Zeebrugge (for Bruges) cruise port, Belgium
The port is entirely man-made, pushed out into the sea from 1895 because Bruges had lost its own access to it: the Zwin channel silted up in the 1400s and the city simply stopped, which is precisely why it is still medieval. Bruges is 15 km inland, by coach or by tram.
Worth knowing. In 1918 the Royal Navy sank three old cruisers filled with concrete across this harbour mouth to bottle the German submarines in. Eight Victoria Crosses were awarded for one night's work.
What to do in Zeebrugge (for Bruges) for free
There is nothing at the berth itself. A free bus runs out through the dock gates, and from where it puts you down the sea front and the beach at Zeebrugge are a short walk. That is the whole of the free half, and most people are not here for it.
What costs money
The ship's own excursions usually cost more than booking the same trip yourself. Two things come with the price. The ship waits for its own excursions and does not wait for you. And if the port is missed, P&O refunds its own without you asking. A trip you booked yourself is a claim on your travel insurance, so check what your policy covers. The ship sells its own trips to all of these, and the desk is open on board if you would rather do it that way.
Getting to Bruges yourself. The coastal tram from the drop-off to a station, then a train that takes about twenty minutes. They run often enough that missing one costs you nothing but the wait.
Blankenberge. The next town west, about ten minutes on the coastal tram. A Belgian seaside town with a pier and a beach, and it is the quiet alternative to spending the day in a crowd.
Which ship calls at Zeebrugge (for Bruges), and when
Every call here between 15 August and 28 November 2026, with the hours ashore P&O published. These times are a guide, not a promise: the captain gives the real ones the day before.
| Ship | Sails | Day | Ashore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arvia | 30 August 2026, 7 nights | Day 7 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 31 October 2026, 7 nights | Day 7 | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Iona | 8 February 2027, 5 nights | Day 2 | 08:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 13 February 2027, 7 nights | Day 4 | 08:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 20 February 2027, 7 nights | Day 4 | 08:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 27 March 2027, 7 nights | Day 7 | 07:00 to 17:00 |
| Arvia | 2 May 2027, 7 nights | Day 7 | 07:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 16 October 2027, 7 nights | Day 2 | 08:00 to 18:00 |
| Iona | 21 October 2028, 7 nights | Day 6 | 08:00 to 17:00 |
How long you get ashore in Zeebrugge (for Bruges)
The published times give you between about 9 and 11 hours alongside, depending on the sailing. Take off the time it takes a few thousand people to get off, and the time you need to be back on board before the ship leaves, and that is your day. P&O give the real hours the day before, and the all-aboard time is earlier than the departure time.
The other stops on these cruises
Every one of these is on at least one of the sailings that calls at Zeebrugge (for Bruges).
- CherbourgTitanic's last call on mainland Europe, on the evening of 10 April 1912, and she never came alongside: tenders carried the passengers out to her.
- FlamA hamlet at the end of Aurlandsfjord with a railway out of all proportion to it.
- HamburgA Hanseatic free city that ran its own affairs for centuries and still calls itself the Free and Hanseatic City.
- OldenA village of a few hundred people at the head of Nordfjord, 100 km in from the open sea.
- RotterdamThe centre was destroyed by bombing on 14 May 1940 and never reconstructed as it had been, so the Dutch city that looks least like a Dutch city is a deliberate choice.
Money and language in Belgium
Euro (EUR, €). Cards everywhere. Bruges is a tram or coach ride from the quay at Zeebrugge, not a walk. Onboard is always charged in sterling, so this only matters ashore.
Zeebrugge and Bruges are the Dutch-speaking half of Belgium, and English is widely spoken.
| English | Dutch | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Hallo | hah-LOH |
| Goodbye | Tot ziens | tot ZEENS |
| How much? | Hoeveel kost het? | HOO-vale kost het |
| Thank you | Dank u | dahnk oo |
| Please | Alstublieft | AHLS-too-bleeft |
Free, and it works with no internet. Give it the dates you sail and it works out your own stops and saves the street map for each one. It shows you round the ship too.
All the ports written up so far, the things to do before you sail, or the ship pages for Iona and Arvia.