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Tom Ogg's
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R One MEGA Review
Tom Ogg
CruiseReviews at AOL.com (format like an orthodox e-mail address
Group of 7
Occupation: Travel Agents
Number of Cruises: Most were seasoned cruisers
Ship: R-1
Sailing Date: April 29th, 2001
Itinerary: Barcelona to Lisbon (Western Mediterranean)
About This Review
This review is the result of 7 travel professionals that sailed the R-1 on April 29th, 2001 and represents an attempt to answer many questions about Renaissance and the Mediterranean cruises that Renaissance offers. Every last person walked away with their expectations having been exceeded by the experience and I think you will find out why after reading this review. To see a large picture of the thumbnail pictures simply click on the picture you want to see.
This review is broken into 4 distinct areas; The Ship , a look at the R-1, The Cruise , a day by day look at the ports and cruise, Shore Excursions , what to expect and finally, FAQ about the R-1 .
Getting to the Ship:
British Airways had just started
non-stop service from San Diego to London so I was able to obtain an excellent airfare ($642 RT) on
BA to Barcelona and returning from Lisbon. I arrived in
London’s Gatwick airport on time and made my connection into Barcelona, Spain without incident.
BA’s in- flight service was wonderful and it makes me wonder why US carriers have
deteriorated to the extent they have. After claiming my luggage I grabbed a taxicab to my hotel, The
Alimara Hotel in Barcelona.
There was a Grand Prix race in Barcelona and every hotel was sold out
for miles around. I was able to get a reservation at the Alimara Hotel but was paying hundreds of
dollars for a room that would be considered sub standard in any major hotel in the US but I was glad
to have a place to sleep. It was a corporate meeting
hotel that offered little in the way of services to a leisure traveler and it
was located in a commercial district many miles from the port.
In the morning, I checked out of the hotel and took a taxi down to the
R-1 where I arrived at 12 noon and was checked in and in my cabin unpacking by 12:10.
I am always amazed at how Renaissance has perfected their check in process.
You simply approach the kiosk with the initial of your last name, provide them with your
passport, receive your room key and board the ship. Since I always carry my own bags onto the ship,
there was no waiting for luggage to proceed to unpack and get settled.
The Ship
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The R-1 is the first of a series of new ships for Renaissance.
Launched in 1998, she is practically a brand new ship and she looks every bit of it.
All of the R class ships feature the same configuration and décor.
Once you have sailed on one R class ship you know your way around all of the ships in the
fleet as they are all the same. Everyone in our group
loved the décor of the ship and the immediate ambiance the ship exudes.
I have included a good number of pictures so you can get an idea what each area looks like
and also get a feel for the R class ship’s appeal.
The cabin
Our group was all on the fourth deck from mid-ship to forward.
The first thing that struck me when I entered the cabin was the generous use of wood and
mirrors. My cabin (4023) had an unobstructed ocean view
from its picture window with floor to ceiling drapes that closed to keep the light out in the
morning. My cabin featured a king sized bed that was very comfortable and enough room to get all
around the bed. There was a floor to ceiling mirror at
the foot of the bed that gave the cabin an even more generous appearance. A very generous vanity
area with 2 110-volt outlets provided a great place for my computer and printer with tons of space
to spare. There is a television with 3 first run movies running concurrently along with several
channels of programming (including CNN). There is a
very generous closet area consisting of two full-length hanging closets and an additional ½ length
closet with 4 drawers below. The vanity offers more drawers and other storage areas.
There is a safe as well hidden on one of the storage areas below the TV.
Everything is a rich teak that gives the cabin lots of charm unlike many ships that are using
plastic for everything. Next to each side of the bed is
a nightstand again with more drawers for storage and a mini sofa resides in the sitting area of the
cabin. All in all, there is just enough square footage
over the traditional cabin to give you the feel of spaciousness and a quality higher than cabins of
other cruise lines in the same price range.
The bathroom is very typical of cruise ships in its size (compact) only
the use of porcelain instead of plastic gives the bathroom a quality feel about it.
There is a hair dryer and ample storage space for toiletries.
A Tour of the Ship
The R-1 is exactly the same as all of the other “R” class ships.
She is a smaller ship at only 30,277 gross tons and a guest capacity of only 684 lucky
adults. R-1 (in fact, all of the “R” class ships)
does not allow children under 16 and all of the ships are completely non-smoking.
The first thing one notices is the “homey” feeling about her.
Upon entering the R-1’s main lobby you notice that the chairs are full sized living room
chairs that can be moved wherever you want them. The
carpets are a fine simulation of India Rugs laid into of beautiful carpet with lots of colors.
There is an abundance of teak paneling with gold inlaid designs.
The ceilings make excellent use of textures, crown molding and various skylight reliefs so
that the overall feeling is one of a richness not usually found on most mass-market cruise ships.
Fortunately this theme permeates the R-1 with lots of nooks and
crannies and an abundance of places to meet in large and small groups with many intimate spaces to
escape from the crowd. R-1’s space ratio of a very
generous 44.16 is quite evident as you explore the ship. The ship is well suited for her passenger demographics and repeat adult cruisers
that enjoy sophisticated elegance in a casual atmosphere will not be disappointed.
The Restaurants
R-1 has an open dining policy so that you may eat when you desire and
with whom you desire. Some of the restaurants require
reservations while others you may simply show up and be seated. This is a great feature of Renaissance as everyone can have the exact dining
experience they are looking for. We chose to eat as a
group and were able to obtain group seating throughout the cruise for 7 and enjoyed excellent
dining.
The Club Restaurant (Deck 5, Aft)
This is the main restaurant on the ship and does not require advance
reservations. You may simply decide when you would like
to dine and head for the restaurant to be seated. The
restaurant is elegant and offers many ocean view tables. We
experienced extremely good service and the food was generally very good to excellent.
Trying to please 7 well-traveled travel agents is no small task and other than a few
suggestions our group was very satisfied with The Club Restaurant.
There were always several entrees to select from including fish every night. During the last meal we enjoyed at the Club we selected an entrée that no one
had chosen and passed it around the table. On this
evening all of the selections were excellent. Many in
our group preferred the Club Restaurant out of all the restaurants on the R-1.
Also the Club is open for breakfast and lunch as well as dinner.
The Italian Restaurant, (Deck 10, Aft)
The Italian Restaurant requires advance reservations (while reservations
are required, at the alternative restaurants there is currently no additional gratuity suggested as
with other cruise line’s alternative dining which makes the experience that much more enjoyable) I
thoroughly enjoyed the Italian Restaurant and I stuck with fish and salad and was never
disappointed. One of the nice things about the various restaurants is that if you ordered a
bottle of wine in the Italian restaurant and did not finish it you could arrange to have the wine
follow you to the next restaurant. The Italian
Restaurant’s menu consisted of fish, veal and other meats, pasta and salads.
The Grill Restaurant (Deck 10 Aft)
This is everyone’s favorite along with the Club Restaurant.
The Grill Restaurant offers steaks, chops and fish in an elegant setting.
Rack of Lamb was offered every night and was a favorite choice for many of the agents.
I stuck with the fish that was consistently wonderful (how can you miss in the
Mediterranean?) Overall, I enjoyed the Grill Restaurant the most as it was intimate and the service
was very good to excellent.
The Panorama Buffet (Deck 9, Aft)
This is the ship’s buffet restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch
and dinner. I found ample fruit, yogurt, cheese and
other healthy choices were consistently available. I would have liked to seen more local fruit in the offerings as a number of
others in our group mentioned. The ship offered
pineapple, cantaloupe, grapefruit, bananas, citrus and apples every morning.
Lunch always offered several choices of salads, entrees (including fish daily) and vegetables
(excellent). There are two coffee and juice stations
that are open all hours as well in the Panorama, one of which was outside on the fantail behind the
Panorama.
The B-B-Q (Deck 9, Poolside)
This is the poolside lunch venue that offers excellent hamburgers and
hot dogs with French fries. The quality of these items
is one step above most other cruise lines and they also offer one additional B-B-Q item every day.
I saw teriyaki beef sticks, Lamb skewers, pork chops among the offerings everyday. There is no salad offered at the B-B-Q so one has to go into the Panorama to get
it.
The Pizzeria (Deck 9, Aft)
The Pizzeria is located inside of the Panorama Restaurant as a
separate food venue. The pizza was excellent and the
only complaint that I heard was that it was not open long enough and should have been open in the
evening and that the pizza, while good, was not the best.
The Entertainment Venues and Lounges
The Western Mediterranean Itinerary is very rich in daytime activities
and many folks couldn’t manage to stay up for the entertainment after a full day of touring,
shopping, climbing ruins or whatever they did. Generally
there was a show after every dinner in the Cabaret Lounge and other choices such as a piano bar and
a dancing venue. It was hard to find anyone up and
around much after 11 pm.
The Cabaret Lounge (Deck 5, Forward)
This is the main showroom and entertainment venue on the ship.
Shows mainly consist of song and dance productions (very good) and magic acts, singers and
such. The Cabaret Lounge is a quality showroom and
offers folks that “up close and personal” experience with the entertainers.
There are tables right up next to the stage for those that want to almost be part of the
show. The room is terraced
so that all seats have a view. The thing I liked most
about the Cabaret Lounge is that the chairs are “living room” type chairs that can be arranged
to suit anyone’s needs and desires, as they are not bolted to the floor.
The showroom offers excellent acoustics and the central stage can be seen from all position
in the lounge.
The Horizon Lounge: (Deck 10, Forward)
This is the primary dancing and meeting place venue.
The Horizon Lounge is broken into several different areas that can be isolated from the
others. We held our seminars in the Horizon Lounge by
simply roping off one of the areas and were never bothered by anyone.
Forward in the bar is a floor to
ceiling full-length picture window that extends from one side of the ship to the other.
It is an excellent place to witness the arrival or departure of the R-1 into or from ports.
It is also an excellent place to spend quiet moments just taking in the beauty of the
Mediterranean Sea. In the early evening and then later
into the night the Sports Bar offers dancing and other types of entertainment (karaoke and such).
The Casino Bar (Deck 5, Mid Ship)
The casino bar and piano lounge was one of my favorite places.
There are several stools that you can use to order drinks but the bar sits directly in
the center of the casino and most folks simply use it to obtain a drink while they are
playing. Folks enjoying the music in the piano lounge are also served from this bar as
well. In addition to the stools there is always at least one full time waitress serving drinks
in the piano bar.
The Pool Bar (Deck 9, Poolside)
The Pool Bar was rarely open as there was a general lack of interest the
first couple of days of the cruise.
The Club Bar (Deck 5 Aft)
The Club Bar sits right outside the entrance to the Club Restaurant and
is a perfect place to meet for cocktails and conversation prior to dining in the Club Restaurant.
It is decorated so that it feels like a homey environment where you can simply relax in
absolute comfort. I liked the Club Bar on the R-1 the
best of all the lounges on the ship and found myself there just relaxing on several occasions
The Grill Bar and The Italian Bar (Deck 10 Aft)
Both the Grill and the Italian Restaurants had small bars with bar stools and an intimate sitting
area that one could use while they waited for their reservation time.
The Grill Bar is especially quaint with its “Old New York” feel.
The dark mahogany wood and rustic feel give the Grill Bar a very special feeling.
Other Public Areas
The Library (Deck 10, Aft)
WOW! The library is without
a question one of the best that exists on any cruise ship at sea.
Its lavish use of textures, ceiling reliefs, dark hardwood
bookshelves, sofas and overstuffed chairs give the library a feeling of richness and lavish
comfort. Best of all the library is open 24 hours a day
and the books are taken and returned on the honor system. Besides
being absolutely beautiful, the library is large and functional as well.
The books are categorized by book type (just like a large library) and it is quite easy to
find books to read if you know what you are looking for.
The Internet Café (Deck 9, Forward)
R-1 offers a full service Internet café consisting of 6 fully automated
workstations. The connection speed is fast which is
good because on this sailing Internet access was a full $1.00 per minute.
They were offering a special of $99.95 for unlimited use during the cruise which is what I
opted for and it was a great value. Charlene, the Manager of the Internet Cafe, is a wonderful and
dedicated lady who makes using the Internet Cafe a pleasure. She is always there to help
anyone who wants it and keeps the system alive with constant care and maintenance.
The Card Room (Deck 9, Forward)
I rarely use the card rooms on ships as they are usually designed for playing cards and that is about it. However, the card room on the R-1 is an excellent getaway spot as it is rarely used and offers a wonderful ambiance. I found myself going there when I wanted to ponder something or work without interruption.
The Fitness Center (Deck 9, Forward)
As you may have guessed by now I am into health and fitness. While most ships allocate enough space for a reasonable fitness center they usually just don't equip it right to obtain a reasonable workout. The R-1 (in fact all R Class Ships) have done an excellent job of designing and equipping their fitness centers. They are broken into four distinct areas,
First, the aerobics area is large enough so that folks can spread out during their
aerobics classes, R-1 offers quite a number of cardiovascular machines and a nice variety as
well. There are tread mills, 2 Stair
Master machines, bikes and ski machines. I never saw all of the machines in use so there was
no waiting for anyone to complete their workout before starting. The weight machine area offers just
the right Body Master machines to stay toned. There is a chest press, lat rowing machine, triceps
push down, preacher's bench biceps curl, leg lift, leg curl and a military press. The dumbbell
section offers dumbbells to 50# (not the usual 30# cutoff) and two separate weight benches.
The Spa (Connected to the Fitness Center) offers a steam room and two superb showers that are free to use after your work out. Taking a nice long steam bath followed by a hot shower is just an excellent way to end a work out. The Spa also offers full Steiner services.
The Pool Area (Deck 9, Mid Ship)
Aaahhhh, the R-1 Pool area. No kids, adults only, no splashing, yelling,
running, falling, crying, "Marco Polo", none of that. The R-1's pool area is exactly
as the other R-class ships. There are two Jacuzzis that are never crowded and a swimming pool
that is kept at around 80 degrees so that it is always comfortable. Around the pool area are
covered chairs and sun chairs and there is a table between each lounge chair so getting in and out
of the chairs is easy. There is a pool bar close by with tables to sit at and their is also
pool service by the waiters that are non-invasive. It is a wonderful experience for adults and
in my opinion one of Renaissance's best features.
The Self Laundry (Deck 7, Mid Ship, Port Side)
Thanks again Renaissance. The R-1 offers a complete self-service laundry
facility for those that did not pack enough. Tokens for operating the machines are at the
Registration desk and there is an ironing board and iron to keep those clothes that got wrinkled on
the way to the R-1 looking fresh and snappy. The best time to use the facility is during the
day when you get back from touring. Evening time (before dinner) tends to get a bit busy. The R-1
also offers "laundry specials" during the week where they will wash and fold all of the
laundry you can get into a laundry bag for just $10. I took them up on it twice and it really
saved me work.
The Casino (Deck 5, Mid Ship)
The R-1 offers a large casino area with several table games and slot machines and
more slots are found outside the Horizon Bar.
The Shops (Deck 5, Mid Ship)
R-1 has a couple of excellent shops. One sells primarily Renaissance signature
items (hats, coffee mugs, wind breakers, sweat shirts and so on) plus sundry items one needs when
one runs out of (or forgets to pack) them. The other shop sells fine items of jewelry,
perfumes, watches, and so on. They are spacious enough so that you do not get that cramped
feeling you do on some ships that simply overstock their limited space.
The Registration Area (Deck 4, Mid Ship)
The registration desk on the R-1 is open 24 hours a day and offers many
services. On this itinerary you will find yourself exchanging currency quite often. R-1
is unique as they will not change currency as they would rather simply charge any currency to your
cabin as a "hotel charge". This works nicely as you can then exchange-left over
currency for a "hotel credit" against your initial charge. The R-1 exchange rate was
competitive with those offered on shore in the various countries but with the wide fluctuation in
currency, I found the currency exchange places very crowded (especially in Spain). The
convenience of getting the currency on the ship far outweighed any variation in exchange rates.
The Shore Excursion Desk (Deck 4, Mid Ship)
The R-1 has a sophisticated way of confirming shore excursions. There is no
need to wait in line to book with a shore excursion salesperson as you can simply grab a form and
indicate how many tickets you want and drop it into the shore excursion box. The tickets are
delivered to your cabin shortly thereafter. If you need advice on a particular excursion there is
rarely a line to speak with one because of this procedure. The R-1 offers extensive shore
excursions that our group found them valuable and informational.
The Staff and Entertainment
The R-1 is blessed with an excellent staff that is obviously motivated by the ship's middle management and Captain. We experienced excellent service in all of the restaurants and generally throughout the ship. The entertainment was fair to very good (but this is a port intensive cruise and the entertainment was secondary to the experience) The Paramount Performers were very good and showed an extreme amount of talent. Their singing was the high point of the performances (especially Linda Demenchini's). Brett Kite was interesting as he combined magic with comedy and singing. I have never seen an act choreographed like his. The other main entertainer, Jorge Dellacher was enjoyed by some but I found his act and humor somewhat boring. Wally Blake who played at the piano bar was interesting to listen to and played some rather good music. The Renaissance Duo that played up in the Horizon Lounge played soothing dance music and were relaxing to listen to.
The entertainment staff had their hands full on this cruise as there was a diverse group in terms of age and tastes. Assistant Cruise Director JJ Ullrich did an outstanding job at fielding petty complaints about this and that and was also very available to the guests of the R-1. This goes a long way to improving guest satisfaction as each guest feels as if their comments count and JJ did an excellent job of handling the comments and the difficult passengers. Cruise staff Carol Armstrong also did an excellent job at handling "high maintenance" guests and was always available for anyone to approach.....this goes a long way with passengers as well. Cruise Director Craig Cusanelli is a professional and it shows every time he addresses the ship and the passengers. Together, this team makes the R-1 work much smoother then it possibly could with a lesser effort. My hat is off to Renaissance for assembling a winning team.
The Cruise
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Day 1, Barcelona, Spain
I boarded the ship and made my way to my cabin (4023) an outside cabin
on deck 4 with a picture window. After unpacking, I
went to the registration desk to reconfirm our group’s arrangements and as usual, Renaissance was
right on top of everything. I made my way up to the
Panorama Buffet on deck 9 aft for lunch and as I was on my way realized that having been on other
Renaissance ships, I knew exactly where to go. There
wasn’t that period of unfamiliarity that you normally experience on other ships that you board for
the first time. I have to admit that when I first
understood that the R-1 through R-8 were exactly the same I was indifferent to the idea.
After this experience I see the validity in having the same ship layout on multiple ships.
I immediately felt at ease with the ship and was very comfortable from the moment I boarded
her even though I had never sailed the R-1 before.
I enjoyed an excellent lunch of fish and vegetables and then decided to
work on a book I am trying to finish and have committed this cruise to do so.
Later in the day I decided to work out in the gym and take a Jacuzzi.
The R-1 features Body Master equipment and I had a reasonable work out (however, the R-3 and
R-7 have a better gym with Cybex instead of Body Master equipment) I jumped into one of the outdoor
Jacuzzis and immediately felt at home. I returned to my
cabin, worked on the book and then decided to take dinner also in the Panorama Buffet.
As most of the group had arrived today, I knew that they would rather rest and catch up on
time zones than get together. I had a very enjoyable dinner of baked cod, vegetables, boiled cabbage
and bread. I was very satisfied and content.
After dinner I went to the show for the evening “A Tribute to Glen
Miller and Big Band Favorites” only to find that most of the folks on board had already gone to
their cabins for the evening. It was kind of sad
watching the orchestra playing to an almost empty room. I
stayed through the end of the show and then joined my fellow cruise mates for a nice night’s
sleep.
Day 2. Barcelona, Spain
I slept in and enjoyed an excellent breakfast of fruit, juice,
croissants and yogurt before heading into downtown Barcelona. I
decided to spend my time in the Las Ramblas/Civic Cent
er/Gothic areas and wanted to walk the back streets of this vibrant city.
There is way more to keep you busy for the entire day than anyone could take in. The Las
Ramblas is a tree lined walk street with hundreds of small shops, restaurants, bars, performing
Mimes and just about everything else you would imagine you might see in an urban center.
The Mimes are incredible. They make themselves
up with metallic paints and look exactly like metal statutes and reward those that contribute coins
to their cups with some sort of movement. There is
activity everywhere. Right off of Las Ramblas is the
central marketplace with isle after isle of fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables among other things.
At the very top of Las Ramblas is the Civic Center with imposing
buildings and a massive square with many fountains. It
is amazing the grandeur of the structures and the density of people that surround Las Ramblas and
the downtown district. Barcelona is known for its rich
and flamboyant architecture and I wasn’t disappointed. Each building features elaborate stone carvings and facades.
Structures like the Cathedral De La Santa Crew stagger the mind with its ornate carvings and
immensity. The Gothic district has narrow winding
pathways that separate its tall buildings with shops on the ground floor and flower boxed layers of
verandas reaching into the sky that hint of the residences that care for them.
For shoppers, I can’t imagine that it could get any better.
Besides the myriad small shops on Las Ramblas and its side streets, the streets to the south
of Las Ramblas house numerous department stores some of which are many stories high.
Many of the small shops in the Gothic District featured unique artisan items as well as
fashion and other high quality wares.
I decided to walk back to the ship along the waterfront and passed
numerous restaurants featuring fresh seafood in an outdoor environment just as you would imagine
would exist in a perfect European setting. The walk
took an hour or so and was extremely interesting as it was off the tourist beaten track.
I was surprised to see that even the industrial buildings leading towards the port had
intricate designs that made them look somehow much more interesting than the function they were
actually performing.
Barcelona Hint:
Do not try to use dollars to purchase
anything as you will surely be shortchanged or downright ripped off.
Be sure to monitor the taximeters to make sure they do not reset them to a higher amount.
Be cautious with your money, wallet and passport if you are going to carry them.
Leave your expensive jewelry on the ship if you are going to explore on your on.
If you are uneasy whatsoever about striking out on your own, take a ship’s sponsored shore
excursion and enjoy yourself!
Barcelona is a wonderful city, but like any city in the world if you
take one wrong turn you could be in trouble…..be wary of anyone trying to “help” you.
We had our lifeboat drill at 4:30pm just before casting off for Palma de
Mallorca in the Balearic Islands.
I met our group for the first time in the Club Bar prior to dining in
the Club Restaurant. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and
were treated to our waitress who introduced herself by the good luck that we had to have her for our
waitress. She wasn’t kidding.
She was absolutely great as her humor, smiles but always professional demeanor were
exceptional. I rarely name any of the cruise staff in a
review but I am going to make it a point to pass her name along so that you can experience her
wonderful service and charm. After dinner I went to the
Internet Café for a session of responding to e-mail and then to the evenings “Bon Voyage” show. Many of the cruise staff was introduced and the Paramount singers and dancers
gave performances hinting at what was to come during the cruise.
I was bushed and went to bed.
Day 3, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
I awoke to the sound of the gangway being taken ashore and looked out my
window at the stunning waterfront of Palma. Palma is truly wonderful with its huge bay littered with
expensive yachts as common as automobiles in California. I
took a quick breakfast in the Panorama Café and decided to take a long walk into the downtown area.
It was a national holiday for all of Spain and Palma certainly was observing it.
I headed out of the port area and walked along the waterfront passing yacht after yacht one
more extravagant than the next. It is truly difficult
to believe such an astounding amount of wealth exists in such a concentrated area.
After passing numerous shops and stores I rounded a point and was
treated to the fabulous sight of Cathedral O La Sea, one of the world’s largest cathedrals. The
pure immensity of the structure is overwhelming. The
structure was originally constructed in the 1300s but sports the now familiar ornate treatment of
Gaudi who worked on the structure in the early 1900s. It
is absolutely stunning
and overshadows everything else in Palma. Right next
to the Cathedral O La Sea is the Palua Del’Almudiaina, a palace built centuries ago by the Moors.
Unfortunately it was closed because of the national holiday but it is said to house a
wonderful museum and offers guided tours daily that would certainly be worth the effort. The palace features ponds and elegant construction including a round turret so
typical of castles.
The downtown area surrounds the structures and offers a wealth of
shopping for fine clothing, jewelry and just about everything else you can imagine.
Narrow streets lined with fabulous stores wind their way uphill towards a never-ending array
of wonderful experiences. It was starting to rain
pretty good so I decided to make my way back to the ship and hailed a taxicab. I spent the balance
of the day working on my book after working out in the gym and enjoying a steam bath and Jacuzzi.
I took a late dinner in the Panorama Café (excellent salad, fish and
vegetables) and was surprised by the number of people who had chosen the Panorama Café to dine in
rather than the more formal restaurants. There must
have been 40 or 50 people dining in the Panorama. I then enjoyed the early show put on by a
gentleman named Brett Kite who offers a good mix of singing, magic and jokes, something for
everyone. I have never seen a performance choreographed
the way he has constructed his show. He is very entertaining.
Day 4, Day at Sea
The morning saw clouds but by noon the sun had broken through making for
a nice afternoon cruising off the coast of Spain. Our group met for our first seminar and then we
all shared a table in the Grill Restaurant for dinner. We
had a wonderful dinner with great conversation and everyone has lapsed into the cruise mode.
After dinner some of us went to this evenings show put on by the Paramount Performers
entitled “Unforgettable”, a musical show of all the songs we all remember over a lifetime.
It was excellent.
Day 5, Malaga, Spain
I had read in a travel guidebook that Malaga had lost most of its
indigenous charm and had become a large city of high rises so I was prepared to be disappointed.
Who ever wrote for that travel guide must have been in the wrong city.
Malaga is wonderful and is a place that I would love to return to and spend some time.
Since it was raining pretty good in the morning I stayed in my cabin and worked until it
looked like it was clearing around 1pm. A couple of us
took off on foot to explore Malaga and the castle that we could clearly see on top of a hill
overlooking Malaga.
We cleared the port authority and were treated to a long tree covered
walkway that traversed a fabulous garden that went for at least a mile.
The sidewalk was all tile and just as clean as if they had just polished it as we were
walking. We came to a traffic circle and decided to try
and make our way up to the castle. We started to climb into the hills and eventually made our way up
to a stairway that looked as if it went to where we wanted to go.
We
climbed and climbed past what we thought was a castle and continued climbing up the rock pathway
enjoying spectacular view after spectacular view. The
buildings of Malaga are ornate and statuesque creating a blend that is uniquely Mediterranean.
One view afforded us a look right down into Malaga’s premier bullring, the Plaza de Toros
de Malaga. There was absolutely no confusion about
where you were as every vista reminded you of a postcard of the Spanish Mediterranean.
We eventually made our way up to the fort (The Alcazaba) and entered its
massive walled
interior. The fort is huge with several keeps, or
watch stations that allow anyone to dominate the surrounding terrain.
I suspect that the fort was pretty much impenetrable for the centuries it reigned all
powerful over Malaga. Originally built in the 11th century the fortress is in excellent
shape and also contains a nice museum of artifacts recovered from the area.
Entrance to the fort and museum is free, however if you want to make a donation they will
accept them at the entrance.
We decided to find another way down the hill into town and started down
what looked to be a street that would take us back into town. About
a quarter of mile from the fort we came upon a small Inn that is where the street terminated. Since
it had started to rain again, we decided to stop for a refreshment and wait out the rain.
I enjoy a nice glass of Rose and thoroughly enjoyed the Inn’s ambiance and was quickly
falling in love with Malaga. As the rain continued to
fall harder and harder we took advantage of a taxicab that was dropping some folks off at the hotel
and negotiated a ride back to the ship.
We had been invited to a cocktail party at 7pm so I got ready for dinner
and made my way up to the cocktail party that was held by Renaissance for some of the folks on the
ship. We met some nice people and enjoyed the sail away
from Malaga. We then enjoyed dinner in the Club
Restaurant and met some nice ladies that we invited to join us at dinner for the remainder of the
cruise. A German performer that played several weird instruments did a performance this evening.
Many of the folks found him entertaining. I went up to the Horizon Bar to see what was going on up there.
After talking with some of the folks I had met on the cruise I decided to turn in for the
evening.
Day 6, Gibraltar, United Kingdom
What a great port! I needed
some exercise so I took off on foot and headed into town. I
avoided the main entrance to the center of town electing to try and circle around the Rock of
Gibraltar instead. I walked a good distance totally
enjoying the shops, people and ambiance of Gibraltar. Her
population is friendly and very British and you see England on every image.
England has owned Gibraltar since its successful acquisition in 1713 and its influence is
everywhere.
I walked a good distance and then decided to turn around towards the
downtown area eventually passing through one of the tunnels that protected the walled “Main Street”
area. This part of Gibraltar dates back centuries and
features narrow shop-lined streets. Main Street is the
main thoroughfare and is a wider walkway lined with expensive and unique shops.
Everything is tax and duty free in Gibraltar and many of the folks I spoke with made
purchases of items at great prices. One couple found a
Lladro store that offered prices up to 60% less than the U.S. on the exact same pieces.
Needless to say they purchased a couple of elaborate pieces.
Leaving the walled part of the city on the eastern end I made my way to
the gondola that took folks to the very top of the Rock of Gibraltar.
For about $US11.00 (I was able to use Spanish pesetas without changing into the local
currency) I purchased a ticket to the top of the Rock and also entrance to the caves.
The ride up the gondola is wonderful but the view from the top is absolutely spectacular.
There are trails leading to various spots of interest at the top and also trails that make
their way down to the area of the “Apes Den” where a population
of Barbary Monkeys reside wild on the side of the rock. After
a good hike and lots of interesting things I boarded the tramway at the mid-mountain station and
made my way back to the walled city. I entered the city
via a different route and took all of the side streets on my way back towards the ship.
It was very interesting and certainly picturesque. I
had decided to through away my guidebook “Lets Go, Spain and Portugal, 2001” as once
again it was totally wrong in its assessment of a destination in my opinion.
Back on the ship I took lunch in the Panorama Buffet (now my standard
routine) and worked in my cabin for a few hours. I then
worked out in the gym and took a Jacuzzi before getting ready to meet our group in the Club Bar for
cocktails and dinner in the Club Restaurant for a wonderful dinner of conversation and excellent
service and food. I then attended the evening’s show
“One Singular Sensation” starring the Paramount Performers.
This was an excellent show done by the cast that featured numerous songs we all love to hear.
The quality of singing was quite high. I was
bushed and went to bed after the show.
Day 7, Casablanca, Morocco
Since there is a two-hour time change (set clocks back) when entering
Morocco I was awake quite early and went to work out and watch the R-1 arrive in Casablanca.
I took an early breakfast in the Panorama Lounge and then did some work in my cabin.
7 of us in our group had decided to do our
own thing and share a taxicab in Casablanca and rather than share the experience here I have
written a detailed account under Casablanca Shore Excursions. Needless
to say, we made the wrong decision and while we laugh about it now, I was livid at the time.
After returning from our visit to Casablanca I enjoyed the sun by the
pool (it
was most welcomed as the storm had finally moved its way east) and the Jacuzzi and met some nice
folks. Our group met in the Italian Bar for cocktails
and then had dinner in the Italian Restaurant. I enjoyed a large Caesar salad and a small piece of
sea bass that was excellent. Since our dinner
arrangements were for 8:30 pm we missed the evenings show in favor of dinner conversation.
Day 8, Cadiz, Spain
Up early, (we had to give back the 2-hour time change we gained the
night before) I took a quick breakfast in the Panorama Café and head for the Cabaret Lounge to wait
being called for the motor coach to Seville. I wanted
to check out the hotels that NACTA had been assigned as their host hotels for the upcoming ASTA
World Congress that was going to take place later this year. It
took almost two hours to cover the 80 miles or so to Seville and the motor coach dropped us off next
to the bullring downtown on the river by the Plaza De Toros. I
immediately hailed a taxicab and made my way to inspect the hotels.
After finding the last hotel I decided to walk through the center of Seville and simply go
where the streets took me. With 4 hours to burn I
thought it would be an interesting way to spend the day.
I was not disappointed. The
old area of Seville is so quaint and charming it is almost unbelievable.
Building after building with ornate facades and narrow winding avenue after narrow winding
avenue makes Seville one of my favorite places. While
there are a lot of tourists traveling in groups with their leaders explaining the various main
attractions, the real beauty of Seville lies in its back streets and people.
The main attractions are absolutely stunning and the extent of the beauty has to be
experienced.
I would recommend everyone visit Seville on this cruise to take
advantage of one of the nicest cities in Europe (in my opinion) I am looking forward to returning
for World Congress this fall and really getting to know the city.
Upon returning (close to 5pm) I took a quick Jacuzzi and readies myself
for dinner with the group in the Club Restaurant. We
had an excellent dinner and then most went to the show while I chose to work in my cabin and try to
catch up on my book.
Day 9 Cadiz, Spain.
I was up quite early and enjoy an early bird’s continental breakfast
in the Panorama Café and took off for “Old Town” Cadiz. Wow!
While Seville certainly has the market cornered on spectacular public buildings, churches and
monuments, I though Old Town Cadiz was the epitome of a Spanish culture of centuries.
Old Town was one of the first cities in Spain and dates back to 1100BC.
The Old Town area is extensive and is alive with local residents, markets, stores and
activity of all kinds. I wandered for hours and sat in
one plaza for at least an hour absorbing the goings on around me.
There were very few tourists (other than those from the R-1) and the stores had sophisticated
selections of clothing, jewelry, fine collectibles and just an infinite array of items.
There were many little coffee bars, pubs and restaurants that were alive
with locals enjoying their lives. I thought that I could possibly live in Cadiz as its environment and culture were
so close to what I envision the perfect balance to be. After
enjoying Old Town I spent time walking the Alameda Marques de Comillas, an ocean front promenade
that offers spectacular view of the ocean and bay of Cadiz at every turn.
There are vista points with wonderful views of the ocean that it reminded me of La Jolla,
California’s ocean front promenade. The shopping
appeared to be wonderful, as did the restaurants and other attractions.
There are also several plazas with churches that date back hundreds of years and a selection
of awe inspiring public buildings. The thing that
impressed me the most was the cleanliness of the city. It
was absolutely spotless and the people fit and sophisticated. This
is a truly enjoyable port.
Our group met in the Club bar for a cocktail and then to the Club
Restaurant for dinner. We had a great time and a great
dinner. There was much joking going around the table as
we had gotten to know one another quite well during the cruise.
I attended the show (a compilation of the various performers) and then spent an hour or so in
the Internet Café before turning in for the evening.
Day 10, Lisbon, Portugal
We arrived in Portugal early in the morning and docked right next to the
bridge that looks exactly like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
The bridge connects both sides of Lisbon and the ship was on the downtown side. I spent the
morning working in my cabin and decided to take a long walk into town in the afternoon.
Lisbon is a wonderful city that is booming with construction everywhere.
The Portuguese people are very proud of their heritage and culture and it is evident
everywhere. The Old section of Lisbon is wonderful with its narrow streets and ancient buildings.
Outside of the Old section of Lisbon are high rises, modern office buildings and the reminder that
Lisbon is a booming economy.
After several hours enjoying Lisbon’s wonderful sights I returned to
the ship and enjoyed a Jacuzzi and conversation with many of the folks that I had met during the
cruise. It was dinner on our own this evening as many
of the folks on the R-1 had planned to dine in Lisbon and enjoy Lisbon’s wonderful nightlife so I
planned on eating in the Panorama Café one last time. Later in the evening I was invited to join one of our group members who was
celebrating her birthday in the Italian Restaurant with her roommate and some of the people she had
become friends with during the cruise. I joined them
and had a wonderful dinner, closing the restaurant as the last ones to leave.
We had missed the show so I decided to take one last Jacuzzi and say
good-bye to Lisbon and the R-1.
Day 11, Lisbon, Portugal
My flight didn’t depart Lisbon until 1pm but I decided to take the R-1
transfer to the airport. After breakfast I finished packing and was off the ship and on my way to
the airport by 9:30am for my flight.
Hint:
You can easily make a 7am flight on the day of return from Lisbon. I had
booked the 1pm flight with a layover in London, as I didn’t think I could make an early flight.
The R-1 transfers start as early as 5am for those on early flights (after 7am)
The Shore Excursions
(
Back to Top
)
These are experiences and suggestion of the agents in our group and
reelect their personal experiences.
Barcelona, Spain
Hint:
If you are on a cruise only program take a taxicab from the airport to
the ship (about $40.00). We asked the information desk
at the airport how to get to the port and they directed us to the underground.
It took us over four hours and we had to change trains downtown Barcelona with our luggage….
Take a taxicab!
Highlights of Barcelona, Half Day, $69.99
We departed the ship going straight to the Miramar for a beautiful view of the City of Barcelona. You could see much of the city and of the Olympic stadium as well. On the way to downtown Barcelona we drove by the Las Ramblas promenade and stopped at the main square downtown which was quite impressive. There are numerous huge government buildings surrounding the square, which is park like with its fountains, trees and shrubbery. We then drove to Gaudi’s “Church of the Sagrada Familia” You have to see this structure to believe it. It was first started in 1884 and remains under construction still. The construction is so bizarre it is hard to believe that it exists. From here we drove to the Gothic District stopping at another church that was some 600 years old and just beautiful with immense stained glass windows and an ornate interior and exterior. We spent time wandering around the Gothic district (I thought it was the best in Barcelona) before returning to the ship. I would highly recommend this tour as it gives you an excellent overview of what Barcelona has to offer in a limited amount of time.
Self Tour on the Red/Blue Tourist Buses
We took the ship's transfer into the Statute of Columbus and purchased
an all day pass on the tourist bus for around $11.00. The
bus goes from tourist attraction to tourist attraction and you can get off and on as many times as
you want. The red bus takes a different route than the
blue bus and you can change lines whenever they connect at a common stop.
We made several stops and saw a great deal for not much money.
I really enjoyed Las Ramblas and the Gothic District.
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Valldemosa and the Cartuja, Half Day, $39.99
We left the ship and took a motor coach to the village of Valldemosa
which is a very charming village in the mountains (wear warm clothes) We visited the monastery that
was constructed in the 1300s and was later rented by the musician Chopin and his mistress, French
novelist George Sand. We were actually able to see two
of Chopin’s pianos. We then strolled around the
quaint narrow streets of Valldermosa before reboarding the motor coach and continuing on.
One of the stops at the La Fiore Glassworks factory was very interesting. We thoroughly
enjoyed this excursion.
A Taste of the Past, Half Day, $45.99
We left the ship via motor coach and drove along the oceanfront into the
countryside. I especially enjoyed the numerous windmills that dotted the landscape.
Our first stop was at an ancient manor that dated back to 1755 known as Els Calderers.
It was quite interesting to observe the way people lived hundreds of years ago in Spain.
I also enjoyed the wine cellar and other rooms. The grounds of the manor were gorgeous with a
large pond and agriculture area. We then made our way
to the Orquidea Pearl Factory where we spent a good deal of time (I would have rather spent less
time here and more time at the manor) On the way back to the ship we stopped at the Beliver Castle
in Palma. This is the only round Gothic-style castle in
Europe and features picturesque arched entrances, a round keep and beautiful grounds.
I would recommend this tour.
Palma City Highlights, Half Day, $39.99
We left the ship via motor coach and drove directly to Beliver Castle,
which has a commanding view of Palma and the huge bay. We then continued on to the Orquidea Pearl
Factory that I found quite interesting. I thought there
would be a sales pitch to buy pearls but such was not the case however there was a good selection of
pearls and jewelry if you were interested. We then went
to downtown Palma and visited the cathedral, which I thought was one of the most beautiful
structures that I have ever seen. Unfortunately, we could not get inside the church as it was a
national holiday but I can imagine that it was stunning. Even
though it began raining rather hard, everyone on this tour found it to be wonderful.
On the way back to the ship our driver took us down some of Palma's narrow streets that were
lined with shops (all closed because of the holiday) I made a mental note to come back to Palma.
This tour is a great way to see Palma’s sites in a short period of time and then take the
afternoon to go back to the spots you are interested. I
would highly recommend it.
A self Tour of Palma de Mallorca
We departed the ship with another couple and negotiated with a taxicab
to provide us with a tour that he designed for us. We
negotiated a reasonable price and then set off to see the sites.
We went to the castle (which I enjoyed quite a bit) and then headed downtown to see the
cathedral and surrounding area. Our driver then took us
to a place called “Pueblo Espanol” which was like a theme park with all of Spain’s most
important structures build in scale model. We all thoroughly enjoyed this park as you could enter
each of the buildings that were exact replicas of their full sized counter parts. We then headed back to downtown Palma for shopping and our driver/guide took us
to a leather shop that offered excellent products with excellent prices.
The quality was quite good and they offered the serviced of making custom leather coats in 24
hours. I would have had one made if we would have been
in Palma the next day. Over all the tour was great but
when we returned to the ship the driver doubled the agreed upon price saying that we misunderstood
what he had said. We finally agreed to pay it, as the
arguing was getting out-of-hand.
Hint:
Write down the agreed upon price and have the driver acknowledge it
before getting in the taxicab. The driver of this cab
intentionally ripped us off, as all four of us were positive that we had an understanding before
getting in the cab. Be wary!
Malaga, Spain
Granada of the Moors – The Legendary Alhambra, Full Day, $119.00
We left the ship for a 2-½ hour ride into Granada making only one stop
at a convenience store that offered restroom facilities. Once
at Granada we made our way to the Alhambra. Nothing
prepared me for the fabulous mix of nature and architecture I was about to experience.
The Alhambra sits at the foot of Spain’s Sierra Madre mountain range in an area of vast
beauty. The Alhambra was a palace built in the 13th
century that remains intact today so that everyone can enjoy its beauty and genius.
You can actually touch many of the fine carvings in the Alhambra and it is almost eerie to
feel things made centuries ago.
We first entered the Alhambra through a vast network of gardens with
fabulous roses of all colors, exquisitely manicured plants and trees and an overall design that
blended perfectly and seamlessly with the architecture of the Alhambra.
We viewed many of the Alhambra’s fabulous rooms. I
was amazed at how the Moors used marbles to allow light to enter the rooms without letting in the
elements. The Sultan’s sitting place would not allow
the Sultan’s face to be seen due to the use of crystal and marble to defuse the light in such a
way as to render the Sultan’s face unrecognizable.
After visiting the Alhambra we stopped for lunch at a hotel in Grenada
and a small amount of time for shopping. All in all, it was one of the best tours I have taken on the cruise (even though
it was raining all day)
HINT:
I wanted to take this tour but procrastinated and by the time I went to
book it, it was sold out. If you intend to visit the
Alhambra, book it as soon as you can when you board the ship! Tom
Ogg
Malaga City Highlights, Half Day, $39.99
We left the bustling port with several ships unloading passengers at the
same time and drove into Malaga’s busy streets. Driving
through Malaga I was surprised at how cosmopolitan the city seem to be. Our first stop was the
Gibralfaro, a Moorish castle built in the 14th century located at the summit of the
mountain seemingly thousands of feet above the city and bay far below.
The views were awesome as was the condition of the castle. We then visited Malaga’s famed
bullring and inspected the pens and other items critical to the bullfights.
From here we went to the main cathedral in Malaga. It
was absolutely stunning with exquisite stained glass work and construction.
It seemed as if this cathedral should have been in Madrid as it was so elaborate and perfect.
We finished the tour at a wine cellar and got to sample some of the wines that are made
locally. All in all, this is a great tour to see a lot
in a short period of time.
Gibraltar, United Kingdom
The Complete Gibraltar, Half Day, $79.99
We left the ship via motor coach and went straight to the gondola that
climbs to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. We boarded
the gondola and rode to the very top where the view was absolutely stunning. After about a half-hour
we boarded the gondola once again and this time stopped half way down the mountain and visited the
caves and we were also treated to the monkeys that live wild on the side of the Rock of Gibraltar.
While they are wild monkeys, they were very tame and will snatch peanuts (or whatever treats
you have) from your hands
We then came back down and boarded the motor coach to continue our way
around the island of Gibraltar. We past an ancient castle and then stopped in an area known as
Nelson’s anchorage (where Lord Admiral Nelson’s body was brought ashore) and saw the last
remaining huge gun that was used in battles long past. Near
the complete east end of the island lays a beautiful lighthouse that dates back to the 1800s. We
then drove through a quaint fishing village on our way back to town.
We elected to be dropped off in town for some excellent shopping and had traditional English
“fish and chips” for lunch.
Gibraltar, a Self Tour
(a Compilation from several experiences)
HINT
: The taxi drivers consistently misrepresented the gondola experience in order to sell their
services. They claimed that the gondola required substantial hiking on steep and
treacherous trails. This is not true.
While the taxis can get you up to the caves and monkeys they do not go all the way to the top
of the Rock. Unless you want a taxicab to give you a
tour, don’t fall for their sales pitch.
The Gondola
ride to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar is an excellent experience. For 2,000
pesetas (around $US13) you gain entrance to the gondola that takes you to the very top of the Rock.
There are numerous viewpoints, a gift shop and a restaurant (reasonable) to enjoy.
There are some trails on top if you want to explore the park.
You can also decide to walk down a paved trail to the caves (about 20-30 minutes) or you can
simply reboard the gondola and get off at the half way terminal where the caves and monkeys are.
You need to purchase a separate ticket to get into the cave but it is included in the quoted
2,000 pesetas. Don’t miss this wonderful experience.
To get to the gondola simply walk all the way through Main Street to the
east and go through the gate where the taxicab drivers will mob you with their stories.
Simply walk by them about 300 yards and you will see the base gondola building.
Gibraltar is a duty free port and there is no VAT tax.
The shopping
in the old part of the city is outstanding for leather, watches, liquor, Lladro, English figurines
and other collectibles. The glass factory was
excellent. The best deals were had at the shops off
Main Street down the little walk streets that paralleled Main Street. We found Roy’s to have the
best fish and chips and would highly recommend it.
Casablanca, Morocco
Casablanca, A City of Contrasts, $59.99
We left the ship via motor coach and entered the city of Casablanca and
immediately entered the public market area where fish, fruit olives and produce of all kinds were
being traded and sold everywhere. The quantity of produce and goods was astonishing. There were
easily fifty different market places selling only olives, one right next to another.
From the market place we drove by the Place Mohammed V Square and various government offices
and buildings. From there we proceeded to the
unbelievable Hassan 11 Mosque complex where we toured the fabulous structure that cost in excess of
700 million dollars to construct. The immensity of the
structure was overwhelming as was the fine marble work that adorned the Mosque.
This is a must see!
From the Mosque we drove to the resort area of Casablanca and stopped at
one of the ocean front resorts for refreshments before returning to the downtown going past more
open air markets and building of interest. We made a
stop at the United Nations Square to shop in the many stores that surround the area. While the prices were fixed in the stores, I felt they were high and we could
have done better in the other markets. I would strongly recommend this tour as you can see Casablanca’s sites and then
spend the afternoon enjoying Casablanca’s open-air markets and flea markets.
Capital Rabat, Full Day, $89.99
We left the ship via motor coach and drove for a little more than an
hour to Rabat. The countryside was interesting with
lots of varied terrain. We arrived in Rabat and immediately went to the Oudaya Kasbah where we
entered the Kasbah via the Oudaya Gate (built in the 11th century) and went on foot
through its narrow and winding streets. We visited the Mosque, forts and other ancient structures
that date back to 1050. Our guide explained the meaning of the various elements that made up the
Kasbah and the significance of things like the blue paint on the walls and so on.
We visited the Mohammed V Mausoleum, more fabulous detail work with marble and intricate
patterns and carvings. The Hussan Tower had even more intricate latticework and fine carving.
It is difficult to believe the abundance of such fine works of art.
We enjoyed an excellent traditional Moroccan lunch at the Elysees
Restaurant before boarding our motor coach back to Casablanca for some shopping downtown.
I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion. Some on our
trip were not prepared for the poverty and conditions that some Moroccans live, but once you
overlooked the living conditions the experience was wonderful.
Casablanca, A Self Tour
Seven from our group had decided to share a taxicab and take off on our
own in Casablanca. We agreed upon a rate of $20 per
person for a three-hour tour and the drive/guide was supposed to organize a nice tour for us.
We left the port and made our way straight to the Mosque where we were dropped off two blocks
from the entrance. We walked into the complex and after
quite a while we found that they only admitted people into the Mosque on the hour. We waited the 45 minutes until the next opportunity to enter the Mosque and found
out that they would not accept either Spanish Pesetas or U.S. dollars.
I was able to negotiate with one of the local tour guides to exchange U.S. dollars into the
local currency, as on Sunday, none of the banks or currency exchange businesses were open.
After receiving the funds in the local currency we then paid $US11 per person to enter the
Mosque.
Once inside, the Mosque was absolutely fantastic.
We had no idea what we were looking at and there were no guides or tours provided with the
entrance fee so some in our group caught up with a group from the R-1 and followed their leader and
listened to the narration. I had enough so I went out
to the prearranged meeting place and decided to just enjoy the first sunny day of the cruise and
relax. After about twenty minutes or so we all gathered
up and made our way back to the cab.
We had decided to go to one of the open-air markets to do some shopping
and explained to the driver/guide what we wanted. He
then drove us for about fifteen minutes and dropped us at a store in the United Nations Square.
We agreed to shop for about 30 minutes and then meet up where he had dropped us.
The shopping was OK. I went to the Hyatt and to
Rick’s Café for a beer (Casablanca beer was very good) and then met up with the others.
One of the agents was upset because of the prices she had been presented
with and the fact that there was no negotiating so we agreed to extend the tour for an hour and try
another shopping center, only one of the flea markets this time.
Once again the driver dropped us in front of a market place near the King’s palace, however
this market was much more to everyone’s liking.
After shopping for 30 minutes we boarded the taxicab for a short
5-minute drive back to the ship. Once at the ship he
started by saying that since the original rate was $20 for two hours (we all immediately protested)
and started negotiating a settlement and ended paying the guy $28.00 each. Folks that is a whopping $196.00 for driving no more than ten miles at the very
most and waiting while we saw the sites. The driver did
nothing to see that our trip was acceptable. He should
have known not to drop us at the Mosque when he did. It
was obvious that he was getting a kick back from the first store he dropped us at against our will,
and to end the outing with a major argument with the driver disparaging Americans only proved to
spoil the experience for all of us in a way that I regret even getting off the ship.
To be fair I spoke with two other couples that took local taxicab tours
that they were satisfied with so it well may be that we got a dud with an attitude.
I believe that I would request the best tour driver offering to pay a premium rather than
negotiating a discount and then interview the driver to make sure he understood what was wanted if I
went back to Casablanca and did not take a ship’s tour (highly unlikely).
HINT:
When in Casablanca take a ship’s tour or don’t get off the ship!
If you read this review and are going to visit Casablanca, do me a favor and show it to your
fellow passengers. If you are still going to do a
self-tour with a taxi driver be sure to interview the driver before you get into the taxi.
Make sure he understands your desires and ask him for an explanation of where he intends to
take you. Make sure he agrees to a price up front and
then put it in writing. Good Luck!
Cadiz, Spain
Seville, A Gala of Spanish Art and Architecture, $109.99
We departed the ship via motor coach for the two-hour ride to Seville
through beautiful countryside and farmlands with various types of row crops and orchards of all
kinds. After arriving in Seville’s streets congested
with horses and buggies, motor cycles, cars and pedestrians we made our way through a gorgeous park
of old trees and expansive shrubbery. Our first stop was at the Cathedral in Seville.
This was an elaborately ornate building with spires reaching towards the sky and carvings so
intertwined the building almost looked alive. Inside
was even more fantastic. The raised altar was a mass of
fine carvings that was almost unbelievable. We saw
Christopher Columbus’ tomb (some say it actually isn’t where he is buried) and then the
Cathedral’s treasury. I found the Cathedral to be the
highlight of Seville. From the Cathedral we entered the
Santa Cruz Quarters, which was a very interesting area that dates back centuries.
There are dozens of narrow winding street that weave in and out of quaint intersections to
create a maze of Spanish whitewashed homes with typical Spanish balconies each decorated
differently.
We then entered the Alcazar which is a fantastic area containing many
historical places and events. We then broke form our
organized tour and went our own way and I headed right back to the Cathedral spending time in the
Santa Cruz Quarter’s fabulous shops and interesting streets.
Others took the double decker tourist bus trip around Seville and thought it was great except
for they thought it spent too much time at the site of the recent World’s Fair in Seville and not
enough time seeing the various streets and buildings. I
stopped at one of the little outdoor cafes in the Santa Cruz District for Tapas and a glass of local
red wine. It was to die for and I could have spent the
entire day sitting there. After spending a good deal of
time in the Cathedral I made it back to the meeting place for the drive back to the ship.
I would give this tour a 9 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Seville, on Your Own, $49.99
We took the red Double-Decker bus that left from the same spot that the
bus (600 pesetas) dropped us off in Seville. It was an
excellent way to get oriented with Seville which is quite a large area and somewhat difficult to
find your way around. After the tour that lasted one
hour we reboarded the bus and got off at each one of the four stops that it made.
The tickets are good for 24 hours and you can get on and off as many times as you choose.
We saw most of Seville’s sites, enjoyed the architecture but really enjoyed the display of
miniature Andalusia sites that was one of the World’s fair exhibits.
You can go into the exhibit and basically see all the Andalusia sites and about fifteen
minutes. They are scale models that replicate the real
thing. I thought it was fabulous.
I also enjoyed walking around the Le Macarena district and back through the many winding
streets with every kind of store known to man. The
central area where around the Church was a bit to crowded and touristy for my taste, but it was
beautiful. Over all I thought Seville was wonderful and
I could spend more time there.
Oh yes, when the bull fight let out, watching the local men and women
dressed in their finery was wonderful. I saw several women in traditional long Spanish dresses with
the ruffles, tight waist and bright colors. It was a
wonderful experience.
Cadiz at a Glance, $44.99
We left the ship and drove through Cadiz’s Old Town area said to be
the “Oldest City in the Western World.” The Old Town section of Cadiz is a sophisticated and
wonderful section of narrow streets and traditional Spanish housing some three to six stories high
flowing with balconies of every description. Just the
drive alone was worth the price of the tour. We then parked the motor coach and tool off on foot exploring Old Town’s
splendid narrow walk streets that opened onto squares each adorned with ornate cathedrals, one more
beautiful than the last.
We visited two museums that offer Cadiz’s past culture and riches of gold, silver and jewels. I was particularly struck by the quality of stores that we past. There were many high fashion clothing stores, fine jewelry stores and stores offering fine collectibles. I also saw a number of excellent antique stores but did not get inside to price their antiques. During our free time I sat at one of the outdoor cafes and enjoyed a “Café con Leche” for one last time until I return to Spain again.
Lisbon, Portugal
No reports were taken as we were preparing to disembark the R-1
I have heard about pickpockets and other petty criminals abound in
some of Spain’s larger cities, what is the scoop?
Unfortunately, Barcelona, Palma, Lisbon and other areas that enjoy a
high level of tourism are populated by various criminal elements.
You need to be especially cautious when in a high profile tourist area like the Las Ramblas
in Barcelona, in and around the Alhambra in Granada, downtown Palma and other similar areas.
Several people on this cruise were the victims of pick pockets including two ladies that lost
their passports and money at the airport in Barcelona. Even
though the R-1 does a great job of constantly reminding passengers to take precautions, people would
not take heed and were victimized. Cruise passengers
are the very best targets because the criminals know that you will be leaving their city the same
day as they steal from you and unless they are caught in action, they will probably never get
caught. Even if they are caught it is unlikely that you
will show up for the trial to testify. You must be
aware of your vulnerability.
Here is what you can do to avoid being a victim.
Leave your jewelry on the ship!
That $15,000.00 Rolex is impressive but to a criminal it is a valuable asset that
could set them free. Why risk it?
There is absolutely no reason to sport expensive jewelry shore side.
If you love to wear jewelry purchase some good costume jewelry to wear when you are
vulnerable to attack.
Always wear a money belt!
There is no reason to take your wallet with all its contents.
Have a thick wallet in your back pocket and you are almost begging to be ripped off.
Take your driver’s license, a major credit card and your money concealed on your person so
that a pickpocket cannot get to it. One lady on our
cruise was pick-pocketed on Las Ramblas only to be hit again at the top of the street by another
pickpocket who was angry that she had nothing to steal. Here
is how they do it. First, there are always two people,
one that disrupts you and the other that steals from you. If you are confronted by someone bouncing a ball in your space, that spills
something on your pants, that runs into you knocking something that your carrying so that you drop
it, a little kid putting things in your pocket pretending that he is selling something to you, a
lady trying to put a carnation in your lapel or any other intrusive behavior, it is quite likely you
are being targeted.
If anyone gets within your personal space immediately push them away and yell at them covering your
belongings at the same time.
Do not look or act like a victim!
Avoid looking like a cruise passenger
ripe for the picking. Be alert and have a strategy
should you be confronted. Travel in pairs (or more) and
be sure each person is aware of what is going on. Have
a plan if one of the people is confronted that the others gather around and make noise.
The criminals are looking for easy targets and the trick is to not be an easy target.
Avoid anyone that is too friendly! If you are approached by someone that is too friendly or that is trying to lure you into a shop, building or alley way immediately go in the other direction. If they persist, find a policeman and register a complaint. It didn’t happen on our cruise but I heard a story about a couple that had run into a situation where a criminal spilled something on the man’s pants and then offered to help remove the spill. Once off the street the couple was then made to turn over everything they had. By the time they recovered enough to seek help the criminals were long gone. Of course the police will never catch them as they know that tourists will not be around if they did to identify and/or prosecute the criminals.
Passport and Money! Renaissance will keep your passport until the last day in Lisbon. You should carry a photo copy of your passport at all times when not on the R-1. You should also take just enough money ashore to meet your needs for the day and leave the rest in the safe in your cabin.
What is the appropriate dress for this cruise?
All of Renaissance's R series ships feature "country club casual" dress on all evenings. There is no need to bring any formal wear as there are no "formal" nights requiring a tux or evening gown. Most men on the cruise wear slacks and a nice shirt in the evening and the ladies a dress or other casual resort wear. Some men wear sport coats but you would not feel out of place if you did not wear one. If you enjoy dressing up in the evening, you also would not feel out of place as the staff all dress formally every evening.
In the ports, continue with resort casual dress. Cruisers that wear their tennis shoes, fanny packs shorts and loud shirts simply look out-of-place with the population they are visiting and become easy marks for activities as described above. The culture of Spain and Portugal is quite sophisticated and some Spaniards find shorts and beach wear offensive worn any where but on the beaches themselves. In Morocco ladies should bring clothing that covers as much of their bodies as possible. Do not wear shorts or low cut tops as this will offend the Moroccans and they will respond by making rude comments, hissing or even following you. Please remember that even though the R-1 is a very progressive environment, once you debark the ship in Morocco, you are in a new environment and should respect their culture.
Are U.S. dollars accepted everywhere?
You can use dollars in some of the major stores (as well as major credit cards) but you will receive unfavorable exchange rates. Your best bet is to exchange money into Pesetas (Spain) and then keep converting the currency into the new currency as needed. The R-1 will give you a reasonable exchange rate for the local currency and charge the amount to your on-board account. This eliminates the need to carry a large amount of cash from your home town to the ship. When you are done visiting a port and no longer need the currency the R-1 will simply issue you a credit when you turn it back in (no coins are accepted however)
Be aware that the local currency in Morocco is a closed currency and will not be exchanged by anyone other than in Morocco. To make matters worse, many of the Moroccan sites will only accept their local currency for admission. If you board the R-1 with any Moroccan currency you will be stuck with it forever (or until you return to Morocco.)
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