Navigating Skies, Streets, and Seas to Barcelona (Pt. 2)
By Ashonté S. Lyles
The First Decision: Where & When
Before you can be there, you must know where there is and when you are going.
Nailing down the details of where and when to launch on a trip is crucial, particularly when navigating group travel.
This pivotal phase can often pose the biggest challenge, holding many back from turning their dreams of exploring and vacationing abroad into reality. The key lies in identifying a specific destination, curating a flexible itinerary, and aligning schedules. Without honing in on these essential elements, we might have found ourselves dreaming of a European cruise with our parents in perpetuity rather than bringing those travel aspirations to fruition.
Four Key Factors
Comfort
Desired Budget
Physical Limitations
Aligned Experiences
Making these decisions, we were guided by 4 Key Factors: ensuring comfort, staying within our desired budget, considering the physical limitations of all travelers, and aligning with the unique experiences each of us desired. We selected Barcelona as our port of call, a no-brainer since it is a major port from which many cruise lines sail. Also, we were confident in our ability to navigate Barça, secure transportation, and find accommodations due to our familiarity with the city and the presence of friends who call it home. We considered the weather along the Mediterranean and chose September knowing that it would be mildly warm.
A Symphony at Sea
After shopping around for months in advance, we finally landed on our choice, the Royal Caribbean mega-ship Symphony of the Seas, for a luxurious seven-day voyage from Barcelona to a 10-city tour of Spain, France, and Italy before making our way back to the Catalonian capital.
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Arrival Challenges Unveiled
Coordinating our arrival in country presented our next challenge. To allow for potential travel delays, we decided to extend our trip by a few days on both ends, providing us with the opportunity to break bread with our local friends and explore the beautiful city of Barcelona. We resigned that flying together and arriving together in Barcelona would be virtually impossible with us traveling separately from Nevada and Florida. Neither Las Vegas nor Orlando airports offered non-stop flights to Barcelona thus we both had connecting flights with layovers. We decided to shoot for getting there on the same day. Additionally, we took into account three points: travel time, time difference, and that most hotels and short-term rentals require late afternoon check-ins. Marlon and I made sure to schedule our arrival ahead of my parents to be in place should any hiccups arise. We booked our flights through our bank and my parents booked through Royal Caribbean.
After booking my father became concerned about the connecting flights, uncertain if their bags would be checked through to Barcelona, and questioning when they would need to undergo immigration and customs. Reassuringly, we told him their scheduled one-hour layover in Denver would be plenty of time to get to their connecting flight based on the map of the Denver airport indicating their arrival and departure gates. We let him know their baggage would be checked from Vegas to Frankfurt at which point they would undergo immigration, collect their luggage, then go through customs. What we did not learn until our return flight to the States was that there would be another security check before the departure gate—ah, Germany!
Know Before You GEAUX
You can find out everything you need to know about immigration, customs, and security check procedures when flying to and within EU (European Union) countries on airport websites such as Frankfurt Airport’s site (frankfurt-airport.com).
After finalizing our travel dates and destinations, our attention turned to the finer aspects of our plans. This included choosing activities and accommodations for pre- and post-cruise stays considering the proximity to local transportation, the airport, the cruise port, sights in Barcelona, and our local friend’s residence. We created linked accounts on the Royal Caribbean website and app for easy coordination of dining, excursions, embarkation, debarkation, visibility of travel arrangements, and payment. We also registered with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) which is highly encouraged for all travel outside the U.S.
Know Before You GEAUX
5 Reasons to enroll in the State Department’s STEP program when traveling abroad:
Emergency Assistance: Registering helps the U.S. government assist you during natural disasters and civil unrest and provides evacuation assistance if necessary.
Safety Updates: By registering, you can receive updates and alerts from the State Department for different countries you are visiting, helping you stay informed about potential risks.
Facilitation of Contact: If there are emergencies involving your family back home, the State Department can help facilitate communication and convey important information to you.
Consular Services: Registration ensures access to consular services to assist with lost passports, legal issues, or medical emergencies.
Crisis Readiness Planning: Your registration data helps the U.S. plan and coordinate aid for citizens abroad in times of crisis.
Overall, registering with the State Department is a proactive measure to enhance your safety and well-being while traveling internationally. Read more about STEP here.
Cabins, Cuisine, and Views
Selecting the perfect cabins for our cruise adventure aboard the Symphony of the Seas was no small task. We aimed for a delicate balance – securing balconies for a breathtaking view while strategically positioning ourselves away from the lively noise of party decks. Prioritizing convenience, we aimed for cabins near the ship's amenities, elevators, and gangways (exits from the ship when in port). The challenge was to find cabins close to each other, fostering a sense of togetherness. Unfortunately, there were no exterior balcony cabins available resulting in our selection of interior balcony cabins. Despite facing the ship's center, these cabins still offer an outdoor feel due to the Symphony's design. The fifth through 16th decks are open-air, featuring a fifth-floor deck inspired by New York City's Central Park, adorned with live plants, accompanying live birds, and hosting various restaurants. In a surprising twist, the cabins we chose on the 10th floor ended up right next door to each other, numbers 603 and 605. While the proximity was convenient for coordination, it also introduced a unique and somewhat humorous layer of awkwardness – the fine line between privacy and shared adventure.
The Symphony had no shortage of dining options. We wanted to make our rounds to each restaurant, buffet, poolside bar, and cafe aboard. Formal dining is not my favorite as I dread getting into formal attire and heels are the worst, but I also know the food is always worth the effort. Luckily for me each night was themed and only one was deemed formal and one dress to impress so my feet were saved. I made reservations for 8 PM daily in the stunning main dining room for our crew via the Royal Caribbean app.
Opting for a late dinner time was a strategic choice. With a tightly packed itinerary that included shore excursions every day except the embarkation and disembarkation days, I anticipated returning to the ship late and fatigued. A late dinner provided the perfect opportunity to rest and recover before indulging in the culinary adventure that awaited us. Somehow, I still managed to be the last one ready to go each night leading to light ribbing from my dad every day, providing comic relief for my husband. Hey, my circadian rhythm is different.
We chose the Hilton Diagonal Mar hotel for our pre-cruise accommodation because it's conveniently located near the airport, seaport, Barcelona's Metro and trams, and the ease of getting to sights like the most famous street in the city, La Rambla. This Hilton is in a nice area with views of the beach and within walking distance of shopping and restaurants.
Our flight had us arriving just after 9 AM Barcelona time, but we knew we would be able to leave our luggage with the concierge or possibly check in early.
Hiccups Ahead
A week before our departure, my father, with lingering concerns, decided to reschedule their Las Vegas flight to an earlier departure time. This triggered a back-and-forth struggle between Royal Caribbean and Lufthansa (operated by United Airlines). Royal Caribbean said it was too late to change, and Lufthansa claimed they couldn't alter third-party bookings. Finally, at the airport counter, my dad secured the change, resulting in a six-hour layover in Denver—a recipe for an exceptionally long day. When this happened, we had to get two separate cars from the car service we selected because our separate arrivals were then several hours apart.
What Happens Next
Find out what other hiccups ensued, the amazing dining experiences of the first days in Barça and aboard the Symphony of the Seas, and the parental units’ impressions of Barcelona as we continue in part three of Cruising the Mediterranean - "¡Hola Barcelona! Tapas, Sangría, Paella – Oh My!"
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