Med Questions

[momoftwinteens]

Hello, fellow cruisers. I am currently in the planning stages of a cruise to the Western Med with my daughter who will be 18 by then. She will also be in college so timing is important. She has been studying Spanish for 4 years now and wants to show off. I am trying to decide between Malaga and Barcelona for a 5 day Med cruise. I'm also trying to decide whether or not to go while she is on Spring or Summer break. We'll have more time in the summer but, will it be too hot? Any advice or insight would be very appreciated.

[NEWCRUISER176]

Hello Momoftwinteens we have sailed out of M and B and much prefer Barcelona. In Sept we sailed on the Adventure out of Malaga and the paxs were mainly Spanish, they travelled in groups and were rather rude, elbowing you out of the way to get into the lifts first, the dining times were altered to suit them and of all our cruises this was our least favourite. By comparison we sailed in Oct out of Barcelona and had a completely different experience the pax were multi-national with lots of American passengers and the experience was enjoyable. Barcelona gets my vote! June or September is a good time to cruise as it isn't too hot.

Bye.

[Sue L]

Barcelona hands down, so much to see and do there, try to plan it out for a couple of days there pre or post cruise. Segrada Familia, Park Guell, all the Gaudi designed building, Gothic quarter and on and on. Fantastic food also.

[GEORGET]

Barcelona is far better for sight seeing.

 

May i point out that make sure your ship is leaving EU waters or there is an additional 7 to 8% sales tax added to onboard spend and the duty free will not be open.

 

As your Child is 18 she will be able to drink, if you sign a waiver, this will also allow her into the Disco at night.

Down side is that Barcelona they speak Catolonian Spanish, but will understand spanish.

 

5 days seems a short cruise considering the travelling from the States.

 

Avoid July and August if you can as it is hot.

 

Enjoy the cruise

 

G

[PCWalton1]

We took the 7 day trip out of Barcelona back in May and my vote would be Barcelona. A beautiful city with so much to see. We did 2 days before and 1 day after and still only saw a small amount of the sights. I agree with all the Gaudi places Sue mentioned. Also there is the La Ramblas, the Market (La Boqueria), Piscasso museum and if you get a chance take a trip up into the hills to the Montserrat monastary.

[swcruise]

If it is a 1st trip and cruise to Europe I would recommend the 7 day Western Med out of Barcelona. If you can allow time to fly in a day or two early to enjoy the city, it is really buzzy and an inexpesnive city as well. May/June and September are great time to cruise the Med warm and sunny but not too hot which means you cann enjoy and externsively explore the ports of call

[financialgrl]

I just did the same type trip this past May with my 19 y/o niece who'd just finished her first year of college. College was out for summer the second week of May. She was able to be home for two weeks to get back in that groove again, seeing friends and May 26 we left for Spain. We stayed in Barcelona 3 days precruise before boarding the ship (we were on the 12 day Grand Med on Ruby Princess).

 

The weather was absolutely perfect in May and the cruise was a little bit cheaper also. I'd already read and warned her that Europe is a destination that generally has an older crowd. She knew upfront that there probably wouldn't be someone her age to hang with or things to keep her occupied but she didn't care. Her main focus was that she was seeing Europe and that thrilled her. We both loved every minute of it.

[sharonax3]

I just did the same type trip this past May with my 19 y/o niece who'd just finished her first year of college. College was out for summer the second week of May. She was able to be home for two weeks to get back in that groove again, seeing friends and May 26 we left for Spain. We stayed in Barcelona 3 days precruise before boarding the ship (we were on the 12 day Grand Med on Ruby Princess).

 

The weather was absolutely perfect in May and the cruise was a little bit cheaper also. I'd already read and warned her that Europe is a destination that generally has an older crowd. She knew upfront that there probably wouldn't be someone her age to hang with or things to keep her occupied but she didn't care. Her main focus was that she was seeing Europe and that thrilled her. We both loved every minute of it.

 

I am basically doing the same thing, but with my 22 yr old son who will be just graduated from college. We are going end of May. He is also looking forward to seeing Europe, but can you tell me if there were kids his age on the ship? I am hoping he will have kids his age to hang with in the evening. After sightseeing all day, I will be sound asleep after dinner, but I know he will be looking for something to do. lol

[keltic]

H were mainly Spanish, they travelled in groups and were rather rude, elbowing you out of the way to get into the lifts first, ...... lots of American passengers and the experience was enjoyable.

Bye.

 

OH well, we the Spanish are such a rude and primitive creatures. Rudeness is never a question of nationality. I have travelled on a Thompson ship out of Mallorca, full of rude British, and I would never dare to say British are rude in general terms.

 

Education is a question of interpretation, habbits and national ideosincracy. My vote goes to Malaga, as it´s a more interesting are with plenty of atractive sights pre and post cruise.

[financialgrl]

I am basically doing the same thing, but with my 22 yr old son who will be just graduated from college. We are going end of May. He is also looking forward to seeing Europe, but can you tell me if there were kids his age on the ship? I am hoping he will have kids his age to hang with in the evening. After sightseeing all day, I will be sound asleep after dinner, but I know he will be looking for something to do. lol

 

Saw very few kids of any age at all on the ship. My guess is majority of people onboard our May 29 sail were in the 60-65 age group. It'll come down to the personality of your son. A perspective - I have two nieces both the same age, born two weeks apart. The one that accompanied me can make and find her own happiness/entertainment anywhere - she'll ask to join someone doing something she's interested, the other, not even close.

 

European trips are port intensive and very exhausting so it may not matter as much. Florence and Rome were 12 hour days - up at 5am to shower to meet your tour and back at 5:30pm or 6 at night. Those cities require 1.5 to 2 hour drive to get to them. It was my niece that asked if we could eat at buffet when we returned. She was 19, walked everywhere at college with no car and is a runner and is very fit. She said after those long days the last thing she wanted to do was shower, dress for dinner and have to go make small talk with people at a table she didn't know. She came back and read or went on top deck and watched a Movie Under the Stars. If he is the type that can do that, he'll find/make his own way.