Live-ish from our Sun Princess 21 day round trip Barcelona adventure.

[bnickle]

I just thought it would be nice for someone booked on a Princess Mediterranean that begins or ends (or both) in Barcelona might be interested in our 3.5 days in Barcelona before we set sail. We are Greg and Brenda Nickle, retired short couple, and we depart onboard the Sun Princess on Saturday, May 11, for 21 days of adventure, with three full days in Barcelona before. We booked this cruise last year, and my former-librarian-retired-now research skills have worked overtime and so far, it has paid off. My daughter likes to joke about things she found to not be fun, “I tried it so you don’t have to.” There’s not a lot of that going on here, mainly, “I tried it and loved it so you might want to give it a lookieloo as well” kind of a vibe, because we’ve truly loved Barcelona. My actual cruise notes will be added in as the cruise sails.

 

In most of our traveling, I’ve kind of developed a mindset of making our adventures more enjoyable. It’s three simple rules that have served us well in overlooking really small annoyances, and in appreciating really big discoveries all that much more. Those rules are:

 

1.        I’m on a (cruise, road trip, visit, train ride, tour) with my best friend and the most handsome boyfriend ever, my husband Greg.

2.        Some (tours, food, drink, employees, entertainment) are not perfect. Neither am I. We’ll get along well.

3.        Life is too short to focus on the small pictures so much that the big pictures get obscured by annoyance.

 

So if I seem like a (Princess) Cheerleader at times, it’s because of #1, 2, and 3. This is important to remember. But right now, we’re in Barcelona, sated with dinner and a bottle of wine to share, and prepping for tomorrow. But here is what we’ve done, and what we’ll do in the next couple of days before embarkation.

 

We booked airfare through Princess, and it really was easy and low maintenance. We chose to fly Premium Economy, which is, across several airlines, actually “business lite.” It was comfortable, the food was not awful, and we arrived in Barcelona somewhat, a little rested. We took a cab from the airport to downtown Barcelona; it was about 35€. We had booked a room at the Hotel Catalonia Port, very near the port and an easy 5 minute walk off of La Rambla. It’s also a very quick walk to the Gotic Quarter and the Old Town. Three metro lines are nearby for quick and easy metro transportation. The Catalina Port is a boutique hotel of about 34 rooms. Our room had a very small balcony with a table and two chairs, overlooking the street below. The room has wonderful, fabulous blackout shades, but we wished we had brought a nightlight for the bathroom because the room is DARK at night. So we left the bathroom light on.

 

As I said, it’s a five minute walk to La Rambla, and right at the end of the street, just before you cross to catch one of the Metro stations (Drassanas, which ended up being the station we used the most) is a small café that serves both inside and out, and has a lovely menu of tapas in addition to sandwiches and pasta. La Cava has been a wonderful place to grab a quick snack and glass (or pitcher. I bet) of Sangria. It’s perfect for people watching and just relaxing in the sun. Arrival day, we took the metro up to the top of La Rambla, so Greg, my handsome boyfriend who is legally required to hang out with me, could go to the Barcelona FC store.  At the metro station, we purchased, at a kiosk, two 10-use metro cards at 11.75€ each. A single trip is 2€, so only consider this if you think you may use the Metro ten times. These particular cards cannot be shared between people. After worshipping at the altar of Barcelona FC, we walked back, down the Rambla, and had a mid afternoon dinner at La Cava. We were in bed and asleep by 6:00 pm. Because we are not 20 anymore.

Today, we were up and at ‘em early. Breakfast was included in our reservation, and the breakfast at the Catalina Port was very good. It was a buffet, very fresh and well supplied. Then we headed out for our Day of Gaudi. I had purchased a guided tour that included a walk through Park Guell, and the Sagrada Familia. Either one of these are amazing to see; both blew us away with a mesmerizing history, celebration of architecture and art, and a study of a commitment that has lasted well over a century fulfilling a dream of a man who really was a modern day DiVinci. All together, the tour lasted a little over 4 hours, booked through Get Your Guide, and was truly awe-inspiring.

 

We then had a light lunch and traipsed back to the hotel to chill ever so slightly before going to eat about 6:00 pm. There is a small Spanish bistro called Colom, about 5 blocks behind the Catalina Port. It was packed tonight; there was a line outside but we waited about 10 minutes and nabbed a table for two and checked something off of our travel wish list for this trip: we ordered Spanish Paella. In fact, we had the Paella (9.90€ a person) and a bottle of red rioja wine (18€ a bottle) for way less than we would have paid for a similar meal at home. It was muy delicioso!

Tomorrow, a little more Gaudi, a little bit of the ’92 Olympics, and possible a visit to the Picasso museum. It’s DIY Thursday, ya’ll!

 

 Greg in his happy place.

 

 

We need reminders sometimes of where we are.

 

Just one of many breathtaking views from the Sagrada Familia.

 

Baby’s first paella!

\\

[PacnGoNow]

Thank you!  Very informative.

[AZaTaz]

Thank you for your Barcelona review. We will be ending our cruise there in august and spending 3 days before flying home and are in the midst of planning, which I enjoy.
I am trying to decide how many EURO we will need. Are you finding most places take credit cards?  Any help would be appreciated 

[ILUVHOCKEY]

Hola, we are on the same cruise as you guys. We also flew in on Wed. Fingers crossed that that they almost have everything open on the Sun. Have fun

[bnickle]

10 hours ago, ILUVHOCKEY said:

Hola, we are on the same cruise as you guys. We also flew in on Wed. Fingers crossed that that they almost have everything open on the Sun. Have fun

Looking forward to possibly meeting you! 

[bnickle]

11 hours ago, AZaTaz said:

Thank you for your Barcelona review. We will be ending our cruise there in august and spending 3 days before flying home and are in the midst of planning, which I enjoy.
I am trying to decide how many EURO we will need. Are you finding most places take credit cards?  Any help would be appreciated 

We brought 600 in Euros, mostly for tips, smaller cash only shops, etc. Everywhere here has taken plastic. 

[whitcruising]

Thank you for this!!! We are flying into Barcelona for the 3 days prior to our June 1 cruise. Looking forward to following along:)

 

[boone2]

We always eat at Colom when in Barcelona. The food is great and very reasonable 

[bnickle]

9 minutes ago, boone2 said:

We always eat at Colom when in Barcelona. The food is great and very reasonable 

It was just delicious! Try to make a reservation; it’s been busy each night we passed it by.

[RNRcruisers]

Sounds like a fabulous trip so far! We were in Barcelona one day on a cruise in 2015. Need to go back! Looking forward to the rest of your trip!

 

[boone2]

17 minutes ago, bnickle said:

It was just delicious! Try to make a reservation; it’s been busy each night we passed it by.

They used to take them but not anymore.  We go early and have a late lunch early dinner 

[bnickle]

6 minutes ago, boone2 said:

They used to take them but not anymore.  We go early and have a late lunch early dinner 

It’s just an amazing place. One thing about European dining is that they are not concerned with turning tables at restaurants. Meals are important and meant to be shared, enjoyed, and relaxing. It’s a whole vibe that we have truly enjoyed. Sitting outside a bistro, sharing a tapa or two, sipping some sangria and people watching has become Greg’s favorite thing to do. 

[bnickle]

So, another day in paradise, said with complete sincerity. We had decided to visit the Casa Batllo, an apartment building renovated by Antoni Gaudi circa 1904. We had purchased “Before Opening” tickets for the 8:30 a.m. time. The museum opens at 9:00, and when we got there about 8:15 the crowds there for the official opening time were already lining up. If you are a fan, or, like us, new to the world of Gaudi, the combination of taking a tour of Guell Park, taking a tour of Sagrada Familia, and taking the audio tour of the Casa Batllo will be an unforgettable experience. You get to see all aspects of Gaudi’s talent as an architect, a landscape designer, an engineer, and a designer. The Casa Batllo was a more intimate and up close view of the scope of his genius and we were in awe.

 

Afterwards we were going to go to the Olympic Stadium and the new-ish Sports Museum, but we decided a lazy stroll through the Gotic Quarter was just the thing, and it was lovely. There are several nicer souvenir stores along the alleyways, and I found several lovely remembrances of our time here, including a hand painted fan. Tonight is a dinner reservation at Sedna, right down the street from the Hotel Catalonia Port, and tomorrow we are going on a group tour of a monastery at Montserrat Mountain, about 25 miles from Barcelona. We’ll tour the monastery, tour a winery before having a lunch of tapas and wine. Sounds like another wonderful day! 

 

Two more sleeps…!

 

Edited May 9 by bnickle

[Esprit]

You write very informatively. I'm looking forward to reading your next contributions.

Thank you. 

[dickinson]

I am enjoying your trip so far.  Thanks for doing this 🙂

[KLM3164]

@bnickle Thank you for taking us along on your journey. We will be on the Sun in November so looking forward to hearing about your experience. I love your attitude with rules 1, 2, and 3. Always look for the best in things when traveling and experiencing new things. I’m always so thankful for every trip we are able to take and the memories I have when returning home. I’m remembering our 2 trips to Barcelona as we did many of the same things you are doing this week. I too was fascinated with Gaudi and one of my favorite photos was taken on the balcony at Casa Batlló. The Segrada Família is other-worldly and I hope to go there a 3rd time when finally finished. 

 

Enjoy your trip and thanks again for sharing your journey with us!!! 🚢🍾🥂

[AZaTaz]

Thank you and I will enjoy following along

[mapleleaves]

Thank you for posting .... always happy to read about Barcelona.

Such a wonderful city !  

[bnickle]

I fell behind! I can’t help it; I was born in the 1900’s and I’m a little slow. Our last morning in Barcelona, we had a leisurely breakfast, then tossed the last of our stuff into bags and we were out the door. We had arranged, the night before, a cab to pick us up at 9:45. It was about a 16€ ride to the port, and the cabbie new exactly what we were talking about. Sidenote – it is not difficult at all to find English speakers in Barcelona. Even if you are dealing with someone who does not speak English, it’s somehow very easy to communicate. Most restaurants have English notations at each dish, or even have menus completely in English. “Pardon. Tiene el menu en Ingles?” Take a little time before your trip and learn some survival Spanish. They will appreciate your attempts, and learning a little Spanish from the locals is a wonderful cultural experience.

Back to the cruise! It was a quick jaunt to the pier, and there she was. Our home for the next 21 days. The Sun Princess is majestic, sparkling, and takes your breath away with her sleek lines and graceful architecture. We arrived about 10:00 ish. The doors to the terminal had not yet opened, but they did when we got there. There was a small line waiting. We handed our luggage off to porters, tipped them, and then we were through security, upstairs, activating our medallions, confirming our passport information, and we were on the boat. It really helps speed the process along to do as much as you can online before arriving. It makes embarkation much smoother and cleaner. We were sitting at the Eatery on deck 9 by 10:45, noshing and enjoying a drink. At 11:30 we were given the all clear to head to our rooms and we admired our new crib for the next three weeks.

We received an upgrade to a cabana mini suite; #9245. I know these have been controversial in discussions, and I would bet my opinion is unpopular, but we love it. Some of the space is what we are very used to in cruising; for example, the shower is what I imagine showers on airplanes in economy would be like. Very efficient, but very small. Any of you having some vaycay plans for fun sexy time in the shower need to rethink that,  because unless you trained extensively with Cirque du Soleil, it is just not happening. The closets are different; no more mini-suite walk in/dressing area, but we have managed to overcome the heartbreak at that. I will say the entry is very narrow, what with the closets lining one side and the bathroom on the other.  Everything about the room looks and smells new. The fifty shades of beige theme carried throughout the décor of the ship is actually soothing in the cabins. The cabana at the back of the cabin is spacious, and has a patio sofa, small side table, and a basket filled with fresh clean beach towels for your use at the…hot tub! Our cabin was about 40 feet or so away from the cabana deck hot tub and we’ve already used it twice. The railing that sets your private deck area off from the community cabana deck has a gate on it, so you can easily stroll out to the cabana deck from your own space. My only small note for the Powers That Be: there is space in the cabin to sit, read, think, nap, watch tv, have an argument, heave heavy sighs, and watch blue blue waters dance and shimmy as you sail through the calm. What there is not room to do, is to eat. There is nothing purposed to eat without sharing the smallest end table in history, or bend over the even smaller table between the chairs on the deck.  The cabana deck seating is luxurious and comfy. Why not put a dining table for two between the two chairs on the private deck? Eating alfresco seems like a natural fit with these views; it would lift the experience of the cabana mini-suite quite a bit.

Ok, looking at my notes I lied. I do have another note for the PTB: the laundry accessibility is dismal. Four washers and dryers for each floor (and not all floors have laundry facilities) is ridiculous. I said it. Ridiculous. One thing to be considered would be a laundry package, available as a Plus and Premier perk. At the very least, have “by the sackful” prices for laundry to be done. Just a heads up, I’m never taking you up on the joy of having access to unlimited desserts that look like Dr. Seuss created them after taking bad shrooms, but I’d be all wiggly happy if the perks could be played with a little so that laundry service could be included. That would be delightful.

We have had a drink at O’Malley’s, dinner and breakfast at the Reserve Restaurant, and so far the food has been good. We haven’t had too much time to wander the whole ship but we have three weeks!

Today at noon, we had a Tapas Tuscan Wine Tasting at Sabatini’s. If you’re a wine aficionado, this is really a delightful tasting/lunch. There is a $60 cover charge pp, and five Italian wines were paired with tapas (large servings each taste). We left full, happy, and looking forward even more to visiting Italy. We finished up with dinner at the Reserve restaurant, played some backgammon, and are prepped to head to bed for a good night’s sleep before heading out to our first port of call: Gibraltar. See you soon!

[bnickle]

Sidenotes: 

- The two shows up and running are Vallora, and Fiera. The Cirque show is also being performed. Even at not full schedule, there is always something to do and fun to be had.

 

- O’Malley’s is apparently the hot spot. It’s always busy.

 

- The extra outdoor seating all around the perimeter of The Eatery is pure fabulous. 

[Esprit]

27 minutes ago, bnickle said:

....................for example, the shower is what I imagine showers on airplanes in economy would be like. Very efficient, but very small. Any of you having some vaycay plans for fun sexy time in the shower need to rethink that,  because unless you trained extensively with Cirque du Soleil, it is just not happening. 

I guess the balcony isn't an option either for the mini suite cabana dwellers?

So glad we have a normal balcony that can't be overlooked 🤪

[bnickle]

6 minutes ago, Esprit said:

I guess the balcony isn't an option either for the mini suite cabana dwellers?

So glad we have a normal balcony that can't be overlooked 🤪

Ya know, overall we really like the cabana minis. We like having a small space of the deck for our own, the cabana room…the common area is spacious and people pretty much keep to themselves. 

[mrmarklin]

On 5/9/2024 at 3:41 PM, bnickle said:

It’s just an amazing place. One thing about European dining is that they are not concerned with turning tables at restaurants. Meals are important and meant to be shared, enjoyed, and relaxing. It’s a whole vibe that we have truly enjoyed. Sitting outside a bistro, sharing a tapa or two, sipping some sangria and people watching has become Greg’s favorite thing to do. 

Totally true. We are on the same cruise as you are and arrived in Barcelona the 10th. 
That evening, went to a Tapas place that was fully reserved. But the guy let us in anyway, because he knew we would not “camp” there all evening on a Friday.  We did arrive at 8:30. Which is early in Spain. 

[levonfan]

What time do the shows start?

[bnickle]

3 hours ago, levonfan said:

What time do the shows start?

It depends; last night Vallora started at 7:30 and ended at 8:15. The Cirque show begins tonight at 8:00.