LEGOLAND Mini Cruise Review on DFDS' Sirena Seaways

DFDS' LEGOLAND mini cruise is a rare offering but the generous time in Denmark makes it a good choice.

A LEGO scene

The LEGOLAND mini-cruise is rare in the sense that it only takes place a couple of times in the year.

A day in port gives the crew a chance to deep-clean the ship. It also gives the hard-working staff one night off in Esbjerg.

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Unlike cruise and stay breaks where you can book a hotel in the heart of the city, there is a limited amount of sightseeing you can do in Esbjerg without venturing further.

Even so, I found this itinerary to be a great combination. I spent half a day in Esbjerg which was the right amount of time in my opinion.

I spent the following day at LEGOLAND which again is good for groups of friends and adults. If you sail with children, then you may find that a couple of days at LEGOLAND Billund would be better. A stay at the excellent LEGOLAND Hotel would be the icing on the cake.

This mini-cruise is perfect for adults and small families wanting a taste of Denmark, Esbjerg and LEGOLAND.

I crammed as much as I could into the day at LEGOLAND but could have easily spent a second day there exploring Miniland in more depth.

The best thing about this mini cruise was that it was not too restrictive, allowing a good half a day to explore Esbjerg. I never felt like I was watching the clock or under pressure to cram as much sightseeing in as I could.

Boarding the ferry
The fully-loaded ferry ready to sail back to Harwich

The negative aspect of this holiday was the disorganisation at times. This uncertainty was caused by a lack of communication together with inexperience.

As these mini-cruises become more frequent in the future, I would hope that the systems and procedures to support these will tighten, resulting in a more professionally organised mini cruise experience.

I would recommend an Esbjerg and LEGOLAND mini cruise to couples of any age as well as to small families with children.

For ultimate LEGO fans and families with budding builders, take your car instead and stay a little longer in Billund. It would be a much smarter decision as you can then spend as much time as you want to exploring Denmark.

Route closure: In 2014, DFDS ceased operating its Harwich - Esbjerg route, and its LEGOLAND mini cruise breaks. To travel to LEGOLAND Billund or Denmark by sea from the UK you now need to go via France or The Netherlands.
  • Ferry comfort
  • Ferry entertainment
  • Ferry food and drink
  • Transfers
  • Esbjerg
  • LEGOLAND Billund
3.5

Summary

Overall this was a good, relaxed break. The ghost ship experience demonstrates inexperience and disorganisation with mini cruise holidays. These niggles should disappear as DFDS offers more of these family breaks.

Read more in this series

  1. Getting to Harwich International Port
  2. DFDS Sirena Seaways Review
  3. Sirena Seaways Cabins
  4. Food & Drink on Sirena Seaways
  5. Entertainment on Sirena Seaways
  6. Guide to Esbjerg, Denmark
  7. Esbjerg's Ghost Ship Hotel
  8. LEGOLAND Billund Guide For Children
  9. LEGOLAND Billund Guide For Adults
  10. LEGOLAND Mini Cruise Review on DFDS' Sirena Seaways (you are here)
Posted on by David Fiske
(Photo credit(s) to David Fiske)
Disclosure: DFDS kindly supplied a half board mini cruise to Esbjerg and LEGOLAND Billund. I paid for travel to and from the Port of Harwich, car parking, and incidentals onboard and overseas. The opinions in this article are my own.

Written by David Fiske

David first found his sea legs on a cruise around the Caribbean in 2009. Since then he's looked for any excuse to get back on the water which led him onto creating Mini Cruise Reviews as a way to showcase short min breaks that sail from the UK (on ferries or cruise ships).

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