In collaboration with P&O Ferries.
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
- First experience on a P&O Ferry
- Who are P&O Ferries?
- MF Pride of Hull history & specs
- Family accommodation on board
- Club Class Family Room
- Food and drink on board the Pride of Hull
- Onboard entertainment
- The Sundeck
- Travelling abroad with children with different surnames
- Observations & thoughts
- Further reading
First experience on a P&O Ferry
My first ever experience on a P&O Ferry was in the Spring of 1999. I’d landed in Glasgow a few days beforehand via Iceland, with an Army Surplus rucksack on my back containing all my worldly possessions and just shy of £200 in traveller’s cheques in my pocket.
I hadn’t booked my ferry to Shetland from Aberdeen in advance; I’m not even sure there was online booking in those days. I merely showed up on the pier, boarded the first P&O Ferry I could find and asked if I could catch a lift that night to the islands. This was on the freight service, St. Rognvald, which sailed to Shetland via the Orkney Islands. This was my first time on board an overnight ferry, and I, honestly, couldn’t spend any longer than 10 seconds standing without the world tilting and swirling about me. I spent the journey laying down for fear of the most dreadful seasickness.
Fortunately, 18 years of living on a remote North Sea island have forced me to develop sea legs, and I now find sailing a rather enjoyable experience.
Who are P&O Ferries?
P&O Ferries is a well-known household name here in the UK. It operates a fleet of more than 20 ships and over 30,000 sailings every year through the English Channel, Irish Sea, and North Sea. Each year, it carries more than 10 million passengers, 1.6 million cars, and 2.2 million freight units. When it comes to transport, it certainly knows its stuff.
Recently, my family and I were invited on board the P&O Ferry Pride of Hull for a trip to Belgium and a most delicious weekend Belgian chocolate Experience.
MF Pride of Hull history & specs
The MF Pride of Hull is a Bahamas-registered passenger and cargo ship with a roll-on/roll-off service launched on 11 April 2001 to provide a transport link between Hull, on the west coast of England, and Europoort, in the Netherlands.
When she entered service, she was, along with her sister ship, the Pride of Rotterdam (servicing the Hull—Zeebrugge route), the joint title holder of the world’s largest cruise ferry, a ship that is both a passenger ferry and a roll-on cargo ship.
Measuring over 215 metres long and 12 decks high, she is undoubtedly the largest ship I have ever stepped on*.
Family accommodation on board
Check-in was very quick and pleasant on both the outbound and inbound trips, and the staff was very friendly, welcoming, and accommodating, especially as we were travelling with rather energetic young children.
There are 530 cabins sleeping 1,360 passengers across Deck 10 (with some on Deck 9), including six suites, nine deluxe, five family, and six disabled cabins. Navigating through Deck 10, I have to confess, reminded me of a garden maze with its green patterned carpet and green-tinted walls. I did actually find myself lost on more than one occasion. Thankfully, there are regular maps on the walls to set you right!
On the outbound journey, the five of us were divided between two rooms—a four-bed outer berth with a fantastic sea view and a two-bed standard inner berth across the hall, both with an en suite toilet and shower facilities.
I noted that neither of these rooms had tea and coffee facilities (I am a caffeine junkie – I need to know where my morning coffee fix is coming from!). The cabins were very basic but clean and comfortable accommodation. We had a very peaceful sleep that night.
Club Class Family Room
On the return journey, we were treated to a Club Class family room, sleeping all five of us. This was an incredibly spacious room again with fantastic sea views.
Features included a flatscreen TV (we might have watched the last of the Germany/Italy Euro2016 football semi-finals on this!), a telephone, a stocked mini fridge, tea and coffee making facilities, continental plug points, a trouser press, clothes hooks and hangers, air conditioning, reading lights, bedding and towels and some rather lovely toiletries from The White Company. Oh, and we can’t forget the soft and cosy bathrobes! A complimentary box of Belgium chocolates and a voucher for a glass of champagne was a nice added touch.
There was an incredibly cosy double bed, just like a hotel bed, as well as a single bed that converted into a couch for comfortable seating, in addition to the two armchairs. We were rather impressed that two extra single beds were conveniently stored in the ceiling (see above photo, right), making the best use of the space available.
Food and drink on board the Pride of Hull
The Pride of Hull features two restaurants, The Kitchen and The Brasserie, a coffee shop serving Starbucks coffee, and several bar areas serving a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
During our outbound journey, we dined in The Kitchen, a buffet-style restaurant boasting a wide range of family favourites from around the world. There was something for all of us at this restaurant, and despite the rather long queue to get in (a great opportunity to chat with your fellow passengers!), it was affordable eating, and you could keep going back for more if you wanted.
I was impressed when the waitress brought colouring activity books and coloured pencils to keep the children entertained.
We had breakfast in The Kitchen the following morning, and again, there was a long queue but a wide and varied breakfast menu from toast and cereal to a full English breakfast.
On the return journey we prebooked our evening meal and breakfast in The Brasserie, a very comfortable and quiet restaurant with no queues. Table service was attentive and of the highest standard, and our meals were brought to us fairly quickly.
The evening menu was varied with something for each of our tastes – my partner had slow-cooked roast poussin infused with lemon, garlic and herbs, while The Teenager enjoyed an all-British steak burger served in a brioche bun with oozing Red Leicester cheese, crispy onion rings and chips. Our younger two children had macaroni cheese and cheese pizza from the separate children’s menu.
I opted for the seafood option—papillote of sea bream—a fillet of sea bream cooked with prawn, green lip mussels, and clams baked in parchment. It was absolutely delicious, especially when washed down with a complimentary glass of champagne. As an aside, I noted that the menu included wine pairings for each of the dishes, something someone like me, who doesn’t really know much about wine, appreciates.
After our main meal, we were served a delicious citrus sorbet, an intermezzo meant to cleanse the palate between courses.
For dessert, we enjoyed a clotted cream cheesecake topped with strawberries, sticky toffee pudding served with a creamy custard, and an indulgent chocolate soufflé served with clotted cream ice cream. The younger children had ice cream from the children’s menu. All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable meal.
The breakfast menu was much more limited than the menu in The Kitchen, but it was worth it for the view, the comfortable seating, the quiet, and the lack of queues.
Top tip: When you get on board the ship, make your way to the Brasserie restaurant and prebook your meals early, as tables can fill up very quickly.
Onboard entertainment
There is plenty to see and do on board to entertain yourself and the children during the voyage. Once we arrived on board, we had a quick look around, and after a long and exhausting journey to get to the Hull ferry from Shetland, we treated ourselves to some drinks. I had my first ever Pina Colada (how has it taken me so long to have one?!) while the children had their first taste of virgin mocktails. They loved the mini umbrellas!
The Pride of Hull boasts two cinema screens, each playing three current films throughout the evening. At the same time, the Show Lounge is spread across two decks and features a wide variety of entertainment, from cabaret singers to live bands. Football matches will be on the big screen if it’s the right time of year!
On the top deck, you’ll find a bar and the onboard pianist, who croons to a rapt audience throughout the night with classic tunes that make you want to get up and dance a quickstep or rhumba!
If you have small children with you, there is a children’s play area (for under 7s only) and a games arcade for those who are a bit older. We might have spent a lot of time (and £1 coins) in the arcade!
Regarding shopping, the Pride of Hull has you covered with offers of up to 40% off high street prices for fragrances, cosmetics, skincare, fashion, alcohol, sweets and souvenirs. Our daughter was most impressed with the jewellery, selecting a few pieces for herself and a school chum as souvenirs. At the same time, our youngest son spent considerable time sniffing all the perfume samples with great delight (who knew he was such a perfume fan!).
The Sundeck
Then there’s the Sundeck – a fantastic outdoor deck with tables, chairs and a bar with the most gorgeous sea views. It is the perfect place to watch the sunset while sipping on a cocktail (but also very stressful for a fretting mother whose children won’t stop climbing the railings to have a better look over the sides!).
Travelling abroad with children with different surnames
Oh, an important note for those of you with children from a previous marriage! If both parents still hold parental responsibility, you need a letter of permission from the absent parent to take a child out of the country.
This applies until the child is 18, and if you don’t have this letter and try to remove a child from the country, it’s considered child abduction!
We completely forgot about this legal requirement as it’s been 13 years since I last took my eldest out of the country (and I’m not sure I needed a letter of permission then), and we were nearly denied entry into the Netherlands!
Fortunately, the border control officer deemed my 16-year-old of age to speak for himself and responded that yes, indeed, his father knew he was on this trip with us, and it was all ok. It was a close call, though!
Observations & thoughts
Our journey to and from Europoort via bus and train to Brussels for our weekend Belgium Chocolate Experience was thoroughly enjoyable. We hardly felt that we were on board a ship for both journeys (regarding seasickness and the ship’s movements) and well-rested for our onward travel.
The ticket price includes only 30 minutes of free Wi-Fi —you can purchase vouchers for more at the Reception desk, but I can’t vouch for how good it is as I never used it. It was nice to go offline for a while!
Standard cabins are included in the ticket price, which starts from £169 each way (at the time of writing). Depending on the ticket type, you can upgrade to Premier or Premier Plus (the Club Cabin we stayed in), which includes meals at either The Kitchen or The Brasserie.
All in all, the voyage on board the Pride of Hull was memorable, and it was our first taste of what a cruise ship can offer. I’m seriously contemplating going on a full cruise abroad one day!
Further reading
P&O Ferries – The Hull to Rotterdam Route
Things to Do in Brussels
A Belgium Chocolate Experience – our weekend chocolate adventure in Belgium
Boulets a la Liègeoise – a traditional Belgium meatball recipe
Permission to take a child abroad – legal information about travelling with children
Make Your Break a SuperBreak – accommodation provider offering low-cost hotels abroad
We were guests on board the Pride of Hull, although all thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are our own. Thanks to SuperBreak, who provided our accommodation while in Brussels, and a huge thank you to P&O Ferries for the opportunity to travel through the Netherlands and Brussels.
Potato Canapés with Bacon and Asparagus
I knew that this was going to be dodgy when I read that Hull is on the west coast of England. The ships that serve Rotterdam are not sisters of those that serve Zeebrugge. The latter are smaller (they can traverse the ‘lock’ at Hull) and are significantly older (and it shows). ‘They’ sent you to Rotterdam since ‘they’ knew the Rotterdam ferries are better and ‘they’ were paying.
That looks amazing, almost a pity it only takes one night to get there!!
I love the look of the large cabin with all the facilities, and it sounds as though there was lots to do to keep you all entertained sometimes not so easy to find with a teenager AND younger children.
Brilliant and very helpful review, thanks. 🙂
How long was the trip?
Overnight. The ferry departs around 8pm and arrives around 8am the following morning.
very good point at the end about taking children from previous marriage! thank you for sharing! i wouldnt have known that if i hadnt read this!
Nice report but woudlnt it make more sense to use the ferry to Zeebrugge, instead of the one to Rotterdam, if you go to Belgium??
It would, but that’s the ferry they sent us on. I should expect both ferries are fairly similar since they are sister ships.
I have only been on P&P ferries to Belfast which is a short trip. Interesting to see the overnight facilities as well. Looks like you had a great trip
I’m actually moving to Hull in September and have been looking at possible trips to go on so a post like this is so helpful for me so thank you! Sounds amazing!
I’ve never been on a cruise but I have been looking into one on P&O Ferries, just a short brief one will do me just fine for the first time. Judging by this post, P&O Ferries sounds like a good shout. Looks like you had a lot of fun and that sunset looks stunning, what a beautiful opportunity to watch it from the deck of the boat! x
What a lovely experience, I am yet to board a ferry but booking one for this october and quite looking forward to it.
What a lovely tip for you to share about parents with kids from previous marriages.
Bit of a one track mind here but their food looks good lol 😉
The room looks fab! I’ve been on a ferry only once, when I moved here, in UK. I would love to travel again by ferry, it’s something different than I’m used to.
It looks really nice, similar to a hotel! I also didn’t expect that comfort for a ferry! xx
Aw this looked so fun! Such an amazing and memorable experience with your family 🙂
Wow this is NOT how I expected a ferry to look! Really impressed and rather keen to try out our own trip soon.
Wow how impressive! Any kind of large boat terrifies me hahah x
Sounds like you had a great time and the food looks amazing!!
I had no idea that the ferries would be so great! It seems like there is a lot to do and I didn’t realise the cabins would be so nice! You’ve got me rethinking a ferry trip for sure.
What a great way to travel to Belgium- especially with children. It’s something I would love to do with my son… but alas we have different surnames so I’ll have to make sure I have that letter with me!
ps the chocolate trip sounds right up my street so looking specifically at that right now 😉
Wow what a fantastic review – I’ve travelled on a similar trip with a different company and I have to say I am VERY impressed by the look of the 5 berth cabins on the P&O ship – they look just like a hotel and the facilities are beyond my expectation.
I love the look of the food too! YUM
Wow this looks amazing! Looks like you had a lovely time. A ferry like this makes travelling so much more fun!
The cabins look lovely – like real hotel rooms, not like the tiny cabins I remember staying in on ferries as a kid! I’d love to go on a huge ship like this one day.
It’s nice that they have so much for people to do while on the ferry. The meals definitely sound good too!
I’ve never been on a ferry before but they do look amazing 🙂
Looks like a fun trip. We take the Amsterdam – Newcastle ferry a lot (we live in Germany) and find it one of the easiest ways to travel x
I live so close to Hull and my husband is from there so we keep saying we must take them on a ferry – only issue is that he is terrified they will climb over board.. not sure what he is implying there haha! H x
I think that is a perfectly reasonable fear! I ended up banning mu children from the Sky Deck because they wouldn’t stop standing on the railings for a better view. My heart would leap into my chest each time! As for the rest of the ship – definitely very child friendly with no fears. 🙂
Wow, what an awesome opportunity. Looks like a fun time!
You all look like you had a wonderful trip! I am jealous of the arcades on a ship – amazing, ha!
Ashleigh x
http://www.beingashleigh.com – UK fashion, lifestyle and travel blog
I really wish I didn’t have such a fear of being on a boat/ferrie, anything water related to be honest because this just looks great! Reading the post makes me envy anyone who can go on them!
Jordanne || Thelifeofaglasgowgirl.co.uk
This is brilliant timing as we were actually thinking of getting a ferry over from Hull next time we are visiting Grimsby – thanks for this!
I haven’t been on the ferry in years. They look a lot different to when i was on one last. Looks like you had a great time x
Not a massive fan of ferries. I prefer travelling by plane or by land, but this looks amazing! I think I might just give it a go 🙂
I went on a ferry a few years ago with friends and their children and I must admit since having my own children it really does appeal to me. They are so much more entertained and it’s adds to the holiday x
Looks like a brilliant trip – we’re hoping to head over on the ferry from Ireland to Wales in the next few months as it definitely seems like the easier option than flying with the small man! Hopefully our experience will be just as good as yours! Great tip about the different surname – my son has my surname, so we do worry about him travelling just with his dad when he’s a bit older, but we’ll cross that bridge when it comes to it!
I’ve been on a ferry once with the school to France so we mostly sat on the coach but this looks amazing, I’d probably forget I was even on one, until I looked outside.
This looks incredible, we’ve done a P&O Cruise which was one of the best holidays ever but if always assumed that ferries were just a means to an end. This is a much better way to travel than going by car or plane to Brussels! It really adds something to the weekend, what a fabulous experience all round.
What a wonderful sounding trip and even better to be upgraded. It all sounded very appealing, Id love to do this.
Looks like you had a lovely time. I have never been on a ferry before. This looks amazing. Loving the entertainment and rooms.
I have never done a trip like this because ive never been sure it is for me, but it looks just amazing x
It is amazing that they gave you a club class room, it looks so luxurious and its great that living in the North has given you ‘sea legs’.
Oh my gosh, you’re so lucky to have been able to experience this! It looks so luxurious! I travel to the Netherlands quite a lot and I’ve always fancied taking the ferry as my other half has a phobia of flying!
ALSO, THE CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCE SOUNDS LIKE MY CUP OF TEA!
It looks fab! Not at all like the ferries I remember.
The Club Class room does look amazing! I’m not good at sailing to be honest, the furthest I’ve been on a ferry was Uig to Lochmaddy and that’s quite far enough I think! 🙂
Oh my goodness, this is a vast improvement on the way it used to be and I liked it then! We always pre-booked our breakfast so we didn’t have to queue. I’m sorely tempted to arrange another trip, it’s not too bad a journey to Hull for us.
That looks so much nicer than the cabins on the Irish Ferries service from Dublin to France.
I have to say Mrs OMG has never been questioned in relation to travelling with her children without the father there.
Looks like a fab boat to make the journey on.
I’m so impressed with the space and level of comfort of the cabins – we’ve not done masses of cruising but the last ones we’ve done have been on the expedition style ships down to the Antarctic and those cabins are small and basic, even the ones with en-suite bathroom! These look really comfortable!
Wow, I am really impressed with this ferry, especially the food. I have only ever done one overnight ferry before, and that was to Israel and it wasn’t anywhere near as nice as this one looks.
This looks like an amazing trip! I am so jealous! I hope I get to go soon also!! Great tips!
This sounds amazing and such a brilliant trip! Looks like you all had a ball 🙂
Wow!!! This ferry is simply amazing!! What an adventure and I’m so jealous!! I’ve been imagining how great was the Belgium Chocolate Adventure…
Wow! I had no idea a ferry had service like this. You don’t find a lot of them here in the USA. What a fun way to travel.
You lucky thing! The food looks amazing and the cabins a good size for a boat. Looks like with two cinema screens, the show lounge, children’s play area and much more there are loads for kids to do as well
A chocolate experience sounds like the best reason to jump on a boat. The food and accomodation looks really good x
Wow you are so lucky to get invited on board with your family! This looked like a lovely trip – I love going on big ferries, they hold some of my favourite memories (and some weird, seasick ones too!). It looks like you had a blast, and that food looks amazing too 🙂
Lottie xx
http://lottielamour.co.uk