My Cruise Ship break. Barcelona to Canaries.

[KEVIN2008]

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.





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


Waiting to board, port of Barcelona


Port of Barcelona


Buffet. Deck 15, before departure, Barcelona.


Balcony stateroom accommodation


Mediterranean sunrise 07.00 am


Arrival Tangiers, Morocco


Port of Tangiers




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


Queue for Camel ride, Tangiers.. lol




Returning to ship, for departure


Tangiers port security


Tangiers


Sail away, Tangiers


Sunrise close to the Canaries


Arrival, Port of Las Palmas, Gran Canary


Las Palmas, Gran Canary


Las Arenas, shopping center, Las Palmas


Taken from top deck of tour bus




Gantry sign:
"unbelted driver 3 points"




Sail away, Las Palmas


Arrive, Santa La Cruz, Tenerife




Port of Santa La Cruz, Tenerife


Welcoming party












Our ship is 3rd down..






Departing Santa La Cruz, Tenerife



Arrival, Funchal, Portugese island of Madeira


Port of Funchal, Madeira








Taken from top deck of tour bus




Departing Funchal, Madeira


Island of Madeira


Malaga, mainland Spain






Port of Malaga, Spain


Malaga city hall.








O Sheenans bar, Norwegian Epic








Malaga, Spain

[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.

[snakeeyes]

Great pics , Cheers

[Chittychangchang]

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

[KEVIN2008]

Madeira is beautiful and a lot more stylish than the Canaries

[snakeeyes]

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

[Loy Toy]

Great thread Kev.

[Norton]

Nice Kev. Thanks for sharing.

[kingwilly]

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.

I can imagine.

[baldrick]

a 6 x 8 floating prison cell

yes

or no ?



looks an ok cell to me

[CaptainNemo]

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.

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).

[KEVIN2008]

a 6 x 8 floating prison cell

yes

or no ?



looks an ok cell to me

[KEVIN2008]

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....

[BaitongBoy]

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