Azamara Journey Sept 27-Oct 11 Precruise and depature from Barcelona

[Eileen G]

Since the Med boards have been devided it's hard to decide where to post a review. So I will post each part in there proper place. The review of the ship is on the Azamara board and the rest of the ports will be on the other boards.

 

Left Orlando FL Sept. 25 flew to JFK then Barcelona arriving at 7:15. We took the airport shuttle bus to PL Catalunya. The shuttle bus stops at all the terminals. We arrived at our hotel, the Hotel Continental, at 8:30 which was too early to check in so we ate breakfast at their buffet, stored our luggage and walked down Las Ramblas. We walked through the market and around some of the side streets. We were able to check-in at 11AM. We took a nap, had lunch and took the metro to the beach. We walked along the promenade and around Barcelonetta. Walked through the city park which was very nice with a beautiful fountain. Stopped at the train station and the church of Maria del Mar before walking back to our hotel. We ate dinner at Hard Rock Café and took the metro to the Magic Fountains. After a very long day we went to bed.

 

Sunday Sept. 27: We ate breakfast at the hotel, stored our luggage and took the metro to Mountjuic. We went up to the fort through the gardens and took pictures of our ship and Barcelona. We walked down along the path near the edge and passed beautiful fountains and views. Took the metro back to the hotel and got our luggage. We walked down Las Rumblas to the port shuttle but it wasn’t where it was supposed to be behind the Columbus Monument. It was at the port entrance but we found it easily and rode it to the ship. We checked in quickly and went right to our stateroom since it was 2:30.We were informed at check-in that due to Greek elections on Oct. 4th Napthion was being substituted with Messina. We ate lunch and immediately noticed how quiet the buffet was, plenty of empty tables and really good food. After the life boat drill we went to the looking glass lounge to meet CC group and had a very nice cocktail party at 6 while we sailed out of Barcelona. The cruise director, Tony and hotel director, Heiki were there. We ate in the buffet then unpacked and went to bed.

Continued on other Med boards.

pictures here http://cid-1e98e90214e77bf9.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Barcelona/066.jpg

[MightyQuinn]

Took the metro back to the hotel and got our luggage. We walked down Las Rumblas to the port shuttle but it wasn’t where it was supposed to be behind the Columbus Monument. It was at the port entrance but we found it easily and rode it to the ship.

Nice review Eileen. I tracked you across all the forums to get the full story. :):)

 

Now am I reading this right? Did you walk down the entire length of La Rambla to the Columbus Monument & then to the port entrance with luggage in tow? How did that work out? Would you do it again? Thanks.

[Eileen G]

Yes we walked down the entire length of Las Ramblas with 2 rolling bags each. It worked out much better than I thought it would. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the weather was not hot. The port entrance is not far from the Columbus Monument and the bus was there waiting. There were several other people on the bus with luggage too. The bus dropped us off right at the ship. I would do it again as long as the weather is not too hot!!!

[MightyQuinn]

Yes we walked down the entire length of Las Ramblas with 2 rolling bags each. It worked out much better than I thought it would. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and the weather was not hot.

Thanks Eileen. Sounds promising. We're there on Saturday so the crowds may be busier than you experienced on Sunday. But we travel light so now you've got me thinking. Our ship docks at World Trade Centre right at the foot of La Ramblas so it's a definite possibility. Thanks for the tip.

[CintiPam]

Eileen, what did you think of the Hotel Continental? I am still debating where to book for our three nights post-cruise in May on our first visit to Barcelona.

[Eileen G]

We like the Hotel Continental. It was our second time there. The location is great. The hotel is a 2 star and the staff was always very helpful. The 24 hour buffet was nice for a bite to eat any time we were hungry or lite lunch. It is very easy to use the airport bus to get there. If we ever go back to Barcelona we will definatly stay there again.

[CintiPam]

Thanks. Do you get a Ramblas-facing room or are they too noisy?

[Eileen G]

I'm not sure how noisy the front rooms are so we get a room in the back. We like it quiet at night. There is a breakfast room that has a small balcony with a table for two and we would go there and have a drink and enjoy the view of La Ramblas. You can't beat this hotel for price and location. We use the metro a lot and you are just steps away from it. And of course you are right on La Ramblas and very close to the Bari Gothic. The rooms are clean and comfortable and the staff very helpful. It is in an old building so there are some odd things but similar to other old hotels we have stayed in in Europe.

[CintiPam]

Thanks again. It sounded perhaps a bit too quirky on tripadvisor but your personal opinion is very valuable.

[Murphey]

We have booked Hotel Continental for April, but my sister is freaked out by the reviews. Can you offer some insight as to why people think it's a dump? Thank you.

[Eileen G]

Murphey, I went to Trip Advisor to read some of the reviews because I can't believe people would call this hotel a dump. I find with TP reviews you always have a few people who really don't like a particular hotel. You really need to see what the majority of the reviews are saying. Yes we did see someone sleeping in the stairwell but this is a big city and you can find that anywhere we just made sure we took the elevator. The furniture is outdated but you could also consider it antique. The tub/shower is a little strange but I'm not sure that is true of every room. I don't really care what the view is out of my room. I'm only there to sleep not stare out the window. The rooms are pink but it is a soft pink and I thought it was pretty. The bottom line is it is a clean hotel in a great location with a friendly helpful staff and a good price.

[Murphey]

Thank you for your reply. There is a video on U Tube that is almost scarry. But I agree with you, we are just looking for a reasonable place to lay our heads for a couple of nights post cruise. Beauty or Beast is in the eye of the beholder! Could you comment on the buffet? Do you really get water, beer, wine and food???

[Eileen G]

The 24 hour buffet was nice for a light bite to eat. There is a soda despencer and wine and beer on tap. There is also a soft serve ice cream machine. Breakfast had hard boiled eggs and some baked egg dish. There was some ham and oven roasted potatos. Also several cereals, fresh bread, and several types of freah fruit. The rest of the day there was a ground meet and tamato sauce dish, some type of pasta, mixed vegatables and the same potatoes as breakfast. There was more things but I don't remember them all.

[Murphey]

Thank you, I really appreciate your information!

 

If there is anything else that comes to mind that we might need to know, please post!