We were excited to experience a P and O ship after several Celebrity cruises.
Upon embarkation, the first thing we noticed was the absence of a welcome drink or any staff to welcome us aboard and offer directions to the restaurants or cabins.
Once in our cabin on deck A, our cabin steward came to introduce himself. He was curt and appeared miserable: the poor chap was possibly tired from the Christmas cruise.
We walked around Hamburg taking in the beauty of the architecture and the atmosphere of the small Christmas market. Unfortunately, it was cold and raining so we headed back to the ship in the early afternoon.
We stayed in the Novotel the night before and ate at the new Brewhouse and Kitchen in Southampton. The food was great - especially the ribs!
Having been to Bruges before, we decided to walk around Blankenberg which was lovely. We walked along the seafront on a cold and windy day. Hot chocolate in a lovely café was most welcome.
If you have never been to Bruges before, then I suggest you take the train from Blankenberg - its an easy, short trip.