What to do on long ferry crossing with DS11

[MakeMineALargeOneThanks]

Need ideas for what to do on a 7 hour daytime ferry crossing with DS11.

It's the Harwich to Hook of Holland crossing and as far as I can tell there's not really much on offer apart from a couple of restaurants and possibly a duty free shop.
We will have the usual books, phone/tablet, paper and pens etc but I'm looking for some suggestions on what else to take with us to while away the hours.

What would you do at home on a rainy day? Cabins are pretty cheap on a day crossing, I’d get one and chill in there for a bit if needed. Have some food, wander around the boat, read a book, play a game, watch a film, etc.

Oh and if it’s his first ferry trip, take some kwells! We’ve seen some green-looking kids clutching sick bags on our crossings.

We always book a cabin on that route - about £30 for a daytime crossing and so very worth it. Space to spread out a little and play larger games - like Lego or a jigsaw.

Scavenger hunt?

there is one already done for hook of Holland Stella line

Here is a ready-to-print Onboard Scavenger Hunt designed for passengers traveling on the Stena Line ferries (Stena Hollandica or Stena Britannica) between Harwich and the Hook of Holland. It is perfect for families, couples, or groups looking to pass the 7-to-8-hour daytime or overnight crossing. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

🚢 Rules of the Ship

• Safety First: No running on the decks or climbing on railings.
• Respect Others: Do not disturb passengers who are sleeping or relaxing in quiet lounges.
• Evidence: Take a photo of each item or answer to prove you found it! 1]

🔍 Phase 1: The Photo Challenge
Snap a quick smartphone photo of the following items or locations around the ship:

• The Big Green Footprint: Find a sign or floor graphic promoting Stena Line's eco-friendly/sustainable travel initiatives.
• A Stena Line Life Ring: Locate an official white and blue lifebuoy mounted on the outer observation deck.
• Emergency Exit Map: Take a picture of the safety evacuation map posted near your cabin or elevator bank.
• The Ultimate LEGO Display: Find the designated LEGO section inside the duty-free shop.
• The "Taste of Holland": Locate something distinctly Dutch inside the onboard restaurant or shop (e.g., Stroopwafels or a Heineken sign).
• A Glowing Fire Extinguisher Sign: Find a photoluminescent fire safety marker in the corridor.
• The Captain’s Domain: Take a photo of the heavy, locked door marked "The Bridge - Crew Only." 1, 2]

🧩 Phase 2: Nautical Trivia & Information Hunt
Explore the passenger decks to find the answers to these specific questions:

• The Twin Ships: Look at the ship's safety plaques or informational screens. What is the exact sister ship to the vessel you are currently sailing on?
• Assembly Point: Look closely at your boarding pass or cabin door. What is your designated emergency muster station letter?
• The Red & Green Lights: Walk to the outer decks. Which side of the ship (Port or Starboard) features the green navigation light?
• Home Port: Find the large lettering on the stern (back) of the boat. In which city is this ferry officially registered?
• Top Deck Number: What is the highest deck number accessible to standard foot passengers?

🌊 Phase 3: The Observation Deck Challenge
Head outside to the open decks to spot these maritime sights during the journey:

• The Wind Farm: Spot the massive offshore wind turbines spinning out in the North Sea.
• A Passing Cargo Vessel: Spot a massive container ship or tanker traveling through the busy English Channel channels.
• The Port Crane Forest: As you leave Harwich or approach the Hook of Holland, count at least 5 giant industrial loading cranes.
• The Ship's Wake: Take a photo looking directly down into the churning white water trailing out from the back of the ship.
• A Sea Bird Escort: Snap a photo of a seagull flying alongside the upper decks of the moving vessel. 1]

🏆 Scoring & Prizes

• 15–17 Points: Master Mariner
• 10–14 Points: First Mate
• Under 10 Points: Landlubber

Download a film to your iPad

Travel games.
Snacks/picnic/drinks - you can pick up some great things in the Dutch supermarkets.

We're taking that ferry in a couple of weeks time. We've got pens, colouring & puzzles, but also all the screen time. I'm taking a laptop and both kids tables, with some films downloaded from Netflix before we go.

We’re currently in the boarding queue for that ferry. After 1 really dull ferry crossing to Belfast a few years ago we decided to do long ferry crossings at night in future.

Google says that there are free cinemas on both ferries that do that crossing.

Get a day cabin, nicer to have your own loo etc.
I would take a long lasting game such as travel Monopoly, that will while away several hours.

A good quality (adult) learn to draw book. Drawing pad and sketch pencils in a tin.

Logic puzzle book - if you can’t do them, you could learn and each puzzle will take 10-15 mins.

Sudoko, cross words. An adult puzzle book and word search.

Chess - magnetic

Learn to crochet - there are some great animals that can be turned into huge key ring toys that can be gifted to his friends. My friends child is so good at making them and gifts them.

A good book. Skandar series or Percy Jackson or Harry Potter. One to get settled into.

A really good album - listen from start to finish. One headphone each - old school style.

Origami - you can bin the creations if you need to.

Draw and design an island. With a key include treasure.

Get the ordinance survey puzzle book and do it together.

GCHQ puzzle book.

One of the old school ‘choose your own adventure’ book by Livingston - Green sppine - you will need dice.

Learn poker.

The travel board game Azul is excellent.

Sticker art book from the works.

Write a story. There is a structured book by Osborne or Usborne books if it’s easier.

Break it down into 30-45 minute sections. Puzzle book. Go outside if possible to watch the waves. Crochet. Eat. Poker. Read. Etc

A Japanese anime book that you read backwards.

There’s a really good history podcast for kids that mine love I think it’s 30 mins long. It’s funny.

Dutch is especially fun for English/German speakers because there are enough similarities to each that you can often figure out what the word means.

I once read an entire website shopping page in Dutch before I realised that this "German" I was reading was coming out in an odd accent in my head and then noticed the .nl domain.

When we did that crossing, there was a cinema on the ferry, so we watched a film. We also had a cabin even though we did a daytime crossing. That meant we could watch TV and gave us a base to go back to. Meal times break up the journey tol.

We regularly did the daytime Portsmouth to Caen ferry when ours were younger. It's a similar length of journey.

We took paper or plastic bowls and variety pack cereal, plus milk, fruit and fruit juice to have breakfast when we boarded and we bought coffee. We then bought lunch in the cafeteria. Having 2 meals onboard filled time.
They took books/Kindles, colouring books, sticker books, Nintendo DS, and also enjoyed exploring the ship, watching the sea for other ships, standing on deck as we left and arrived in port.

I didn't think to book a cabin when I booked the tickets, and they've all gone now. Will make a note for next time!
Thank you for all the great suggestions.

Don't worry, it's manageable without.

There is a posh lounge on board, can't remember if you need to book. Has WiFi etc. We couldn't go in because they don't allow children under 8, from memory.

When you get on board ask the Information Desk, sometimes not all the cabins are booked or have been cancelled.

I always get one of the Smart Games IQ puzzles for DS, basically it's about fitting pieces into the case so that they all go in. There are loads of permutations and they give you lots of different levels, the harder the level the less pieces you have alerady in. So you can choose a puzzle for him to do, and if he gets really stuck give him some hints and then he can choose a puzzle for you and tell you how many pieces you have in correctly if you get stuck.
https://www.smartgames.eu/uk/one-player-games/iq-puzzler-pro-0

@Dobeebeedah Good idea, I will check.
@Bakeittillyoumakeit Those look fantastic, am ordering immediately!

Ginger for travel sickness.

Ask when you check in and again when you get onboard. If someone cancels/is a no show they may sell it again. Sometimes cheaply.

Book a cabin, they are often v cheap on daytime crossings.

Posted too soon.

Cards, UNO etc are good