Eurodam Trip Report: Gems of Spain (April 2016)

[TeDaKi]

We first passed by Plaza del Obispo, which is located right in front of the cathedral.

 

 

 

Cathedral of Malaga:

 

We went straight to the cathedral but there was a large queue outside for tickets so we said we'd come back later when it would probably be quieter.

[TeDaKi]

We then continued onto the Plaza de la Merced, which was a nice square.

 

 

 

A glimpse of the cathedral from a side street:

[TeDaKi]

Then, we shopped our way along Calle Granada which had lots of tourist/souvenir shops and eventually reached Plaza Constitution and Calle Larios.

 

 

 

 

We then headed for El Corte Inglés (about 600m from the end of the Calle Larios shopping street) on Avenida de Andalucia and then we went to Centro Larios, where we went to a huge supermarket (like Walmart) and bought some good value items like chocolate! After this, we passed by a nice looking church, however it was closed.

 

[TeDaKi]

We also stopped by the Mercado Central Atarazanas, however it was mostly closed. In fact, a lot of the shops were closed at this stage. We eventually made our way back to the cathedral and there was no queue for tickets.

 

Back at the cathedral:

 

 

 

It cost €5 for adults and €3 for students. The cathedral was really beautiful, and huge.

 

 

[TeDaKi]

It was now about 16:30 and we were getting hungry so we decided to head back to the ship for something to eat. We got back on the shuttle bus at Plaza de la Marina and it left at 16:40. We were back at the cruise terminal in 5-7 minutes.

 

We had burgers and fries at Dive In and soon after, we headed back outside at around 18:00 for a walk. We headed down to the Muelle Uno for a walk around.

 

Muelle Uno:

 

 

 

[TeDaKi]

Then, we walked a little bit along the beach promenade (Playa de la Malagueta).

 

 

 

 

We were back on board Eurodam by 19:00 and sat for a while on a bench on the promenade deck. While we were there, a very heavy shower rained down so we were lucky to get back on board without getting wet.

 

There was a Mediterranean BBQ in the Lido Market and it was very busy. We dined in the Main Dining Room and it was very quiet.

 

We went outside for sailaway at 23:00 and we had a nice view of Malaga with its city lights.

 

 

 

More to come…

[SLOTheta]

It was now about 16:30 and we were getting hungry so we decided to head back to the ship for something to eat. We got back on the shuttle bus at Plaza de la Marina and it left at 16:40. We were back at the cruise terminal in 5-7 minutes.

 

 

 

We had burgers and fries at Dive In and soon after, we headed back outside at around 18:00 for a walk. We headed down to the Muelle Uno for a walk around.

 

]

 

 

Thank for your wonderful pictures and posts! We will be on the Eurodam this summer. What are your favorite spots on the ship? Anything entrees or dishes you've really enjoyed? Have you gone to the casino? Is it still smoke free?

 

Thanks and looking forward to more of your posts.

 

 

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[ChinaShrek]

Thank for your wonderful pictures and posts! We will be on the Eurodam this summer. What are your favorite spots on the ship? Anything entrees or dishes you've really enjoyed? Have you gone to the casino? Is it still smoke free?

 

Thanks and looking forward to more of your posts.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

My mom spent many hours in the casino during this cruise and lost well over $700, but she had fun. The casino was smoke free.

[erewhon]

Thank you for reviewing your cruise, and sharing your super photos.

[TeDaKi]

Thank for your wonderful pictures and posts! We will be on the Eurodam this summer. What are your favorite spots on the ship? Anything entrees or dishes you've really enjoyed? Have you gone to the casino? Is it still smoke free?

 

Thanks and looking forward to more of your posts.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

My favourite place to hang out on Eurodam is out on the promenade deck. I'm a big fan of it! I love sitting there on a sea day and when the weather is nice. Also, for sailaways, I love to be up on the highest deck (the deck above Tamarind). There is such a great view from there and it is usually quiet.

 

Don't do casinos...but yes, it is smoke free, as are all the interiors of Eurodam now I think.

[TeDaKi]

Day 6: Gibraltar, British Overseas Territory (Docked 08:00-13:00)

Weather: Clear and sunny. Max temperature 18C / 64F

 

Today, we were in Gibraltar and we were here for a short day. It was my second time here, the first being in 2004 when I was 12 years old. To make the most of our time here, we had to get up early as we had to back on board by 12:45 at the latest.

 

This morning, we decided to take advantage of room service and have our breakfast delivered to the room as it would save us time, instead of having to go to the Lido Market. We filled out our room service order form the night before and requested delivery time of 07:30 - 08:00AM. It actually came at 07:25AM and we were awake already.

 

At 07:55AM, it was announced that Eurodam was cleared by the authorities. We were off the ship at 08:20AM.

 

We decided in advance that we were going to take a short tour of Gibraltar. When we exited the cruise terminal, tour guides were waiting and calling for business. The price of a standard tour (1 hour 30 minutes) was GBP22 or EUR35. Yes, EUR35 is correct and when compared to the actual GBP/EUR exchange rate, they are charging a lot more if you pay in Euro. Luckily, I had Pounds Sterling with me so I was able to pay GBP66 for the three of us. Our tour group was made up of 8 people - the three of us, and 5 others.

 

The tour started at 08:25AM and our first stop was at the Pillar of Hercules - a viewpoint where you can see Africa. We were here for about 10 minutes and we were lucky as we had a great clear view of the African coastline. Seemingly it was pouring rain all day in Gibraltar yesterday.

 

 

Next, we proceeded to St Michael's Cave. We were surprised by how beautiful these caves were. There were lots and lots of stalagmites and stalactites. We were here for about 20 minutes.

 

 

[TeDaKi]

Next, we went to see the Barbary apes. There was a lot of traffic and people congestion here and a lot of apes too! I remember being here in 2004 and I can remember how bold and cheeky the apes were. They haven't changed a bit - still bold, cheeky and hilariously funny. They jump around from here to there and everywhere and even jump on people's heads!! :D You really need to keep your belongings safe in hand as they can snap them instantly from you and you might never see them again. We were here for about 25 minutes and had a great time watching the apes.

 

 

 

 

Top of the Rock:

[TeDaKi]

Our last stop on the tour was the Great Siege Tunnel:

 

 

As well as going into the tunnel, there was a great view of Gibraltar's airport. The main road from Spain into Gibraltar goes straight across the runway. We were here for about 25 minutes.

 

 

A view of Eurodam docked in Gibraltar:

[TeDaKi]

At the end of the tour, our driver gave us the option of finishing the tour at the ship or in town. We decided to get off in town to have a wander around and then we could walk directly back to the ship.

 

In total, our tour lasted 1 hour and 50 minutes. We thought it was a very nice tour. Our tour guide/driver was informative, interesting and not boring. I'm not a big fan of hearing all about the history of a place, but our guide was knowledgeable and gave us the basic facts about Gibraltar. We were dropped off at Cathedral Square (right in front of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity) at 10:15AM.

 

 

 

We walked along Main Street, making our way back to the ship. Main Street is Gibraltar's main shopping street with some British shops such as Marks and Spencer, BHS and Holland and Barrett.

 

 

Cathedral of Saint Mary the Crowned:

[TeDaKi]

 

After our leisurely stroll along Main Street, we reached Casemates Square at 11:30AM so we sat on a bench for about half an hour enjoying the beautiful sunshine.

 

Casemates Square:

 

We left Casemates Square at 12 noon and were back at the cruise terminal at 12:15. Many people were walking back to the ship and there was bit of a queue getting back on board.

 

Back at the cruise terminal:

[TeDaKi]

We went up on the top decks for sailaway. The ship set sail at 13:05 and we had a great view of Gibraltar.

 

 

 

For the remainder of the day, it was very relaxing. Our next port of call – Cadiz – was only 90 miles away, so we were sailing slowly at approximately 6 nautical miles per hour. I sat out on the promenade deck for a good part of the day and evening, sitting in the nice sunshine and weeding through all the photographs I took so far on the trip. Also, for the most part of the day/evening until about 18:30, we were sailing along the Moroccan coastline and had a great view.

 

Moroccan coastline:

 

Strait of Gibraltar: Spain on the left, Morocco on the right:

 

Spotted a fast ferry boat from Tangier (Morocco) to Tarifa (Spain):

 

Cadiz coming next..

[travellovers2]

Does it feel claustrophobic in the caves or the tunnel?

 

I can handle walking through it but if there is a line and it stops while I'm inside a narrow tunnel, then uh oh. :eek:

[TeDaKi]

Does it feel claustrophobic in the caves or the tunnel?

 

I can handle walking through it but if there is a line and it stops while I'm inside a narrow tunnel, then uh oh. :eek:

 

The cave was actually quite large and high. As for the tunnel, sometimes it was low (you might need to bend your head down in some parts). However, there were a few "look out windows", so I did not find it closed in.

[swin26]

wonderful pictures. I can't wait until October. Was there a second gala night on the Gibraltar evening? Thanks

[TeDaKi]

wonderful pictures. I can't wait until October. Was there a second gala night on the Gibraltar evening? Thanks

 

Yes, that's correct. The first gala night was Valencia and the second in Gibraltar.

[lynn2002]

Love your report and photographs. We will be sailing on the Eurodam in August so your report is building up the anticipation.

 

HAL have announced that they have teamed up with BBC Earth. Have you noticed any activities/shows etc relating to BBC Earth?

[cuagrad90]

I am enjoying your tour on CC. Will be in Gibralter in a month on the Oosterdam. I have friends who have twice not gotten to dock there because of high winds. So, I like the idea of getting off ship and getting a tour, if we get to port there. What is the name of the company you used?

Thanks.

[CowPrincess]

Thank you so much! Your pictures and commentary are great! :)

[AlisonH]

We were on this cruise too - our first HAL experience and we thoroughly enjoyed it - we had been to most of the ports before but enjoyed a wander around. We loved Eurodam, thought it was a beautiful ship and very classy.

 

Thanks for taking the time to write your review.

[ski ww]

Enjoyed reading about your cruise & the great pictures. We'll be on her for a New Years cruise Dec - Jan.

Allan