Carlton Bilbao - another travellers tale!

Advantages: Opulent, near the Guggenheim, best in town
Disadvantages: only that there's not more reason to go more often

...The first time I stayed at the Carlton it was entirely accidental. I had flown from Madrid to Bilbao with a Spanish colleague probably 10 years ago and our flight was so late that the hotel where we had bookings had given our rooms away to someone else. It was late, we were tired and grouchy and they offered to find us 2 rooms somewhere else. The Carlton - being the best (and most expensive) hotel in town - had two rooms. We rolled up in the wee small hours of the morning, paid an arm, a leg and a few other body parts and spent no more than about 6 hours in our rooms before heading off in the morning. HOWEVER, the Carlton was so beautiful and the rooms so lovely that I vowed that one-day I'd go back and that's exactly what I did. Circumstance of our Visit ********************* It was March 2004. Our wedding anniversary is the 14...

koshkha 25.04.2006 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Carlton Hotel, Bilbao

Boring Bilbao. I don't think so!

Advantages: Cheap to fly
Disadvantages: Not much stuff for children

...Those of you, who know me, will know why I like Bilbao. For those of you that don?t know me I like Bilbao because of the Guggenheim. The Guggenheim is an art museum run by the Guggenheim family; they also have a museum in New York and Chicago. As well as the art I am also interested in the Architecture of it. I went to Bilbao for a 2-day trip with my Dad, he had been there before so he knew what it was like but for me it was a totally new experience. The flight there was about two hours, which flew by. I spent most of the time looking out the window. When we arrived it was cold, windy and foggy. It was about 8 o?clock when we arrived, so I was expecting it to be cold. We stayed in a hotel along the river from the Guggenheim. From the hotel to the Guggenheim it was about a 5-minute walk. We dropped our stuff off at the hotel and went...

flint 23.12.2003 (24.12.2003) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Bilbao (Spain)

  Una Ciudad Muy Bonita

Advantages: Easy and cheap to fly to. Great place when you get there.
Disadvantages: Maybe the Guggenheim doesn't quite do it for me.

...?Where?s that then?? asked our hairdresser last week, when I mentioned that we were going to Bilbao for a few days. ?It?s a port in North-Eastern Spain, in the Basque region?, I replied, stretching my own research into the subject to its limit. ?So why are you going there?? she continued. ?Because I?ve never been there?, I returned, hoping that that was the depth of the delving ? and it was. There are several good reasons to go to Bilbao, especially off-season, but the chief one is that you now can! You can get there by car ferry directly from Portsmouth. It?s another of those 24-hour affairs (mmm, sounds like my kind of affair!) requiring good sea legs in winter, as the lion?s share of the journey involves being a long way out to sea in the Bay of Biscay. For those of a weaker up-chucking disposition, or having no...

BNibbles 24.02.2003 (26.02.2003) · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Bilbao (Spain)

The Pride Of Bilbao

Advantages: Civilised Relaxing way to get to Spain with your car.
Disadvantages: Expensive and having to put up with winging Mini Cruisers.

...Remember this is a 'Ferry' not a Cruise ship as such... If you board this boat expecting to be on the QMII then you will be very dissapointed...but then it is (as I say) a Ferry and an excellent one too. I have travelled on this Ship about 7 times with my car over the years, its far bigger than the Brittany one that goes to Santander..and much more to do on board. I reccomend paying the extra to get a Club Double with windows, for this you get a telly, a very comfy double bed,and two very big windows, plus complimentary Champagne and Chocolates. Its better to book this cabin on the outward journey to Bilbao as you get two nights in it, on the way back you may as well book a standard cabin as its only one night...but book early as the Club cabins on the outward bound journey get booked up v quickly. The first time I...

Greenpeace 13.05.2005 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of P & O

Fantastico

Advantages: Lovely place, people are very nice
Disadvantages: Rain - but not much

...I adore Bilbao. It's so much nicer than any other place in the UK and I reckon it's the best city in the world. I have family there, so I visit it regularly. It is in the North of Spain, so it does rain sometimes, but the weather is usually great. The views are beautiful, and the river is very nice. If you visit places like Benidorm, you do not see the Spanish culture. I was speaking to someone about Spanish food. He had only ever been to Mallorca in Spain and thoguht that all the Spanish ate was 'English' food. To see what Spain is really about, this is where you have to go. There's a lot to do. You can visit the Guggenheim, or perhaps go shopping along the 'Gran Via', and maybe stroll in to the Marks & Spencer and buy yourself something that the Spanish have all rejected. Perhaps take a look inside the newly...

danieletheridge 06.02.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Bilbao (Spain)

Pride of Bilbao - Butlins at sea

Advantages: Chance to see Dolphins and Whales up close - Price
Disadvantages: Queueing to re-board at Bilbao - Bar Prices

...hear the engine it was overly intrusive in my 5th deck cabin (although wouldn't want to have been on deck 2!!!) and I would recommend taking some sea sickness pills with you even if you don't suffer from sea sickness as it can feel rough if the wind speeds get up too much (almost put me off my pint!!!!) Once you get to Spain don't expect to see much of Bilbao (the port is not even in Bilbao but is close by in Santurtzi, although you can purchase excursions on-board to various places in Bilbao and you have about 3-4 hours on land. Now to my next gripe - Re-boarding in Bilbao, minicruise travellers can leave there luggage on-board although you have to physically get off. You then have to queue for an hour or so to get back on board (not what you really want to do after being woke up at 6am by the ships public address system (as you...

liongolfer 22.02.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of P & O

Pride of Bilbao, very pleasing

Advantages: Friendly staff, clean
Disadvantages: Tiny swimming pool

...This ship was very good value for its price. First of all I'd like to say that some people expect this ship to have massive rooms and 100 different places to eat, but can I remind you that the pride of Bilbao is for mini-cruises, meaning that it won't have as much services!! I went with my sister and mother from Friday to Monday, with a booking with Gold Crest, which was excellent and Gold Crest provides the transport to Portsmouth, where the ship departs. Once on the ship, I found there to be a friendly atmosphere, and got the card key for my cabin which was on deck 5, with a window. I had a little trouble getting in as I didn't put the card key in far enough- oops. But when I got in I was that little bit disappointed - the room was rather small, however if you think about it, the rooms in a mini-cruise ship like this won...

carrrotts 17.08.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of P & O

Beware the Guggenheim

Advantages: Nice city, nice people, accessible.
Disadvantages: Overrated museum

...Hi Bilbao is an interesting city. It is quite post-industrial and the scars of the Basque problems are plain to see - not many people here would agree that they live in Northern Spain, they are Basque through and through. Stayed at the Barcelo Nervion which was plush, comfortable, efficient and friendly. Slightly expensive, but then the flights ('Go', flying from Stansted, were only £25 each return). There were excellent food and bars in the old town, some interesting shops and clever ideas. The Guggenheim. Now. We went in mid September and three quarters of the museum was closed. What was left was interesting enough but certainly not world class. The 'performance' of blowing mist over the pond was hopeless and the whole thing was a bit dissapointing. Some of the work in the open galleries was stunning. But . . . they would have...

Saturn 13.07.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Bilbao (Spain)

Pride of Bilbao NOT for ME

Advantages: cheap break, drink and cigs. freindly staff
Disadvantages: People being sick all over, expensive food, jacuzzi never open!

...In February of this year some friends and me decided that we needed a cheap break away. I looked around the Internet and came across a site called www.firedup.com. This site has since closed down but at the time they were offering a mini cruise to Spain for £35. The ship was called the Pride of Bilbao and leaves from Portsmouth on the Saturday and arrives in Spain on Monday and then you have little time off the boat and then back to Portsmouth by Tuesday evening. As a large group this was ideal the boat was described as luxurious with bar, disco, pool, Jacuzzi and two restaurants so we booked the trip. We arrived by 8 on the Saturday and set sail by about 9pm. My first impression of the ship was clean and well presented. We went to put all our stuff in the cabins and to be honest this was the bit that horrified me the most...

ribena 28.05.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of P & O

Portsmouth-Bilbao Minicruise - Amusing Cruising!

Advantages: Inexpensive, wide variety of things to do. Fun for the whole family
Disadvantages: Not much time in Bilbao, not for those prone to motion sickness, small cabins

...My boyfriend and I have travelled on the P & O Ferries 'Pride of Bilbao' 3 times now and each time was thoroughly enjoyable...so much more than I was expecting for a £32 minibreak! We decided to book a minicruise after being recommended the break by some friends. The price was a big factor in our decision as we are always on a very tight budget and at only £64 for both of us it seemed like the bargain of the century! We were able to check out all of the details on the P&O ferries website (www.poferries.co.uk). The website is so easy to navigate and very informative, I found myself getting excited about the trip just looking at the pictures! The minicruise departs from Portsmouth twice weekly all year round. It arrives at the port of Santurzi, North Spain after around a 36 hour journey. From the port you are given the option to...

Gladallover 30.12.2007 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of P&O Ferries