Random questions about my upcoming April canary cruise

[groovechick]

Don't be put off by Bajamar beach. If you dock where we did it's directly across the harbour, in a fairly industrialised area and with the black sand doesn't look very attractive, but when you get there it's really nice. Quiet, spotlessly clean, friendly locals. Despite being so close to the port the water is brilliantly clean. Basic amenities - small booth selling drinks, showers, toilets. Very few sunshades though and I don't remember loungers.

[terrierjohn]

9 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

We are a family of four. Two young girls age 4 & 5. This is supposed to be a “budget trip” so we are doing cheap ideas. 

 

Book sindu when we get on board- hoping there is a discount if not leave it for another night. 
 

madeira

Visit old town

mercado dos lauradoes (market)

barreirinha bar cafe (ocean front bar) need to try poncha there. 
la vie (if we fancy a mall)

forte de sao tiago 

santa Catarina (park)

buy a craft beer and a pastel de nata (tart)

praca do povo (promenade)

maybe try the wine

 

la Palma 

plaza de esplana (old town & market)

playa de bajamar or playa de Santa Cruz

 

Tenerife 

mercado de nuestra senora de Africa (market)

meridiano (mall)

plaza de espana (town square)

garcia sanabria (park) 

lido Martinez Puerto de la Cruz (pool)

*** really need somewhere nice for dinner

 

gran canaria

 playa las canteras (beach)

Santa Catalina (park)

muelle (mall)

vegueta & Tirana roads ( town squares)

kinetic moving sculpture

 

lanzarote

land train

playa del reducto

el charo de san gines

generalissimo Franco/Leon y Castillo (shops) 

 

this is what I have so far. I doubt we would stay out all day and I am aware of the siesta so will probably do the beach in afternoon because of that. 
 

I just want to make sure there are things to do. Our last cruise we didn’t enjoy the ports and I spent less than £10 in four ports. I know I want to budget but I’d rather spend a bit. 
need some nice places for lunch, ice cream, anything local we should try etc. 
 

thank you 

 

ps anyone else get really in a muddle with these ports since a lot have the same names?

If you try all of those you will be so exhausted you will need another holiday afterwards, Oh but you have one booked, but isn't it to Orlando and the theme parks?

You are going to be worn to a frazzle come July. 

[DamianG]

19 hours ago, Vampiress88 said:

yes I am definitely sold on the idea. Was when the previous poster told me about it and I read your blog and got a few ideas from that too. Wanting to do the beach at lanzarote? It was a black sand one you went to but you said there was another one people were walking to that you would try next time. 
 

the girls are really good at walking actually. They are fitter than me. Cos we do Disney and neither have a buggy they tend to just get on with it but I would assume that we will get a taxi or shuttle at least one way if not both. I never really get where the ships/shuttles drop off points are so that I can map it before I go. 
 

the kids would be happy for a slushy tho. I can’t do those they give me brain freeze 🥶 

 

The black sand beach is in La Palma. You can get to the beach Playa del Reducto in Arrecife (Lanzarote) by catching the shuttle bus then strolling down the promenade. However when we were there in 2016 there were no changing facilities, outdoor showers, sun loungers etc with only a couple of portaloos.

It may have improved but not many shops were open and it was a little run down in places (but someone may have been more recently and can give an update).

We did have a lovely lunch in La Tabla where the staff were very friendly and very good with our son.

[wowzz]

9 minutes ago, DamianG said:

 

The black sand beach is in La Palma. You can get to the beach Playa del Reducto in Arrecife (Lanzarote) by catching the shuttle bus then strolling down the promenade. However when we were there in 2016 there were no changing facilities, outdoor showers, sun loungers etc with only a couple of portaloos.

It may have improved but not many shops were open and it was a little run down in places (but someone may have been more recently and can give an update).

We did have a lovely lunch in La Tabla where the staff were very friendly and very good with our son.

La Playa del Reducto is fine as beaches go, but nothing special, especially as there are so many better places to go to in Lanzarote. The main shopping streets in Arrecife are smart enough, although not very long, and the city is a bit rough around the edges in places, but that's part of its charm. It's a proper Spanish working city, that has not sold its soul to tourism.

[kruzseeka]

We quite like Costa Teguise.  It's a nice beach with plenty of beach furniture (payable I assume).  We usually just go for a wander - plenty of cafes backing the beach and promenade.  It's a small town but much closer to Arrecife than the resort's in the South.  Only about 3miles from the port.  €10 for a taxi would cover it I reckon.  We paid less to get to the Manrique Fundacion (similar distance) then from there to Costa Teguise (again another 3m). 

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=photos+costa+teguise+lanzarote&oq=photos+costa+teguise&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0.10619j0j7&client=tablet-android-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

Edited February 17, 2020 by kruzseeka

[Vampiress88]

32 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

If you try all of those you will be so exhausted you will need another holiday afterwards, Oh but you have one booked, but isn't it to Orlando and the theme parks?

You are going to be worn to a frazzle come July. 

that’s what sea days are for John! 
 

Orlando’s not as full on as it’s seems, we have quite a few rest/pool days etc. 
 

just don’t want the kids to be bored but if they are tired or fed up we can always go back to the ship which will probably be quiet anyway. 
 

still not sure about Cadiz or Lisbon yet. 
 

what are you doing John? 
 

if we didn’t have the kids we would probably just be finding nice bars etc. 
that’s what we did on our first cruise. The sangria in Barcelona sent me loopy and I ordered rabbit. Must have been very drunk for me to do that and I don’t really drink. 

[Eglesbrech]

You seem to have it all sorted already 😀. Just a couple of thoughts.

 

If you want to try Poncha perhaps consider Bar No Two which is also on the ocean front just along from the Madeira Museum / opposite the landing station for the lift. It is called bar 2 because bar 1 along the coast was the first place to serve Poncha to the fishermen coming back with their catch.

 

It is small with just a few tables inside and out but the Poncha is made fresh rather than from a mix and the whole place smells of the fresh citrus fruit being juiced. It is also incredibly cheap and they also offer traditional snacks free with the drinks like garlic and chilli flavoured flower seeds (sounds horrible, tastes great but only eat the inside not the skins).

 

You can also just wander into the Blandys wine lodge with or without ordering a drink (but try the Madeira it is really reasonable here) and see the ground floor of a traditional lodge. (Upstairs is part of a paid tour).

Funchal also has a really cute old fashioned  biscuit shop which the girls might enjoy as they let you taste the biscuits before buying (and you’ll want to buy the lovely little traditional Madeira biscuits which are incredibly well priced for the quality). It’s called Fabrica Santo Antonio and you can google it for the address in the middle of Funchal.

 

There is not a huge amount to do in La Palma for small children but there are lovely walks, just wander along the promenade and see the pretty coloured balcony’s. There is also quite a bit of public art in the side streets and you just fall over it when out walking including a replica ship.

 

 

[Vampiress88]

11 minutes ago, Eglesbrech said:

You seem to have it all sorted already 😀. Just a couple of thoughts.

 

If you want to try Poncha perhaps consider Bar No Two which is also on the ocean front just along from the Madeira Museum / opposite the landing station for the lift. It is called bar 2 because bar 1 along the coast was the first place to serve Poncha to the fishermen coming back with their catch.

 

It is small with just a few tables inside and out but the Poncha is made fresh rather than from a mix and the whole place smells of the fresh citrus fruit being juiced. It is also incredibly cheap and they also offer traditional snacks free with the drinks like garlic and chilli flavoured flower seeds (sounds horrible, tastes great but only eat the inside not the skins).

 

You can also just wander into the Blandys wine lodge with or without ordering a drink (but try the Madeira it is really reasonable here) and see the ground floor of a traditional lodge. (Upstairs is part of a paid tour).

Funchal also has a really cute old fashioned  biscuit shop which the girls might enjoy as they let you taste the biscuits before buying (and you’ll want to buy the lovely little traditional Madeira biscuits which are incredibly well priced for the quality). It’s called Fabrica Santo Antonio and you can google it for the address in the middle of Funchal.

 

There is not a huge amount to do in La Palma for small children but there are lovely walks, just wander along the promenade and see the pretty coloured balcony’s. There is also quite a bit of public art in the side streets and you just fall over it when out walking including a replica ship.

 

 

that’s brilliant thank you 

 

yes kids would love some biscuits and will want to try everything. Can see that costing me a bit but I’ll bet they will be nicer than the onboard biscuits, you don’t get much choice anymore onboard. 
 

the drinks will probably be one to share for the poncha so will definitely google the no2 if it’s fresh. I don’t really do much alcohol so the wine will be for hubby to taste. 
 

I feel like I’ve found lots in Madeira to do it try but not so much everywhere else. 

[AndyMichelle]

3 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

that’s brilliant thank you 

 

yes kids would love some biscuits and will want to try everything. Can see that costing me a bit but I’ll bet they will be nicer than the onboard biscuits, you don’t get much choice anymore onboard. 
 

the drinks will probably be one to share for the poncha so will definitely google the no2 if it’s fresh. I don’t really do much alcohol so the wine will be for hubby to taste. 
 

I feel like I’ve found lots in Madeira to do it try but not so much everywhere else. 

You do make me smile... 😊

Life shouldn't be like a military operation. 

I understand you need to have things planned with the kids, but part of the fun is the adventure.. 

After all this great advice, you will probably stumble across something that makes your holiday. 

Andy 

[Vampiress88]

Just now, AndyMichelle said:

You do make me smile... 😊

Life shouldn't be like a military operation. 

I understand you need to have things planned with the kids, but part of the fun is the adventure.. 

After all this great advice, you will probably stumble across something that makes your holiday. 

Andy 

I need my plans Andy it keeps me sane. 
 

we did wing it last years cruise. Just turned up at ports. That resulted in mardy kids, mardy husband and me that was annoyed that everyone else was being mardy. We spent hardly any money. Lasted no more than 2 hours at each port. In fact the only thing we bought was 2 hot chocolates and a bottle of water to share. 
 

this is why I have a plan. Cos I know that when we get there they will turn around to me and say what are we doing. They drive me nuts and I find orlando much easier to plan than a cruise. 
 

feel it’s even worse with the kids who will only sit still for so long. I’m happy to just sit around but kids not so much. 
 

might all go out the window when I get there. 

[2BACRUISER]

Just now, Vampiress88 said:

I need my plans Andy it keeps me sane. 

Have to say i totally agree, my DH hates just mooching so i have to have  a comprehensive plan of where we are going and why, but in saying that i always leave it loose so we can go off and have spontaneous adventures as Andy says. whatever you do Enjoy x

[bee-ess]

49 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

I need my plans Andy it keeps me sane. 
 

 

 

We are the same, we always have comprehensive plans as well, although we are willing to change our plans. We find the planning part of the fun. Nothing worse than not knowing what to do when we arrive in port.

Edited February 17, 2020 by bee-ess

[AndyMichelle]

3 minutes ago, bee-ess said:

 

We are the same, we always have comprehensive plans as well, although we are willing to change our plans. We find the planning part of the fun. Nothing worse than not knowing what to do when we arrive in port.

We normally have a 'goal' for each port and then leave the rest to chance. 

I blame it on too much Scrooby Doo as a kid, wanting a magical mystery tour😊

Andy 

[wowzz]

35 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

We normally have a 'goal' for each port and then leave the rest to chance. 

I blame it on too much Scrooby Doo as a kid, wanting a magical mystery tour😊

Andy 

That's our approach as well. 

I can't blame Scooby Doo, just a tendency to stroll down any street that looks interesting!

[Vampiress88]

32 minutes ago, wowzz said:

That's our approach as well. 

I can't blame Scooby Doo, just a tendency to stroll down any street that looks interesting!

I would think it’s slightly easier to do that without having kids in tow. 

[Vampiress88]

1 hour ago, AndyMichelle said:

We normally have a 'goal' for each port and then leave the rest to chance. 

I blame it on too much Scrooby Doo as a kid, wanting a magical mystery tour😊

Andy 

I’d plan which restaurants on what days if I knew the menus in advance 🤦‍♀️

[AndyMichelle]

5 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

I’d plan which restaurants on what days if I knew the menus in advance 🤦‍♀️

Oh dear😊

You really don't leave anything to chance, bless you. 

Andy 

[Vampiress88]

9 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Oh dear😊

You really don't leave anything to chance, bless you. 

Andy 

No chance hasn’t ever worked out for me. Always kinda goes wrong. 
 

good plan with the option to change is the best for me. 
 

see I don’t mind thinking oh we are going to that beach on that day and whilst on our way we spot something amazing and think yeah let’s do that instead. 
otherwise it’s a case of stand at the side of the boat saying where you wanna go? Dunno where you wanna go? Drives me crazy 😜 

 

I like to get people’s opinions on here. 
I didn’t know about the lido. That’s where we are planning now etc. 

[DamianG]

The aquarium in Lisbon is very good https://www.oceanario.pt/en

We got stung taking a taxi there straight from the port but it is very near a large shopping mall Centro Vasco de Gama and a taxi back from there to the ship was just €6.85 (in 2015). If we went again I would catch the shuttle the try pick up a black and green city cab from there (€0.47 per km).

 

We've also been to the zoo a couple of times https://www.zoo.pt/en/ using the Metro which was fairly straightforward. The blue line goes from Santa Apolonia (sometimes the ship docks near here but you'd need to check) direct to the zoo with no changes required.

 

[wowzz]

50 minutes ago, Vampiress88 said:

I would think it’s slightly easier to do that without having kids in tow. 

Totally agree. I have to say that many cruises are not that child friendly, in the sense that some ports [La Coruna, Vigo, La Palma etc] have little in the way of attractions for children, especially out of season . I cannot imagine what I would do with a couple of under 12s on a wet November day in La Coruna!

[DamianG]

For Cadiz the beach near the port is okay but if you fancy an 8 minute bus ride catch the number 1 opposite the port from Plaza de España to Residencia (near the hospital) as the beach there is much nicer. There is a fixed fare of €1.10 per person per journey. It is also near La Marea restaurant https://www.lamarea.es which featured on Rick Stein’s Long Weekends TV programme but get there early for lunch as it gets really busy.

[AndyMichelle]

22 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Totally agree. I have to say that many cruises are not that child friendly, in the sense that some ports [La Coruna, Vigo, La Palma etc] have little in the way of attractions for children, especially out of season . I cannot imagine what I would do with a couple of under 12s on a wet November day in La Coruna!

That was the one place we stumbled, La Coruna...Wet, miserable day and grey, busy streets... But then we found the beach and a nice cafe by accident.

That's why we now have a goal, anything else is a bonus. 

Andy 

 

Edited February 17, 2020 by AndyMichelle

[DamianG]

12 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Totally agree. I have to say that many cruises are not that child friendly, in the sense that some ports [La Coruna, Vigo, La Palma etc] have little in the way of attractions for children, especially out of season . I cannot imagine what I would do with a couple of under 12s on a wet November day in La Coruna!

 

You've quoted 3 ports that we love!

 

La Coruna - science museum https://www.coruna.gal/cultura/es/espacios/detalle-para-entidad/casa-de-las-ciencias/entidad/1167801888277?argIdioma=es

 

Vigo - Samil beach https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g187509-d2035120-Reviews-Playa_Samil-Vigo_Province_of_Pontevedra_Galicia.html  (also a fabulous toy shop in the port area)

 

La Palma  - Bajamar beach

 

I agree it is a totally different experience cruising with kids and we too have to plan our days ashore very carefully since becoming parents. You wouldn't think Civitavecchia has much to offer but our son loves it there and is gutted that we won't be visiting in the next 2 years.

 

We are currently making plans for our cruise this August: Cadiz, Malaga, Ajaccio, Cannes, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Gibraltar with Cannes and Gibraltar in particular proving a bit of a challenge! We're thinking beach in Cannes but have no previous experience of it whilst we've all been to Gibraltar that much it's lost a bit of interest for us (but we will still get off the ship to stretch our legs).

 

[Vampiress88]

24 minutes ago, wowzz said:

Totally agree. I have to say that many cruises are not that child friendly, in the sense that some ports [La Coruna, Vigo, La Palma etc] have little in the way of attractions for children, especially out of season . I cannot imagine what I would do with a couple of under 12s on a wet November day in La Coruna!

Oh dear. La Coruña!

 

been there done that. Wasn’t a success. They put it on so many itineraries though. 
 

we tried to find a beach called orzo? When we went. Ended up being full of dog walkers which is fine but not what we wanted with the kids. 
walked round for ages. Found no shops we liked. We past a sweet shop thinking we could find it on way back and we didn’t. Next time I’m just going to go in when we see something first. 
kids complained that there was nothing to do. This got hubby grumpy so he didn’t even want to go in a cafe as it was too soon after breakfast. We lasted two hours walking around aimlessly spending no money and was back on the ship for 11.30. 
but the kids found some swings and slides so that was the best 30mins of the day. 
 

[Son of Anarchy]

27 minutes ago, DamianG said:

For Cadiz the beach near the port is okay but if you fancy an 8 minute bus ride catch the number 1 opposite the port from Plaza de España to Residencia (near the hospital) as the beach there is much nicer. There is a fixed fare of €1.10 per person per journey. It is also near La Marea restaurant https://www.lamarea.es which featured on Rick Stein’s Long Weekends TV programme but get there early for lunch as it gets really busy.

 

Thanks for the tip.  Although we like Cadiz, we have been there almost as many times as Lisbon! And were there again this year, so will give this a go for a change.