Location: Barcelona, Spain.
Summary: A sleepless night at the hostel, a smooth trip to the port, priority boarding thanks to bad legs, cocktails and admin on board, new dinner companions, an enjoyable show, and a frustrating argument over water and coffee before finally heading to bed.
A Noisy Night & a Slow Morning
I had been woken by noisy Dutch people in the room next door returning from a night out at around 03:30. I had just fallen asleep again when, at 04:10, they decided to shower and blow‑dry their hair. I finally fell back asleep around 04:30, but woke again at 06:00 to use the bathroom. After another short sleep, I woke at 08:30, took a shower, got dressed, and plugged in my Kindle so I would have something to read once on board.
Taxi to the Port & Priority Boarding
At about 09:45, I closed my case and waited in reception for Gail. We went outside, and I ordered a Cabify taxi. It arrived within 10 minutes and took us straight to the cruise terminal.
We queued to check in our bags, and after about 20 minutes, my case was taken. As we moved toward the check‑in area for boarding photos and cabin cards, we were pulled aside and sent to the priority queue because of my bad legs. We were seen quickly and were soon ready to board after another security check and another photo because the first one apparently wasn’t perfect.
Cocktails, Safety Briefing, & Excursion Issues
Once on board, we sat down for a cocktail, a Costa Sea. After finishing our drinks, we attended the safety briefing and located our evacuation point. We then went to the buffet for something to eat before heading to the main bar for another cocktail, a Costa Dream.
Afterwards, I went to the Excursion Desk because my app showed that three of my five pre‑booked excursions had been cancelled. The cable car trip to the top of Teide in Tenerife had been cancelled, so they moved me to a different tour that visited the park without the cable car. The other two “cancelled” trips had not actually been cancelled; the ship simply hadn’t received my bookings. The staff member rebooked them, so I was back to five excursions. Gail booked one or two for herself before heading off to a dance lesson.
Dinner Companions & Evening Entertainment
In the evening, I went to dinner and found myself sitting alone at a table for eight. I had requested a small table, but clearly the booking website didn’t pass my request along. Eventually, four people sat at the far end of the table, still leaving me without company. About 20 minutes later, another Englishman joined me, and I introduced myself to Mal. The food was very nice, and after the meal, Gail joined us. She had gone to the wrong floor at first and ended up sitting with other English passengers.
After dinner, we went to a bar for a drink before heading to the theatre. Gail and I were joined by Mal, and by Dwight and Tessa, whom Gail had met earlier. A singer called Netzi performed songs in Italian, Spanish, French, and English for the multinational audience. I enjoyed the show, but after all the walking yesterday and today, I was in quite a bit of pain.
The Water & Coffee Dispute
I decided to get a bottle of water and return to my cabin to take painkillers and go to bed. I sat near a bar and ordered my drinks. Gail joined me and ordered a cocktail, which arrived quickly. The waitress then told me I couldn’t have a large bottle of water unless I paid for it.
She explained that my drinks package included only one small ½ litre bottle of water per day. Heated words were exchanged as I questioned why I could drink alcohol all day but couldn’t get water paying extra. She eventually brought me two small bottles “just this once” and went to fetch my coffee, only to return and say I couldn’t have that either.
When she left, I picked up the water she had given me and returned to my cabin to go to bed.
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