We did the two week Hurtigruten “cruise” from Bergen to Kirkenes and back.
Absolutely fantastic trip saw the northern lights, North Cape and everything in between.
What is very important to remember is that the Hurtigruten ships are actually coastal post ships and not cruise ships as such. Don’t expect entertainment or gourmet cooking. They are providing a service to the difficult to reach towns and villages up and down the coast. Some of the stops are no more than 20 minutes as they unload a bit of cargo and then carry on. There are regular excursions though.
There’s a daily departures from Bergen on various sized ships and you will need to look carefully to find for something to meet your requirements.
The ship we were on did have balconies on the suites, but non on the regular decks.
We were in Scotland last April and bumped into people on a Hurtigruten cruise twice so they are not restricted to just the Scandi countries. In fact I think the people we bumped into had started in Hamburg but had visited, amongst other places, Bournemouth and the Scilly Isles.
We've just booked our first ever cruise. I took a lot of advice from a friend who's been cruising for years and has been all over the world. Here's a quick breakdown of what we were told. Please bear in mind we haven't actually been yet, so I haven't put much of this advice to the test yet:
If you can it's better to go from Southampton (or similar) rather than a cruise that necessitates flights, as luggage is largely unrestricted.
If you can afford it, it's better to go with Cunard. They are more expensive, but perhaps not that much expensive as you'd think and you definitely get better value for money.
Some companies have adult only ships.
If you can afford it, it's well worth getting a cabin with a balcony (this might be more specific to me as he knows I'll be hanging off the side with my camera looking for wildlife).
Check the websites of the cruse companies. Most publish passenger numbers and crew numbers, working out the ratio between the two can give you an indication of the likely level of service you'll get.
Don't pay for a drinks package, there are usually annoying restrictions and it's hard to get value from them.
Keep an eye on what you're drinking (again, this may be specific to me ). Typically, bar charges work on a tab basis that you pay at the end of the trip. Don't want a nasty surprise at the end of your holiday.
Stig how can you say don't buy a drinks package? You'd need to know how much that particular couple/person drinks.
With regards to drinks package its what works best for that person/couple. Have a look on various cruise forums. There's always someone asking are drinks packages worth the money. How much do you drink? How many sea days do you have? How many shore excursions have you got when your in Port? Would be the questions I'd ask that person. My last cruise was 7 days in march , little getaway and wanted to experience the ship. So never left the ship , £200 each for the drinks package. All the premium brands and me and the wife said we would've been happy to pay £350 each for the 7 days. A lot of things when cruising can be a minefield, just try and workout what's best for you. With cruising now you can have 3 holidays in one. And personally I'd never say never. Before this year we'd been on cunard and p and o and if someone said to me and the wife we would be doing an Msc cruise this year I'd of sworn at them and told them where to go. Anyway Stig where you off to and who with on your 1st cruise?
Good advice, thanks clb74, I will take another look with your questions in mind.
We're taking my friend's advice and going with Cunard. Twelve days around the Fjords via Hamburg on The Queen Mary.
Ah. We combined a 4 night New York stay and 7 night transatlantic cruise on the QM2. Enjoy
We've just booked our first ever cruise. I took a lot of advice from a friend who's been cruising for years and has been all over the world. Here's a quick breakdown of what we were told. Please bear in mind we haven't actually been yet, so I haven't put much of this advice to the test yet:
If you can it's better to go from Southampton (or similar) rather than a cruise that necessitates flights, as luggage is largely unrestricted.
If you can afford it, it's better to go with Cunard. They are more expensive, but perhaps not that much expensive as you'd think and you definitely get better value for money.
Some companies have adult only ships.
If you can afford it, it's well worth getting a cabin with a balcony (this might be more specific to me as he knows I'll be hanging off the side with my camera looking for wildlife).
Check the websites of the cruse companies. Most publish passenger numbers and crew numbers, working out the ratio between the two can give you an indication of the likely level of service you'll get.
Don't pay for a drinks package, there are usually annoying restrictions and it's hard to get value from them.
Keep an eye on what you're drinking (again, this may be specific to me ). Typically, bar charges work on a tab basis that you pay at the end of the trip. Don't want a nasty surprise at the end of your holiday.
Stig how can you say don't buy a drinks package? You'd need to know how much that particular couple/person drinks.
With regards to drinks package its what works best for that person/couple. Have a look on various cruise forums. There's always someone asking are drinks packages worth the money. How much do you drink? How many sea days do you have? How many shore excursions have you got when your in Port? Would be the questions I'd ask that person. My last cruise was 7 days in march , little getaway and wanted to experience the ship. So never left the ship , £200 each for the drinks package. All the premium brands and me and the wife said we would've been happy to pay £350 each for the 7 days. A lot of things when cruising can be a minefield, just try and workout what's best for you. With cruising now you can have 3 holidays in one. And personally I'd never say never. Before this year we'd been on cunard and p and o and if someone said to me and the wife we would be doing an Msc cruise this year I'd of sworn at them and told them where to go. Anyway Stig where you off to and who with on your 1st cruise?
The last trip I went on was Dover to Ostend, that was nice, although there was not a drinks package offered.
We did the two week Hurtigruten “cruise” from Bergen to Kirkenes and back.
Absolutely fantastic trip saw the northern lights, North Cape and everything in between.
What is very important to remember is that the Hurtigruten ships are actually coastal post ships and not cruise ships as such. Don’t expect entertainment or gourmet cooking. They are providing a service to the difficult to reach towns and villages up and down the coast. Some of the stops are no more than 20 minutes as they unload a bit of cargo and then carry on. There are regular excursions though.
There’s a daily departures from Bergen on various sized ships and you will need to look carefully to find for something to meet your requirements.
The ship we were on did have balconies on the suites, but non on the regular decks.
We were in Scotland last April and bumped into people on a Hurtigruten cruise twice so they are not restricted to just the Scandi countries. In fact I think the people we bumped into had started in Hamburg but had visited, amongst other places, Bournemouth and the Scilly Isles.
I think they now also offer cruises in the Antarctic.
I think they now also offer cruises in the Antarctic.
Although I worked for P&O for several years we never took a cruise as I don’t particularly enjoy being confined in one place for even a few days so it’s the excursions rather than the cruise which was the big factor for me.
We did an Antarctic trip with Lindlad Expeditions which was a converted Icelandic trawler and was experience of a lifetime but far from luxurious. Being cooped up for a few days crossing the Southern Ocean isn’t boring when being thrown around in 30 foot waves surrounded by Albatrosses, Orca and the odd Blue Whale. Excursions included kayaking around icebergs and trips to a volcano so just showing how varied is the range of a “cruise”.
Are the excursions relatively expensive when you dock somewhere?
Can only speak for P&O. We have done a number of their excursions and never really thought them extortionate, normally good value for money.
However, when you arrive at the destination port you will find cheaper and I expect they are probably quite good too.
My worry always is that if you are on an official P&O excursion they have to wait for your return before leaving that port. If you have gone off and done your own thing and are late back then they are under no obligation to wait especially as I believe they get fined by the port for late departures. It has happened on at least one cruise we have been on where a couple of passengers have been left behind.
We've just booked our first ever cruise. I took a lot of advice from a friend who's been cruising for years and has been all over the world. Here's a quick breakdown of what we were told. Please bear in mind we haven't actually been yet, so I haven't put much of this advice to the test yet:
If you can it's better to go from Southampton (or similar) rather than a cruise that necessitates flights, as luggage is largely unrestricted.
If you can afford it, it's better to go with Cunard. They are more expensive, but perhaps not that much expensive as you'd think and you definitely get better value for money.
Some companies have adult only ships.
If you can afford it, it's well worth getting a cabin with a balcony (this might be more specific to me as he knows I'll be hanging off the side with my camera looking for wildlife).
Check the websites of the cruse companies. Most publish passenger numbers and crew numbers, working out the ratio between the two can give you an indication of the likely level of service you'll get.
Don't pay for a drinks package, there are usually annoying restrictions and it's hard to get value from them.
Keep an eye on what you're drinking (again, this may be specific to me ). Typically, bar charges work on a tab basis that you pay at the end of the trip. Don't want a nasty surprise at the end of your holiday.
Stig how can you say don't buy a drinks package? You'd need to know how much that particular couple/person drinks.
With regards to drinks package its what works best for that person/couple. Have a look on various cruise forums. There's always someone asking are drinks packages worth the money. How much do you drink? How many sea days do you have? How many shore excursions have you got when your in Port? Would be the questions I'd ask that person. My last cruise was 7 days in march , little getaway and wanted to experience the ship. So never left the ship , £200 each for the drinks package. All the premium brands and me and the wife said we would've been happy to pay £350 each for the 7 days. A lot of things when cruising can be a minefield, just try and workout what's best for you. With cruising now you can have 3 holidays in one. And personally I'd never say never. Before this year we'd been on cunard and p and o and if someone said to me and the wife we would be doing an Msc cruise this year I'd of sworn at them and told them where to go. Anyway Stig where you off to and who with on your 1st cruise?
Good advice, thanks clb74, I will take another look with your questions in mind.
We're taking my friend's advice and going with Cunard. Twelve days around the Fjords via Hamburg on The Queen Mary.
Ah. We combined a 4 night New York stay and 7 night transatlantic cruise on the QM2. Enjoy
I have always been keen to do a transatlantic cruise but wife always worried about the weather. How was it?
What put me off cruises was a handful of things after I'd taken an interest in them from seeing the QM2 in dock at Southampton
1 was the level of gluttony in the same way I get annoyed with pigs on all inclusive holidays. I accept this is a broad brush and not everyone is like this by a long chalk but when someone tells me they are going on a cruise and then tell me about the drinks and food volumes I get turned off
2 I've been in places when a cruise ship has docked and they cause chaos once everyone has disembarked and filled the place up and subsequently, probably understandably, managed to get the prices jacked up for the duration of their stay by opportunistic retailers, bars and restaurants
3 being trapped on a boat and not being able to do my own thing away from everyone else
4 someone going down with dysentery and taking the whole boat down
5 going to the carribean means you have to fly there, so are constricted by luggage allowances and then needing to use some of that for evening dinner wear
Queue’s? Can’t say I’ve ever queued for anything except maybe a couple of minutes on deck for an ice cream. If you are sitting in one of the lounges for a drink or a coffee they come and take your order then bring it to you. At dinner if there isn’t a table available they will send you away to have a drink with a buzzer and then alert you when a table is available. Even then we have never had to wait more than 15 mins to be buzzed. Even embarking and disembarking is very well organised.
What put me off cruises was a handful of things after I'd taken an interest in them from seeing the QM2 in dock at Southampton
1 was the level of gluttony in the same way I get annoyed with pigs on all inclusive holidays. I accept this is a broad brush and not everyone is like this by a long chalk but when someone tells me they are going on a cruise and then tell me about the drinks and food volumes I get turned off
2 I've been in places when a cruise ship has docked and they cause chaos once everyone has disembarked and filled the place up and subsequently, probably understandably, managed to get the prices jacked up for the duration of their stay by opportunistic retailers, bars and restaurants
3 being trapped on a boat and not being able to do my own thing away from everyone else
4 someone going down with dysentery and taking the whole boat down
5 going to the carribean means you have to fly there, so are constricted by luggage allowances and then needing to use some of that for evening dinner wear
1) that is a broad brush and I’m sure it happens but each to there own I suppose. We always ‘dine’ in an actual restaurant so no difference than a normal restaurant. I suspect what you refer to happens in the self service ‘restaurants’ on board which isn’t our bag.
2) I suppose that depends on the size of the port. If you are somewhere like Barcelona or Bergen I can’t say the place becomes swamped. Remember a lot of people stay on board, maybe they enjoy those quieter days, or maybe they have been there before, plus not everyone goes aboard at the same time. I’d be interested to know where you have experienced this?
3) they are huge ships. You can go two weeks without seeing the same person twice. There are plenty of quiet corners for time to yourself.
4) always a possibility but can’t that happen in a normal all inclusive hotel?
5) agree with that point hence why we don’t do it. Always go from Southampton, take as much luggage as you like, park the car, luggage is collected, next time you see it is in your cabin, check in, onboard and having a drink within 30 minutes.
The places I've been where cruise ships have unloaded and packed the gaff are as follows
Venice Dubrovnik Castres
I get they work for you and clearly lots of people, but the thought of being trapped on a ship makes me itch.
I've spent time on overnight vessels before, done the horror show of going to Antwerp on one, and Bilbao, Cherbourg and would be tempted to go to Scandinavia.
I also like beaches, walking around exploring off the beaten track, doing my own thing too much I suppose
We did the two week Hurtigruten “cruise” from Bergen to Kirkenes and back.
Absolutely fantastic trip saw the northern lights, North Cape and everything in between.
What is very important to remember is that the Hurtigruten ships are actually coastal post ships and not cruise ships as such. Don’t expect entertainment or gourmet cooking. They are providing a service to the difficult to reach towns and villages up and down the coast. Some of the stops are no more than 20 minutes as they unload a bit of cargo and then carry on. There are regular excursions though.
There’s a daily departures from Bergen on various sized ships and you will need to look carefully to find for something to meet your requirements.
The ship we were on did have balconies on the suites, but non on the regular decks.
We were in Scotland last April and bumped into people on a Hurtigruten cruise twice so they are not restricted to just the Scandi countries. In fact I think the people we bumped into had started in Hamburg but had visited, amongst other places, Bournemouth and the Scilly Isles.
I think they now also offer cruises in the Antarctic.
Hurtigruten also do a multi-week trip (sold as a series of cruises) from Denmark, via the Faroes, Iceland and Greenland to Newfoundland, to say nothing of back again.
It could well prove to be my lottery win treat for myself...
Though, obviously, I might need more than a fiver.
Love cruising, the ships are fantastic and it’s been such a growth industry there’s so much choice now to find something that’s a right fit for age groups, interests, informalness etc. The bonus of waking up in different places and ticking 5 countries off in a week is great. I’ve never been Caribbean and my dream is to one day do a Caribbean cruise. The Fjords is another I dream of doing.
Only reason I don’t consider them now tbh is have a son with additional needs and I would not relax or take my eyes off him for a second for safety purposes.
Are the excursions relatively expensive when you dock somewhere?
Can be double the price, between doing the excursion independently to with the cruise liner.
As in more expensive with the cruise liner you mean?
Yes can be up to double the price on the ship.
Thank you.
So what would an average / typical excursion cost to just see the local landmarks / get a feel for the town/city?
I appreciate there could be a huge variation for more specific trips but I don’t really have a feel for how much more the costs are relative to the cost of the cruise.
We've just booked our first ever cruise. I took a lot of advice from a friend who's been cruising for years and has been all over the world. Here's a quick breakdown of what we were told. Please bear in mind we haven't actually been yet, so I haven't put much of this advice to the test yet:
If you can it's better to go from Southampton (or similar) rather than a cruise that necessitates flights, as luggage is largely unrestricted.
If you can afford it, it's better to go with Cunard. They are more expensive, but perhaps not that much expensive as you'd think and you definitely get better value for money.
Some companies have adult only ships.
If you can afford it, it's well worth getting a cabin with a balcony (this might be more specific to me as he knows I'll be hanging off the side with my camera looking for wildlife).
Check the websites of the cruse companies. Most publish passenger numbers and crew numbers, working out the ratio between the two can give you an indication of the likely level of service you'll get.
Don't pay for a drinks package, there are usually annoying restrictions and it's hard to get value from them.
Keep an eye on what you're drinking (again, this may be specific to me ). Typically, bar charges work on a tab basis that you pay at the end of the trip. Don't want a nasty surprise at the end of your holiday.
Stig how can you say don't buy a drinks package? You'd need to know how much that particular couple/person drinks.
With regards to drinks package its what works best for that person/couple. Have a look on various cruise forums. There's always someone asking are drinks packages worth the money. How much do you drink? How many sea days do you have? How many shore excursions have you got when your in Port? Would be the questions I'd ask that person. My last cruise was 7 days in march , little getaway and wanted to experience the ship. So never left the ship , £200 each for the drinks package. All the premium brands and me and the wife said we would've been happy to pay £350 each for the 7 days. A lot of things when cruising can be a minefield, just try and workout what's best for you. With cruising now you can have 3 holidays in one. And personally I'd never say never. Before this year we'd been on cunard and p and o and if someone said to me and the wife we would be doing an Msc cruise this year I'd of sworn at them and told them where to go. Anyway Stig where you off to and who with on your 1st cruise?
Good advice, thanks clb74, I will take another look with your questions in mind.
We're taking my friend's advice and going with Cunard. Twelve days around the Fjords via Hamburg on The Queen Mary.
Ah. We combined a 4 night New York stay and 7 night transatlantic cruise on the QM2. Enjoy
I have always been keen to do a transatlantic cruise but wife always worried about the weather. How was it?
Evening. We crossed the pond in April. Was a few years ago, but I still managed a couple of swims. Quite a few of these ships now have retractable roofs , so you don't have to go outside if you don't want to. One night the moon was out and the Atlantic was like a mill pond. The moon was a mirror image on the Atlantic. Just been reminded Helen leaderer was guest speaker.
I think of having to rub along next to the hobble di hoy , I think of being in the home end at the spanner’s Absolutely unbearable for a person of quality and discernment
Are the excursions relatively expensive when you dock somewhere?
Can be double the price, between doing the excursion independently to with the cruise liner.
As in more expensive with the cruise liner you mean?
Yes can be up to double the price on the ship.
Thank you.
So what would an average / typical excursion cost to just see the local landmarks / get a feel for the town/city?
I appreciate there could be a huge variation for more specific trips but I don’t really have a feel for how much more the costs are relative to the cost of the cruise.
Evening. Was on P & O Arvia last year a couple of times. On each occasion we had an overnight in Barcelona. Ie arrive Tuesday morning 8am leave Barcelona 6pm Wednesday. Shuttle bus from ship to port entrance , World trade centre. Now with this you don't need to do a ship excursion. The hop on/off buses go from here. Your also only a 10/15 minutes walk from Las rambles. Now the good thing about the overnighter is you don't have to worry about missing the ship, go clubbing till 4am and the ships still there. This also where a cruise can become more than one holiday. If you've never been to Barcelona then you've got near enough 2 full days to explore the city. We also went to Marseille , Cadiz , Valencia , la corona.
Can get messy, Marseille 4 cruise ships in Port 20,000 cruise passengers. Someone mentioned queuing earlier, you certainly can. Nearly an hour wait for the hop on/off bus here.
P &O Azura shore excursion for Athens to see the Acropolis we paid £55 each on ship excursion Sailed from Valletta Went to Dubrovnik, zadar, Koper, Mykonos and Rhodes.
Meant to be going on a cruise from Sydney later this year taking in Bali , Darwin , cairnes, Brisbane ,yorkes knob and finish in Singapore. Sydney 9 nights , 15 night cruise including overnight in Bali and 2 nights Singapore. The good thing about a cruise you can add on extra nights. Original itinerary for this cruise was 2 nights in Sydney we added on 7 nights. We have a private tour booked for the whitsunday islands at a cost of £100 each , Celebrity cruises wanted £200 each for this excursion. This cruise now probably won't happen as I was told by me son a couple of weeks ago his decided to make me a grandad and grandchild is expected 3 days into this holiday. Quite a few ports you can go off and explore yourself.
Been on a couple of cruises and would consider another but not fussed either way. Lots of good things, lots of not so good things. Particularly don't like sea days but others love them. Each to their own.
One thing I'm interested in is how the passport system is now working, and how it'll work later this year? On our Baltic cruise in 2019 we visited 4 countries and, after setting off, only had to show our passports at the last stop (in Belgium). Is it still the same?
I think from driving experience that the major passport bit is leaving and entering the UK. Then when you are in Europe it is straightforward. I would imagine the same is true on cruises.
I would never go on P and O out of principle over what the scumbags did to their workers. Shameful fuckers.
Went on a Virgin cruise last year from Barcelona to Cannes Marseille Major an Ibiza. It was brilliant. Adult only and quite lively/young ish and VERY American. But a great week away
Comments
We combined a 4 night New York stay and 7 night transatlantic cruise on the QM2.
Enjoy
We did an Antarctic trip with Lindlad Expeditions which was a converted Icelandic trawler and was experience of a lifetime but far from luxurious. Being cooped up for a few days crossing the Southern Ocean isn’t boring when being thrown around in 30 foot waves surrounded by Albatrosses, Orca and the odd Blue Whale. Excursions included kayaking around icebergs and trips to a volcano so just showing how varied is the range of a “cruise”.
However, when you arrive at the destination port you will find cheaper and I expect they are probably quite good too.
My worry always is that if you are on an official P&O excursion they have to wait for your return before leaving that port. If you have gone off and done your own thing and are late back then they are under no obligation to wait especially as I believe they get fined by the port for late departures. It has happened on at least one cruise we have been on where a couple of passengers have been left behind.
1 was the level of gluttony in the same way I get annoyed with pigs on all inclusive holidays. I accept this is a broad brush and not everyone is like this by a long chalk but when someone tells me they are going on a cruise and then tell me about the drinks and food volumes I get turned off
2 I've been in places when a cruise ship has docked and they cause chaos once everyone has disembarked and filled the place up and subsequently, probably understandably, managed to get the prices jacked up for the duration of their stay by opportunistic retailers, bars and restaurants
3 being trapped on a boat and not being able to do my own thing away from everyone else
4 someone going down with dysentery and taking the whole boat down
5 going to the carribean means you have to fly there, so are constricted by luggage allowances and then needing to use some of that for evening dinner wear
the QM2 was built to transatlantic specifications to take account of the weather, cruise ships are not and usually do not make winter crossings
2) I suppose that depends on the size of the port. If you are somewhere like Barcelona or Bergen I can’t say the place becomes swamped. Remember a lot of people stay on board, maybe they enjoy those quieter days, or maybe they have been there before, plus not everyone goes aboard at the same time. I’d be interested to know where you have experienced this?
3) they are huge ships. You can go two weeks without seeing the same person twice. There are plenty of quiet corners for time to yourself.
4) always a possibility but can’t that happen in a normal all inclusive hotel?
5) agree with that point hence why we don’t do it. Always go from Southampton, take as much luggage as you like, park the car, luggage is collected, next time you see it is in your cabin, check in, onboard and having a drink within 30 minutes.
Venice
Dubrovnik
Castres
I get they work for you and clearly lots of people, but the thought of being trapped on a ship makes me itch.
I've spent time on overnight vessels before, done the horror show of going to Antwerp on one, and Bilbao, Cherbourg and would be tempted to go to Scandinavia.
I also like beaches, walking around exploring off the beaten track, doing my own thing too much I suppose
It could well prove to be my lottery win treat for myself...
Though, obviously, I might need more than a fiver.
I appreciate there could be a huge variation for more specific trips but I don’t really have a feel for how much more the costs are relative to the cost of the cruise.
We crossed the pond in April.
Was a few years ago, but I still managed a couple of swims.
Quite a few of these ships now have retractable roofs , so you don't have to go outside if you don't want to.
One night the moon was out and the Atlantic was like a mill pond.
The moon was a mirror image on the Atlantic.
Just been reminded Helen leaderer was guest speaker.
Was on P & O Arvia last year a couple of times.
On each occasion we had an overnight in Barcelona.
Ie arrive Tuesday morning 8am leave Barcelona 6pm Wednesday.
Shuttle bus from ship to port entrance , World trade centre.
Now with this you don't need to do a ship excursion.
The hop on/off buses go from here.
Your also only a 10/15 minutes walk from Las rambles.
Now the good thing about the overnighter is you don't have to worry about missing the ship, go clubbing till 4am and the ships still there.
This also where a cruise can become more than one holiday.
If you've never been to Barcelona then you've got near enough 2 full days to explore the city.
We also went to Marseille , Cadiz , Valencia , la corona.
Can get messy, Marseille 4 cruise ships in Port 20,000 cruise passengers.
Someone mentioned queuing earlier, you certainly can.
Nearly an hour wait for the hop on/off bus here.
P &O Azura shore excursion for Athens to see the Acropolis we paid £55 each on ship excursion
Sailed from Valletta
Went to Dubrovnik, zadar, Koper, Mykonos and Rhodes.
Meant to be going on a cruise from Sydney later this year taking in Bali , Darwin , cairnes, Brisbane ,yorkes knob and finish in Singapore.
Sydney 9 nights , 15 night cruise including overnight in Bali and 2 nights Singapore.
The good thing about a cruise you can add on extra nights.
Original itinerary for this cruise was 2 nights in Sydney we added on 7 nights.
We have a private tour booked for the whitsunday islands at a cost of £100 each , Celebrity cruises wanted £200 each for this excursion.
This cruise now probably won't happen as I was told by me son a couple of weeks ago his decided to make me a grandad and grandchild is expected 3 days into this holiday.
Quite a few ports you can go off and explore yourself.
Otherwise it‘s just a hammer!
One thing I'm interested in is how the passport system is now working, and how it'll work later this year? On our Baltic cruise in 2019 we visited 4 countries and, after setting off, only had to show our passports at the last stop (in Belgium). Is it still the same?