Cruise departing from Le Havre: what to see? (page 2 of 2)

Thanks so much, Leoto, for the info—it’ll be really helpful! :) Muriel

Hi there, Just back from this cruise, I’m putting together a little recap. First off, the departure was a bit of a hassle. The Le Havre departure was canceled, so MSC offered a bus shuttle from Le Havre to Zeebrugge at 9:00 AM, but that was a problem for us since we were coming from Paris—no train arrives in Le Havre in time to catch that bus. So they called us back with an alternative: a shuttle from Charles de Gaulle Airport at 9:30 AM, which worked much better for us. The transfer was well organized, and we arrived in Zeebrugge around 1:30 PM. Check-in was quick, and we picked up our key cards right at the cabin door. As for the stops: Southampton: You can walk to the city center in about 15 minutes. We visited the Titanic Museum and the old town. The Christmas market was already set up. Entry to the museum was £11, but there was no audio guide—just a small explanatory sheet in French. If you want to book MSC excursions, I’d recommend reserving them on their website because they’re much cheaper than on board. Hamburg: I’d suggest taking the MSC shuttle to get out of the port since it’s quite far from the center. We took a taxi to the Elbe Tunnel—15 € for a 5-minute ride. For the return trip, we took an Uber for 25 €. We preferred that over relying on the shuttle. The shuttle costs 16 € per person but drops you off in the city center, which is a great option if you want to explore the surrounding areas. The tunnel is really beautiful, and when you come out, you’re just a few minutes’ walk from the market. It’s very pretty, but don’t linger too long because they start packing up around 10:00 AM. After that, we visited St. Michael’s Church (free entry) and St. Nicholas’ Church (or what’s left of it). Then we took a stroll through the Speicherstadt district—absolutely worth seeing, it’s stunning. More to come later! 😉

Awesome, thanks Sago—this info will be really useful! 😉

Rotterdam: Wow, this was great—the metro is just 5 minutes from the port, and the tram too. We went with the metro option. We chose to pay by bank card because it’s cheaper. You pay for the kilometers traveled. If you buy a ticket, it’s only valid for 2 hours at a price of 7 euros. However, you need one bank card per person (round trip). We paid 1.36 € for the round trip to visit the cube houses, the old port, and the Market Hall.

Zeebruges: There’s a free shuttle to get out of the port. We went to Bruges by bus, which is right outside the port—25 euros per person for a round trip. The first departure from the port is at 10 AM, then every half hour until noon. The first return from Bruges is at 3 PM, with buses every half hour after that.

If you have more questions about the stops, don’t hesitate! ;)

As for life on board—let’s be honest—everything was geared toward the English and Germans, who were the majority. No effort was made for French or other languages either. No French-speaking staff on board, no welcome or disembarkation meetings in French. For activities, almost no French translations. After I pointed out this issue, some improvements were made—suddenly, an Italian staff member was also responsible for the French guests. Some effort was put into asking if any French speakers were present during activities. This was the first time this has happened to me after several cruises.

There was no entertainment team on board, which made the lounges feel a bit dull at times. The evening themes were also limited—a white party and the captain’s evening, with very few festivities.

So, it was a cruise with very little onboard life, but the ship itself was lovely, already decorated for Christmas. The buffet food was generally good, but very few vegetables were offered. The restaurant food was also good, though there was a slight drop in quality compared to my previous MSC cruises.

Still, it was a really nice little cruise—I love the concept! :)

Awesome, Sago, thanks for everything! The travel journal is super detailed. All we have left to do is pack our bags

Hi there,

What’s there to see when departing from Le Havre? Well, why not start with a visit to Le Havre itself before boarding? The city was rebuilt after the war by architect Auguste Perret. It’s been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site because it’s a remarkable example of post-war architecture and urban planning. It’s definitely worth a visit, just like Southampton, Rotterdam, or Hamburg.

Thanks Herodotos, unfortunately we’re arriving late in Le Havre. Maybe on the way back we’ll have more time

Thanks so much for the info, Sago! :) Muriel

Hello,

Thanks so much for your trip report! Did MSC give you any explanation for the canceled departure from Le Havre, and as a result, a shorter cruise?

Have a great day.

Hi Leototo,

A dockworkers' strike in Le Havre, but honestly... I find that a bit weird as an excuse. So no shorter cruise, just no disembarkation in Le Havre. The ship stayed docked in Zeebrugge, and we disembarked there instead of Le Havre.

Hi,

Thanks for your feedback. I didn’t realize you’d also disembarked at Zeebrugge on the way back. So I guess that must’ve had an impact on the next cruise passengers too. Hope the same thing doesn’t happen to us—we’ve booked a hotel in Le Havre the night before since there’s a strike announced too, just to avoid getting stuck on the road.

Have a great day and happy holidays!