Over Christmas, after a somewhat trying time, we decided we needed to get away. Whilst browsing Groupon we spotted a mini cruise with DFDS for a two nights for £69! We thought at that price we have nothing to lose and determined to get on top of our finances we thought this would be the perfect budget break. The cruise was departing from Newcastle, so we decided to book for an overnight stay and make the most of our time there.
Staying in Newcastle was so much fun, we pitched up on a Hostel. Yes, no swanky hotel for us. I felt like we were back in our younger years! We drank, played pool and explored the cultural quarter of Newcastle by taking a trip to The Biscuit Factory, a contemporary art gallery. The gallery was fantastic and had so many beautiful pieces, their cafe was the perfect spot to just chill out. The sun shining through the glass, perfect brew and unbelievable cake (I would kill for a slice of their salted caramel brownie right now) and we both just felt so happy and content doing nothing.
That evening we headed to the port and boarded the DFDS ship. Our cabin was small but had everything you could have possibly needed. On board, there was so much to do too! It had a cinema, bars, restaurants, casino etc. We took advantage of all of these things, we watched the latest Star Wars film, played cards, drank and ate to our heart's content. But the best thing was the time spent with my man, phones didn't really work so it was just us, no distractions.
We arrive in Amsterdam at 10:45am CET and after a short bus transfer, we were meandering around the beautiful canals taking in the gorgeous architecture of the streets of Amsterdam. Whilst Amsterdam may be famous for particular "activities", that side of things really doesn't interest me. Amsterdam truly is a stunning city with some really beautiful hidden gems.
We both agreed that we would soon return for another stay, perhaps around Christmas for some festive shopping!
That evening we had a little bit of a choppy sailing, but it didn't take away from the fun. A few people have mocked us about this trip, saying they just didn't get why we would waste so much time on a boat for six hours in Amsterdam. However, for the money and the memories made it was absolutely worth it and I would completely do it again in a heartbeat.
Whilst our adventure in Amsterdam may have been brief, memories were made, moments captured and was more to me than just a cheap getaway.
K Elizabeth xoxox
