GAZING at the White Cliffs of Dover it was impossible not to start humming Vera Lynn’s classic wartime song. From the deck of the cruise ship as we slowly sailed out of Dover, they looked simply stunning bathed in autumn sunshine. 4 The Verandah Neptune Suite on the Nieuw Statendam Credit: Holland America 4 Relax on the beaches in the Canaries Credit: Getty It was wonderful to find ourselves aboard Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam cruise ship, barely 90 minutes after leaving London.
The train whisked us through the Kent countryside from St Pancras in just over an hour. Then a taxi from Dover Station had us portside in five minutes. No two-hour check-in at the airport, no lengthy wait in crowded departure halls before squashing into economy seats.
Read More on Travel MAGIC KINGDOM Disneyland Paris unveils brand new Lion King attraction with log flume TAKE FLIGHT One of the world’s best airlines to launch more flights from top UK airport Holland America will be operating an exciting range of cruises from Dover throughout 2025, taking in the British Isles, with adventurous chilly sailings up to the Arctic Circle and warm sunny sojourns to the Mediterranean and beyond. And this ship, launched in 2018, is well prepared for all. The main swimming pool is covered by a huge glass roof which slides completely open to let passengers soak up the sunshine or glides back into place if the weather’s not playing ball.
The Lido deck has comfy cushioned relaxers all around the main p.