Mums do travel

Travel with and without teens

  • Home
  • Destination
    • UK
      • London
      • Kent
      • Northern Ireland
      • Wales
      • Elsewhere
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Croatia
      • France
      • Gibraltar
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Netherlands
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • USA
      • Canada
      • Carribean
      • Costa Rica
    • Africa
      • South Africa
      • Tunisia
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Bali
      • Singapore
    • Australia
  • Inspiration
    • Things to do in…
    • Things to do in London…
    • Where to stay
    • Language learning
    • Family travel interviews
    • The journey
    • Recipes
  • Published in
  • About
  • Contact
  • Travel shop
Home / Life in General / Stena Line ferry to Holland

Stena Line ferry to Holland

April 8, 2016 by Gretta Schifano 2 Comments

Stena Line ferry viewing deck. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Stena Line ferry viewing deck. Copyright Gretta Schifano

I wasn’t particularly looking forward to our ferry crossing to Holland. But I’m surprised to say that the seven hours and 15 minutes which I spent on board the Stena Brittanica ferry from Harwich were actually relaxing and enjoyable.

Duinrell

I was driving to Holland to stay at Duinrell holiday park (I’ll be writing about that soon) for a week during the Easter holidays with my son (13), my sister and her son (14). Stena Line had kindly invited us to experience their Harwich to the Hook of Holland service. The crossing was perfect for us because Duinrell is only around 40 minutes’ drive from the Hook of Holland port.

Our cabin

Getting on to the ferry was easy – we showed our passports and were given tickets for the crossing, our cabin and dinner in the restaurant. We found our cabin easily – number 10316, on Deck 10 – and I was impressed by how cosy and comfortable it was. It was a Comfort Class 2-Berth Cabin with an outside window. Here’s a short video to show you what the cabin is like:

We’d left home at 6am to make the 9am crossing, and by the time we got on the ferry we were hungry and thirsty. We left our bags in the cabin and headed to the self-service restaurant on Deck 9 for breakfast. I had scrambled egg, toast and coffee and my son had bacon, sausage, baked beans, toast and hot chocolate, which cost 13,50 euros in total. It was all good, and just what we needed after our early start.

Facilities on board

After breakfast I went to explore the rest of Deck 9, which is where all of the passenger facilities are located. Besides the self-service restaurant there’s an à la carte restaurant, a children’s play area, a cinema, a bar, an information and exchange office, a shop, a ‘quiet area’ with seating and tables, a TV lounge, an enclosed smokers’ lounge and an outside sun deck. There was a calm, relaxing atmosphere, and the interior design reminded me of a cruise ship. Outside I found an enclosed football area on one side of the ferry and seating and viewing areas on the other.

Football pitch, Stena Line ferry. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Football pitch, Stena Line ferry. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Back at our cabin we settled in for the journey. The boys adjusted the temperature of the cabin until it was to their liking, plugged in their devices to charge them up (luckily we’d remembered to take our adapters on board) and checked out the TV channels. They were enthralled by the Jeremy Kyle show.

Stena Line Comfort Class cabin. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Stena Line Comfort Class cabin. Copyright Gretta Schifano

We made ourselves comfortable with the quilts and pillows (there were only two, so we had to take turns) on the beds and watched from our window as the ferry set off for Holland. My sister made drinks for all of us and I stretched out on one of the comfortable beds and dosed, as I was unusually sleepy (note to self: read the back of travel sickness tablet packets before taking any tablets). We all found that we were quite thirsty during the crossing, and we drank most of the drinks which were provided in our cabin. There were various teas and coffees, still and sparkling water and juices, as well as beer and wine (we didn’t drink any of the alcohol). We also bought drinks on board.

It was brilliant having the cabin to use as a comfortable base. The en suite shower room had shower gel and soft, white towels and the boys both had a shower and used the hairdryer in the cabin afterwards. They went to check out the football pitch, but our football was in the car, so they couldn’t actually use it. There were three films showing at the cinema during the crossing, and the boys chose to see Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, at a cost of 7,00 euros each.

Restaurant

Towards the end of the crossing we went to the restaurant for lunch.

Restaurant, Stena Line ferry. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Restaurant, Stena Line ferry. Copyright Gretta Schifano

We had a set price two course menu (22 euros per person), and we all thought that it was very good. There were five options for the main course, and I chose Risotto with green peas and asparagus served with truffle oil and toasted pine nuts. It was delicious. The boys enjoyed steak, my sister chicken. We opted for dessert (rather than starter) and I had a very tasty slice of apple pie, while the boys chose chocolate torte and my sister decided on fruit salad. The restaurant was quiet, we had a table next to a window and our waiter was friendly and attentive.

Lunch on board Stena Brittanica. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Lunch on board Stena Brittanica. Copyright Gretta Schifano

On our return crossing our cabin (10322) was a mirror image of the one we’d had six days earlier. The crossing left at 14.15 and we weren’t as hungry or thirsty this time. We were armed with a football, snacks and bottles of water, and we settled straight in to our comfortable cabin. We had dinner at the restaurant – a three-course menu this time (32 euros per person). I’m vegetarian so I opted for Clear Vegetable Soup followed by Risotto with green peas and asparagus, then strawberries for dessert. As before, it was an enjoyable and relaxing meal with good food and service.

Verdict:

My sister says: ‘The cabin was excellent. It’s really nice to have a quiet, comfortable, relaxing place to chill out on a long crossing. It’s great that you can make your own drinks and I like having a private bathroom.’

My 14 year-old nephew says: ‘I’d rather be in the cabin than in the rest of the ferry. The beds are nice and I like the adjustable climate control. It would be better if it had wifi.’

My 13 year-old son says: ‘Definitely get a cabin because then you have your own place to be.’

I enjoyed the crossing and I felt rested and ready to drive when we got to the other side. The restaurant meals that we had were excellent, and it was great having a cabin. I’d recommend taking bottles of water on board, and a football, and extra pillows if you need them.

Stena Line ferry sun deck. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Stena Line ferry sun deck. Copyright Gretta Schifano

Cost

Stena Line offers two crossings a day, seven days a week from Harwich to the Hook of Holland. Prices start from £59 for a car and driver – the price that you pay depends on when you travel, the number of passengers and other factors.

There are various cabins available on board – prices start from £20, but the price you pay depends on the type of cabin, your travel date and other factors.

Lunch at the à la carte restaurant is 22,00 euros for two courses, children up to 15 years old can have half portions for half price.

Disclosure: Stena Line provided us with our return crossing, cabin and dinner on board for the purposes of this review. Our trip to Duinrell was arranged by Holiday Park Specials. All opinions, words and images are our own.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

Categories: Cruise, Life in General, Netherlands, The journey
Tags: cabin, ferry, Stena Line

About Gretta Schifano

I'm a freelance journalist and blogger specialising in family travel with teenagers, trips when parents manage to travel without their kids, and 50+ travel. I also write about vegetarian travel, parenting teenagers, adoption, SEN, ADHD and anxiety. My work's been published by the Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, National Geographic Traveller, Lonely Planet and others. I've lived and worked in Italy and Spain and am now based in rural south-east England with my husband, adoptive and birth kids and our dog. I previously worked as a social action radio producer for the BBC.

Facebook - Twitter - Google+

Subscribe to posts by email?

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

Comments

  1. Ema J Lowe says

    April 8, 2016 at 11:54 am

    great review, look forward to the holiday park been considering this park for summer

    Reply
    • Gretta Schifano says

      April 10, 2016 at 9:22 pm

      Thank you – I’ll be writing about the park very soon!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search site

Follow me!

Email: gretta at mumsdotravel dot com
Follow me on FacebookFollow me on Google+Follow me on TwitterFollow me on InstagramFollow me on YouTubeFollow me on PinterestFollow me on Bloglovin

You'd like posts by email?

Booking.com

Most popular posts:

  • Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
    Where to find Mary Poppins film locations in London
  • How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
    How to pack for an 8 kg luggage allowance
  • Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
    Thailand with teenagers: a two-week summer itinerary
  • What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
    What to do when your teenager doesn't want to go on your family holiday
  • 60 free things to do in London with a teenager
    60 free things to do in London with a teenager
  • How to shop in the souks of Tunis medina, Tunisia
    How to shop in the souks of Tunis medina, Tunisia
  • What to wear for a DofE expedition
    What to wear for a DofE expedition
  • Jane Austen tour: the places where she lived and wrote
    Jane Austen tour: the places where she lived and wrote
  • How to visit the places in the Winnie-the-Pooh books
    How to visit the places in the Winnie-the-Pooh books
  • 5-night itinerary for Northern Tunisia
    5-night itinerary for Northern Tunisia

Recent Posts

  • How to apply for Italian citizenship: everything we’ve done so far
  • How to explore London’s top attractions from home
  • Amsterdam virtual museum & gallery tours
  • Introducing Armchair Travels
  • How to explore Florence, Italy, from home

About

  • About
  • Published in
  • Contact

Disclosure

This is a personal blog written and edited by me, Gretta Schifano. Sometimes I’m given products or sent on trips to review, but I always make this clear and give my honest opinion. See my About page for full details.

Copyright © Mums do travel 2019
Header by Suzanne Barton
Website by
Callia Web

Sign up for my free newsletter:
Subscribe to the Mums do travel mailing list... it's FREE!
You'll receive family travel news, offers and competitions. Once you sign up you can download my tips for saving money on family travel.
Your information will *never* be shared or sold to a 3rd party.
Sign up for my free newsletter: