Crossing the Globe (Kind of) - A Pr1ma (Hopefully) Live'ish Adventure, 11/20 - 12/1

[vacation44]

5 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Oooooooo!!! Lookie what happened!! Five cruises = Platinum. Yeeeeeeha! Now give me those free meals and laundry. 

 

 

 

Congratulations!!!    

 

 

4 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

After seeing the silly sculpture's posted in @BirdTravels V!va live, I'm sad I didn't take photos of the ridiculous sculpture's on Pr1ma. I suppose art is in the eye of the beholder...Frankie Boy and Dirty Harry's eye is so not my art eye! The only saving grace is these sculptures are not fake gold. I hate that color....I'm a hater of yellow gold, in general. I know, I'm opinionated. It's why you love me, right? 

 

Alas, I suppose we'll have to go with these photos of Pr1ma's sculptures instead:

 

 

 

 

 

I do not think I am a fan on having this type of artwork on the decks.   I do not see the point as if I want to see elaborate sculptures, I would go to a museum.    

 

 

12 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

- We had one dress code annoyance. We received a notecard for the captain's cocktail party. Showing up, we had on shorts and t-shirts. Actually, I had on my pink button up vacation shirt. And, unfortunately, apparently there was a dress code as a butler told me shorts weren't allowed. I mentioned to him that there was no dress code listed on the postcard we received. I meant to, but didn't, let the concierge know that the dress code should really be listed on the postcard. Yes, it's a cocktail party. But people are on vacation.

 

I (and my family) am with you 100% on this one!   We have been to a few Captain's Cocktail parties and none of them had a dress code.   My husband and son always show up wearing nice shorts and a collared shirt which is always their evening attire.    And when we were on the Epic this past March, the Captain spent a lot of time talking to my husband and daughter, so I do not think he was offended by his attire.    So much time, he actually told my daughter (a Mechanical Engineer for a power plant) that he was going to have the Chief Engineer contact her for a private tour--which he did.   Now if we saw a dress code on our invitation, we would not have gone and then my daughter (and husband) would not have gotten a private tour by the Chief Engineer.   

 

[UKstages]

4 hours ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

And will you work toward Sapphire?

 

lounging around and being fed peeled grapes... nice work if you can get it!

 

the hardest i think he worked was the hunt for hash browns.

 

4 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

It's why you love me, right? 

 

"love" is such a strong word.

 

you're swell, but can we agree on a more nuanced concept?

 

7 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

First, I wish I had never seen the 1 in Pr1ma or the ! in V!va.

 

you can stop using them. NCL has.

 

you don't need special dispensation from the pope or nancy reagan to just say no.

 

i cringe every time i see it.  besides, i'm pretty darn sure the "1" in "pr1ma" was meant as an introductory marketing tactic... it was effective... for a m1nute, but it soon grew tired. it was never meant to be sustained. we're a year in now... sorry to be the one to break the news, but you're not among the "f1rst" to sail the prima. there were fingerprints on those sculptures long before you ever got your paws on them, with your greasy breakfast potato fingers.

 

19 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I don't think I missed out on much.

 

you missed out. los lobos is one of the best restaurants on the prima. not upscale or fancy at all. and the margaritas and tableside guac is fantastic.

 

22 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

The Freestyle Daily blatantly lies about the offerings in Indulge.

 

indulge used to have true grab and go breakfast sammies wrapped in paper, as well as breakfast bowls. this is indeed a change and it sounds like the crack copy editors of the freestyle daily haven't kept up. or they're on crack.

 

 

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

18 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

So, there it is. Pr1ma was a great ship. I had a wonderful time, with a few annoyances. Remember I was a cranky man the morning of Ponta Delgada. That was mostly me, not the ship or crew. We did not experience the lines or crowding others have. The layout of the ship didn't cause us to become frustrated. The crew greeted us kindly and with smiles (for the most part). I hope my love of cruising came out in this far too lengthy live. 

 

I am pleased to hear that the positives outweighed the negatives for you. I thought the negatives you listed were all fair. And if you are inspired to cruise again on one of the Pr1ma class ships but without a willing partner, I would be honored to be your dining buddy.

 

[cruiseny4life]

31 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

 

 

Congratulations!!!    

 

 

 

I do not think I am a fan on having this type of artwork on the decks.   I do not see the point as if I want to see elaborate sculptures, I would go to a museum.    

 

 

I (and my family) am with you 100% on this one!   We have been to a few Captain's Cocktail parties and none of them had a dress code.   My husband and son always show up wearing nice shorts and a collared shirt which is always their evening attire.    And when we were on the Epic this past March, the Captain spent a lot of time talking to my husband and daughter, so I do not think he was offended by his attire.    So much time, he actually told my daughter (a Mechanical Engineer for a power plant) that he was going to have the Chief Engineer contact her for a private tour--which he did.   Now if we saw a dress code on our invitation, we would not have gone and then my daughter (and husband) would not have gotten a private tour by the Chief Engineer.   

 

First, thank you!! I think we made it the easy way, through all the COVID extra bonus points. 

 

Agreed!

 

And, wow! Ok, I see the point of the captain's cocktail party now. That's such a wonderful opportunity your daughter had! I'm really happy for her. Perhaps we should have been more chatty with the officers. I wonder what could have happened. Alas, we still had a great time.

 

Sometime, I do intend to ask the concierge if they'll ask the HR Director to sit down with us for coffee. I'd love to hear about the differences between on-ship HR and my/my husband's HR world. 

[cruiseny4life]

39 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

lounging around and being fed peeled grapes... nice work if you can get it!

 

the hardest i think he worked was the hunt for hash browns.

 

 

"love" is such a strong word.

 

you're swell, but can we agree on a more nuanced concept?

 

 

you can stop using them. NCL has.

 

you don't need special dispensation from the pope or nancy reagan to just say no.

 

i cringe every time i see it.  besides, i'm pretty darn sure the "1" in "pr1ma" was meant as an introductory marketing tactic... it was effective... for a m1nute, but it soon grew tired. it was never meant to be sustained. we're a year in now... sorry to be the one to break the news, but you're not among the "f1rst" to sail the prima. there were fingerprints on those sculptures long before you ever got your paws on them, with your greasy breakfast potato fingers.

 

 

you missed out. los lobos is one of the best restaurants on the prima. not upscale or fancy at all. and the margaritas and tableside guac is fantastic.

 

 

indulge used to have true grab and go breakfast sammies wrapped in paper, as well as breakfast bowls. this is indeed a change and it sounds like the crack copy editors of the freestyle daily haven't kept up. or they're on crack.

 

 

 

The grapes we received were NOT peeled!!! I want to be sure the record shows we had to eat the grapes, skin and all! 

 

Love...ok, well I suppose I have to accept the fact that not everyone will love me. I probably don't really want that anyway. 🙂

 

1 know, but 1t's all about how 1'm perce1ved. 1 can't be thought of as a qu1tter. Ok, maybe 1'll stop! 

 

And, I know. I was making excuses to make it seem like I didn't care that much about Los Lobos. I should have gone. Next time! I do crave Mexican food.

 

Hahaha - Oh Freestyle editors. Why do you do this to me! I'm glad you were able to partake of a breakfast sammie or two. 

Edited December 5, 2023 by cruiseny4life

[cruiseny4life]

42 minutes ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

 

I am pleased to hear that the positives outweighed the negatives for you. I thought the negatives you listed were all fair. And if you are inspired to cruise again on one of the Pr1ma class ships but without a willing partner, I would be honored to be your dining buddy.

 

Absolutely! There might be a third as I don't see a world in which he and I cruise separately. But, sharing some dates (the app) with you would be lovely. Someday I hope we cross paths.

 

Having said that, we did purchase one CruiseNext certificate so a Norwegian cruise will again be in our future! We went with the buy one, get one offer. No OBC for us. Sometime before 2099 so the certificate doesn't expire. 

[Sugar Magnolia]

21 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Absolutely! There might be a third as I don't see a world in which he and I cruise separately. But, sharing some dates (the app) with you would be lovely. Someday I hope we cross paths.

 

Having said that, we did purchase one CruiseNext certificate so a Norwegian cruise will again be in our future! We went with the buy one, get one offer. No OBC for us. Sometime before 2099 so the certificate doesn't expire. 

 

Those bacon wrapped dates...🥰

 

Whatever you do, do not book the Encore for this January the 28th like I did. It is the day of the Miami Marathon where the festivities and road closures are right near the Port. 🤦‍♀️

 

[schmoopie17]

Speaking of cruise ship sculptures, here’s one from La Cucina on the Escape. It reminds me of Marie’s sculpture on “Everybody Lives Raymond”…for those of you who remember that classic episode.

[dexddd]

21 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

After seeing the silly sculpture's posted in @BirdTravels V!va live, I'm sad I didn't take photos of the ridiculous sculpture's on Pr1ma. I suppose art is in the eye of the beholder...Frankie Boy and Dirty Harry's eye is so not my art eye! The only saving grace is these sculptures are not fake gold. I hate that color....I'm a hater of yellow gold, in general. I know, I'm opinionated. It's why you love me, right? 

 

Alas, I suppose we'll have to go with these photos of Pr1ma's sculptures instead:

 

Source: https://norwegianprimaarttour.com/gallery - cool site where you can see all the goblinlike Pr1ma art. 

 

Here is Bird's sculpture garden post for those interested in comparing V!va and Pr1ma: 

 

 

 

As I told MKing, those are just spare parts for the ship but on deck not to take up valuable stores.  The trinity is clearly a propeller for one of the pods.

[laudergayle]

18 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Having said that, we did purchase one CruiseNext certificate so a Norwegian cruise will again be in our future!

That’s really nice to hear…I was going to be sad if you had decided to abandon future NCL cruises.  

 

Thank you for your entertaining commentary.  I think you have given me enough assurance that a TA with 7 sea days is not boring at all.  We’re (me) eyeing the AQ~UA TA in January’25.  

[cruiseny4life]

3 hours ago, dexddd said:

As I told MKing, those are just spare parts for the ship but on deck not to take up valuable stores.  The trinity is clearly a propeller for one of the pods.

Apparently they had to use the spare anchor in Puerto Rico yesterday which delayed sail away by a few hours. I did see a spare one laying around somewhere. Not sure where it was though!! 

[cruiseny4life]

40 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

That’s really nice to hear…I was going to be sad if you had decided to abandon future NCL cruises.  

 

Thank you for your entertaining commentary.  I think you have given me enough assurance that a TA with 7 sea days is not boring at all.  We’re (me) eyeing the AQ~UA TA in January’25.  

I'd love to sail on Aqua - yep, I'm sticking with that haha - but it'll be a year or two after it comes out. I don't enjoy paying that premium. I know we sail Haven, but we're bargain Havener's. The Aqua TA - is it the seven day cruise from Southampton to the northeast? You're another I'd love to cruise with at some point! I don't think that one is in the cards though....hmm, should we get a three bedroom Haven? You, Sugar, and I? The crew wouldn't know what hit them! 

 

Truly though, I never felt bored. In fact the days felt rushed and I was upset with my poor time management. I didn't have nearly enough spa time! Be sure to check out the Stadium (post to come). It was a fun place to spend some time even in the rain that kind of leaked in when we were playing.

 

My husband, who was worried about so many sea days, did get bored once or twice, but even he felt like there wasn't enough time onboard. In fact, he spoke with his PCC last night. Ok, I did too! I think because she knew we had just returned, she is going on a cruise Sunday, and she noticed us looking at cruises already on the website.🐧

[Sugar Magnolia]

47 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

You're another I'd love to cruise with at some point! I don't think that one is in the cards though....hmm, should we get a three bedroom Haven? You, Sugar, and I? The crew wouldn't know what hit them! 

 

I'm in! 

...as I sit here with a bag of naked dates

 

Edited December 6, 2023 by Sugar Magnolia

[ColeThornton]

37 minutes ago, Sugar Magnolia said:

 

I'm in! 

...as I sit here with a bag of naked dates

 

 

Are we still talking food here?        😉

[Sugar Magnolia]

1 minute ago, ColeThornton said:

 

Are we still talking food here?        😉

 

I thought about qualifying my earlier post, but decided to just let the double entendre fly.

 

[vacation44]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Apparently they had to use the spare anchor in Puerto Rico yesterday which delayed sail away by a few hours. I did see a spare one laying around somewhere. Not sure where it was though!! 

It was posing as a sculpture outside on the deck for all to walk by and admire.

[laudergayle]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

hmm, should we get a three bedroom Haven? You, Sugar, and I? The crew wouldn't know what hit them! 

I’ve never cruised with a Halo! 😇 Three Halos together sounds a little angelic😂

[justhappy]

Wonderful Live-ish report @cruiseny4life.

And as always , a big thank you for the food porn. ❤️

Edited December 6, 2023 by justhappy

[cruiseny4life]

Alright, it's Friday. A week ago today we were already at the Eastern European/Russian store near Paramus, NJ. It's not quite 9 AM as I start writing this screed. Who knows when I'll finish! You know, work. Had my annual evaluation yesterday. Apparently I'm still employable for the next year or so! Yipeeeee!! 

 

This morning I was talking on the phone to my husband and the topic of Murcia, Spain came up. It came up because I asked him what our next vacation would be....well our next vacation is going to be a staycation sometime between March and May. It'll be quite the costly little stay in our house and do projects around the house/farm! Why? We'll have to buy a ton of building supplies, plants, seeds, probably some implements that aren't fun, but do make work easier. I don't foresee a cruise on the horizon until at the very least next fall. But my question was, "are we going backpacking or on a cruise" for our next vacation. He ignored me. Apparently it was "too soon." 

 

So, then our excursion in Cartagena/Murcia came up and I don't think I've covered it here, so here goes. Warning, the next few sentences are a wee bit spiritual/religious/whatever you want, so if you're triggered, just ignore them.

 

I relayed to my husband how when we were in Murcia on our excursion we wandered into a church. I'll post a couple photos, but totally don't remember what church this is. It's Europe. Seems like the only thing to do is see old churches. Anyway, my husband was smart. He abandoned us and wandered the city, while I stuck mostly with the group and toured the inside. I was bored. He found amazing empanadas, some soda, and enjoyed the outdoors. I didn't. I got in trouble because I wandered around. I looked around and thought, "what about him (he who was nowhere near us)!!" Anyway...as I wandered through the golden adornments that cost who knows how much money in the age of serfdom, I realized how very, very far away from G-d I felt. In a mansion for a bishop - there were so many hallways and altars just for the bishop's personal use - I felt as if I were in a house of vanity. My mind went searching for closeness and I realized the number of times I felt grateful, said thanks, and thought of my spiritualty when backpacking in the Grand Canyon. Now there, you can feel the hand of g-d (or whatever higher power you believe in, if you so believe). Anyway, my experience here just helped solidify my feeling that I'm closer to my creator when I'm in nature. Not when I'm surrounded by gold, silver, impressive human carvings, etc. Give me a 300 year old tree, a rattlesnake slithering across the trail, cascades serenading me to sleep, and I'll give you a spiritual experience.

 

Here's some photos of the church - it's probably some sort of cathedral or basilica. I don't know. It is Catholic, I know that much! I'm a little bit uhhhhhh.....abrasive with my comments regarding the church. I know. Sorry! My excursion...mainly Cartagena portion gets much better! 

 

I absolutely love the cages that keep the common people out. Real nice touch! Very homey. I think we'll add fences to the rooms in our house next. 

 

 

The heart of a saint is inside this enclosure. 

 

 

This organ had to be cut into pieces, because the bishop ordered one that was too large for the church. If only Spanish religious people had yardsticks. People that get married in this monstrosity of a church pay extra to have someone play the organ. It's a big thing in Murcia! 

 

 

Apparently this is a really high tower attached to the church. I think it's the second highest tower attached to a church in all of Spain. The guide was very proud. I didn't care....unless he let me go to the top. He did not. 

 

 

Someone must have had really bad eyesight! 

 

 

Ok, done with that. Ye who are triggered by a Millennial's thoughts may come back. 

 

We then went to the Real Casino of Murcia. It was a gentleman's club back in the 19th century. And has been restored. I guess it is still some sort of highfaluting club for folks living in Murcia. For the most part, I took a nap standing up as this building did not excite me whatsoever.

 

 

 

 

We entered this room - I don't remember what it is. My husband told me he wants to use this as an example of for our parlor. I did plead with him that we use white gold/silver materials as I cannot stand yellow gold. It's just so gaudy! He gave into my please, so I suppose we'll have a room that looks similar to this in the next couple of years. Our ceilings aren't quite so high, so we'll have to abandon the second level balconies and long chandeliers. 

 

 

So, Europe. I do know what kind of exploration I should not do. And that is of the old churches. They're boring, make me sad, and are generally crowded. 

 

We did try out some empanadas from Empanadas Malvon. DELISH!!!! These are probably the highlight of the entire trip and definitely of Murcia. 

 

 

 

Before all this excitement in Murcia we did stop at a 17th century monastery on the outskirts of Murcia. It was the first church of the day and you know I was just thrilled with it! Again, I stayed with the group and went into the church. My husband went to the spring that was down the hill. Then I speed walked to the spring as I wanted to see it too! We had plenty of time and were able to stretch our legs while the others on the trip enjoyed the "sanctuary" of the buildings. At least we got to see something no one else on the tour did. The views from the heights were pretty great though!

 

(I think some of these photos might be repeats from when I was actually "live")

 

Ahh....all that gold that could have provided money to serfs so they could eat food. 

 

 

I'm so glad my seven years of Spanish instilled in me the word "caballeros!" 

 

 

 

Not quite as impressive a spring as I thought it would be. When described on the bus by the guide, I thought it would be more "natural." Nature is always so much prettier than manmade, even when in decline. 

 

 

Views from the path to the spring and back up to the monastery.

 

 

 

 

Now, let's finish our day in Murcia back at the city center. This is where the bus dropped us off for our exploration of the church and casino. 

 

Murcia City Hall - there's a story about the clock and the crest below the arched window. You'll have to go to Murcia to find out what those stories are. Something about Murcia being loyal to the kind. Perhaps unlike Catalonia? 

 

 

Water features make me happy!!!

 

 

A random Murcia apartment building. The rock art makes me jealous we don't have more of this in America. 

 

 

 

 

And, we're now done with Murcia! 

[justhappy]

5 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Alright, it's Friday. A week ago today we were already at the Eastern European/Russian store near Paramus, NJ. It's not quite 9 AM as I start writing this screed. Who knows when I'll finish! You know, work. Had my annual evaluation yesterday. Apparently I'm still employable for the next year or so! Yipeeeee!! 

 

This morning I was talking on the phone to my husband and the topic of Murcia, Spain came up. It came up because I asked him what our next vacation would be....well our next vacation is going to be a staycation sometime between March and May. It'll be quite the costly little stay in our house and do projects around the house/farm! Why? We'll have to buy a ton of building supplies, plants, seeds, probably some implements that aren't fun, but do make work easier. I don't foresee a cruise on the horizon until at the very least next fall. But my question was, "are we going backpacking or on a cruise" for our next vacation. He ignored me. Apparently it was "too soon." 

 

So, then our excursion in Cartagena/Murcia came up and I don't think I've covered it here, so here goes. Warning, the next few sentences are a wee bit spiritual/religious/whatever you want, so if you're triggered, just ignore them.

 

I relayed to my husband how when we were in Murcia on our excursion we wandered into a church. I'll post a couple photos, but totally don't remember what church this is. It's Europe. Seems like the only thing to do is see old churches. Anyway, my husband was smart. He abandoned us and wandered the city, while I stuck mostly with the group and toured the inside. I was bored. He found amazing empanadas, some soda, and enjoyed the outdoors. I didn't. I got in trouble because I wandered around. I looked around and thought, "what about him (he who was nowhere near us)!!" Anyway...as I wandered through the golden adornments that cost who knows how much money in the age of serfdom, I realized how very, very far away from G-d I felt. In a mansion for a bishop - there were so many hallways and altars just for the bishop's personal use - I felt as if I were in a house of vanity. My mind went searching for closeness and I realized the number of times I felt grateful, said thanks, and thought of my spiritualty when backpacking in the Grand Canyon. Now there, you can feel the hand of g-d (or whatever higher power you believe in, if you so believe). Anyway, my experience here just helped solidify my feeling that I'm closer to my creator when I'm in nature. Not when I'm surrounded by gold, silver, impressive human carvings, etc. Give me a 300 year old tree, a rattlesnake slithering across the trail, cascades serenading me to sleep, and I'll give you a spiritual experience.

 

Here's some photos of the church - it's probably some sort of cathedral or basilica. I don't know. It is Catholic, I know that much! I'm a little bit uhhhhhh.....abrasive with my comments regarding the church. I know. Sorry! My excursion...mainly Cartagena portion gets much better! 

 

I absolutely love the cages that keep the common people out. Real nice touch! Very homey. I think we'll add fences to the rooms in our house next. 

 

 

The heart of a saint is inside this enclosure. 

 

 

This organ had to be cut into pieces, because the bishop ordered one that was too large for the church. If only Spanish religious people had yardsticks. People that get married in this monstrosity of a church pay extra to have someone play the organ. It's a big thing in Murcia! 

 

 

Apparently this is a really high tower attached to the church. I think it's the second highest tower attached to a church in all of Spain. The guide was very proud. I didn't care....unless he let me go to the top. He did not. 

 

 

Someone must have had really bad eyesight! 

 

 

Ok, done with that. Ye who are triggered by a Millennial's thoughts may come back. 

 

We then went to the Real Casino of Murcia. It was a gentleman's club back in the 19th century. And has been restored. I guess it is still some sort of highfaluting club for folks living in Murcia. For the most part, I took a nap standing up as this building did not excite me whatsoever.

 

 

 

 

We entered this room - I don't remember what it is. My husband told me he wants to use this as an example of for our parlor. I did plead with him that we use white gold/silver materials as I cannot stand yellow gold. It's just so gaudy! He gave into my please, so I suppose we'll have a room that looks similar to this in the next couple of years. Our ceilings aren't quite so high, so we'll have to abandon the second level balconies and long chandeliers. 

 

 

So, Europe. I do know what kind of exploration I should not do. And that is of the old churches. They're boring, make me sad, and are generally crowded. 

 

We did try out some empanadas from Empanadas Malvon. DELISH!!!! These are probably the highlight of the entire trip and definitely of Murcia. 

 

 

 

Before all this excitement in Murcia we did stop at a 17th century monastery on the outskirts of Murcia. It was the first church of the day and you know I was just thrilled with it! Again, I stayed with the group and went into the church. My husband went to the spring that was down the hill. Then I speed walked to the spring as I wanted to see it too! We had plenty of time and were able to stretch our legs while the others on the trip enjoyed the "sanctuary" of the buildings. At least we got to see something no one else on the tour did. The views from the heights were pretty great though!

 

(I think some of these photos might be repeats from when I was actually "live")

 

Ahh....all that gold that could have provided money to serfs so they could eat food. 

 

 

I'm so glad my seven years of Spanish instilled in me the word "caballeros!" 

 

 

 

Not quite as impressive a spring as I thought it would be. When described on the bus by the guide, I thought it would be more "natural." Nature is always so much prettier than manmade, even when in decline. 

 

 

Views from the path to the spring and back up to the monastery.

 

 

 

 

Now, let's finish our day in Murcia back at the city center. This is where the bus dropped us off for our exploration of the church and casino. 

 

Murcia City Hall - there's a story about the clock and the crest below the arched window. You'll have to go to Murcia to find out what those stories are. Something about Murcia being loyal to the kind. Perhaps unlike Catalonia? 

 

 

Water features make me happy!!!

 

 

A random Murcia apartment building. The rock art makes me jealous we don't have more of this in America. 

 

 

 

 

And, we're now done with Murcia! 

Beautiful photos and thoughtful, plus at times humorous commentary as we have come to expect from you my internet friend ❤️

I too can admire the architecture of historic, if sometimes gaudy buildings while mourning the extreme wealth accumulated in the name of various gods that did nothing to help the needy while they were alive.
  I was lucky to have parents that saw more of the spiritual in nature than in any man made edifice so I was lucky as a child to explore nature’s architectural marvels all across the US from a young age. 
 

[cruiseny4life]

Cartagena! Oh, how I enjoyed you, my Colombian friend....oh wait. Wrong continent. Let's just say I was really confused when I saw Cartagena on our itinerary! Apparently there is a Cartagena in Spain. And there are Roman ruins there!! There's also a park on top of a hill that you take an elevator to. 

 

When we arrived back to Cartagena, I was over my grumpiness. Based on what our guide said, we'd be seeing epic views of Cartagena. In my head that translated to, "ooooooo!!!! We're taking a hike to the top of a hill outside the city!" Well, not exactly. The bus parked right across from Pr1ma, so we were at like five or ten feet above sea level. We then wandered past, and through, the sea wall that was built to protect the city center. There were beautiful murals that a local artist painted on the interior of the sea wall. 

 

Exterior portion of the sea wall

 

 

 

 

Proceeding upward, we stopped at an elevator that would take us up a hill of about 100 feet or so. Inside the walls next to us were shelters leftover from the Spanish-American war.

 

 

Next up, an elevator ride to the top of the hill. No hike, but the views were really nice. Not quite what I had anticipated. We did see the ruins of the Roman bull fighting arena. You can see the walkway to the elevator and the elevator shaft on the right. 

 

 

Large tower in the park.

 

 

Wandering through the park, we were introduced to the resident ducks and peacocks. One little boy petting a duck was then bitten by the duck. He went back for more and the duck bit him again. A little entertainment in Parque Torres for our group. There was also a lot of duck and peacook poo. This was a highlight for the urban dwellers on our tour as they did their best to not walk through the poo...I'm a country lad, so my shoes had a bit of the poop on them. By the time we returned to the ship, I'm sure it had all been trudged off. 

 

 

Continuing on our walk, we made it to a large terrace with more than 270 degree views of the city. Gorgeous views! We looked down on the Roman Forum, some churches, and other historical buildings. Now this view I was fine with! I checked out the port, the mountains, the forts up on the hills, and all I could see. 

 

You can see the Roman Forum just to the right of the modern day amphitheater.

 

 

A wee bit better view of the Roman Forum.

 

There were seven flag poles. These were cool as the toppers each represent a different religion. How's that for inclusivity? I love it! 

 

 

Thus ends our time in Murcia and Cartagena. We walked back to Pr1ma where we were able to view a cool sunset on our way out of port. Here's a few photos taken on the walk back and onboard. 

 

 

 

We found these yummy, chocolate dipped delights as we entered our room.

 

 

 

 

[mking8288]

Just wonderful & loving, beautiful pictures - can't help but to check out each other's as there is just so much to share.  There is simply so much to see, do and explore, no matter what one is interested in ... and so little time to do it.  We see ourselves going back in the not too distant future, while we are still able to walk, make those steep stairs and steps ... many of these historic and iconic landmarks are not what we in the Americas consider entirely "accessible friendly", some facilities are but not everywhere.  We see fair use of walking sticks and canes among cruise ship visitors.  

[schmoopie17]

3 minutes ago, mking8288 said:

  We see fair use of walking sticks and canes among cruise ship visitors.  

Mrs. Schmoopie fractured her tibia in July. The recovery process has been extremely slow. She just recently graduated from a walker to a cane. We have a cruise scheduled for February. We'll see how well she can maneuver the ins and outs of cruising/excursions with limited mobility. hoping she's better by then...but not counting on it.

[vacation44]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

Thank you for sharing more pictures and your commentary!

 

I noticed the chocolate covered pineapple and do not remember ever seeing those before.   

 

Also, if I was a betting person, I would bet you will be on another cruise sooner rather than later.    After all, you are now platinum.

[mking8288]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

Mrs. Schmoopie fractured her tibia in July ... recovery process has been extremely slow ... graduated from a walker to a cane.   ... cruise scheduled for February ... maneuver the ins and outs of cruising/excursions with limited mobility. hoping she's better by then...but ... 

Hear hear ... one of our cruising SIL in her mid 70's fell in their front yard doing gardening work, compound fractured upper right thigh, EMS took her to the ER, surgeon put in plates & screws, discharged a few days latler & spend 2+ months SNF rehab, PT and nearly 15 months later, return to cruising this September on an easy NE/Canada 7 day cruise.  She's gone from wheelchair to rollator-walker to walking cane and sometimes can do short distance without assisted device, a long way and time for healing & recovering, training her muscles & conditioning the body.  Plan was to just stay onboard but they missed cruising a lot - managed to get off, not at the tender port, and did a scenic train tour.  They plan to do another cruise, but not sure if they are ready for some of these ports like we do.  Feeling bless as we manage with and deal with our issues, sometimes they do flare up - hustling toward the next one while we can.  A best friend of ours, just slightly older than us, semi-retired but still refuse to give up, in denial mode with either alzheimer and dementia, perhaps both - all hands to get her husband to recognize and change life's priorities.   Really, really sad as as I sometimes remind friends & families, life is often too short and doesn't take much to cut short, cherish and enjoy, wealth and money doesn't always buy quality time, maybe and just maybe might extend or buy a little time. 

 

I hope Mrs. and you get to do your cruise next February, it's just around the corner, start packing and use the powerful elements of positive thinking and do it.  Whether it's 5 or 7 days at sea or a TA, and B2B onboard for a month - it's powerful "medicine" in healing and mending the mind, spirit and the body tend to take care of itself.  

 

Now, let's return to seeing more scenic & beautiful pictures, stories and return the focus to @cruiseny4life, apology for side tracking.  

Edited December 8, 2023 by mking8288