Zeebrugge Cruise Port

The port of Zeebrugge is the leading cruise port in Belgium, that is also one of the leading ferry and container ports in north of Europe.
The port can also be called Brussels or Bruges by some cruise lines but no matter what it is known as on your itinerary, the port of Zeebrugge is the gateway to Belgium for most cruise holidaymakers.
Zeebrugge is only a small village with nothing much there aside from the port that dominates it but it does make it easy to explore all that is on if the country either on an excursion or on your own via a decent public transportation system.
Cruises To Zeebrugge
Our Visit
We visited the port in May 2024, onboard the MSC Virtuosa cruise ship, for which we were on a mini cruise that took in Zeebrugge and Cherbourg from the port of Southampton.
We didn’t actually get to spend much time in Zeebrugge itself as we simply walked from the port terminal to the nearby coastal tram stop, from where we went down the coast to the seaside resort of Blankenberge.
Before getting back onboard, we did take some time to walk around the port area of the village including a visit to a couple of chocolate factory outlet shops (mandatory on a visit to Belgium!).
Zeebrugge Cruise Guide
Zeebrugge Cruise Port Facilities
Name: Zeebrugge
Currencies accepted: Euro
Overall
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Attractions - 2/10
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Excursions - 8/10
8/10
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Facilities - 6/10
6/10
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Getting Around - 8/10
8/10
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Location - 8/10
8/10
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Choice of Lines - 9/10
9/10
User Review
( votes)We will now take a look at all of the aspects of what makes a cruise port a good one or a bad one which is based on our experience of visiting the port.
Type of Cruises Available
No matter what type of cruise you prefer to do, the chances are that you can do it from Zeebrugge or on an itinerary that calls in there.
If you want to set sail from the United Kingdom and visit there on a cruise holiday of Northern Europe, there are plenty of options, including itineraries heading to the Baltics and the Norwegian Fjords.
These include round trip option and repositioning options, including transatlantic journeys.
Zeebrugge Cruise Port Location
The port dominates the whole of Zeebrugge and stretches from the coast past the village and inland thanks to a series of locks.
That makes it straight forward to wonder from the cruise terminal and walk around the village or jump on public transport to other parts of Belgium, or you can even head over the nearby border with The Netherlands.
Zeebrugge Cruise Facilities
The cruise port of Zeebrugge is well equipped for every type of visit as it can handle the world’s largest cruise ships that are either homeporting, getting turnaround, interporting or simply calling in there as a port of call. It is also one of northern Europe’s biggest and biggest ports overall with many ferries and cargo ships visiting the port daily.
That does make the port and the surrounding area very busy, which does make it interesting to watch the ships come and go whilst you wait to set sail, but it does mean that you cannot walk around the port and must take a short shuttle bus trip from your ship to the terminal building and the port gate.
The terminal has some very basic facilities, including toilets and security services.
Zeebrugge Attractions
Zeebrugge is one of the smallest places you can visit on a cruise holiday with a population of less than 5,000, so as you would probably expect, there are few attractions in the village itself.
There is a small marina which has really been developed well over the past few years and now offers a selection of shops and cafes, there is a red brick church and a small beach.
Zeebrugge Shorex
Zeebrugge means Bruges-on-Sea, so it will be no big surprise that the most popular excursion to take is a coach ride to the nearby city of Bruges.
Bruges is one of the region most popular tourist destinations thanks to its canals, parks and historical city centre full of medieval architecture.
The city is one of our personnel favourites in Europe and thanks to a compact city centre full of incredible sights of interest at every turn that can easily be explored on foot, it makes for an incredible day onshore.
Another popular excursion is to the Belgian capital city of Brussels, which features a mix of the old and the new, with the old town featuring traditional Belgium shops houses and squares whilst the newer parts of town features modern high rises and numerous buildings for EU administration.
The Belgium coast offers a surprising number of seaside resorts that make for a fun few hours with many cruise lines offering visit to the likes of Blankenberge and Niewpoort but as mentioned above, the whole of the Belgium coast, from the French border right up to the Dutch border is covered by a tramway that you can use to explore at your own pace.
Longer journeys can take to the likes of Ghent and Antwerp in Belgium and Dunkirk across the border in France.
For those with an interest in history, or for those who want to pay their respects, many cruise lines will offer trips to Ypres and the Flanders Fields Museum.
Best Time To Visit Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a cruise port that you can visit all year around and every time of the years offers something different.
If you visit in in late November or early December, you can head to one of the great Christmas Markets found in Belgium whilst a visit in summer allows you to head to places like Bruges and Brussels when they are at their best, when the sun is out.
So, with that in mind, we would say that early winter of summer is the best time to visit Zeebrugge on a cruise holiday.
Transport
Just a short stroll from the port gate is a main road that features a tram line and numerous bus routes.
The best option for those wanting to explore the region on your own is to take the coastal tram which takes you to many seaside resorts and towns including the likes of Knokke, Blankenberge, Nieuwpoort, De Panne and Ostend.
There is a shuttle bus from the port gate to Bruges, which is a cheaper option than taking an excursion, or for an even cheaper option you can take the tram to Blankenberge and get the train to Bruges or Brussels.
If you simply wan to explore the village of Zeebrugge itself, you won’t need any sort of transport as it is compact and easy to explore on foot.
Zeebrugge Cruises From UK
If you would like to visit Zeebrugge on a cruise from the UK, the great news is that not only is it possible and from a number of different ports, but you also have one of the widest selections of any country offering cruises to the port.
Amongst the British ports to offer itineraries taking in stops at Zeebrugge include London Tilbury, Portsmouth, Edinburgh (Leith), Belfast, Newcastle, Dover and of course the countries leading cruise port at Southampton.
Zeebrugge Cruises From Southampton
The widest range of options for those wanting to cruise from the UK and Zeebrugge is from the port of Southampton.
Not only will you be able to choose from itineraries all year around, but you will be able to sail on a wide range of ships and lines including some of the biggest and newest ships in the world.