Rotterdam as a P&O Short break destination?

[Tarquin]

Looking to go away as a mixed family group of around  a dozen including a couple of babies/toddlers on a 3-4 day short break. Four of us have cruised before visiting Zeebrugge (Bruge) , Amsterdam and St.Peter Port but my last visit to Rotterdam was back in the late 70's and from memory it had no endearing features to suggest that it would be tourist worthy. What's changed?

 

Also, I'm somewhat gobsmacked that the 'Isle of Portland' is considered a worthy destination. Again, am I missing something?

 

Finally, a cheeky request on the P&O forum................any recommendations for short breaks leaving from Southampton with other lines?

[Tarquin]

Looking to go away as a mixed family group of around  a dozen including a couple of babies/toddlers on a 3-4 day short break. Four of us have cruised before visiting Zeebrugge (Bruge) , Amsterdam and St.Peter Port but my last visit to Rotterdam was back in the late 70's and from memory it had no endearing features to suggest that it would be tourist worthy. What's changed?

 

Also, I'm somewhat gobsmacked that the 'Isle of Portland' is considered a worthy destination. Again, am I missing something?

 

Finally, a cheeky request on the P&O forum................any recommendations for short breaks leaving from Southampton with other lines?.

Edited December 30, 2022 by Tarquin
title wrong

[MAVIP]

6 hours ago, Tarquin said:

Looking to go away as a mixed family group of around  a dozen including a couple of babies/toddlers on a 3-4 day short break. Four of us have cruised before visiting Zeebrugge (Bruge) , Amsterdam and St.Peter Port but my last visit to Rotterdam was back in the late 70's and from memory it had no endearing features to suggest that it would be tourist worthy. What's changed?

 

Also, I'm somewhat gobsmacked that the 'Isle of Portland' is considered a worthy destination. Again, am I missing something?

 

Finally, a cheeky request on the P&O forum................any recommendations for short breaks leaving from Southampton with other lines?

From the late 70's......In 40-45 years it changed and recovered from the WWII bombardments. Rotterdam is a perfect cruiseport. Rotterdam itself (https://en.rotterdam.info/visitors-info/rotterdam-tourist-information/ ) but at short distance from Delft, The Hague, Gouda, Dordrecht, Kinderdijk, Amsterdam (less than 40 minutes by train), Haarlem etc. 

[Tarquin]

Thankyou. We thoroughly enjoyed the late morning departure from Amsterdam via the industrial areas and lock. It looks like the cruise terminal for Rotterdam may be similarly placed for the same experience?

[Thejuggler]

My visit to Rotterdam was in the late 80s.  Not much I remember apart from the Cube Houses.

 

If nothing appeals The Hague isn't far away and Scheveningen has a decent beach.

[Selbourne]

We went to Rotterdam on our last cruise (Aurora). We had a lovely day there. You can walk everywhere from the ship and we found it to be a really nice and quite different city. One of the nicest places for a short cruise IMHO

Edited December 30, 2022 by Selbourne

[Ine]

For the children maybe a visit to Blijdorp Zoo. https://www.diergaardeblijdorp.nl/en/

[John Bull]

On 12/30/2022 at 12:49 PM, Tarquin said:

Also, I'm somewhat gobsmacked that the 'Isle of Portland' is considered a worthy destination. Again, am I missing something?

 

 

 Within a drive of 45 minutes or less - The Jurassic Coast, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, Corfe Castle, Bovington Tank Museum (by far Europe's biggest), the abandoned (conscripted by the War Dept during WW2) village of Tyneham,  world-acclaimed Abbotsbury Swannery, Thomas Hardy's Dorchester, the Dorset Downs & villages, and plenty of other options

But can't be done on-the-fly - secure naval port, no tour vehicles or taxis permitted & none waiting outside and no convenient car rental depot, so independent tours need to be pre-booked.

 

Alternatively ship's shuttle to Weymouth for a lazy seaside day. Or even free port bus to diminutive Portland Castle and nearby good little D-Day museum worth 60 - 90 minutes in total.

 

But instead cruise lines like to push their excursions to Stonehenge and Bath, long bum-numbing coach rides.🙄

 

JB 🙂