Ferry to Belgium 2013

We decided to take another trip to Belgium on the overnight ferry from Hull to Zeebrugge, the port just outside of Bruges. The ship was amazingly similar. We could not tell any difference, other than we had a cabin with a window onto the water.

Pride of Bruges, our ride to Bruges

Another new item was a Disney anniversary display that L really loved. J not so much, as you can tell by the pictures.

L as a Disney Princess

Not quite ready for Disney, I think

Leaving England was uneventful. The day was foggy and cold, letting us see little of the shoreline as we left. We did see some interesting things at the port, including a boat with its drive-in ramp open.

One crane-tastic dock yard

Drive on boat

Goodbye, England!

The kids enjoyed the play room on board, which is basically a padded cell with big padded blocks. The walls are decorated with a nice circus theme, so don't be thinking of Gothic jail cells and straight jackets. J and L found a few friends. We didn't take any photos this time, you'll just have to refer to the last cruise. We also strolled the decks.

L on deck and ready for the photo, which is more than we can say for someone else!

Dinner was the same buffet as last year, though we had a drink-spilling marathon. First, J spread most of his orange juice across the table. Luckily it had a cloth tablecloth which absorbed the juice. Then I bumped my wine glass and lost half my wine. The next morning, my wife spilled tea on the breakfast table. Alas, we couldn't blame rough seas because the boat was very smooth on the water this time.

The on-board cinema did feature Iron Man 3 at 2045 English time (Belgium is an hour behind). I watched that and the review is coming soon. The theater itself was pretty small and overrun with teenagers who probably didn't realize they could be hanging out and chatting in the lounge and bar. Instead, they spent their time chatting during the film. The situation was rather annoying, though they mostly settled down after about ten minutes.

Disembarking in the morning went as smoothly as it possibly could. We were soon on the bus to Bruges, where we'd have some adventures before we went on to our hotel in Brussels.