Just Back From THE JOURNEY And Oh My.. What A Journey It Was!!

[Sleep7]

The weather fairies smiled down upon the Journey and the White Night Party was an GREAT success!!!! Eric De Gray was awesome on the stage. Dinner was outstanding.. the highlights were made to order Paella topped off with Crepe Suzettes artfully prepared by Heike herself. It was a marvelous evening all around!!!:)

 

Next day was Thursday and we anchored off of Roses, Spain. We had booked at full day tour with lunch (great use of our OBC!) of Girona and Figueres.

[Sleep7]

Thursday.. met our tour at 8:15am in the Cabaret Lounge and were quickly wisked onto a tender and then our bus. Our tour guide was wonderful today too. She was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic.. it was a pleasure.

Our first stop which was Girona was about an hour away. Again.. the two of us like toddlers in car seats fell fast asleep.

We got to Gerona and walked over to the old Jewish quarter where we visited a very interesting Jewish Museum. We were a bit short on time but I think we got to see most of it. We also viewed an Arab style bath.

Here is some of what we saw..

 

 

 

 

 

[Sleep7]

Back on the bus and a short half an hour later we were at a restaurant in Figueres for lunch.. plenty of food, wine and great company at our large round table. Azamara folks are just so nice!

We then walked over as a group to the Dali Museum which was truly the highlight of the day! I'm not that heavily into museums but this museum was simply awesome! The artist designed it himself in the 1970's using the shell of a burnt out theater that had been empty for the past 30 years. The infrastructure of the museum was as important and imaginative as the artwork inside. There was an umbrella on top of a boat that was suspended over Dali's personal Cadillac where it was raining inside. I could not make this up! There were espadrille shoes hanging from a painting.. there were lots of paintings that you initially saw one thing and then squinted and saw something completely different. Look at Lincoln's face.. you see can see a naked woman in there. Look at the Venus De Milo.. you can see a man's face tilted to the side. Sam who never buys tchokies actually bought a magnet of the Lincoln painting to put on his locker at work.:eek:

 

 

[Sleep7]

[Sleep7]

[Sleep7]

It was a terrific shore excursion all around!!!

We ate an outstanding dinner at Aqualina (more OBC.. yay!) with our new friends Meryll and Sam. That's Sam #1 and Sam #2.. just keeping track of the Sams.:)

 

I must also mention that one of the highlights of my day was the show every morning on the TV that starred Eric and his activities manager.

They are a great team and I loved their "who cares" segment at the end of each edition.

[BBMacLaird]

Hi Sleep7, what a fun cruise review..thank you!

I'm especially loving the destination descriptions and photos. I've never been to Girona among others you visited.

 

p.s. I hope you eventually found an open Cartier store? I'm waiting for the happy ending and a photo of the bauble you picked out!

[Sleep7]

Hey Bonnie!

Thanks for your sweet post. So glad that you are enjoying the review.. I'm having a terrific time writing it!:)

I'm a determined girl when it comes to shopping so yes.. I will give you a hint. The Cartier hunt does have a happy ending!

[CintiPam]

Simply enjoying your review and wonderful photos. The Dali Museum is on my bucket list.

[Sleep7]

Hey Pam! Do get there when you can.. it was amazing.

 

Last day of the cruise.. always a day with mixed feelings..

Happy to get home because we miss the girls but sad all at the same time because our amazing journey is approaching it's end..:rolleyes:

We are docked in Barcelona and the city welcomed us with open arms!!! I have never been a huge fan but the day here truly made me a believer.

What an incredibly vibrant and exciting port Barcelona is.

The Journey was docked a very short walk from the Columbus statue at the top of Las Ramblas. The weather was summer like.. sunny with a high in the 70s. Couldn't have been nicer!

First bus we saw when we exited the ship! They must have known I was coming.:)

[Sleep7]

So we headed up Las Ramblas enjoying all the excitement. We crossed over Placa Catalunya and continued on the Passeig De Gracia. We passed Avinguda Diagonal.. and there we were.. in the heart of "Fancy-land." And there it was.. a Cartier that was open and ready for our business!!

I had researched and developed my purchase before I left the USA and concluded that you can save around 20% off of the USA prices by buying in Europe. And there it was.. the bracelet that I have been on a "Journey" or even a "Quest" for..

Wow.. it's amazing how those ship names can fit a million situations! :)

This blingy story has a happy ending dear readers.. this story has a happy ending..

[Sleep7]

So goodies in hand (hidden in a plain bag that Cartier provided) we strolled back down Las Ramblas and into the warren of tiny streets that make up the Gothic Quarter. We went back to the ship and got our laptops. We used the very fast and free wifi in the terminal. It had the longest password EVER. No joke.. it was at least 25 characters.. upper case.. lower case.. numbers.. hieroglyphics.. it was a miracle we ever got on!

We ate our last scrumptious dinner in Discoveries and then went back to the cabin to pack.:(

The "Crew Waves" show was amazing and truly conveyed the warmth of the officers and crew on the ship. Then a broadway review starring Eric and that was outstanding as well!!!! What a talent he is!!!

We hustled back to the cabin to make the 11pm deadline of the "suitcases out in front of your door edict."

A wake up call was set for 6am and we called it a night.:o

[Sleep7]

Uck.. nothing worse (well actually there are plenty of worse things:rolleyes:) than the morning that you disembark. I'm a huge bundle of nerves until everything has gone smoothly and we are calmly waiting at our gate at the airport for our flight home.

We bid goodbye to the Columbus statue just as the sun was rising..

And everything went smoothly. I booked an earlier bus transfer so I would have plenty of time at BCN to claim my VAT for the bracelet. We sailed thru security and browsed the duty free shops. Did I really sample a taste of local wine before 8am? We stocked up on Toblerone the size of a baseball bat (two for 11euros!) and bought the silliest bottle of Sangria dressed up with a Spanish hat and castanets hanging off of it. We got to our gate and I was able to relax.:)

Edited October 20, 2014 by Sleep7

[Sleep7]

Our nonstop flight from JFK had just landed and was being cleaned and prepared for it's new passengers.

We had wonderful seats. The first row in "Economy Comfort" was like having an exit row seat but even better. Plenty of leg room but because you are not right by the door it wasn't 30 degrees below zero unlike our freezy cold flight over.;)

Flying time back to JFK was exactly 8 hours which passed rather quickly I must say.

 

[Spursgirl]

Sleep7, what a fabulous review but there is one omission.

 

Can't we see a picture of the bracelet which I am sure is gorgeous?

 

So looking forward to my Journey cruise on November 6.:D

[Sleep7]

So.. we are home.. and it does feel good to be home.:rolleyes:

Except I do have the burning desire to swipe my room card every time I walk out of my garage and hear that certain "bing!" I miss the friendly and welcoming faces of the security team that bids you goodbye when you leave the ship and welcomes you back warmly when you return.

There are so many things about an Azamara cruise to treasure.. the constant smiles that you get in return when you smile at ANYBODY on the ship be it the Captain and the officers, Eric and his crew, the staff on deck 4, to the cabin attendants, the dining room and Windows staff and servers.. everyone who works on the ship is first rate and terrific!!!!

I miss the friendliness of 100% of the other guests we met last week. Everyone is always happy and willing to strike up a conversation of..

Where are you from? How many cruises have you been on? What do you do? What has been your favorite port? What did you do today? Will Oscar Pistorius will get jail time or not? :rolleyes:

I loved having the opportunity to get to know and ultimately meet the Cruise Critic people from the roll call. Shout out to you NJ foursome!!

I loved stepping away for a week of total relaxation (except until I got to the airport in Barcelona of course) and reaffirming how truly LUCKY we all are to be able to enjoy and appreciate such a grand time.

Smooth sailing everyone.. This very lengthy report has finally come to an end.

Can't wait until our next Azamazing cruise.:)

[Dr65]

Great review Sleep7...We just returned from the Oct. 11 Journey cruise that ended in Monaco. Out of our approx. 30 cruises it was at or near the top. The crew was fantastic! Food and service were top notch..it seemed every crew member had a smile on their face! I personally talked to Capt. Johanass several times and complimented him on backing the Journey stern first into the small yacht harbor in Nice. Hotel Manager Heike was also always available and said yes to every small issue we had. After cruising on the main Azamara competition last year we feel that we have found our new favorite cruise line.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Thank you for this review. It was so great, especially as you had chapter and verse on why Azamara is still great [after certain other recent posts ;)]. I'm more and more excited about our upcoming 2016 cruise -- why is it so far away???

[Andy]

Hi Sleep7,

 

Thanks for your posts and photos. I enjoyed it ! Glad you had a great cruise, and Welcome Home !

[Literary Lynne]

Thank you Sleep7 - So sad when your review came to an end! I loved your style of reporting and your pics. Your happiness is contagious.

 

Did you see anything of Roses? I know you docked there but went on the fascinating excursion. It was the first place I ever visited abroad. I was 14yrs old and went with my parents in the 60s. It was called Rosas then. I keep looking at next May's cruise which calls there, wondering whether to book it.

 

Glad your return journey was stress-free.

Lynne :)

[Sleep7]

Thanks everyone for the kind words!!! It was so much fun to relive the week.

Spursgirl.. I see you are a jewelry lover too! I would have asked the exact same question! Have you heard of the LOVE bracelet? It's plain gold with imprints of screw marks that you screw on and off your wrist? I got the white gold one.. I admire it hourly!:)

Dr65.. your cruise sounds as wonderful as ours was.:)

Host Jazzbeau.. thank you for the welcome home wishes. I totally agree that it's so nice to spread to goodness of Azamara! No worries.. scary but true 2016 will come up awfully fast!!

Host Andy.. thanks for your help in the beginning.. the photo thing totally baffled me but now I'm a pro!

Lynne.. I really know nothing about Roses except it was names for the island of Rhodes.. not for the flower which kind of surprised me. We didn't see much of it at all as the bus was waiting right at the pier when we got off the tender. It didn't seem like there were too many touristy things to do there though. Have a super time on your cruise!!!!

[portofrome]

Thanks for your great review.

[dln929]

So we headed up Las Ramblas enjoying all the excitement. We crossed over Placa Catalunya and continued on the Passeig De Gracia. We passed Avinguda Diagonal.. and there we were.. in the heart of "Fancy-land." And there it was.. a Cartier that was open and ready for our business!!

I had researched and developed my purchase before I left the USA and concluded that you can save around 20% off of the USA prices by buying in Europe. And there it was.. the bracelet that I have been on a "Journey" or even a "Quest" for..

Wow.. it's amazing how those ship names can fit a million situations! :)

This blingy story has a happy ending dear readers.. this story has a happy ending..

Claudia, thank you so much for your wonderful report. I was smiling from ear-to-ear the whole time! I'm glad you came home with a beautiful little red bag. I got one of those too. Remember how I said small souvenirs are the best souvenirs? Especially the ones that begin with "C." Well done, you!!!

[Sleep7]

Portofrome.. thanks so much.. glad you enjoyed it!:)

 

Deirdre.. really.. THANK YOU for YOUR outstanding report last month on CC. It truly was my inspiration for writing my own. They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! It's absolutely true.:)

And.. you came home with a "red bag" bauble as well?? Excellent!!!!!;)

I'm sure you glance at it all the time and think of your lovely trip.

Thanks again for the idea and the help with the pics.. now I'm a pro!

I actually found that typing something first and then pasting the pics in reverse order was the easiest way for me to get those pics on. The curser was easier to place at the end of the text before the pictures than trying to squeeze it in after a picture.. does that make sense?

Anywho.. happy sails and enjoy your "C" gift.

[dln929]

Portofrome.. thanks so much.. glad you enjoyed it!:)

 

Deirdre.. really.. THANK YOU for YOUR outstanding report last month on CC. It truly was my inspiration for writing my own. They do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! It's absolutely true.:)

And.. you came home with a "red bag" bauble as well?? Excellent!!!!!;)

I'm sure you glance at it all the time and think of your lovely trip.

Thanks again for the idea and the help with the pics.. now I'm a pro!

I actually found that typing something first and then pasting the pics in reverse order was the easiest way for me to get those pics on. The curser was easier to place at the end of the text before the pictures than trying to squeeze it in after a picture.. does that make sense?

Anywho.. happy sails and enjoy your "C" gift.

 

You're welcome!!! Next one up for us is next September on the Quest, after what will be an absence of almost two years. And we'll be seeing some new ports so I'm sure there will be a trip report involved. ;)