Pride of Rotterdam Review

Pride of Rotterdam looks like any other ferry on the outside but inside it is deceptively spacious, with plenty of space to relax.

Pride of Rotterdam docked in Hull

Pride of Rotterdam is a passenger and cargo cruise ferry operated by P&O Ferries on the Hull to Rotterdam route alongside sister ship Pride of Hull.

Built by Fincantieri, Italy, for P&O Ferries, Pride of Rotterdam began life named Pride of Hull in 1999 before being renamed just before her launch. Fincantieri is synonymous with creating luxury cruise ships, and this experience shows in Pride of Rotterdam. From the outside it looks like a pretty standard ferry but inside it is more akin to a small cruise liner.

Both Pride of Rotterdam and Pride of Hull are too wide to be able to fit through the lock at the Port of Hull so a dedicated terminal was built, which is why sailings to Rotterdam depart from Terminal 1 to those to Zeebrugge depart from Terminal 2.

Interestingly, cars are loaded separately to trucks and trailers. Commercial vehicles enter at the rear of the ship, while cars drive through an entrance on the side of the ship.

Pride of Rotterdam and Pride of Hull sail in tandem daily throughout the year meaning you can book a mini cruise sailing any time throughout the year to suit you.

I sailed out on a Thursday night and disembarked in Hull on a Saturday, spending all Friday in Amsterdam city.

Vessel Layout

Boarding Pride of Rotterdam takes place on Deck 8 which is also known as the Red Deck. A handful of cabins are available on Deck 7 but the bulk of this deck is taken up with car parking so is unavailable during a crossing.

Red Deck 8 is home to a buffet restaurant, a couple of shops, the reception desk, Bureau de Change, Sunset Show Lounge, the casino and a handful of cabins towards the front of the vessel.

Blue Deck 9 is home to a lounge exclusively for truck drivers, an a la carte restaurant, and a quiet room. There is also a wine bar, a café, a Duty-Free shop, a children's play area, an Irish bar, and a couple of cinema rooms. A small number of cabins sit towards the front of the ship.

Green Deck 10 is full of cabins. Deck 11 is exclusively reserved for staff and does not offer passenger access other than at the very rear for the Sun Deck bar.

Sky Lounge Deck 12 is a large venue occupying the rear of the ship with large panoramic windows offering views across the sea.

Statistics

If you're a ferry buff or mechanically minded then check out these vital statistics for the Pride of Rotterdam:

  • Length: 215 metres
  • Width: 32 metres
  • Draft: 6 metres
  • Displacement: 10,100 deadweight tonnes (DWT)
  • Gross Tonnage: 59,925 gross registered tonnes (GRT)
  • Cruising Speed: 22 Knots
  • Power: 4 x Wärtsilä 9L46C engines with a combined output of 37,800 kW
  • Number of Cabins: 530
  • Passenger capacity: 1,360
  • Cargo capacity: A total of 3,300 lane metres for cargo equating 400 truck trailers plus 250 cars.

Pride of Rotterdam Deck Plan

This deck plan image below shows the Pride of Rotterdam in a profile view:

Pride of Rotterdam Deck Plans

  • Ferry comfort
  • Ferry entertainment
  • Ferry food and drink
3.7

Summary

Pride of Rotterdam is a large ferry with plenty of public spaces inside. The ship has a small choice of dining venues and entertainment although it may not be to everyone's taste.

Read more in this series

  1. Getting to the Port of Hull
  2. Pride of Rotterdam Review (you are here)
  3. Pride of Rotterdam Cabins
  4. Food & Drink on Pride of Rotterdam
  5. Entertainment on Pride of Rotterdam
  6. Guide to Europoort, Rotterdam
  7. Can You Really Explore Amsterdam in a Day?
  8. Amsterdam Mini Cruise Review on P&O Ferries' Pride of Rotterdam
(Photo credit(s) to David Fiske. Deck plan credit to P&O Ferries)
Disclosure: P&O Ferries kindly supplied a half board mini cruise to Amsterdam. I paid for travel to and from the Port of Hull, car parking, incidentals onboard, and tours in Amsterdam. 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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