Festive Cruise to Belgium and Holland - Emma's Review

Our product manager Emma recently travelled to Belgium and Holland and we managed to catch up with her to hear all about it! 

I was lucky enough to spend a few days onboard Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambition, a short but fun festive getaway visiting Bruges and Amsterdam. As much as I loved exploring the destinations, I also really enjoyed my time onboard: the meals, the bars, the entertainment, and life at sea for a few days. Here’s a quick recap of my time onboard.

Day 1 – Boarding and Settling In

On arrival at London Tilbury, I dropped my luggage off, parked the car, and headed to the cruise terminal. Check-in was quick, and after collecting my cabin card, I made my way onboard and found my cabin easily. Inside, my dining time and table number were already waiting for me.

Once unpacked, I spent a little time exploring the ship before heading to my muster station for the safety drill. With that done, I had some free time to relax before dinner.

I had the 20:15 second sitting and was seated with two other solo travellers, which made for really nice company. There were at least five options for each course, and I went for potato and leek soup, chicken Kiev, and Eton mess for dessert. Later, I headed to the theatre for the 22:15 performance of Sunday Night in Nashville, a fun way to end my first night onboard.

Day 2 – Bruges, Blankenberge and Formal Night

I started the morning with breakfast in the buffet restaurant. It was busy, but I found a table without having to wait. On a warmer day, the outdoor seating would have been lovely.

From Zeebrugge, I took the free shuttle to Blankenberge, then the train to Bruges. The train journey took about 15 minutes, followed by a roughly 25-minute walk from the station to the centre, where I wandered around the shops and Christmas markets. After returning to Blankenberge, I explored its smaller Christmas market and high street before heading back to the ship.

Back onboard, I enjoyed afternoon tea in the buffet before getting ready for the evening. It was formal night, and the ship had a lovely atmosphere, with everyone dressed up. Prior to dinner, I took a stroll through the onboard shops and picked up a few Christmas gifts. For dinner, I chose tomato soup, beef Wellington, and crème brûlée.

Afterwards, I went to The Cavern bar, where there was a game show, live music, and a silent disco to finish off the night.

Day 3 – Exploring Amsterdam

I chose to have breakfast in the main restaurant today, where drinks are served but the food is self-service. After that, it was an early start for my Amsterdam transfer excursion.

It’s roughly a 10-minute walk from the ship to the transfer meeting point, so leaving in plenty of time is essential. On the way, I noticed that the hop-on, hop-off buses were also offering Amsterdam transfers, some with boat trips included and at a lower price, something to keep in mind for next time.

We were dropped off close to Amsterdam Centraal Station, and I spent the day exploring the city, visiting the Christmas market and taking a boat trip along the canals. I returned to the pick-up point for 15:45 to head back to the ship.

Once back onboard, I enjoyed a drink and some live music before returning to my cabin to pack. Suitcases needed to be left outside the cabins by 23:00 so they could be collected and ready to go for disembarkation the following morning.

For my final dinner, I had Caesar salad, lasagne, and lemon meringue pie, followed by an evening in the theatre watching Jennifer Ward perform hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.

Day 4 – Disembarkation

Cabins needed to be vacated by 07:30, so after packing the last of my things, I headed for breakfast. Disembarkation times are assigned in advance; mine was 10:30, so after breakfast I went to the theatre and waited to be called. When it was my turn, I left the ship and collected my suitcase from the cruise terminal before starting the journey home.