DISNEY MAGIC Part 6, the final one

Saturday 13th July 2013
Here we are back in Barcelona again, on a warm but grey-sky morning. Our breakfast timing was for 8.15 a.m. and many of us spent a pleasant time watching the other ship arrivals before we could go and eat in Parrot Cay again.

Adventure of the Seas

Sovereign

Grand Holiday arrived in the harbour entrance and soon turned, so she was far along the waterway

I was off the ship at 9.15 a.m. to take the port bus into the end of the Ramblas, and then enjoy a quiet coffee. Several of us then met up to take a final harbour tour before going to the airport for our flights home to various destinations.

Miranda

Europa 2

For Reuben

Iolcos Dignity

Vitality, from Limassol

Amerigo Vespucci

Garcia del Cid

In a very sorry state

Amerigo Vespucci stern


Ships seen: Adventure of the Seas, Sovereign (Pullmantur), Grand Holiday of Ibero Cruises, what looks like the yellow-hulled Isobel del Mar a long way over on the far side of the cargo docks, Miranda, Europa 2, Iolcos Dignity cargo ship, Disney Magic, Alpena cargo ship, Vitality from Limassol, Ios 1, Garcia del Cid, Constancia, Amerigo Vespucci, and the little harbour tour ship Ma. Del Carmen

Flying home, over the Channel Islands

Flying home, near Worthing Pier, West Sussex


I really enjoyed my 4 nights on DISNEY MAGIC. We were a big group of adults, although many people think the Disney product is for children. I think we can say that most of us had a fascinating and enjoyable time, because the layout and facilities of the ship offer so many choices for adults and children of all ages. I would certainly recommend trying this traditional-looking and well-run ship, and I look forward to seeing her again in the future.

HORIZON 27th May 2012 Part 2

HORIZON - Part 2

Tuesday 29th May 2012
Today’s port is Civitavecchia, in Italy, and again it was hot and a fascinating city to visit.

Sunrise on the Horizon on the horizon

Itinerary

Tutti Frutti cruise

QUEEN ELIZABETH was also in port, so I wore my Hard Rock Café, Hamburg, T-shirt which I bought in January as a memento of my visit there whilst on the QE.

Queen Elizabeth

Aida Vita was also in port

The pool looked inviting but...

Le Cafe Moka

Horizon at the quayside

Grimaldi's Eurocar

My diary note tells me that we enjoyed ice-cream, seeing other ships, and hearing about an overseas friend’s recent holiday trip to Japan, sailing on various ships there with several friends. In port also was the AMERIGO VESPUCCI and I was interested to see this well-known 3 masted ship for the first time.

Amerigo Vespucci

A friend suggested I visit a particular statue that was worth seeing, and I imagined the sort of thing often found in the UK, with stone plinth and man on a horse or similar, and that was what I was looking out for. I wasn’t quite prepared for what I found along one promenade – it was a tall statue of a uniformed sailor kissing a female nurse in white dress and shoes, in quite an abandoned pose.

Unconditional Surrender

Small boy beside the statue

It was called ‘Unconditional Surrender’ by Seward Johnson. The original 25 feet high sculptures were done in 2005, and said by Mr Johnson to represent a lesser-known photograph by Victor Jorgensen of the same scene as Eisenstaedt’s ‘V-J Day in Times Square, New York’. Copies were first exhibited in the United States, but I would be interested to know why this fibreglass statue is here – other than to attract visitors of course, and it certainly intrigued me.

I enjoyed seeing this mosaic work on board

Mediterranean water in the pool

Raffaele Rubattino

Cruise Roma

Dimonios, Adventure of the Seas, Aida Vita, Queen Elizabeth

Adventure of the Seas

Dinner that evening was better organised in the Restaurant, and several of us enjoyed Beef Cheek as the main course – a dish that was new to me and really delicious.

Sunset at sea


Ships seen: Aida Vita, Queen Elizabeth, Raffaele Rubattino, Adventure of the Seas, Saremar’s Dimonios, Amerigo Vespucci (the Italian naval training ship, launched in February 1931, full rigged, steel masted, at 4,146 tons, with 26 sails, and still sailing), Cruise Roma, Grimaldi's Eurocar


To be continued....