Carry on cruising ( to the Mediterranean and back)

  I will be the first to admit that my preconceived ideas of Palma were wrong. I had thought that the esplanade and city streets would be lined with Irish bars selling Guinness, British pubs selling fish and chips or a Sunday roast and nightclubs cheek by jowl. Maybe parts of the Island are like that, maybe in mid July when the tourist hoards arrive it’s like that, but Palma certainly is not like that…well, not on a Sunday on the last day of October it’s not. It’s actually quite charming and delightful.   We took the shuttle bus in from the ship and were dropped close to the huge Cathedral which dominates the city and it’s skyline. The larger streets in the centre of the shopping district were busy, but by no means heaving. Cafe society was alive and well with families having a morning coffee, children playing in their Halloween outfits, young couples promenading, a lady in her Sunday best chatting with the parish priest and elderly ladies gossiping as they descended the steps...

After the hustle and bustle of the big cities it was nice to reach the much quieter port of Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica and birthplace of Napoleon. Again, with no firm plans and our decision to try and avoid long coach journeys and keep away from big indoor crowds, we just went ashore for a wander around. Having been here twice before there wasn’t really too much new to explore within easy reach of the capital. But we enjoyed looking at the various stores in the shopping district (many higher end ones reflecting Ajaccio’s importance on the cruise line itineraries). We also paid homage to Napoleon himself by visiting his house (now a bar) and walking up to his memorial statue….which also affords some good views over the town. Also included in our own personal itinerary were walks around the two yacht marinas and the beachfront. It was a warm afternoon and the sea did look inviting but I daresay the water was colder than it looked. There was a lovely nature moment just before we sail...

Our stop in Marseilles got off to a good start when our excursion was cancelled. To be fair, we had been warned it was likely as we had picked to go on a countryside walk taking in the best of Aix en Provence, and which was described as strenuous. When we booked the man on the desk looked at us and said “I know you are younger but between you and me most of the people on the ship are over 70 and would never make this hike, so I doubt we’ll get the numbers to make it viable.”     But we booked anyway and lived in hope, but he was was right. Never mind, even getting the shuttle bus into the city was chaotic. We had prebooked tickets but many had not, trusting to get their tickets at the terminal. On the quayside there were no separate lines, nobody knowing where to go and nobody from the ship in sight to help out. Eventually we got where we needed to queue and got on the bus for what was a 35 minute drive into the city centre. (I would add that 30 minutes of which was a scenic d...

A lovely sunny day in Barcelona and upon arrival we had an outline of a plan for our time ashore. First off was a stroll along the harbourfront and viewing the innumerable superyachts tied up alongside. Unfortunately I was looking for one with a helipad but couldn’t find exactly what I wanted so will have to wait for another day to buy one. A number of them were being refitted or were still wrapped in their factory protective sheeting….but there is obviously a colossal amount of money on display. A little further around we reached our first destination, the first station for the cable car which runs across the city. Thankfully the queue was short, but with only a few people being allowed to ascend the lift and enter the car itself, it took a little while. It goes without saying that the ten minute ride across to the other side was spectacular. Once across it was just a question of taking in and photographing all the city views, wandering through the botanical gardens and stopping for a...

Tuesday lunchtime and we were sat having a bit of lunch in the buffet when we noticed that the ship had stopped moving. It was a little puzzling….was there a problem with the engines? …perhaps there had been a medical emergency and we were waiting for a helicopter to perform an urgent passenger or crew evacuation to a hospital ashore? After some minutes the Captain came on the PA. An object had been spotted in the water which appeared to be a life jacket and a lifeless body, face down. The ship’s fast rib was then dispatched to see if it could locate anything….no easy task given that we had sailed a mile or two since the first sighting and the wind was whipping up the whitecaps. At the same time, contact had been made with the Spanish coastguard who were sending a patrol boat but had requested that Sky Princess remain on station until it arrived. After another hour or so the Authorities arrived. By then, and very sadly, a body had been pulled from the water and indications were that it...

  5. Cadiz We docked in Cadiz at 8am in the pitch dark. Sunrise at this time of year in the western Mediterranean isn’t until almost 9 o’clock. The cruise terminal is very near the city centre so after breakfast it was a only a short walk off the ship and for a wander round. (We had already decided that going on organised excursions on this trip were not going to be a priority.) A stroll through the botanical gardens revealed a wide range of flora as well as numerous bright green parakeets in the palm trees. The path led on past the University and to the Castilo de Santa Catalina where we stopped for a look at both the fortification itself and the city beach, esplanade and shoreline.  Turning back and into the centre of the city we refreshed ourselves with some freshly squeezed orange juice from a stall in the central market. (After all, this is the centre of the Seville orange growing industry so it would have been rude not to.) The narrow streets were busy in some places and...

There was a spectacular sunrise on our second sea day. Skies are cloudless, the sea is smooth/slight and it’s a pleasant 18C. We’ve got to know the ship a little better now. It’s a departure from other Princess ships that we have sailed on as gone is the oak panelling and traditional fixtures, fittings and furniture in the bars, restaurants and lounges and in comes glass, steel and chrome. But it seems to work well and a number of the artworks and murals are very pleasant on the eye. There is a glass floored walkway that stretches out over the sea….not for those of a nervous disposition but wonderful views looking straight down.  The main atrium is the centre of activity with several eateries including a sushi bar, French Bistro, pizza station, international cafe serving sandwiches, coffee and cake and an “authentic” Italian gelato kiosk. Authentic or not, the ice cream is to die for.  Disappointingly, it is not possible to walk around the ship on the promenade deck, but only ...

We had selected an arrival time at the terminal of 12.15 and as the taxi from the hotel was prompt, we were right on schedule. Baggage was deposited and then it was across the road to the Covid testing centre. The following timeline may be of interest to some: Arrived at terminal and deposited luggage 12.15 Joined queue for vaccination proof inspection and Covid test 12.20 Covid test 12.45 Walk back across road to departures hall and wait for test results  Covid results by text at 13.15 Collect medallion, clear security and onboard by 13.30 All in all, it was a well organised process given the number of people and the extra checks required. We’ve been on a number of Princess ships previously and without doubt, Sky Princess is very smart, shiny and new. But it’s layout feels somewhat different…maybe that’s a good thing, nothing wrong with mixing things up, rearranging, and keeping things fresh. But in the other hand, the older ships were like a home from home and one knew instantly ...

  We departed Jersey in torrential rain but the arrived in Southampton 35 minutes later in bright sunshine. A short taxi ride later we were checked in to our overnight hotel. A pre cruise right of passage that we seem to have created is to have a meal at the White Star Tavern (for no other reason than it’s a nice pub with good service and food!), so that was where we headed for lunch. Suitability fortified it was just a case of a little sightseeing and shopping, including a first for us, a meander around the IKEA mega store. The things one does after having had no furniture/DIY stores to browse in over the last two years apart from B&Q and La Casa!  We’d never really appreciated just how much history there is in Southampton and much of it marked with memorials and plaques. More to follow once we’ve (hopefully) been able to embark Sky Princess tomorrow.

  It’s been 751 days since we last ventured off “the rock” ( apart from a few hours in Alderney which doesn’t really count) and 906 days since we were last aboard a cruise ship (but who’s counting?) Obviously the coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on the daily lives of everyone. However thanks to the unprecedented vaccination rollout, continuing health and safety protocols and an increasing understanding of how to treat infections, the world is now beginning to open up to travellers once again. So, although things will not be completely “normal” compared to life before the pandemic, society is learning how to live with Covid-19 and we feel comfortable enough to take our first post pandemic cruise. Therefore, assuming that there are no unforeseen problems we will be embarking the Sky Princess in Southampton on Friday for a voyage to the Mediterranean and back. The cruise ship companies are desperate to welcome passengers back on board and have been making some incredibly ent...