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Northern Europe for half term
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Northern Europe for half term

Back for a third time to Hamburg, Rotterdam and Brussels, but with different onshore plans! Read more
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  • Trip start
    February 14, 2026
    Northern Europe for half term

    A traditional start

    February 14 in England ⋅ ⛅ 6 °C

    We'd be forewarned by P&O that there were roadworks on the way down, so we set out early. A good job we did - the engine splash plate on my car had come loose with all the roadworks and potholes around our house, so we had to come back and change to Ben's car. That aside, the run down in our direction was actually very clear, although we sadly passed a big accident on the other carriageway. So clear was the run, that we got to the Dancing Man Brewery twenty minutes before it opened! We grabbed our traditional pre-cruise pint before heading to Ocean Terminal for boarding.Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Into the Channel

    February 14 in England ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Our cabin on the Iona is on Deck 16, just a few cabins back from the bridge. It made for a breath-stealing start, as we don't use lifts on cruise ships (something at least to try and stave off the calories) which meant an eight-deck climb with our luggage! With views out over Southampton city centre, we grabbed a beer and watched England play a pretty terrible match of rugby against Scotland. The departure into the Channel gave us fantastic views of Portsmouth, despite nightfall. We spent some time booking up dining reservations for the week before heading to Anderson's for a complementary welcome drink and Aqua for dinner...and then climbed nine flights of stairs back to the room - ouch!Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Relaxing at Sea

    February 15 in Germany ⋅ 🌬 -1 °C

    The first of two sea days was hampered by the horrible cough I'd caught in the last week of school (which sounds like a fork in a washing machine, according to Ben!). That said, it didn't keep us from much; as it is a half term cruise, the itinerary is very geared towards children. So we watched some TV in the room, and grabbed a few beers to watch a spectacular France smash Wales in the Rugby. Today was the only black tie night of the cruise, so we enjoyed another complementary drink before dinner, in which the promised petit fours were sadly lacking! The pilot to guide us down the Elbe joined us about 11pm. It's a shame the journey in and out are both in the dark, as it would be great to see the 70 mile journey inland in the light.Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Hamburg Port

    February 16 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ -4 °C

    Arriving under cover of darkness, we hadn't realised we were ported for the first time in a different bit of Hamburg - typically we've ported on the south, so it's handy for once to be ported north, on the side of the town. We anticipated cold, but not necessarily snow, which was a pleasant surprise.Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Lüneburg

    February 16 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ -3 °C

    A ship-run excursion to Lüneburg for the morning, with the most eccentric guide ever. She's really interesting and knowledgeable, but you tune out for 10 seconds and then have bugger all idea what's going on! She's sung the Hamburg anthem, talked about Danish submarines, John La Carre, the Greater London Authority, corruption in Ukraine, and hunters hunting a boar and salting meat.

    The medieval town was rather picturesque dusted in snow, but it was also bloody cold. It was interesting to see the streets that had entirely collapsed, having been undermined for salt, and to see yet more churches with wonky spires (starting to doubt the architects of this part of the world). The restored houses of Lüneburg were a far cry from the red-grey covered buildings that were apparently prominent in the 1970s. The bell tower of the town hall has beautiful porcelain bells, but which don't ring in the cold winters for fear of shattering them. We managed the cobbles without breaking any bones, and with the 45 minutes of free time, we managed to find a bar serving a lovely local beer, before heading back to Hamburg.    Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    A morning stroll in Rotterdam

    February 18 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 2 °C

    After Hamburg, we spent a day at sea doing very little in the best sense - we watched a lot of on demand TV and chilled out in the cabin. By the end of the day though, the wind has picked up and the roll on the ship was very noticeable!

    Into past the Hook of Holland, it all calmed, and we sailed by night into Rotterdam. A lazy start with breakfast in the restaurant before heading out for a walk along the Maas river to towards the old port. We crossed the Willembrug onto Noordereiland for the first time, for a spot of coffee at Koozie Proeverij. We crossed back towards the ship, admiring up close the Koningshavenbrug. I had a webinar for the National Research Conference in the early afternoon, so from my cabin and sounding like Macy Gray, I spoke for a short workshop on quantitative analysis!    Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    A brewery tour of Rotterdam

    February 18 in the Netherlands ⋅ 🌬 2 °C

    Heading back out into Rotterdam, we identified some of the best spots for a beer and planned a route. We started at Proeflokaal Reijngoud, De Gele Kanarie Cafe, and finally Bokaal, trying their own brews where possible, or local drinks failing that. De Gele Kanarie had a beautiful view over the Laurenskerk, one of the few buildings that remained somewhat intact after the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940, which led to us reading about the destruction and reconstruction of the city. We got back to the ship just in time for dinner as Ben racked up 20,000 steps for the day.Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Dordrecht

    February 19 in the Netherlands ⋅ ❄️ 1 °C

    We awoke today to big, chunky snow falling over Rotterdam. Thankfully, the wind and temperature was not as cutting as it has been as we crossed Erasmusbrug to the Waterbus stop. The Waterbus took us an hour further inland, past the UNESCO Kinderdijk windmills (which were 100% not visible in the weather!) down the Meuse to Dordrecht, the oldest city in the Netherlands having gained city status in 1220.

    We braved the slippery paths to wander the canals of the medieval town. The architecture and houses were beautiful, and not a one of them was actually straight! They all look like they'll end up tumbling into the street one day. The Grote Kerk tower was similarly wonky, we have come to believe is the aesthetic of Dutch and Flemish architecture!    Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Nobel's Brood

    February 19 in the Netherlands ⋅ ❄️ 2 °C

    In an attempt to get warm and out of the increasingly sleety weather, coffee beckoned. Nobel's Brood sits in the medieval streets next to the Grote Kerke, so we pulled up a high chair in the backroom. It was a fabulous little find, and we opted for Tea for Two, with coffee and four different cakes (brownie, madeleine, pastal de nata, and apple cake, plus a bonus lemon cake on the coffee saucer!). Absolutely delicious, and we couldn't have found a better, more atmospheric place to stop. As we tried to order, speaking no Dutch, the waitress shyly remarked that her English wasn't great either, and then proceeded to describe the cakes to us flawless English, utterly putting our language skills to shame!

    Taking a slightly different route along another canal, we passed by more wonky houses on the way back to the Waterbus stop.    Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Koozie Proverij, Rotterdam

    February 19 in the Netherlands ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

    Back in Rotterdam, we decided to venture back to the Koozie Proverij cafe from yesterday as they stocked Noordt Brewery beers and we didn't get to try them yesterday. And we got to try them all! A Dubbel, Tripel, grapefruit, blonde, wit (white), bok, 10 hops, and IPA. They were brilliantly labelled with EBC and ICU on the side, and made for a great impromptu tasting paddle. Ben also finally got to try bitterballen, before heading back to the ship in time for departure towards Zeebrugge.Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Natural History and the EU Parliament

    February 20 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Up earlier than is reasonable on a holiday this morning, so we could grab breakfast before our bus to Brussels. The guide on the bus was knowledgeable but not hugely engaging. We briefly stopped at the Atomium outside of the main city. Having done the excursion before, we knew the walk in would include a mini-guide, so we asked if we could leave and grab a metro.

    At the Natural History Museum, we may have been the only adults there without children! But we came to see dinosaurs. That seemed like a reasonable and achievable goal, but clearly the museum designer had different ideas. The map is marked 1 to 18, you enter at 6, each number could be on any floor, and apparently numbers don't mark galleries but crossings...what?! The exhibits were great but the map was mental. We took in lots of dinosaurs, including iguanadons that were stood upright and had been in the gallery since 1901, with an explanation that newer science had them on all fours.

    Just outside the museum was the EU Parliament, and we wandered through the campus before planning our return to town.    Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Á la Becasse

    February 20 in Belgium ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    We tried to grab a metro back to the centre, which was a mission to try and pay for, and then as we trekked back to the platform I fell down the final step and whacked my knee off a nobbled tile.

    In centre of Brussels, we headed for Á la Becasse, a bar we found last time and fell in love with. Down a fairly hidden alley and looking like something from The Witcher, we had lambik beer in a porcelain jug. Ordering a small tasting flight and a Zot for Ben, the waiter thought I also wanted just a tasting of the Zot...when we laughed and I asked for a big one for Ben, he bought us a massive drink! Brilliant bar with fab staff.Read more

  • Northern Europe for half term

    Back to Southampton

    February 21 in England ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    A very wet final sail away from Zeebrugge, and a bit of roll on the ship as we sailed through the English Channel. One last dinner in the lovely Olive Grove, a few episodes of Ru Paul, and then packing in the morning. We departed amongst a faff of people for a 'Spoons breakfast with Mum and Kev who are joining the Iona for their own cruise next week!Read more

    Trip end
    February 21, 2026
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