Just Booked Windstar Cruise for April 2011

[Septuagenarian]

This will be our fourth cruise with Windstar and the longest. Lisbon to Barcelona and then on to Rome with stops at Tangier, Morocco--Malaga, Spain--Almeira, Spain--Cartagena, Spain--Iibiza, Spain--Palma de Mallorca, Spain--St. Tropez, France--Monte Carlo, Monaco--Portofino, Italy------------14 days.

 

If anyone has any suggestions or comments re: these Ports of Call, I would love to hear them.

[Septuagenarian]

This will be our fourth cruise with Windstar and the longest. Lisbon to Barcelona and then on to Rome with stops at Tangier, Morocco--Malaga, Spain--Almeira, Spain--Cartagena, Spain--Iibiza, Spain--Palma de Mallorca, Spain--St. Tropez, France--Monte Carlo, Monaco--Portofino, Italy------------14 days.

 

If anyone has any suggestions or comments re: these Ports of Call, I would love to hear them.

 

We will be sailing on the Wind Surf and would look forward to contact with anyone booking the same cruise.

[Neuhoftraveler]

We recently (early May) came off a Royal Clipper cruise that called at these three ports.

 

Malaga, where we boarded our cruise, has a very attractive promenade and gardens along the waterfront. It's a lively and prosperous city, good shopping if that's your thing. The view from the State-owned Parador at the top of the hill overlooking town is spectacular. At one time (1995) we found the restaurant at the Parador to be good, now reportedly less so, but the outdoor terrace could still be a great spot for a drink if the service were decent enough to get that drink served (in 2010 it wasn't). The view from the bar at the top of the high-rise Hotel Palacio Malaga facing the waterfront is almost as good. For sightseeing, there's the usual cathedral, but just walking through the park along the waterfront promenade is what stands out in our memories. That and a really good Spanish dinner at a traditional restaurant called Las Chinitas (probably open for lunch too), and lunch at a tiny place called Candeles, at Calle Fresca, 10, where no English is spoken and the paella is lovely. Both are very near the waterfront.

 

Cartagena is an unsung gem. The highlight is a recently excavated (1987) and excellently restored Roman theatre, with attached small but truly first-rate museum attached showing the archaeological history of the city (founded by the Carthaginians, hence the name). Not too far away is a similarly recent find, an authentic Roman middle-class dwelling complete with floor and wall mosaics etc. All this was ignored for a couple of thousand years until found during "urban renewal" of a somewhat decayed part of town just a couple of blocks from the waterfront. Also not to be missed is the new Museum of Underwater Archaeology, right on the waterfront, featuring the still-assembled keel and ribs of a salvaged Roman or Phoenician sailing ship. The other exhibits also are well-presented and highly instructive. The view from the Castello at the top of the hill just behind the waterfront is excellent. If you're like this septuagenarian, you'll appreciate the ultra-modernistic elevator from waterfront-level to the top, tucked away discreetly on a side street along one side of the hill. Consider lunch at the elegant Porto Nuovo seafood restaurant right on the mole where your ship probably will tie up.

 

If you're going to be sailing in those waters, take along the novel "The Nautical Chart" by the Spanish author Arthur Perez-Reverte. It's set mostly in the waters off Cartagena and, while thrilling, is not "just a thriller" but a fine novel (beautifully translated too).

 

Although the Royal Clipper called at Tangier, for some unexplained reason (safety, perhaps?) there was no shore excursion into that city, and after reading about the stressfulness of trying to walk about independently, we opted for the ship's tour to Tetouan. We're not sorry we did, but on the other hand would not go out of our way to return (might even go out of our way not to).

 

Our ship also called at Palma de Mallorca, where we really wanted to see the unusual cathedral, but we were met by torrential rain that not only flooded the waterfront boulevard bumper-deep, but also flooded out the electric power in the cathedral neighborhood, causing the building to be closed to visitors by the time we made our way there. Getting back to the ship was a story in itself, but not responsive to your question so I'll just leave it at that. I notice you're going at about the same time of year we did, so bring your umbrellas and really waterproof rain gear.

 

We wish we were joining you. It's a lovely part of the world and you won't be sorry.