st time with P&O

 

Select fare is when you select your cabin number and dining preference, both of which are confirmed at the time of booking. Saver fares are cheaper but you choose a cabin grade (only) and are allocated a cabin from what is left. You cannot chose which one. Also, you will be allocated dining from what is left (usually Club, or fixed dining as Freedom, or when you like dining, is usually first to sell out). With a Select Fare you get free shuttle buses and things like on board credit / free parking. Once you take the value of the extra benefits into account, Saver fares often offer very little saving, yet you are saddled with the disadvantages. The agent didn’t do a very good job if they didn’t explain all of this to you. 

[BrianI]

12 minutes ago, old man of the sea 1953 said:

Thanks to everyone. What is Saver or Select. Booked this cruise through an agent. 1st time with P&O

You should have been given the fare option when you booked. A Select fare has many benefits that a Saver fare does not have. You should know what you booked.

 

Select Price benefits at a glance

The leading choice for its range of premium benefits:

• Choice of on-board spending money, car parking or return coach travel to Southampton (on cruises of 7 nights or more)*
• Choice of cabin location (subject to availability)
• First priority for dining time and table size in the main restaurant
• First priority for upgrades (where available)
• Shuttle buses (where and if available)
• Flexibility to change your booking (subject to our booking conditions)

*Choice of benefit dependent on cruise type, duration and time of booking. 

Saver benefits at a glance

Last-minute deals with some arrangements confirmed on board: 

• Available on selected cruises, at selected times 
• Cabin to be assigned prior to sailing
• Dining allocated upon boarding
• Full payment is needed at the time of booking

 

Brian

 

 

 

 

 

[Denarius]

A cautionary tale re Zeebrugge.

If you are going out independently and envisage getting a taxi back to the docks, make sure that you know which dock the ship is in and be sure to specify this to the return taxi driver.

When I visited a few years ago we tied up in the commercial dock which is separate and some distance away from the ferry dock. A couple from the ship got a taxi back and apparently just asked to be taken to the docks. They were taken to the ferry docks and only realised their mistake when the arrived. They then had to redirect the taxi to the correct dock but the ship could not wait  and they missed it.

Edited February 24, 2019 by Denarius
spelling

[Harry Peterson]

Just out of curiosity, anyone know what P&O charge to get people into Brugge from Zeebrugge?

[dave2]

We are on Britannia in June and one of the ports is Zeebrugge. A P&O coach trip to Brugge is £37/person.

 

Edited February 25, 2019 by dave2

[Harry Peterson]

1 hour ago, dave2 said:

We are on Britannia in June and one of the ports is Zeebrugge. A P&O coach trip to Brugge is £37/person.

 

Thanks for that.