Ship Shots

Freeport, Bahamas

Nov 9 & 10 – Freeport, Bahamas
Two full days of Freeport was ample time to shop, walk the beach and most of all finally get to enjoy some of the ships amenities. While most of the 3,600+ passengers were off the ship enjoying land, I used the opportunity to try out the waterslides, sky course, mini golf and more. I did take the shuttle into town Thursday morning to walk the beautiful beaches of Freeport. It was clear that a hard economy has taken its toll on this beautiful island. I passed by closed resorts no longer being manicured and cared for. I didn’t have to walk far to have the entire beach to myself because so many of the properties sit empty.
Our scheduled departure time has been altered more than once. We are all hoping that they are able to complete the repairs in time to get us home to Galveston by Sunday. They have offered ship board credit, a second lobster dinner, and free shuttle service while in Freeport among just some of their gestures to keep us appeased. The show last night, “Destination Unknown” was very well done. But the crowds to get a good seat were brutal. Tomorrow will be the last formal night, and then it will be time to pack for the last time and look forward to returning home after two months of circling the globe.

Crossing the Atlantic

At Sea
We were hoping to use the six sea days to relax and get a tan, but the weather refused to cooperate. Rain followed by high winds we now know were because we tracked the turbulence of tropical storm Sean. By Sunday and Monday, the winds were topping out at 45 knots. The weather kept us rocking and rolling. It was responsible for the pools and even the outside decks sometimes being closed along with all the outside activities. From the sky course to the water slides, everything was shut down. At night the shows were cancelled and the dancing difficult. We are looking forward to finally reaching land and hope that “Sean” will head north and give us a couple of days of sun before we reach Galveston. Weather is one of the elements of travel that can not be controlled. Looking at the bright side, once we had TV back, I saw that there was the first tropical storm since 1995 in Spain and Italy. I am so thankful that we missed that and the worst part of the flooding in Bangkok.

Las Palmas, Canary Islands

Wednesday, November 2 – Las Palmas, Canary Islands
After nearly two months of visiting plazas, museums, and cathedrals we wanted to relax today. We walked from the port to Playa de las Canteras, a beautiful beach less than 10 minutes from the port. Gary would tell you it was an especially beautiful beach because it was typical to many European beaches, (topless). We really felt like one of the locals. Other than a handful of other cruisers who just strolled thru, we were the only people there that were off the two ships in port. After about three hours of sun we started working our way back to the ship stopping at the local mall on the way to have a beer and coke at a terrace café. While walking thru the mall we noticed that the McDonalds had free Wi-Fi so it was back to the ship to get my computer and have a chance to check my email. The connection was slow, but still enjoyed. Once we leave the Canary Islands, we will be on the six day transatlantic crossing and will not have any TV or satellite connection for a portion of the crossing. The itinerary has changed because of a thruster problem and we will go to Freeport for two days while the ship is repaired instead of heading to Grand Turk.

Malaga, Spain

Monday, October 31 - Happy Halloween in Malaga, Spain
I had no idea what to expect because I had not found time to research this stop, but was very pleasantly surprised at what a beautiful and romantic town we found. Again, we took a five euro shuttle thru the commercial port and to the edge of town. We started out walking the beautiful gardens on our way to find an ATM to get more euros. There was a fascinating fort up on the hill we were anxious to explore, but it was clear that it would be a significant hike and I didn’t want to risk getting up there and not having the entry fee to go inside. Europe was not open to receiving US dollars like we had found throughout Asia. Three banks and two non-working ATM’s later we finally accomplished getting some euros. We first tried to visit La Alcazaba, but found it closed so we stopped at a tourist information center to find out what was opened to explore. Unfortunately only four of the many monuments and places of interest were open today. It was then a long steep hike up the hill to Castillo de Gibralfaro, the first of our four stops. During the climb we were able to look inside the bull fighting arena and see breathtaking views of the city. From the fortress walls there was an amazing view of the entire city and the mountains that surround it. There was also a small museum with artifacts from the Arab and Spanish times. We walked the rampart & merlons and explored the towers and turrets. It was easy to see why the structure had survived 700+ years. It was an architectural masterpiece.
We rewarded ourselves with a stop at an outdoor cafe after hiking back down to town. I went off and explored the cathedral while Gary relaxed over a beer. We then hiked together across town to the Picasso Museum and home, and passed by the ancient amphitheater for a quick look on our way. It had been a very exhausting day. We were both ready to work our way back to the ship and enjoy some sun and a dip in the hot tub before getting dressed for dinner and dancing.
The evening was filled with Halloween festivities. We could not believe how many had packed very elaborate costumes. There was a costume competition, haunting movies, a Halloween dance and games all evening. We were so glad that tomorrow would be a relaxing sea day as we sailed thru the Straits and into the open waters of the Atlantic on our way to the Canary Islands.

Palma de Mallorca, Spain

October 29 - Island of Mallorca, Spain
Upon arrival into Palma de Mallorca, the capital of Spain’s Balearic Islands, we could see from the ship it was going to be an exciting place to visit. The countless yachts and La Seu Cathedral dating back to the 12th century were all visible from the ship. I learned that this is a favorite hideaway for the rich and famous like Michael Douglas. It is also where Mallorca pearls are from. We took a 5 euro shuttle into town. It dropped us across the street from the cathedral which was our first stop. It is a breathtaking Gothic structure. Portions of the interior were redesigned by the famous Gaudi including the controversial main altar. We then explored the Palace de l’Almudaina and walked some of the back streets of town where we also found and visited the Banys Arabs, the oldest structure on the island. Portions of the baths go back to the 10th Century. We tried to visit the Museum of Mallorca, but found it closed for the afternoon siesta (common in Spain). We enjoyed walking the green space in front of the cathedral then caught a shuttle back to the ship.

Barcelona, Spain

October 28 – Barcelona, Spain
After two, seven+ hour flights we arrived in Barcelona. Finding the right area to catch the shuttle to the hotel ended up taking more than an hour, then waiting for the shuttle to have room for us was another hour. Once in the hotel we took a nap and then caught a city bus to city center. We had walked this area before, so after hunting for a couple of needed items, we stopped at an outside café for tapas and Sangria. While relaxing and enjoying lunch the sky opened up and poured. We waited about 30 minutes and realized the rain was there to stay so we worked our way back to the bus and headed back to the hotel soaked and happy just to relax the rest of the evening. We had been reminded of just how expensive Europe can be. The six tapas and one drink each came to nearly $90 after factoring in the conversion into Euros.
The next morning we shared a taxi with another couple and went directly to the ship. The rain was still steady and would be for the day. We settled into our cabin, explored the ship and met our eight table mates at dinner that night. The Maître-d and one of the bands were the same as we had for the 49 day trip on the Splendor so we felt right at home.