Visit Palma de Mallorca on a Cruise

View of Cathedral at Palma de Mallorca from the Cruise Port

After a sea day we were looking forward to docking in Palma de Mallorca, a new port of call for us. We were overnighting here so had plenty of time to look around the old town with its historic buildings, quiet laneways and bustling plazas.
  The cruise ship docked at the port, about 15 minutes by bus to the centre of the city. A continuous shuttle ran all day at a cost of 12 euros per adult and 8 euros per child, round trip.
  In the huge square below the cathedral there is a tourist information office and lots of street entertainers and buskers to keep you amused and smiling for quite some time! 'Living statues' of men dressed as Shrek, a Zulu warrior, Charlie Chaplin, an Aztec prince and a cowboy added to the mix of cruise ship passengers, (3 ships in port that day), locals and other tourists.

I snapped this photo before the street performer put his 'head' on!

  Some people wanted to see around the historic town centre in a horse and carriage.

Waiting for passengers outside the cathedral

But we preferred to wander the maze of back streets that fan out from behind the cathedral, finding unexpected delights in little squares and peeping into beautiful courtyards and admiring ornate doors and balconies.

An entrance courtyard to a property in Palma

  Of course, the massive cathedral -La Seu- was on our 'must see' list of local sights.  It truly is magnificent, both inside and out. As we entered the nave, a ray of sunshine struck one of the stained glass windows and cast a reflection onto one of the pillars. Serendipity!

Sunshine 'lighting up' a cathedral pillar

 I love this photo - a case of being in the right place at the right time!

Part of the ornately carved exterior of La Seu cathedral

 We did enjoy our time in Palma de Mallorca. I would like to have stayed longer as there was so much more exploring to do.

Cruise the French Riviera to St Tropez

Cruise the French Riviera

Our first port after leaving Genoa was the town of St Tropez, long associated with movie stars and rich heiresses and celebrities. Our ship anchored offshore and we were transported to land by tender. 

The streets of St Tropez were decked out with banners

It was very pleasant wandering round the edge of the marina where artists painted the yachts and picturesque buildings that line the boat harbour. The Tourist Information Office is located right by the famous bright red cafe-patisserie called Senequier and next to the fish market building.

Cafe Senequier, the place to people watch

What's to buy at the St Tropez fish market

After stopping at the cafe for the second most expensive coffee of my life (the most expensive was at the Fullerton Hotel in Singapore!) I wandered along the narrow twisting streets of the old town to the market.
  The market was huge, set out in a tree-lined square. Goods for sale ranged from bric-a-brac to Provencal specialties to clothes to just about everything else. Colourful local ceramics caught my eye as did the lavender products that would make lovely gifts for friends.

Local ceramics at the market

All in all it was a pleasant day out in beautiful weather but did I see a movie star? No!

Genoa, Italy, Cruise Port

View from MS Sinfonia over Genoa Port

We hadn't been to Genoa before so we were looking forward to exploring a bit. We stayed the night before the cruise at Morelli Palace, right in the picturesque Porto Antico area. It was wonderful - candelabra and crystal glasses, sumptuous breakfast, antique furniture and wall hangings - all for a very reasonable price. 

Our room at Morelli Palace

As we sat in the breakfast room we could see our ship arriving at the cruise terminal.
  On looking at the map, we had thought we could walk from Morelli Palace to the cruise terminal but the reality was a bit different - roadworks and construction sites meant a large part of the area was blocked off to pedestrians. So it was a short taxi ride that took us to the ground floor embarkation area of the cruise terminal.
  Embarkation went without a hitch. At the time we arrived there were no queues of passengers waiting to be processed, so before we knew it, we'd had our photo taken and were walking up the gangway, ready to start our cruise.

About MSC Sinfonia

Swimming Pool on Deck 11 of MSC Sinfonia

First impressions on boarding MSC Sinfonia? How spotless it is, both inside and out. Gleaming white paintwork, shiny brass and chrome, and sparkling mirrors really impressed us!
  Throughout the ship the clever placement of mirrors, along with the shine of chrome fittings make the interior spaces seem much larger than they are. For example, in this photo the library seems to stretch the width of the ship - it doesn't!

The library

The decor throughout is pale woodwork with burgundy and green upholstery and carpet. All pleasant enough, but without the 'wow' factor that some other ships I've been on have with their art work in public spaces.
  Sinfonia can carry 2087 cruisers over 9 passenger decks. Our captain is Pietro Scarpato and over the course of the 7 night cruise, round trip Genoa, we'll have 6 ports of call in the Western Mediterranean.
  So it's all aboard for the cruise!

MSC Western Mediterranean Cruise

Blue Skies and Palm Trees on our MSC Cruise

We had been looking forward to this cruise so much because it would take us to places we hadn't been, such as the Balearic Isles and Sardinia. Our ship was MSC Sinfonia and the itinerary was a round trip from Genoa (Italy) over 7 nights.
  Here are our ports of call:

• St Tropez, France
• Palma de Mallorca, Spain (overnight here)
• Mahon, Menorca, Spain
• Olbia, Sardinia, Italy
• Salerno, Italy
• Genoa, Italy

Over the next little while I'll report on the ship and each port of call with information for cruisers. The cruise was a relaxing way to see these smaller places in the Med. We really enjoyed it!

Cruise Ships in Venice - Changes for 2014

Cunard's Queen Victoria in Venice

There has been fierce debate about the number and size of cruise ships visiting Venice for several years now. Opponents of the ships argue that the huge vessels, with the wash from their engines, are damaging the foundations of the historic city which is already in a fragile state. The port workers and cruise industry employees argue that ships' visits provide many jobs in a city where employment options are few.
  I kept an open mind about the situation until we were there this year. Our NCL cruise departed from Venice. I must say, now that I've been there and seen for myself, I support a limit to the number and size of cruise ships coming to Venice. 
  As you can see from my photograph, the ships tower over the historic buildings as they pass along the Guidecca Canal (which is not very wide) on their way to and from the cruise terminal and port.
  An announcement has been made today, after a meeting between the Italian Prime Minister, the Mayor of Venice and other interested parties, that will change the cruise ship situation in the new year 
  As of January 2014, the number of cruise vessels docking in Venice will be limited to five per day, a decrease of 20% on 2012 numbers.
  As of November 2014, the largest ships, those over 96,000 tonnes, will be banned from central Venice. A new facility will have to be built on the outskirts of the city, away from the precious buildings and piazzas of the historic centre.
  Cruise companies which plan their itineraries up to two years ahead will, I imagine, be scrambling to work out alternative arrangements for their passengers. 

Toulon, a Cruise Port in Provence

Toulon, a view from the cruise ship

It was a glorious day when we arrived in Toulon. The ship docked right in the town, beside the yacht harbour. Here expensive boats were moored alongside little fishing boats where men sat repairing their nets in preparation for the night's fishing. Following the wide promenade around the harbour, it was only a five minute walk to the cafes that lined the bay and to the main square with its wonderful market.

The market at Toulon

There were many street entertainers out to entertain the crowds of shoppers which added to the bustling atmosphere. We'd seen a lot of buskers in our travels but this one, the man in Georgian dress with two cats sitting on his arms, had to be the most unusual! The cats didn't even flinch when a little yappy dog ran up to them.

A street entertainer in Toulon

Another attraction for us in the city was a ride on a little white 'train' that took us along the coast to a lovely beach and park. It was an opportunity to see a little more of Toulon.

Back to the cruise terminal then, with its array of stalls selling local handicrafts, and on board to sail away to our final port - Barcelona!