On the Stena Line ferries between the Netherlands and England (Hook of Holland ⇄ Harwich), you can choose from Standard, Comfort and Captain’s Suite cabins plus family, pet-friendly and accessible options. Daytime sailings often let you add a cabin with a handy discount, while overnight sailings include/require a cabin. Ticket-wise, Economy is cheapest, Flexi buys peace of mind, and Premium can be great value if you want the Stena Plus Lounge included.
Recently, we popped over to Stena Line in Hook of Holland (Hoek van Holland) for a proper look around – including a guided tour of Stena Britannica. A few short hours later we headed home with a bag full of useful info and an (admittedly too old) phone packed with photos.
A lot of that information (and the photos) will find its way onto our route pages. On our main page about the ferries between the Netherlands and England, you’ll find this crossing (Harwich-Hook of Holland) with clear, bite-sized essentials.
We’ve also covered this route in more detail on the Harwich to Hook of Holland page, and in our blog we’ve shared our own experience on the ferry between Holland and Harwich.
In this article, though, we want to zoom in on a few practical choices you’ll make when travelling on the Stena Line ferries between the Netherlands and England: (1) the different cabins on Stena Britannica (and Stena Hollandica), (2) the ticket types, and finally (3) the upgrades you can add. That’s exactly what Ferrygogo is here for: helping you pick what suits your trip best – because that can be different every time.
A quick look at cabins on board: what are your options?
Stena Line sails this route with Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica. We’ve sailed between Harwich and Hook of Holland plenty of times, but this post isn’t about the crossing itself. Want the full “how it feels” route experience? You’ll find it in our own crossing report here.
The ferry between Harwich and Hook of Holland typically runs twice a day in each direction: one daytime crossing and one overnight sailing. Exact times can vary by season, and in winter the ships may take turns going into dry dock for maintenance – but as a rule, you’ll usually have a day sailing and an overnight sailing both ways.
So you can choose between a daytime sailing and an overnight sailing. On the overnight sailing, a cabin is included/required as part of the booking. On the daytime sailing to England, a cabin isn’t essential – but it is very comfortable, and you often get a 50% discount on the cabin price. Travelling with children? Having a cabin to retreat to (hello, afternoon nap) can be a real game-changer. So, back to cabins: what can you choose from?
Cabin types on Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica
During our visit to Stena Britannica, we were able to see a good selection of cabin types. In short, you can choose from Standard cabins, Comfort cabins and the Captain’s Suites. There are also pet-friendly cabins and accessible cabins. And yes, there are family cabins too – which are essentially standard cabins designed for more people.
So the main “levels” are standard, comfort and Captain’s Suite, and then you pick the layout based on how many people are travelling. Options typically range from single cabins to 2-berth, 2 adults + 1 child, 4 + 1 child, or a 4-berth cabin.
Standard cabins (like the first photos) are absolutely fine and give you everything you need: beds (sometimes bunks), enough space, and an en-suite bathroom. If you’re mainly planning to enjoy the onboard facilities and won’t spend loads of time in your cabin, this is a solid choice where you won’t feel you’re missing out.
Do keep an eye on whether you’d like a window – that’s usually an option. On the day we checked for this article (a sailing day at the end of February), a standard cabin for 2 people was £58. Prices vary by sailing date and availability – these examples were checked in January 2026 for February sailings.
Comfort cabins step things up a notch: you get a bit more space, tea and coffee in the cabin, somewhere to sit, a minibar with a few drinks, and a TV. For a comfort cabin, we saw £102. So for roughly £45 extra (compared to a standard cabin), you get a cabin that’s simply easier to relax in and retreat to.
Comfort cabins come in a few different layouts too – for example for 2 people, or 2 adults + 1 child.
Definitely worth considering.
The Captain’s Suite: and then there’s the Captain’s Suite – which really is a proper upgrade. Before our visit in Hook of Holland we hadn’t seen this cabin type in person, and honestly: it’s an experience in its own right. Yes, it’s usually more expensive – but you genuinely get a lot back. For the day we checked it was £87 more (so £130 for this cabin). Our take? If the budget allows, it can absolutely feel “worth it” for the extra comfort – but of course, that’s a personal call.
Compared with a hotel night, it certainly holds its own – and it’s a fun way to travel, too.
In the Captain’s Suite, you’ll find a spacious bed, a genuinely large cabin with seating, a minibar, tea and coffee, a TV, an en-suite bathroom, and plenty of comfort – plus lovely sea views through the big portholes. If this sounds like your thing, book early: there are only a handful of Captain’s Suites on board, so they can go quickly. We were genuinely a bit excited by this one.
It’s worth booking early for other cabin types too. Not only do you often get better prices when you book in advance, but some cabin categories can sell out surprisingly fast. The Captain’s Suite is a classic example because there are so few. Accessible cabins and pet-friendly cabins can also be snapped up early – and family cabins are popular too.
Travelling as a family? There’s plenty of entertainment on board to keep everyone happy, including the Stena Line Family Hub, restaurants and bars – a very pleasant way to pass the time on the crossing. And yes, there are family cabins for up to 5 people.
We also share a few practical tips in this article about taking the ferry with kids.
If you like the ‘what should I actually book?’ approach, this Brittany Ferries guide is the closest equivalent on our site. It breaks down seat vs lounge vs cabin (day vs overnight), the real difference between Standard and Flexi, and which upgrades are genuinely worth paying for – especially if you’re travelling with kids or a dog.
Read: Brittany Ferries cabins, tickets & upgrades :what to book (and why) →
Ready to compare sailings and cabin prices? Here’s the route page:
Harwich – Hook of Holland
Right – on to the next (and arguably your first) big decision: which ticket type you book.
Ticket types: Economy, Flexi or Premium?
Economy or Flexi?
During the booking process (we tested this as foot passengers, 2 people), you’re asked right away in step 1 which ticket type you want. It’s worth pausing here. Economy is the cheapest option, but for £12 (so £6 per person) you can upgrade to a Flexi ticket – and Flexi genuinely gives you a lot more peace of mind. Last summer, for example, we had car trouble during our trip and had to change our ferry crossing. Having a Flexi-style ticket ended up saving us a significant amount (roughly £700). So yes: Economy is often cheaper upfront, but if plans change, it can get expensive quickly.
So do think it through. Flexi costs a little more, but it can buy you a lot of calm if something unexpected pops up.
Premium tickets & the Stena Plus Lounge (upgrade)
Another option to consider is Premium. You get all the Flexi benefits plus access to the Stena Plus Lounge. For £38 extra (so £19 per person), you can relax in the lounge and enjoy a range of complimentary bites and drinks. If you stay for a proper drink and snack, you’ll often “earn it back” fairly quickly. Also worth noting: on this route, children are only allowed in the lounge from age 8, which keeps things a little calmer (sorry, fellow parents of energetic toddlers).
Premium: a good deal if you were considering the Stena Plus Lounge anyway, because lounge access on its own is £24 per person. And Premium can also come with better cancellation terms than Flexi – so it can be great value all round.
Crossing as a foot passenger? Then it’s also worth looking at Rail & Sail tickets. When we checked, Rail & Sail was actually cheaper than the standard (Economy) ticket – and it includes a free train ticket from Harwich International to any Greater Anglia station in the UK.
We asked Stena Line about this, and here’s the explanation we received:
An Economy foot passenger ticket can sometimes be more expensive than Rail & Sail (which is only available in Economy), because Rail & Sail uses fixed monthly pricing, while foot passenger fares are more flexible and can change by day and by booking moment.
Upgrade to the Stena Plus Lounge on the Netherlands–England route
On the Stena Line ferries between Hook of Holland and Harwich, the Stena Plus Lounge is a calmer, more comfortable place to spend the crossing. In short: think Scandinavian-style lounge vibes, sea views, comfy seats, complimentary snacks & drinks (including alcohol), plus Wi-Fi.
Access to the Stena Plus Lounge
- Included with Premium (slightly more expensive)
- Travelling on Economy or Flexi? You can often upgrade to Stena Plus during the booking process (keep an eye out for it).
Good to know
- Children under 8 are not allowed in the Stena Plus Lounge on this route.
- You can also add lounge access on the overnight sailing – handy for an evening drink and bite, and then again for a simple breakfast in the morning.
- No pets, except assistance dogs.
Ferrygogo mini tips
- 1) Day sailing with kids? If cabins are discounted, it’s often worth it: having your own space for a quick reset (or an impromptu nap) can make the whole crossing feel easier.
- 2) Captain’s Suite = book early. There are only a few, and they tend to go fast, especially on popular dates.
- 3) Don’t dismiss Flexi. It’s a small extra cost upfront, but if plans change, it can save you a lot of hassle (and money).
Stena MORE loyalty programme
Stena Line also has a newer loyalty programme: Stena MORE – and yes, with Stena MORE you can sometimes bag upgrades too.
With Stena MORE, you collect points on your bookings (and sometimes on board), which you can later use as a discount on a future crossing. Members often get earlier access to the best early-bird deals and onboard offers, too.
The higher your tier (Gold/Platinum), the faster you earn points (double points) and the more extras you may unlock – such as premium Wi-Fi or lounge-style perks on selected routes. In other words, it’s worth signing up, and then quietly saving a bit smarter with every trip.
We can’t squeeze everything about the ferries between the Netherlands and England onto one page: otherwise we’d be going a bit too deep for someone who’s just getting their bearings. That’s why we also keep separate pages for our proper crossing reports (our ‘travel logs’) and the no-nonsense, route-by-route essentials. This guide to cabin types, ticket options and upgrades is the more in-depth extra layer alongside those pages.
Just below you’ll also find (1) the key route information and (2) our own experience on this Netherlands–England crossing.
Harwich – Hook of Holland
On board the Stena Britannica between Harwich and Hook of Holland
JW (Jan Willem) van Tilburg is one of the co-founders of FerryGoGo, has a passion for food, drink and travel. He loves exploring data and the history of the destinations featured on FerryGoGo, and he’s always curious about the population of each place. He’s also sailed many of the ferry routes between the UK and the continent himself; from Saint-Malo–Portsmouth to overnight crossings such as Portsmouth–Cherbourg and Newcastle–Amsterdam - so his guides are grounded in first-hand experience.
