When I opened the curtains to my balcony it took me a minute or two to realise that this was not the city that I had fallen asleep in the previous night – and believe me I’m not the only lad in his mid-20s that’s happened to.
But this was no drunken exploit, this was a cruise around the Mediterranean and I had just woken up in the beautiful city of Malaga.
It was something that I was still getting used to on my seven-day trip on Royal Caribbean’s cruise liner, The Grandeur of The Seas.
The vessel - which has accommodation for near 2,000 guests and 750 staff - set sail from Mallorca before going on to Barcelona, Ibiza, Malaga, Gibraltar then back to where it started.
I’d heard the stigma attached with cruises that I would be spending my time at sea dodging pensioners on mobility scooters but the opportunity to visit such vibrant, exciting and cosmopolitan locations was more than enough to attract the scores of young couples and families I saw enjoying this adventure.
And it appears Royal Caribbean has recognised this. The itinerary for the following day was strategically positioned on my freshly made queen-sized bed every night. The activities ranged from bingo and salsa dancing to nightclubs and sexiest male and female on the boat.
Staff also provide guests with a brief history of the ship’s next port-of-call which enables those exploring a crowded city like Barcelona, to hit the ground running when they step onto land.
And the dinner - all three courses. I’m one of those people who’ll eat anything, frogs legs, pigeon pie - I even tried parsley and banana ice cream once. Brits know what they want when abroad and usually if it isn’t fish ‘n’ chips or a full English then food is harshly labelled poor.
But the grub on board the ship was outstanding.
There are times that the etiquette of eating three-courses can overpower the fact you are there to enjoy your food.
But such was the quality of staff’s camaraderie with guests, going for a meal suddenly turned into a consistently enjoyable couple of hours out every night.
During my stay I found the time docked at a destination on occasions gave you barely enough time to absorb the culture.
While you could pretty much cover Gibraltar in under eight hours, a city like Barcelona left me wanting more and whilst time in Cataluña is more generous than say Ibiza, the duration of our stay didn’t quench my thirst, and preliminary plans to return in the near future were already being pencilled in before the cruise ended.
The downside of being based at the docks is you have no control over how far you are from the main action of a town.
I experienced this in Ibiza where it was a 45 minute walk or a $20 return on a shuttle bus.
Fortunately there was just me but when there’s a family of four you soon could be paying almost £50 just to get to a place you thought you’d already paid to go to.
Alcohol is also not allowed to be taken on board, but Royal Caribbean are trialling a $30 per day package for unlimited alcohol (within reason) per person which really could be a cost saver when you pay more than $7 for a pint (about £5) and that’s without a tip.
I would highly recommend this trip for young families.
And if you’re worried about the kids running around the deck doing your head in – forget it. Despite travelling alone on this trip I always found plenty to do when the ship was at sea. A gym, a spa, rock climbing, a casino, a nightclub and a club for the kids soon puts paid to down time.
For new parents or couples who still harbour ambitions to visit the world this cruise gives guests the comfortable base but yet a respectable amount of freedom to dip into new cultures and sights without the rigmarole and hassle of backpacking.
Adam Thompson travelled on a seven-night Spanish Mediterranean cruise on The Grandeur of The Seas with Royal Caribbean. They offer a fly/cruise from £734 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).
Price includes return flights from London Gatwick, transfers and the cruise that departs from Palma de Mallorca (Spain) and calling at Barcelona (Spain), Ibiza (Spain), Malaga (Spain) and Gibraltar (UK) before returning to Palma de Mallorca; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. The price is based on a July 3 departure.
For more information go to www.royalcaribbean.com or call 0844 493 2061.
