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