NCL Spirit 9-Day Canary Islands- Nov 6-15, 2012 - Review and Pictorial

[boopsahoy]

I forgot to ask-was the church you went ot oneof the ones that have an incorruptible saint on display? Just wondering...

[soccersharon]

As a Real Madrid fan, the game was as good as it gets...70,000 fans and a night to remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just awesome! How did you manage to get pics on the pitch! Fantastic team!

[computerworks]

I forgot to ask-was the church you went ot oneof the ones that have an incorruptible saint on display? Just wondering...

 

None that I know of...note that Sister Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado (incorruptible) is at the Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine of Siena in San Cristobal de La Laguna, which we visited on Tenerife.

[computerworks]

Just awesome! How did you manage to get pics on the pitch! Fantastic team!

 

The tour of the stadium, that we took the day before the game, was very comprehensive and took several hours. The guide took us all over, including the benches, the tunnel, the locker rooms and the pitch..."don't step on the grass", though.

[boopsahoy]

None that I know of...note that Sister Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado (incorruptible) is at the Dominican Monastery of St. Catherine of Siena in San Cristobal de La Laguna, which we visited on Tenerife.

OH Ive read about her. Ive always wanted to see one in person-I find it amazing! thanks for the info.:)

[computerworks]

Day 4 - Madeira

 

After 2 great days at sea, it was now time to enjoy some of the destinations.

Our first port of call was the Madeira Islands, docking in Funchal, the capital.

 

We knew it would be a good day since we were greeted by a rainbow as we arrived.

 

 

 

Funchal is a beautiful city

 

 

 

The Spirit is docked and we are on our way.

 

 

As I have mentioned in past reviews, we condsider ourselves "attack tourists" and love to explore on our own. We usually study a destination, find the sights and attraction we want to see and head out on our own.

For this trip, I arranged to have a rental car waiting for us at the terminal of each port so we could head out as quickly as possible and make the most of the day ashore.

 

In Madeira, we used Rodavante Rent a Car. They did not have an office at the terminal, but they accommodated us by having an agent deliver the car to the pier and pick it up there at the end of the day. We chose a drop-top Nissan CC for the day.

 

[computerworks]

Our must-do on arrival was taking the famous cable car up to Monte. The terminal for the cable cars is a short ride East of the cruise terminal, no more than 5 minutes.

The cable cars are like a gondola-style ski lift that you board as they do a turnaround in the terminal; the cable never stops, but it is an easy task.

You can purchase one-way or round trip tickets. 10 Euros for the one-way ticket.

 

 

The views are amazing as you climb to the heights of the city.

 

 

The Church at Monte is a nice visit, with about 74 steps to get there, once you arrive at the end of the cable car run.

 

 

Getting down...easy: ride the toboggan

 

 

Originally a fast means of transport down to Funchal for people living in Monte, these toboggan sleds started around 1850 and are now quite the tourist attraction.

 

We just had to do it.

 

 

Today, they don't go all the way down to the city center, but it was still a blast. Of course, a line of taxis are waiting at the end of the downhill ride, so we grabbed a cab for the rest of the way back to our parked car at the cable car terminal.

[kato92]

Great review. Love the pictures. Keep it coming....

[computerworks]

My wife is a passionate fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, the soccer star of Real Madrid; he was born in Madeira.

So, of course, we have to now go find the place where he was born and visit the soccer fields he played on as a kid.

A little research came up with the address...dialed it into the GPS and we were there in no time...the Santo Antonio section of residential Funchal.

 

 

He has come a long way from his roots in Madeira.

 

Next, we headed west to a little fishing village called Câmara de Lobos, said to be a favorite haunt of Hemingway.

 

 

 

We stopped at a cafe for some coffee and enjoyed the sights and the atmosphere there.

[computerworks]

Now, driving further West along the South shore of the island, we arrived at Cabo Girão, one of the highest cliffs in Europe.

There is an observation deck there with a magnificent view of the cliffs.

 

 

 

This year, they just completed an add-on to the deck that is constructed like the new observation deck at the Grand Canyon...it has a glass floor so you can see straight down.

Talk about making your stomache drop!

 

It was fun watching the people walk tentatively on the glass, holding on for dear life. Yes, I did jump up and down on the glass, much to a lot of consternation from others.

 

[computerworks]

Our next destination was the resort area of Porto Moniz, which is all the way up on the Northwestern tip of the island. It required a long drive across the center of the island, forcing us to find a drivable route thru the mountains.

Once on the North shore, we had to drive west to reach Porto Moniz. As in most of these islands the Northern side is much more rugged and weathered than the South. The island had just come out of a bad spell of weather and the locals warned us that the North road could be a problem, with falling rocks, etc.

Hey, we just survived Sandy...how bad could it be?

 

Madeira is an island of micro-climates and, boy, was it obvious once we reached the North shore. We were greeted with angry seas and dodged our way thru rain showers.

 

 

The road was a necklace of small tunnels thru giant mountains, each with a sea road on the cliff's edge, in case the tunnel was impassable.

 

 

It became pretty clear real quickly that we were not going to make good time on this highway.

 

Yes...that's the road along the outside of the cliff..."we don't need no stinkin' guard rails..."

 

 

It almost seemed Hawaii-like in many areas.

 

 

We pressed on, but the road got increasingly worse, having us dodge large fallen boulders and debris.

 

We passed thru several tunnels OK, but started to now encounter "Red-X" signals at the entrances. I did go thru one, but we were finally stopped by a group of highway workers who "strongly suggested" we turn back, since most of the road and the tunnels ahead were washed out.

 

 

No dopes-we... so a U-turn was in order and we took a nicer route back down to Funchal center city.

Edited November 23, 2012 by computerworks

[computerworks]

We arrived back in the Old Town area, parked an enjoyed the main boulevard and the cafes.

 

 

It was a short walk to the Blandy's Wine Company and a chance to do some Madeira wine tasting

 

 

 

That pretty much wrapped up the day and it was time to head back to the pier.

 

Our buddy, the rainbow, gave us a kiss goodbye after a full and fun day on Madeira.

 

 

Back on board, it was time to rest and get ready for the next port, Tenerife.

 

(to be continued tomorrow)

 

 

[snorklinbarb]

Enjoying your review so much especially since new CC friends of ours are currently on the Spirit doing the itin you so eloquently describe!

 

We were in Barcelona three nts pre-cruise (Jade Apr. 2012) and stayed at the Hotel Continental Palacete. It was my 2nd time there so with DH along this time, we sprung for one of the deluxe rooms. We had quite a bit of space plus a little sitting area looking out on the street and cafes so great people watching from there. It's a sister hotel to the Continental and offers a small buffet with some food as well as soft drinks, water and wine/beer.

 

We also ate at the tapas place you showed pics of! We were also in that back room with the colored bottles so you really brought back memories. The tapas were delicious but,of course, much more expensive than the stand-up-and-eat ones we bought in La Boqueria (so tasty).

 

Love reading about your adventures - you're braver than we'd be - renting a car a few times and especially that harrowing drive in Funchal with the roads washed out. I would have been Nervous Nellie in the passenger's seat.:eek::eek:

 

Now that I see your pictures, I recognize your wife & her cute hats from prior reviews, so thanks for regularly coming here with your insights.

 

Recognized Captain Lars, Armando, Geo and Ana from your pictures - so now I understand why you loved the Spirit.:D

[cruitenn]

Hi,

 

Thanks for sharing another excellent review! I have enjoyed your previous great reviews and wonderful pictures. The Spirit has such unique decor compared to the rest of NCL's fleet. We absolutely love her and went on her 4 times while she was based in New York. We also loved those aft suites.

 

Glad you enjoyed all the ports as well as Madrid. I was in Madrid twice in 2008, for work. I did not get to visit the cathedral but I was able to enjoy El Greco's work and other masters at the Museo del Prado. I took the train from Madrid to Barcelona to meet up with DH and sailed on the Gem.:D

 

We have not been to Europe since and it is nice to reminisce through your review and pictures. Please keep it coming.

Edited November 23, 2012 by cruitenn

[Sunny904]

Sunny, can you ask Armando something for me when you are on the ship please? I have something for him. So I need to know if he will be on the ship when I sail 4th Feb or whether to save it until I sail in May. It is a piece of glass from Stourbridge in the UK, where I am from, Armando has visited the town in the past and is a great admirer of Stourbridge Crystal glassware. I don't want to risk taking it if it might get damaged.

 

I can't wait for our sailing to the Canary Isles in Feb, wish it was next week and this wonderful review and pictures are really making me I wish I was there right now. Got to email my sister about this thread. She will be going on her first cruise when we go and this will really let her see the ship and hear all about it.

 

I'd be glad to ask him for you and let you know on our return.:D

[Welshwitch]

Found your pictures and information fascinating, so looking forward to my first cruise,Glad it`s to be on the "Spirit" everybody has such nice things to say about it, and the crew.

[CP50]

Beautiful pictures and a very informative review. Can't wait for the rest. April will be our first cruise on the Spirit and your review and pictures have answered many of our questions.

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the review!

[computerworks]

Beautiful pictures and a very informative review. Can't wait for the rest. April will be our first cruise on the Spirit and your review and pictures have answered many of our questions.

 

Thanks...it's fun to sort thru the pictures and relive the trip.

 

If you have any questions, I'd be glad to help if I can.

[computerworks]

Day 5 - Tenerife

 

We arrrived just after dawn in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a very large city.

 

 

This is a very large marine terminal and it is a long walk just to the gate from the ship; the port does provide shuttle buses to the entrance of the pier.

 

 

We had our car for the day waiting for us...a Fiat 500 with a soft sunroof.

 

On both Tenerife and Lanzarote, we rented from CICar. They were a pleasure to do business with; their office is in the Marine Terminal building, just opposite the Fred Olsen ferry dock, at the end of the cruise terminal pier.

 

 

It was a little tricky to find our way out of the city, but, once on the highway, we found the entire island easy to navigate, with well kept highways and well-marked signage.

 

Our first destination was San Cristóbal de La Laguna, North of the port city. La Laguna was the ancient capital of the Canary Islands and today is a college town with loads of history and religious sights, declared a World Heritage Site.

 

We parked and walked the Old Town.

 

 

[computerworks]

It was Saturday morning... market day! Yea! ...we searched for the local Mercado and window shopped for a while, loving the fresh foods and vegetables and seeing the local folks with their carts.

 

 

 

We found a little chocolateria and rested with a café cortado... I had some astounding Chocolate con churros

 

 

From La Laguna, we headed West for the long trek to Teide National Park. Mount Teide, the highest mountain of Spain and the islands of the Atlantic (it is the third largest volcano in the world from its base).

The highway was a long uphill slope through a magnificent forest...it was a great ride. We shared the road with many motorcyclists on a Saturday outing.

 

The views were amazing; I couldn't resist almost every overlook pull-over to take in the views.

 

 

Our first glimpse of Teide was breathtaking.

 

 

[computerworks]

 

 

At this point, we had a decision to make... if we continued up the mountain, we would reach an area where only hiking was permitted.

Trust me, I am no hiker.

 

So, at the fork, we decided to stop for refreshments with the bikers..

 

 

.and then turn North to the resort town of Puerto Cruz, which has a great reputation for shopping and restaurants.

 

 

The drive thru La Orotava valley was beautiful, thru winding roads and little villages.

 

Finally, winding down to the North coast, we came to Puerto Cruz.

 

[computerworks]

 

A large underground car park let us drop the car and walk thru the town and shop. This is truly a resort that I would love to see hopping in the Summer.

 

 

 

 

Not the prettiest beaches, though...

 

 

The promenade was fun to walk... we bought enough things to warrant the purchase of another carry-on bag to haul the stuff home.

 

Before we left, I needed a Gelato fix.

 

[mbmbird]

 

This looks like the view in Flagstaff, AZ

 

Loving your review and your pictures. Thank you.

[computerworks]

A leisurely ride on the main highway around the East end and we returned to our ship just as the skies began to darken a bit.

 

 

Above is a good reference picture for the Aft suites on the Spirit. The corner suites are Owner's Suites, but note that their balconies do not have access to the wraparound areas.

The three middle cabins are Aft Penthouses.

 

Sailaway after a nice day in Tenerife

 

 

MJ was right on top of having snacks for us when we returned.

 

 

Tonight, an early dinner at Le Bistro and the early show.

 

 

Before calling it a night, we did postcards while relaxing in our favorite Aft terrace.

 

 

Tomorrow.... the volcanoes of Lazarote.