Are there shuttles for Rotterdam, Bruges and Hamburg (Iona - April)

[Flo71]

Hi, I'm thinking of booking a last minute cruise on the Iona. Will there be shuttle buses at the shop to go into the towns at Rotterdam, Hamburg and Bruges ports? Looking for either tips for a bit of sightseeing fairly close to port or easy ways to get to the places Amsterdam, Hamburg and Bruges. I have some what limited mobility for walking long distances. Trying to keep it a cheap and cheerful trip but could be persuaded to fork out for the right execution if there is any availability. 

Thanks in advance xx

[Ardennais]

We did that cruise in Feb and were overnight in Rotterdam. No shuttle in Rotterdam and it’s a long walk into town. I think some people used the subway but we walked about 6 miles there!

 

Hamburg:

 

 

 

 

[Ardennais]

Zebrugge. We paid for a P&O transfer to Bruges (Bruges on your own - Full day). I booked this in the cruise personaliser a good few weeks beforehand and I think that the transfers were sold out before the actual cruise. However, there is still a fair way to walk from the bus park to the city centre so that might be a problem. 
 

This was also available:

 

 

[molecrochip]

Rotterdam - do you not stop at the city cruise terminal in the city center?

[Flo71]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

Zebrugge. We paid for a P&O transfer to Bruges (Bruges on your own - Full day). I booked this in the cruise personaliser a good few weeks beforehand and I think that the transfers were sold out before the actual cruise. However, there is still a fair way to walk from the bus park to the city centre so that might be a problem. 
 

This was also available:

 

 

 

Thank you so much, really used info from you, much appreciated x

 

[davecttr]

1 hour ago, molecrochip said:

Rotterdam - do you not stop at the city cruise terminal in the city center?

Yes, south of the river and about 400 yards from the Erasmus Bridge and Metro station. The tram stop is about 120 yards further.

[Goosebear Mum]

Hamburg, yes, into the centre, cannot remember where we were dropped, sorry, but I know we then walked easily everywhere. 
 

Zeebrugge, yes, into Blankenburg, to the train station 

 

Rotterdam, not been!

 

shuttles are free if you’ve paid select fair, else there is a ‘small’ charge (not sure how much) 

 

 

[Denarius]

5 hours ago, Ardennais said:

Zebrugge. We paid for a P&O transfer to Bruges (Bruges on your own - Full day). I booked this in the cruise personaliser a good few weeks beforehand and I think that the transfers were sold out before the actual cruise. However, there is still a fair way to walk from the bus park to the city centre so that might be a problem. 
 

This was also available:

 

 

Blankenberge is a small seaside resort in which one can spend a pleasant afternoon, or from which one can catch a train to Bruges. Just make sure that if you do the latter you get back in time to catch the last shuttle back to the ship. Otherwise you will have to pay for a taxi.

And if you get a taxi back to the ship, make sure that you know where the ship is docked and tell the driver; otherwise he may well take you to the ferry terminal instead.

Edited March 19, 2023 by Denarius

[Ardennais]

5 hours ago, molecrochip said:

Rotterdam - do you not stop at the city cruise terminal in the city center?

Yes, I meant that we walked 6 miles around the city! But it’s a long way from the cruise terminal to the interesting sights such as the Cube Houses and the Market Hall. The bridge itself is quite long and I estimate that it’s a good mile and a half to the places I’ve mentioned. For people with limited mobility, it’s not very doable. 
 

I wouldn’t really describe the terminal as being in the city centre as such. 

Edited March 19, 2023 by Ardennais

[Ardennais]

I was quite surprised that there were no shuttles there to be honest. We’ve had shuttles take us shorter distances before now! 

[Ardennais]

22 minutes ago, Denarius said:

Blankenberge is a small seaside resort in which one can spend a pleasant afternoon, or from which one can catch a train to Bruges. Just make sure that if you do the latter you get back in time to catch the last shuttle back to the ship. Otherwise you will have to pay for a taxi.

And if you get a taxi back to the ship, make sure that you know where the ship is docked and tell the driver; otherwise he may well take you to the ferry terminal instead.

Good to know. Is the train station close to the centre of Bruges? The OP mentioned  limited mobility and for some people, all the faff of getting on and off buses/trains can be quite a strain. 

[Ardennais]

I wasn’t far off! 2.4 km = 1.491 miles.

 

 

[Ardennais]

Another point about Rotterdam - the HOHO bus was nowhere to be seen outside the cruise terminal which was somewhat surprising too. Don’t know whether they were running in February, but we didn’t see any. 

[tring]

9 hours ago, Flo71 said:

Hi, I'm thinking of booking a last minute cruise on the Iona. Will there be shuttle buses at the shop to go into the towns at Rotterdam, Hamburg and Bruges ports? Looking for either tips for a bit of sightseeing fairly close to port or easy ways to get to the places Amsterdam, Hamburg and Bruges. I have some what limited mobility for walking long distances. Trying to keep it a cheap and cheerful trip but could be persuaded to fork out for the right execution if there is any availability. 

Thanks in advance xx

 

Did not mean to be rude marking a haha on your initial post, but the typo did give me a good laugh.  Probably caused by predictive text.

 

You can get a taxis to and from Bruge if you really want to go there and feel taking the train would be too difficult, bit not sure what they would cost and you would still have to make sure you were back well on time.  I have a friend who went with her sons and a dil and she reckoned it was not too bad for four of them, given the added advantage of going straight from the ship, though for two the "Bruges on your own" excursion would likely be better.  Personally we have docked on Zeebrugge a couple of times and have been quite happy staying in the seaside resort of Blankenburg - can take a fair while strolling through the town and then along the prom, stopping for refreshments.  We have been to Bruges when on a land hol and did not think it met up to what we expected, but all personal choice.

 

Worth going to the "Ports of Call" section of these boards and searching for those ports as I am sure I have seen a number of replies about them previously, so can likely get the cost of various travel options as well.

[elmsliebev]

We've just been to Rotterdam with another cruise line. There was a lovely guy from the Tourist Information office in the port building and he suggested we could get the water taxi across to the stop by the Maritime Museum, which is a 10 min walk from the Market hall and the Cube Houses. The water taxi was a 5 min walk from the cruise terminal (past the original Holland America line building which to a cruise geek like me was a bonus point!) and was 4.50e pp. It was a quick and fun ride across the water - so much so that we got it back again. As they are a proper taxi service, you are supposed to book the return journey online but we didn't know and just turned up and got on, but I don't know if that's always possible.  

 

[Ardennais]

We saw the water taxis but we were half way across the bridge by then!

[Denarius]

18 hours ago, Ardennais said:

Good to know. Is the train station close to the centre of Bruges? The OP mentioned  limited mobility and for some people, all the faff of getting on and off buses/trains can be quite a strain. 

It's about a mile away from the centre.

[devonuk]

23 hours ago, Ardennais said:

I wasn’t far off! 2.4 km = 1.491 miles.

 

 

We walked from the ship to the Euromast, then to the Cube Houses and back to the ship with young children who loved it. So I guess what one person thinks is a long way is very different to the next 🤷‍♂️

[Ardennais]

2 hours ago, devonuk said:

We walked from the ship to the Euromast, then to the Cube Houses and back to the ship with young children who loved it. So I guess what one person thinks is a long way is very different to the next 🤷‍♂️

We didn’t find it too far, but the OP mentioned limited mobility.
 

I have to say that it was never something that crossed my mind until about 5 years ago, when my parents began to struggle. My father used to enjoy walking miles and miles every day around the farm and in the space of a few years, his mobility really deteriorated. They would never cope with Rotterdam or Hamburg. They used to enjoy the Fjords and places like La Coruna and Vigo where you get off the ship and you’re there. 
 

i know lots of people hate organised excursions too, but they’re a godsend for people with mobility issues. 

[Ardennais]

7 hours ago, Denarius said:

It's about a mile away from the centre.

Thanks. Still quite a distance then. 
 

The problem with my parents is that they can walk a while, but then tire during the day and then we have to get the car and pick them up. 

[Flo71]

23 hours ago, tring said:

 

Did not mean to be rude marking a haha on your initial post, but the typo did give me a good laugh.  Probably caused by predictive text.

 

You can get a taxis to and from Bruge if you really want to go there and feel taking the train would be too difficult, bit not sure what they would cost and you would still have to make sure you were back well on time.  I have a friend who went with her sons and a dil and she reckoned it was not too bad for four of them, given the added advantage of going straight from the ship, though for two the "Bruges on your own" excursion would likely be better.  Personally we have docked on Zeebrugge a couple of times and have been quite happy staying in the seaside resort of Blankenburg - can take a fair while strolling through the town and then along the prom, stopping for refreshments.  We have been to Bruges when on a land hol and did not think it met up to what we expected, but all personal choice.

 

Worth going to the "Ports of Call" section of these boards and searching for those ports as I am sure I have seen a number of replies about them previously, so can likely get the cost of various travel options as well.

🤪 I hadn't even noticed I was willing to pay for my demise by way of a typo, lol

 

[P&O SUE]

As others have said the shuttle at Zeebrugge goes to Blankenburg which is very nice if the weather is good. Lovely beach with wide prom with many bars and restaurants .When we did it you couldn’t miss the train station as the vast majority got off the shuttle and streamed over to the station to go to Bruges.

When we went to Bruges we did the P&O ‘on your own’ tour which was great but is a 20 minute walk from the drop off point. We did speak to a couple who’d got a taxi into Bruges and I think that drops you closer to the centre.

 

Have you looked at the P&O excursions? They often have ones that are listed as being suitable for people with limited mobility although I think they may be drives in coaches rather than getting out of it much.

[Ardennais]

The 20 minute walk from the bus park in Bruges isn’t such a problem if you can do it in your own time. We did it in 2013 with my parents and we were escorted to the city centre at quite a cracking pace. Last month, the escort just gave us directions which was better really for everyone, 

[sweep2907]

Christmas time I precooked the bus at port of Zeebrugge around £20 return takes you into Bruges then 10 min walk into Bruges. Free shuttle from ship takes you to port entrance then cross road into waiting area for bus. Can pay on day also. Booked on Viator.