Cruise departing from Le Havre: what to see?

Hi everyone, I’m so happy Voyage Forum is back online. This is perfect timing since we’re leaving on November 28th for a cruise departing from Le Havre (Southampton, Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Hamburg). Could you share some info on the distances from the ports to the city centers, sights to see, etc.? Thanks so much, and see you soon!

HELLO, You absolutely mustn't miss visiting Bruges..... and HAMBURG either. Le Havre itself? Meh.

HELLO, You absolutely mustn't miss visiting Bruges..... and HAMBURG too. Le Havre itself, meh.

Thanks for the info. We’re gonna do our excursions on our own—it’s way cheaper.

Hi, When I'm in Le Havre, I take the bus to Honfleur or even to Deauville. It's more interesting than staying in the city.

Hi Tine, the center of Southampton isn’t far, and there’s quite a bit to see. Check Google Maps and orient yourself in relation to the cruise terminal.

Muriel,

In Le Havre, there’s the MuMa – André Malraux Museum of Modern Art. In Zeebrugge, there’s a bus to Bruges right outside the terminal.

thanks Lol68 for the info. We’ll probably head to Bruges since it sounds like it’s worth it. We won’t have time to visit Le Havre since we’re coming from Paris

Good evening, thanks Muriel for the info. I think we can walk to Southampton city center... Thanks again! Tine

Hi, How long does it take to get from Le Havre to Deauville or Honfleur by bus? Thanks

Hi there,

To get from Le Havre to Honfleur or Deauville, you’ve got two options: - Bus line 111, departing from the bus station (located next to the train station). The journey takes about 30 minutes to Honfleur and around 1 hour to Deauville. You can check the schedules on the website: nomad.normandie.fr

- The tourist bus "Bee Le Havre," which takes you to Deauville and gives you 3 hours there before returning to Le Havre. Price: 39 € per person. You’ll find all the details on the website beelehavre.com

😉 Thanks so much for this clear and precise answer

Hi Martine, We’re taking the same cruise, but our departure is on November 14th. Leaving Paris on the 14th by train. I’m looking into what we can do during the stops. For Southampton, we want to see Stonehenge. I just found out there’s a free shuttle from the cruise port to the city center—has anyone taken it before? Is it easy to do this on our own, or is it better to book the ship’s excursion? Thanks for your replies

thanks SAGO if you can give us the details of your cruise we're in. We leave on the 28th

Hi, Yes, I’ll post a little update soon, but for now it’s not easy to find info on these ports 😐🙂

Hello, Yes, I’ll post a little feedback later, but for now it’s not easy to find info about these ports 😐🙂

Hi, it’s not obvious to get info about this cruise. 😏

Hello,

First of all, so glad VoyageForum is back too! Thanks!

This isn’t info about ports, but if you’re interested in Christmas markets, here are some dates and locations for this cruise.

Have a great day and happy cruise prep!

Christmas Markets

Southampton: 30 chalets open every day until Christmas Winchester: next to the cathedral, from November 29 to December 24, 10 AM to 8 PM. Bath: 170 chalets in the streets, from November 28 to December 15, 10 AM to 8 PM.

Hamburg: from 11 AM to 9 PM, November 22 to December 23 In front of the town hall. Specialty: Speziolitätengasse (Gastronomy Street). Gänsemarkt, an idyllic village of gingerbread houses. Hafencity (800 m from the town hall), festive atmosphere with Christmas mini-golf. Spitalerstrasse with Hamburg’s tallest Christmas tree. Gerhart-Hauptmann-Platz, a forest of fir trees with food stalls. Fleetinsel, on Michaelis Bridge, with lights reflecting in the canal.

Rotterdam: 9 AM to 5 PM The Hague: Royal Christmas Fair on Lange Voorhout, 12 PM to 9 PM from December 5 to 23. Amsterdam: At Museumplein (Rijksmuseum) from 12 PM to 9 PM, December 12 to 26. Festival of Lights on the canals (paid event).

Bruges: starting November 22, 10 AM to 10 PM, on two squares a 10-minute walk apart. Markt Square, traditional Christmas market.

Hi there,

Thanks for the info—it sounds amazing, but unfortunately, our cruise ends before it opens. I would’ve loved to do these things.

Thanks, That’s awesome. We’re arriving at just the right time.........

Good evening,

With any luck, the ship might already be decorated, and the cities too—I hope so for you!

Have a great evening and a wonderful cruise.

Good evening,

Yes, I liked this route for that reason too—discovering Christmas festivities in other countries.

Have a great evening and enjoy your cruise.

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!