Med cruise - Barcelona query

[Guest]

Would you recommend getting to Barcelona a few days before the cruise and head back to the UK a day after the cruise? Or get to Barcelona the day before the cruise and then see Barcelona for a few days after the cruise? It's our first cruise and we are wondering what's best...

[Guest]

Originally Posted by minximom

Would you recommend getting to Barcelona a few days before the cruise and head back to the UK a day after the cruise? Or get to Barcelona the day before the cruise and then see Barcelona for a few days after the cruise? It's our first cruise and we are wondering what's best...

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I went in 2007 and I am going again in 2014.

I will always leave a 'gap' between arrival and embarkation and in fact disembarkation.

I recall when we flew to Barcelona on BA, there was a lady on our flight, it was delayed, she was going to embark another ship at Barcelona, whilst the flight delay was only an hour or so, when she got to Barcelona airport it was very clear she wouldn't make it.

Flight delays occur, first think what airline your going with, as say BA has lots of planes and lots of flights to Barcelona so if one is cancelled a replacement can come quickly. Some planes only fly occasionally and if they have an problem that might mean no flight for days.

If you pay out for an expensive cruise do not leave the flight over to the last minute, leave yourselves comfort time.

And by the way, (1) Barcelona is very nice to tour, (2) Barcelona is an hour in front of the UK and people often forget that. (3) Airport whilst it looks close to the port, in the City traffic may take 45 mins to an hour to get over.

Do leave at least a day gap on embarkation, for comfort and we found embarkation at Barcelona early, we got there at 10am and were on rather quick unlike port Canaveral and enjoyed a good day on board and you can get back off if you wish to tour the city!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by minximom

Would you recommend getting to Barcelona a few days before the cruise and head back to the UK a day after the cruise? Or get to Barcelona the day before the cruise and then see Barcelona for a few days after the cruise? It's our first cruise and we are wondering what's best...

See more...

We did something similar in Venice, we went for three days before the cruise and flew back to the Uk the day after the cruise arrived back in Venice... we liked it this way, and to be honest we were a bit Cityed out after we got of the ship and really did very little on the day the ship returned.

[Bats]

We arrive on the day and leave on the last day for Barcelona. We've seen it before and like to save our annual leave for other potential holidays

[JoJo88]

We arrived a couple of days before our cruise for two reasons. One, so that we could see a bit of Barcelona and two, to make sure we were there in time for the cruise

Really loved Barcelona so we are planning to go back at some point for longer.

[twinkly-tink]

Whenever we cruise we will always fly in at least the day before and then dependent on what times the flights are home could be day day we disembark or day after. ... we do this wherever we cruise and not just Barcelona (which is a lovely place with plenty to see and do! !)

[disneymadhouse]

Just seen you post in my thread!

We are planning on flying out to Barcelona a few days before, probably the 4th, to spend 3 nights at Port Aventura. We will go the theme park as well as the water park

[Guest]

Originally Posted by twinkly-tink

Whenever we cruise we will always fly in at least the day before and then dependent on what times the flights are home could be day day we disembark or day after. ... we do this wherever we cruise and not just Barcelona (which is a lovely place with plenty to see and do! !)

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Agree

We always have a minimum, 'buffer' pre cruise, as said before a cruise costs a lot and you do not want to miss it.

For 2012 Orlando and a B2B Fantasy, I had a minimum of three days pre cruise, vacation time was tight but i wanted that buffer.

This year Alaska we have a Two day buffer pre Alaska cruise out of Vancouver. We are flying Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, and hope not to be bumped or have a delay.

2014 Back to the Med, I plan to cut it fine with a day before pre cruise, as a buffer, and so may book BA as it has plenty of flights a day.

I keep seeing the lady on that plane in my mind going to Barcelona, she was making a lot of fuss all flight, saying BA should call the cruise ship to get it to stay in port, and they had to lay on a taxi for her to whisk her away.

I recall now anything that could go wrong did, the Baggage carousel wasn't working in baggage reclaim her bags hadn't come up when we left and it was already the time of her cruise departure.

I think she had forgotten about the time zone change as well.

[Guest]

Thanks for your helpful advice... have discussed your comments with hubby and I think we might arrive two days before and leave a day after! We are travelling with other family members who will want to come back to the UK straight from the cruise...but I know me...I'll have end of holiday blues (which I'm sure some retail therapy in Barcelona will sort out!)... Thank you again :-)

[Guest]

Originally Posted by minximom

Thanks for your helpful advice... have discussed your comments with hubby and I think we might arrive two days before and leave a day after! We are travelling with other family members who will want to come back to the UK straight from the cruise...but I know me...I'll have end of holiday blues (which I'm sure some retail therapy in Barcelona will sort out!)... Thank you again :-)

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Sounds an excellent plan!

We in 2014 will go the day before, I hope to have an early flight and check in a hotel one night and have a tour around, ( we have been before so we will go on foot).

As the cruise is an 12 night one, I want to use the Thursday, Friday post cruise as a holiday in Barcelona, and fly back Saturday.

I am pricing up flights now.

BA. Monarch, Easyjet, and Ryanair all go, but as its a cruise, I will most likely go for BA who have the largest fleet and also the biggest schedule so if my flight was canceled hopefully there is an alternative to get there on time.

Barcelona is a fantastic city, and should be hot so from sightseeing to sunbathing its nice to stay there.