Hotel

It’s always a strange feeling waking up in a strange bed. It takes a moment to get your bearings, a moment to figure out the lay of the land. Many a times I have stumbled out of bed only to walk into a table that should not be where it is. Today I am greeted by a scowling face that is projecting evils in my direction. No not Peter but myself reflected back from the mirrored wardrobes that seem to surround our room at the 45 Times Hote in Barcelona.

We arrived late the previous evening after an afternoon flight from Manchester onboard Vueling Airlines. Today we board Norwegian Breakaway for a 9 night sailing around the Western Mediterranean. Not our first time on Breakaway and not our first time around the western Med. Our ports of call are as follows:

• Ibiza
• Palma
• Naples 
• Civitavecchia (for Rome)
• Livorno (for Pisa and Florence)
• Cannes

Yes we have visited all these ports on previous cruises but we have found there is always something new to discover or even rediscover.

Check In

Our check in time is not until 12 noon and so after we have eaten breakfast at the hotel we venture out into the cool Barcelona morning. It is mid April but for us Northern Europeans it is often a lot milder than what we are used to at this time of year. Our plan this morning is to buy some champagne for our traditional sail away drinks on our balcony. We opt for a Veuve Clicquot Rose from El Corte Ingles. 

One of the downsides of this hotel was that they only have one bar. A rooftop bar that closes early (around 9pm). As we arrived late the previous evening we didn’t get to enjoy it. We take a trip up to the 7th floor to view it and it is indeed lovely with expansive views out over the city. I am sure at night time it would be even more spectacular.

Suitably cruise ready, wearing our custom made High Seas Escapades shirts (another cruise tradition). We head down to reception to check out and hail a taxi. We are soon whizzing through the streets of Barcelona toward the cruise port. We arrive shortly after at Terminal A where Breakaway sits patiently awaiting for the hoards gathered to board. It’s organised chaos. Clearly some people have turned up before their allotted boarding time…unless of course we all got the same time. We join a long snaking line to drop our luggage off before joining another long line to check in. All told it takes us about an hour from arrival to boarding the ship.

Once aboard we immediately head to our muster station in the casino. Always good to get that out of the way sooner rather than later. We then think about lunch and it so happens we are passing by Taste & Savor, two of the three main dining options onboard, and they are serving lunch.

I order a delicious wedge salad (I love that blue cheese dressing) followed by Cajun Chicken Pasta. Peter has a Cobb Salad and a Grilled chicken sandwich with fries. 

Cabin 11840

After watching Barcelona slip away in our wake I unpack my case and rest before we start getting ready for dinner. We head to Maltings Whiskey Bar where they make a fine Old Fashioned. It’s a little too cool to sit outside although some people seem to be braving it. Day fades into night and we find ourselves dining at Manhattan (the 3rd of the 3 dining rooms). I start with a tasty little Bruschetta, followed by a Caesar Salad and Bourbon Spare Ribs. Peter has Shrimp Cake, Caesar and Chicken Piccata. We both finish off with Warm Chocolate Lava Cake.

The rest of the evening is spent at the Atrium Bar where we meet a lovely family from Massachusetts. There is lots of talking and lots of wine. It is well past midnight before we head to bed.