Newcastle (South Shields) - Amsterdam (Ijmuiden) (DFDS Seaways)

Member Name: fionad86

Product:	DFDS Seaways
Date:	17/04/09 (530 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No aeroplanes! You go to sleep and you're there!

Disadvantages: Small rooms, sea sickness

We took this crossing in April 2009 beginning on a Monday evening and returning Thursday evening. A lot of people seem to take the 2 night deal but it means you only get about 4 hours in Amsterdam before you come back. Booking 2 separate nights on the boat with a few days in between (which you can book into a hotel in the city) doesnt cost any extra money and is better if you want to actually see the sights.

Back to the boat.......there were 2 of us and we opted for an inside cabin with no windows and bunk beds and the return journey cost £156 in total. These cabins are very small and not a good idea if either of you have mobility problems as neither of us have any problems but didnt really like climbing onto the top bunk. This is especially relevant if you happen to get poor weather on your crossing as it can be a little nerve-wracking. However since we are young and easy going (and dont spend our holidays in our room!) this cabin was fine and did the job, and I must admit I slept very well on the trip from Newcastle to Amsterdam.

We happened to get the same boat in both directions, the Scandinavia, so I cant comment on the second boat which takes this route on opposing days, however Im assured that the facilities are basically the same.

Food - There is a buffet restaurant on board, The 7 Seas, which we found to be very overpriced at 31 euros (much like most things on board) so didnt venture into here. There was no sample menu to give an idea of the food but the advertisement board seemed only to have a varied arrangement of fish which certainly would not be my choice of meals. There is also The Blue Ribband, the upmarket a-la-carte restaurant on board. Again we didnt bother with this as the menu was very selective. As well as this is the Explorer restaurant at which most of the menu appeared to be burgers and salad. Sounds good right? Except you are looking at 15-20 euros for the most basic of burgers. There is also a cafe located just past the explorer which serves hot drinks and cakes and has some lovely offerings.

Bars - The main bar is called the Columbus Club and on most crossings you will find a variety of entertainment including a live band, bingo and a show. Unfortunately this show isnt changed for the trip back, so you really have to hope that you happen to be on the other boat back. Our trip involved a hungarian pop rock band and a hungarian dance act with a magic act section. It wasnt good Ill be honest, think summer camp by the sea as a child and thats the level of entertainment you can expect, but actually its much better than no show at all! The sports bar doubles as a nightclub later in the evening and the navigator bar is in the style of a piano bar, however the entertainment here is one man and his guitar which is a bit disapointing though he isnt all that bad.

Other activities - On board there is a casino, slot machine, a cinema and a shop. While sounding like a quite a lot of things to do, I did get quite bored. Id suggest taking a book for the crossing and a bit of extra thought before taking kids.

Getting to Amsterdam from the boat - The company lay on buses to central station which you can book with your cabin or pay for on the day at 15 euros return each. The bus takes around 30 minutes to get to the station but can take twice as long on busy days. A sightseeing tour is also available.

Return crossing - As I mentioned before we ended up on the same boat on the way home although with not so great weather. We spent the first few hours holding on to our stomach in the cabin which surprised me as Im not prone to travel sickness. We were assured that this was not a 'bad' crossing therefore I would think twice about the boat as an option if you suffer badly from this kind of sickness.

Overall this was a far more interesting way to travel than the plane, however I was disapointed at the lack of variety available not only in the entertainment and the food. Im not a fussy person and often stay in hostels and take budget flights, however I felt like I needed more space on the boat purely due to the length of time the crossing takes. Its certainly a different way to get to Amsterdam but the jury is still out here on whether its a better way or not.

Summary: Not bad cost but a bit of a boring journey