P&O Ventura Mini Cruise Day 3 – Bruges

We had a fabulous nights sleep and The Channel has been incredibly calm. We’ve hardly felt any motion at all while on board which we’ve been grateful for as we have two novice cruisers with us who we’d assured wouldn’t notice a thing. This could be because Ventura is such a large ship carrying over 3000 passengers and nearly 2000 crew over it’s 19 decks, 9 restaurants and 11 bars. Sadly four days simply isn’t enough to sample it all but I’m trying my best!

By 7.30am we were already docked in Zeebrugge, which means sea port of Brugge or Bruges to us Brits, a gorgeous, historical Belgian town unlike the industrial port filled with containers and cranes I could see from my balcony.

We had a relaxing a la carte breakfast in the Bay Tree (one of three main dining rooms on board). The menu was wonderfully British, the grandparents enjoyed smoked haddock and kippers while I played it safe with a full English featuring traditional back bacon and Cumberland sausages you’ll never see on the American cruise lines. There are daily specials too along with a selection of cereals, omelettes and fruit juices as well as unlimited hot tea and coffee.

After breakfast we disembarked to find free transfer coaches waiting on the dock side. A tour guide took to the mic to explain How to DIY Bruges and highlighting the must do’s – basically beer, chocolate and waffles! The shuttle dropped us in Blankenberge, about 10 minutes drive from the port. The town itself was quite pleasant with a carousel Finn insisted on riding, a main shopping street and a beach and promenade. We crossed the road to the train station to purchase our tickets which cost just €5 each return if you show a cruise card and then boarded the hourly double decker train (42 minutes past the hour and bang on time) for the 10 minute ride to Bruges. P&O do offer a coach excursion to the medieval city at £36 per adult but it was so easy to travel independently I can’t imagine they sold many.

One great things about P&O is the destination guides which are waiting for you in your room on arrival, these 4 page, fact packed sheets are a huge help with maps, public transport info and even details on local delicacies. They really help you plan your day ashore where other cruise lines are less forthcoming with info as they always seem to want you to book an overpriced excursion.

We arrived at Bruges station and then followed the crowds and signs to the city centre. It’s a beautiful city and coincidentally not dissimilar to Oxford where we started our adventure. I was pleasantly surprised by the shopping as we meandered streets filled with high street names housed in gorgeous medieval buildings but sadly for me it was a bank holiday so most were closed but I suspect it saved us a fortune. We found the main central squares which is called The Markt and the girls enjoyed a shared a half carafe of red while the boys drank Belgian fruit beer in the sunshine at one of the bars that lined the square.

We were planning a boat ride around the canals but the queues were huge so we contented ourselves with a waffle and fresh cream on the canal bank before walking back to the station in time for the hourly return train (4 mins past the hour) and then an awaiting coach shuttle back to the ship in time for afternoon tea and scones in the Waterside buffet. We had a quick dip in the indoor pool and then the sun came out so we braved the outdoor pool which was surprisingly warm before it was time for a quick shower ahead of dinner.

Tonight we were dining at the main restaurant, we’d been allocated Saffron restaurant, one of two freedom dining restaurants on board. We arrived around 7pm and requested a table for 5. There wasn’t one available immediately so we took a pager and enjoyed a pre dinner drink in the atrium and within 20 minutes the pager went off and we returned to the restaurant and were quickly seated at a lovely window table. I enjoyed tomato soup followed by a roast turkey and then Bakewell tart which was enjoyable but possibly not the fine dining experience I’ve enjoyed on other ships.

Finn was insistent on kids club so I signed him in for movie time then the grown ups went to the Havana Lounge. We enjoyed an excellent Motown Show by The Electrix which got Grandma and I dancing followed by a few rum and cokes before bed, dreaming of a lazy sea day ahead.

P&O Ventura Mini Cruise – Day 4 Sea Day

It was a lazy start to a sea day and I caught up on the blog and checked email. Wifi is available on Ventura and is fairly fast and reliable although it’s not cheap. The packages on offer include 250 minutes for £62.50 or 100 minutes for £35 with no unlimited package option so you must remember to log in and log out to avoid wasting minutes.

We just made the al a carte breakfast in the Bay Tree which closes at 9.30am. I resisted the full English and went for Scottish pancakes and maple syrup. After breakfast it was time to explore as we’d still not experienced all of the ship so we took the lift to deck 18 to work our way down. We found Metropolis a lovely crows nest style bar at the rear of the ship and agreed we try and sample a glass or two in there later. We also found The Epicurean fine dining speciality restaurant which has a lovely outdoor dining area. Those lucky enough to stay in suites can enjoy breakfast here too.

We worked our way down through the decks, stopping to show Finn the basics of chess on a giant outdoor chess board on deck 15. Deck 7 has a promenade deck, an undercover but outdoor walkway which loops around the ship. There are several shops on Deck 6 & 7 around the atrium which were packed with sea day cruisers looking for presents and bargains. We mostly resisted the temptation but did add to Finn’s ever growing teddy collection with a Ventura bear.

It was nearly midday so we stopped off in the Glass House for a bottle of red which doesn’t go far when there’s four of you! Then as the sun was shining it was up to top deck to find a sheltered spot and there were plenty of sun loungers and thankfully no chair hogging from what I could see. Soon it was time for one of my favourite sea day pastimes the al a carte lunch and we were quickly seated in the Saffron Restaurant at a table for 5. I wasn’t particularly inspired by the menu at first glance but opted for a chicken curry while the grandparents went for a steak and mushroom pie. The curry was absolutely delicious, one of the best meals I’ve had on board and even better than the food we had in East. The grandparents enjoyed the pies judging by the clean plates they left.

Finn wanted to watch a film, Into the Woods which was showing in the Tamarind Club on Deck 7 and grandma and grandad volunteered to take him which allowed Andy and myself to enjoy another glass of red from the wine box in our cabin. A few hours later there was a little knock at the door and he was back and wanting to go swimming. We went to the indoor pool which was ice cold so braved the outdoor one which was slightly warmer in the sunshine. We shared a small cooked to order pizza from the pool side pizzeria and Finn had a Calippo lolly for a pound from the adjacent ice cream parlour.

We went back to our cabins to relax before dinner and chose a film from the hundreds of new releases available for free on the TV. A really nice feature is you can pause and save where you’re up to for later which was a good job as it was time to change for dinner.

It was formal night and a chance for Finn to try his new DJ suit and dickie bow. He looked adorable and Daddy and I scrubbed up OK too! We went to Saffron for 6.45pm and were seated at a window table within minutes. The gala dinner Marco Pierre White menu was lovely with choices including rib of beef, lobster or lamb. We indulged in the full four courses and I had game terrine, marmite soup, lamb and then strawberries soaked in prosecco.

After dinner we took the lift to the Metropolis bar to enjoy yet another bottle of red as the sun began to slowly sink into the sea. At 8.30 we went to the Havana Bar to watch Junnk, a sort of boy band who sing and play percussion instruments made out of rubbish. We’d actually seen them in their branded t shirts on embarkation day and mistakenly thought they were a stag do! They were fantastic entertainment and the bar was packed so I took Finn down to the front to sit and watch the show. He absolutely loved it and the group stayed around to have photos and selfies taken with all the kids after the first of their two sets of the evening. Finn was getting tired so we left the grandparents to their rum and cokes and stepped out onto the promenade to watch the sun finally set. We then returned to our cabin to watch the end of our film, Captain America and The Winter Soldier which went down well with a seven year old Marvel fan, and get some rest ahead of our final port day in Guernsey.

Click here for part 3.

P&O Ventura Mini Cruise – Day 1

After a much anticipated wait our first cruise of 2015 is finally here! Today we board P&O Ventura for a cheeky four night mini cruise and we’re taking Andy’s Mum (Grandma) and step dad (Grandad Chris) who have never cruised before. The itinerary includes a stop at Zeebrugge where we’ll be taking a train to Bruges and a tender into Guernsey weather permitting. Our seven year old Finn will be showing Grandma the ropes and I’m looking forward to sampling P&O ahead of a longer Christmas and New Year cruise on Britannia later this year.

Possibly the only disappointment is that the cruise is just a four nighter but I have managed to extend it into a six night holiday with a night at Grandma’s on the Friday and an overnight stay in Oxford on Saturday. Thankfully we dodged much of the bank holiday traffic and arrived at the Holiday Inn a few miles outside the city centre just after midday. I did look at trying to book in Oxford itself but the hotels were outrageously expensive, one night at the Malmaison was more than we paid for the four night cruise!

We took a 10 minute, £10 cab ride into town but there’s also a park and ride bus service a 5 minute walk from the Holiday Inn & Travelodge at Pear Tree Roundabout. The taxi took us through tree lined streets to a city centre dominated by stunning colleges and church spires.

We wandered through the gorgeous streets, peeping into cloisters and squares admiring the university buildings. You can pay to go in to most but we were happy just to stroll around and mingle with the thousands of daily visitors the city attracts. It really is breathtaking and we even managed to keep Finn interested when we explained that many of the Harry Potter Hogwarts scenes were filmed here.

Last week ahead of our trip I was googling things to do and spotted that Jersey Boys was on at Oxford’s New Theatre. I’d seen the show in London a few months ago and loved it but Andy hadn’t and as the music is of Grandma and Grandad’s era we thought they’d love it too. We collected our tickets and then went in search of a glass of red and somewhere for a pre theatre dinner.

The street that the theatre is on is lined with restaurant chains including Zizi, Ask and Jamie’s Italian. Many were fully booked but we managed to organise an early evening table at a gorgeous French restaurant called Cote Brasserie. Before we ate we strolled to the river and found a pub with a beer garden. The sun was shining and I had a glass of red in my hand – all was right with the world!

Before long it was dinner time and we enjoyed a wonderful steak and peppercorn sauce dinner for the adults and a Croque Monsieur for Finn, washed down with a bottle of Merlot. The food and service was excellent and we were right to book in advance as the restaurant soon filled up and many potential diners were turned away while we dined.

Following dinner it was a short stroll back to the theatre for a pre show drink. We took our seats high in the balcony with a great view of the stage. It was a fantastic show delivered by a talented cast playing well loved hits we all knew. It’s a great show although I suspect Finn learnt a few new words as the language was a little lively at times! We escaped during the finale to beat the crowds and jump into the only black cab at the rank for a short ride back to the hotel. All tired but happy after a great start to the holiday.

P&O Ventura Mini Cruise – Day 2

The big day began with a Holiday Inn buffet breakfast and by 9.45am we were in the car and on our way to Southampton. The traffic gods were smiling and we pulled up at the Ocean Terminal at 11.30am where I’d booked parking through the P&O recommended CPS. We were marshalled into a holding area in what looked like a military style parking operation and within 10 minutes we were directed to a drop off area where staff quickly checked us in and whisked away the car. Our luggage was taken by one of an army of porters and we were soon walking into an impressive silver clad terminal building.

We were greeted by P&O staff who gave us our health questionnaires and a card with the letter K. Check in hadn’t quite opened but within minutes they began to call their way through the alphabet and a quarter of an hour or so later it was our turn to head to the registration desks. We were issued with our cruise cards and breezed through security and up the gangway entering the ship through an impressive but compact atrium. Having mostly cruised with Royal Caribbean I’m used to a huge Royal Promenade but the atrium was small and perfectly formed and arguably more tasteful than some of the glitzier American ships. We were greeted with the ubiquitous ship’s photographer and waiters offering wine and soda packages which we chose to decline on such a short cruise. P&O don’t offer an all inclusive package however they do allow you to bring alcohol on board to consume in your cabin so we’d packed a box of Spanish red for our room and decided to pay as we go on a bottle or two with dinner on board.

Staff explained that cabins wouldn’t be ready until 2pm and directed passengers to deck 15 where the waterside buffet was serving food. We found a bar by the Laguna pool and raised a glass of red to the cruise ahead before a bit of an explore. We took a stroll around top deck to get our bearings and soon stumbled across The Reef, a fantastic kids club at the rear of the ship on deck 16. There’s a fabulous little soft play area and pedal cars for the youngest age range however Finn was much more excited by the kids pool and the Playstations he could spot in the Surfers Room for the 5-8 year olds. We signed him up although I suspect he’ll hardly get a chance to go on such a short cruise but the facilities looked excellent.

Next we visited the Olly Smith endorsed Glasshouse wine bar where we enjoyed a reasonably priced bottle of red at £16.50, a refreshing change from overpriced wine on American cruise lines. We were tempted by the tapas but sadly they weren’t serving food until after the muster however I’m sure we’ll try it later in the cruise. Soon it was 2pm and time to access our cabin which was B604 on deck eleven. It was surprisingly spacious and well laid out with a walk in wardrobe and a decent sized balcony. The only slight issue were the two twin beds but I had a quick word with our cabin steward Beverly who promised she would rearrange as a double and we also asked her not to bother setting up the third bunk at night as Finn would jump in with us . A nice additional touch in cabins with children was a ‘welcome’ helium balloon and a bag of jelly beans.

After we’d unpacked we headed to the Waterside buffet for a bite to eat. We entered via the Beach House which by day is an extension to the buffet restaurant serving the same breakfast and lunch menu but in the evening is a speciality restaurant offering a Frankie & Bennys style menu for a small fee. The buffet was busy but the staff were helpful and we were quickly seated at a table for 5, I enjoyed a mini Sunday lunch of gorgeous roast beef and Yorkshire pudding followed by a lovely slice of chocolate gateaux.

After making a little progress on our box of red, we grabbed our life jackets and went to our muster point in the Tamarind Lounge. I was surprised that no-one checked our cruise cards or ticked us off a list, it seemed a little lax in comparison to some other lines we’ve cruised with. After the muster we went to the indoor heated Beachcomber Pool which has a retractable roof. Finn loved showing off his newly found swimming skills to Grandma but its worth noting the pool is very deep and I couldn’t even stand up in the shallow end. There are no lifeguards at any of the pools so close supervision is absolutely necessary if you have small kids.

After a quick dip it was time to shower and change for dinner. I was plenty surprised to find complimentary White Room toiletries, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion. I suspect if I’d bought the same in Selfridges it would be at least £20! The shower was powerful and hot, a good quality hair dryer was appreciated and in no time I was ready for dinner.

It was Grandad’s birthday so we were treating him to dinner at East, the Atul Kochhar speciality restaurant on board. I’d booked for a party of five as I wanted Finn to join us but he had a precautionary hot dog beforehand as they don’t do a kids menu and it’s not particularly child friendly although he enjoyed the desserts! Our table was booked for 6.30pm and we were the first there but it soon began to fill up. We enjoyed the sharing appetisers featuring chicken and garlic wrapped in leaves, prawns and salmon. For my main I had a lamb rendang and the others had fillet steak served with sweet potato and rice. The meal was enjoyable but perhaps a little underwhelming and personally I’d have preferred an amazing curry, the like of which ironically you often find daily at the buffet on cruise ships. The real highlight however was still to come as we all ordered the infamous chocolate bomb, a chocolate sphere filled with white chocolate mousse and fruit coulis which melts as the waiter pours a hot chocolate sauce over it. That alone was probably worth the £20 cover charge!

Following dinner we caught the end of a movie themed show in the Arena main theatre. I wasn’t massively impressed but it definitely improved with a Mama Mia track and an explosive closing James Bond medley featuring pyrotechnics and gun shots.

After the show we went to the Havana Bar for a nightcap just as a band called Serious Sounds took to the stage with a Caribbean inspired reggae set. We ordered rum and cokes to continue the Caribbean theme and I’d have been happy to stay up all night but Finn flaked so we said good night to the grandparents and went back to our cabin to get some sleep ahead of a day in Bruges.

Click here for part 2.