Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Friday the 20th October saw excited STAy faces, clutching coffees and various luggage, converge at Waterloo Station. Our long awaited 3-day weekend aboard Easycruise had finally arrived. The drizzle and morning commuters were quickly forgotten, tickets were issued and 25 of us boarded Eurostar all eager to stow bags and be the first to crack a Heineken in the 'Bar Carriage'.
2.5 hours later a string of us were hauling through Brussels station in search of our connecting train that would land us in Amsterdam. Thirsty work this was and we were soon rewarded with further cans of ale and lunch. Stress and worries from the last week were easing and the teasing, jokes and general raucousness soon followed.By early evening we'd all stepped foot out of Amsterdam Centraal and were checking in aboard Easycruise. Within an hour, with shirts changed, hair re-shaken and heels applied; the group set out to paint the town red. We started out at Bellushis Bar where Jaeermeister shots were dealt out (for old time's sake), cameras started flashing and toes tapped against bar stools to the tunes of Audioslave and The Chilli Peppers. The Belushis boys put on a tasty buffet for us and it soon lined the stomach in preparation for the long night ahead.
Groups peeled off to discover the city’s delights, trawl the Red Light District, drink in many a bar but eventually we all found each other again at the Arena Hotel. Being International Dance Week, the attached nightclub was pulsing with locals and tourists alike. The converted chapel is great with its dark interior and gothic design, and soon we were either up and roused by the techno or reclining on lounges and taking it easy. Most of us were keen however, to check out the DJ aboard Easycruise and the majority of STAy played the rest of the night out interacting with our hosts and fellow cruise guests. 5am saw the last straggler collapse in their cabin just before the ship’s engines fired up to take us all onto Rotterdam!
Saturday was not an easy day to get up for and it was only by 11ish that most of us were finding each other over blueberry pancakes and strong coffees. We had a whole day to spend in Rotterdam and most sore heads and tender feet felt the best way to get through it was to order Watermelon Cosmopolitans and power on ahead. By the time we’d docked, a few cocktails and “hair of the dog” had been downed and stories from last night were brought to life. Some of us took it easy and strolled the city sightseeing, others pounded the high street with credit cards in hand and shopping bags while other still parked out in wine bars and spent the hours topping up on the night before.
Early evening we all found each other and en mass, went Mexican. To fill time in between the slow service, cameras snapped and the flashes increased with each Corona that emptied. The restaurant was buzzing but sadly the atmosphere was too hot to bear – somehow the heaters were jammed on top temps and the windows would open no further than an inch so we were soon forced to abandon the Marina and seek another venue. Half of us headed back to the ship for another night of Lychee Martinis and Dutch DJ-ing while others sought local bars and clubs. We joined forces with a Stag group aboard and bopped away till the wee hours of the morning again.
6am saw the cruise ship ‘hoist her sails’ and steer its slumbering guests onto Antwerp.
Half of Sunday had passed before hung-over bodies tucked into pancakes again. We had to check out pretty promptly but then had an hour or two to kick back in the bar/restaurant and basically take it easy before disembarking, saying farewell to Stellios and wandering the roads of Antwerp. Impersonating local statues, munching on frites with mayonnaise and mingling with the locals occupied us for a few hours before having to head on back to London. The time it took from ship to train station was underestimated and there resulted a mad scamper for the platform. Strung out, sweating and not sure if the whole group was together, individuals managed to pile onto the train with suitcases in laps and assess any damage. A few of us found ourselves grouped in the ‘connecting carriage’ and passed the time easily sitting on slabs of beer and chatting with returning university students.
After 2 hours of sitting in a bar in Brussels Station eating Haagendas ice cream and Belgium chocolates, our tickets were issued for the ride home to London and all of us were pleasantly surprise to see we were going first class. With minimal sleep over the last few days, our luxury carriage was used to its full advantage. A few glasses of champagne and a morsel of blue cheese quiche later and you could find STAy members stretched out, dosing side by side as the rain started up, forewarning our arrival onto England soil once more!
- comments