My Cruise Ship break. Barcelona to Canaries.

Had the following wrote up 12 months ago, just getting to post now....:)

For many years friends have raved about Cruise ship holidays and have been reassuring me repeatedly how much i would enjoy one.
I love travelling and have done all my life. Serving with the U.N. in a previous life gave me the travelling bug.
I was never one for the big ship type of travel but we got to thinking about it one day and thought it might be a place where that magic might happen.
Timing was important, so thinking of a warm climate and no kids running around the decks, we booked the Norwegian Epic for November 2015,--flight from Dublin,-- Barcelona,via Tangiers Morocco, to the Canaries

Well you know what they say...Don't knock it until you have tried it...Well i did and it's just NOT for me.
Being a spontaneous and freewheeling traveler and then to experience a week in a 6 x 8 floating prison cell certainly did not appeal to us.
I just cannot see the value of Cruise holidays, being trapped on a boat for an extended period of time with lines of queues for meals, shows etc.
Then there is the open deck Hi Di Hi get together every evening or what i describe as the YMCA shuffle...lol

Anyway enough of my rambling polemic. The following is a selection of photos from the trip....hope you enjoy.

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Class and type: Epic-class cruise ship

Length: 329.45 m (1,081 ft)
Beam: 40.64 m (133 ft)
Height: 61 m (200 ft)

Decks: 19

Speed: 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity: 4,100 (double occupancy)
Crew: 1,724

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Waiting to board, port of Barcelona

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Port of Barcelona

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Buffet. Deck 15, before departure, Barcelona.

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Balcony stateroom accommodation

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Mediterranean sunrise 07.00 am

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Arrival Tangiers, Morocco

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Port of Tangiers

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Camel ride,photo opportunity, Tangiers, (arranged by ship)

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Queue for Camel ride, Tangiers.. lol

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Returning to ship, for departure

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Tangiers port security

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Tangiers

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Sail away, Tangiers

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Sunrise close to the Canaries

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Arrival, Port of Las Palmas, Gran Canary

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Las Palmas, Gran Canary

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Las Arenas, shopping center, Las Palmas

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Taken from top deck of tour bus

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Gantry sign:
"unbelted driver 3 points"

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Sail away, Las Palmas

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Arrive, Santa La Cruz, Tenerife

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Port of Santa La Cruz, Tenerife

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Welcoming party

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Our ship is 3rd down..

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Departing Santa La Cruz, Tenerife


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Arrival, Funchal, Portugese island of Madeira

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Port of Funchal, Madeira

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Taken from top deck of tour bus

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Departing Funchal, Madeira

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Island of Madeira

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Malaga, mainland Spain

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Port of Malaga, Spain

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Malaga city hall.

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O Sheenans bar, Norwegian Epic

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Malaga, Spain

Enjoyed looking at the pictures, most on here are well traveled so will enjoy a good travel spread.
Madeira, there was a poster on here who lived there and reckoned that it was a much better place to retire in than Thailand.
I recon he had a point.

Great pics , Cheers

Nice pics and thread.
Awesome ship, did you get lost on it?
Carn't beat the Canarian sunsets.

Madeira is beautiful and a lot more stylish than the Canaries:)

I liked the pics of the Camels but a few pics of Spanish Camel toes would have been nice , :)

Great thread Kev. :)

Nice Kev. Thanks for sharing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KEVIN2008

Well you know what they say...Don't knock it until you have tried it...Well i did and it's just NOT for me.

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I can imagine.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KEVIN2008

a 6 x 8 floating prison cell

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yes

or no ?

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...DSCN0881~0.JPG

looks an ok cell to me

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wasabi

Enjoyed looking at the pictures, most on here are well traveled so will enjoy a good travel spread.
Madeira, there was a poster on here who lived there and reckoned that it was a much better place to retire in than Thailand.
I recon he had a point.

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I like Madeira, it's very pleasant and civilised, but not really for the young.
I have only ever visited the various bits of Atlantic Spain and Portugal for work, but I find Portgual tends to be prettier and tidier.
I have to go to the wet bits of them parts soon for work again actually (but not on one of those floating skyscrapers).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by baldrick

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KEVIN2008

a 6 x 8 floating prison cell

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yes

or no ?

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...DSCN0881~0.JPG

looks an ok cell to me

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:smileylaughing:

https://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...5/DSCN0949.JPG

This pic was taken from the terrace of the Continental Hotel. The hotel is a blast from the past, beautiful old building, with great Moroccan architecture....built in 1870

A pic below i sourced online....

https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2016/11/1122.jpg

Thanks, KEVIN...I feel I've taken the tour...I agree the "cell" looks nice...