Zeebrugge was the first port on our Celebrity Silhouette cruise and it’s the first cruise we’ve been on where we’ve had a port day on the day after sailing…

We got up a bit late (ok, I got up a bit late!), so hadn’t left ourselves enough time to make the most of the shuttle bus to Bruges – the ship was to sail at 3pm.  Instead we took the shuttle bus to Blankenberge, but a couple of hours was all we had.

The shuttle bus drops off near the train station and the town is easy to get around on foot – there are many shops and you’ll get some good Belgian chocolate here 🙂

Blankenberge is a classic seaside town and boasts a vast beach with many bars and restaurants on the beach itself, many with play areas for children.  The main beach area was popular with families – tourists and locals – and lifeguards keep a good watch.  There were lots of jellyfish to dodge the day we were there, but Elliot and I still had a paddle!

We were in port on a Sunday and most shops were open, with a busy and popular market offering all sorts from antiques to clothes to fruit and snacks.

The shuttle bus return was €20 each to Bruges and €10 each to Blankenberge (under 5s free).