Thomas Lucas I stood in the terminal at Hull, watching a family struggle with four suitcases, a toddler, and a foldable bike. They looked wrecked. The woman told me they booked the cheapest cabin — an inside berth with no window — and their kid screamed from midnight until 5am because the room felt like a metal box. They spent £180 on a crossing that made them miserable.
I made the same trip three weeks later, and my experience was completely different. Not because I got lucky. Because I knew exactly what to book and what to avoid. This is my first-hand account of the Hull to Rotterdam P&O ferry — the real pros, the hidden costs, and the mistakes that turn a relaxing overnight cruise into a bad memory.
Boarding and Check-In: What Actually Happens
You arrive at King George Dock in Hull. The postcode is HU9 5NX. I drove, but foot passengers can take the Hull Train Station shuttle bus (£3.50 one way, runs every 45 minutes).
Check-in opens 2.5 hours before departure. I arrived 90 minutes early and queued for 20 minutes. The staff checked my passport, took my car keys, and gave me a boarding card. That’s it.
Here’s what nobody tells you: the terminal has one small shop selling overpriced sandwiches (£6.50 for a dry chicken wrap) and a Costa Coffee kiosk. No proper restaurant. If you want a decent meal before boarding, eat at The Deep restaurant nearby (15-minute drive) or grab fish and chips at Papa’s Fish & Chips on Hessle Road.
Boarding starts 60 minutes before departure. Cars drive onto the lower deck — follow the crew’s hand signals, they park you tightly. Foot passengers walk up a covered gangway. The whole process took 25 minutes from leaving the queue to standing on the ship.
One thing that caught me: they weigh your luggage at check-in. If your bag exceeds 25kg, you pay £15 extra. I saw a man get charged for a 27kg duffel bag.
Cabin Types: The One Decision That Makes or Breaks Your Trip
This is where most people screw up. P&O offers five cabin categories on the Hull-Rotterdam route. I tried three of them across two trips. Here’s what you need to know.
| Cabin Type | Price (per person, one-way, 2026) | Size | Window? | My Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inside Standard | £45-£60 | ~8m² | No | Only if you’re a solo traveler who sleeps like a rock |
| Outside Standard | £65-£85 | ~8m² | Yes, porthole | Best value for couples — natural light helps with seasickness |
| Outside Premium | £90-£120 | ~12m² | Yes, large window | Worth it for families or if you’re prone to claustrophobia |
| Club Cabin | £130-£180 | ~16m² | Yes, picture window | Nice but overpriced — you get free water and a better bathroom |
| Suite | £200-£280 | ~25m² | Yes, floor-to-ceiling | Only if you have money to burn — the ship’s public areas are already comfortable |
My recommendation: book an Outside Standard cabin. The difference between inside and outside is night and day. Inside cabins have no natural light. You wake up at 3pm not knowing if it’s day or night. The outside cabin’s porthole lets in enough light to keep your circadian rhythm intact. I paid £74 for mine.
Cabins come with towels, soap, a small TV (4 channels — BBC News, Sky Sports, and two movie channels), and a hairdryer that barely works. Bring your own shampoo — the ship’s dispenser smells like industrial cleaner.
The North Sea Crossing: What the Motion Feels Like
The Hull-to-Rotterdam crossing takes 11 hours overnight. Departure is usually 8:30pm, arrival around 7:30am local time (add one hour for time zone change).
Here’s the truth about the North Sea: it’s unpredictable. I did the crossing in late September. The first three hours were smooth — I sat on deck watching the Humber Estuary fade into darkness. Then around midnight, we hit open water. The ship started rolling. Nothing violent, but enough that walking in a straight line became a conscious effort.
If you’re prone to motion sickness, take medication before boarding. I used Stugeron (cinnarizine, £6.99 at Boots). Take it 30 minutes before departure — it made me drowsy but I slept through the worst of it. My cabin mate didn’t take anything and spent an hour in the bathroom at 2am.
The ship has stabilizers, but they can’t cancel out a Force 5 wind. Check the marine forecast before you travel. If the North Sea is showing 4-foot waves or higher, expect noticeable movement on the upper decks.
Food Onboard: What’s Worth Your Money
P&O runs two restaurants and a buffet on this route. I tried all three.
The Brasserie is the main restaurant. Sit-down service, three courses, £32 per person. I had the roast beef — it was fine. Edible but not memorable. The sticky toffee pudding was the highlight. If you want a proper meal without queuing, book a table at boarding (they fill up fast).
The Kitchen is a self-service buffet. £18 per person for dinner, £12 for breakfast. The dinner spread includes curry, pasta, carved meat, and a salad bar. Quality is cafeteria-level — the chicken curry was watery, the chips were decent. Breakfast is better: full English, pancakes, cereal, fruit. I’d skip The Kitchen for dinner and eat there for breakfast.
The galley is open 24 hours for snacks. Burgers (£9), pizza (£8), sandwiches (£6). The pizza tastes like a Tesco frozen pizza reheated in a microwave. Avoid it.
Here’s my honest advice: eat a good meal before boarding in Hull. Bring snacks for the crossing. Then book breakfast at The Kitchen (£12) — it’s the only meal onboard that’s actually worth the price.
Entertainment and Facilities: What to Do for 11 Hours
The ship has a cinema, a casino, a kids’ play area, and two bars. The cinema shows two films per crossing — current releases, not blockbusters. I watched a rom-com I’d never heard of. The screen is small, the seats are worn, but it kills 90 minutes. Free to enter.
The casino has slot machines and two poker tables. I lost £20 on roulette in eight minutes. Not a highlight.
The Navigator Bar is where most adults end up. Large windows, comfortable chairs, a piano player on weekend crossings. A pint of Heineken costs £5.80. A glass of wine is £7.50. The piano player was decent — played Elton John covers until 11pm.
The Sunrise Bar on deck 11 is quieter. I sat there at 6am watching the Dutch coast appear. That moment — coffee in hand, watching the sun rise over the North Sea — was genuinely the best part of the trip.
WiFi costs £12 for the crossing. It’s slow. Loads web pages but forget streaming. Download your Netflix shows before you board.
Arrival in Rotterdam: Disembarkation and Getting to the City
The ferry docks at Europoort, Rotterdam’s port. It’s 30km from the city center. Not walking distance.
Disembarkation is efficient. Cars start leaving 30 minutes after docking. Foot passengers are called by deck number. I was off the ship by 8:15am, through passport control in 5 minutes. Dutch border control is quick — they barely glanced at my passport.
From the terminal, you have three options to reach Rotterdam Centraal station:
- Shuttle bus — P&O runs a coach to the station. £15 one way. Takes 40 minutes. Leaves every 30 minutes.
- Public bus + metro — Bus 105 to Brielle (€4), then metro line B to Rotterdam Centraal (€5). Takes 70 minutes but costs half the shuttle price.
- Taxi — €60-€80 flat rate to the city center. Worth it if you’re in a group of 3-4.
I took the shuttle bus. It was fine — clean, on time, dropped me right at the station. I was on a train to Amsterdam by 9:30am.
One thing I didn’t expect: the port area is industrial. Ugly. Oil refineries, container terminals, concrete. The beauty starts once you cross the Maas River into Rotterdam proper. Don’t judge the Netherlands by the first 20 minutes of the drive.
Should You Take the Ferry Instead of Flying?
This is the real question. I’ve done both: flying from Leeds Bradford to Amsterdam Schiphol, and taking the P&O ferry from Hull to Rotterdam. Here’s my honest breakdown.
Flying is cheaper and faster. A return flight to Amsterdam costs £60-£120. The flight takes 1 hour. Total door-to-door time from Leeds: about 4 hours. The ferry costs £90-£200 per person (cabin included) and takes 11 hours plus travel to the port.
The ferry wins for comfort and carrying capacity. You can take as much luggage as you want. I brought a bike, two suitcases, and a backpack — no extra charge. On a plane, that’d cost £100 in baggage fees. You also arrive rested instead of exhausted. I stepped off the ferry at 8am feeling fresh. After a 6am flight, I feel like a zombie.
The ferry is better for families and nervous flyers. Kids can run around. No seatbelt signs. No turbulence. If you’re taking a car, the ferry is cheaper than flying + renting a car in the Netherlands.
When NOT to take the ferry: If you’re on a tight schedule, flying wins every time. If you’re a solo traveler on a budget, the ferry’s cabin cost makes it more expensive than a budget airline ticket. If you get seasick easily, skip it — the North Sea doesn’t care about your plans.
For me, the ferry is the right choice when the journey itself is part of the trip. I took it because I wanted a slow, comfortable start to my Netherlands holiday. It delivered that. But it’s not a shortcut — it’s a different kind of travel entirely.
Would I do it again? Yes — but only if I’m traveling with someone, carrying a lot of gear, or in no hurry. For a quick weekend away, I’ll fly. For a proper trip with a car and luggage, the ferry is the better experience.
