The original plan was for us to take the Oasis OTS transatlantic from Orlando, FL to Barcelona on Apr 21-May 5 followed by a Mediterranean cruise on the Vision OTS departing on May 6. Unfortunately, the Oasis suffered some damage while undergoing dry dock repairs in Nassau when a crane fell onto the ship and consequently the Oasis cruise was cancelled. Royal Caribbean provided a full refund for all money paid to them, as well as $200 towards any airfare not purchased through them. In addition, they provided a Future Cruise Credit for the amount of the cruise fare that can be used towards a future cruise. However, that left us scrambling to find a way to get to Barcelona for our Vision cruise. While airfare was no great bargain, we did find flights that would get us to Barcelona on May 3 – providing us with a couple days in Barcelona before the cruise. Our updated itinerary is as follows:
Our flight out of Seattle departs at 6:15 am on May 2 and we have a five hour layover in Newark before arriving in Barcelona at 9:00 am local time on May 3. M/D arrive at 5:45 pm, so we will check into the hotel and take the shuttle back to the airport to meet them when their flight arrives.
May 2, 2019 – Thursday – Travel Day
Another adventure begins! We were up 3:00 AM’ish to take our 3:40 Lyft to SeaTac for our 6:15 flight to Newark. We zipped through Security and had breakfast in the Red Carpet Club before our flight left on time. It was a little bumpy a few times during the flight and we landed about 30 minutes early at 2:00. Our next flight to Barcelona wasn’t until 7:30 PM so we were off to the Red Carpet Club again. It was very crowded but we found a table, and later comfy chairs. Our flight was late boarding because the plane wasn’t ready, then departed even later due to a combination of traffic waiting to take off and weather. We left about 45 minutes late and arrived in Barcelona about 45 minutes late at 10:00 AM Friday morning.
May 3, 2019 – Friday – Barcelona
A very rainy, cool day in Barcelona. We took the Hotel Ciutat Del Prat shuttle arriving at the hotel around noon. We settled in, relaxed, and napped in our room until we caught the 5:15 shuttle back to the airport to meet up with M&D. Their flight was a little late but we immediately caught the shuttle back to the hotel. They checked into their room then we all headed down to partake a complimentary drink from the hotel while we enjoyed chatting. It was a long day for everyone so we headed to our rooms about 9:00.
May 4, 2019 – Saturday – Barcelona
A beautiful sunny morning! Laurie went out for an early morning walk then at about 9:00 we went to L’Express down the street for coffee and pastries. After a quick stop at a grocery store we spent more time in the hotel lobby visiting. After relaxing in our rooms for a little bit, we met up at 5:00 to walk to one of our favorite neighborhood tapas places, Cafetería La Tertulia. Dinner consisted of a bottle of red wine, a platter of assorted tapas, patatas bravas, tomato bread, and little fried fish. Everything was fresh and delicious and the total bill was only about 24€, which is under $30. We ended our evening with a visit in the lobby.
May 5, 2019 – Sunday – Barcelona
Laurie was out for another early walk but headed in a different direction covering about 3 miles. Another delicious breakfast of coffee and pastries at L’Express this sunny but cool day. The counter lady remembered our coffee order from yesterday! The bakery saw a constant flow of customers while we were there. We also had a view of numerous marathon runners whose route took them past the bakery where a nearby beating drum cheered them on. Once again we chatted at our tucked away spot in the lobby back at the hotel. There were a lot of dressed up children and adults around for a confirmation celebration. One girl was beautifully dressed in a long white dress with a large gold cross necklace and her hair curled and decorated with flowers. We headed back to our rooms to rest before dinner to give the kids their space. We then went in search of a new place for dinner, but our first few choices were closing at 5:00 and not reopening until 8:00. We ended up back at Cafetería La Tertulia for tapas again. The assortment of tapas was just as delicious as yesterday but today we had a pitcher of sangria rather than red wine. The bill amazingly was only about 20€, about $22-$23. We visited in the hotel lobby again before turning in.
May 6, 2019 – Monday – Cruise Departure (partly sunny, 64 degrees)
One more delicious breakfast of coffee and pastries at L’Express then we took a taxi at about 10:00 to the port. Registration was very quick and before we knew it we were in Windjammer enjoying the buffet. At 1:00 we got into our staterooms where we relaxed until the muster drill at 4:15. Our luggage was in the hall on the way back from muster and we unpacked before attending the Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle event in the theater. We met some of the staff and there was a raffle but we didn’t win anything. Next up – Happy Hour. This was our first time in the Diamond Lounge as official Diamond members. They had a nice assortment of hot and cold appetizers and, course, complimentary beverages. We had some great conversation until our 8:00 reservations at Chops (BOGO). We all had delicious steaks, an assortment of side dishes, and desserts. We’ve never been disappointed at Chops. There was a welcome show going on but we decided to return to our staterooms to end the day.
May 7, 2019 – Tuesday – Villefranche (Nice) France (mostly sunny, 64 degrees)
At 9:00 we went to Windjammer for breakfast. So many yummy things to choose from! We took our time and didn’t take the tender to shore until almost 11:00 (in one of the Vision’s lifeboats). We wandered around the city observing the architecture and scenery. We met a German man who had lived there for many years who was a bit of a character. He had his own ideas about a lot of things and was interesting to talk to. He also showed us some of his photographic art work that he happened to have in a portfolio he was carrying.
Afterwards we continued on our walk then returned to the ship, going to the Windjammer for lunch. We ended up in a long conversation with the couple at the next table who were from California. They had traveled extensively and the woman and Mom compared some of their travels over the years. We then went back to our staterooms to relax until Happy Hour. Of course we had a wonderful Happy Hour with great conversation followed by dinner in the dining room. The four of us shared a table for ten with one other woman (Betty) who was from Texas. She had lost her husband and both her dogs within the past two years and you could see that it was still painful for her. But she was very sweet, very brave, and enjoyable to sit with. We had already seen this evenings show on a previous cruise so we turned in early.
May 8, 2019 – Wednesday – Livorno (Florence/Pisa) Italy (mostly cloudy, 61 degrees)
We met up for breakfast in the Windjammer then took the free shuttle into downtown Livorno. There was a tour company at the shuttle stop offering roundtrip transportation to Pisa for only 15 Euros each – about half the price of a taxi, and much more convenient than public transportation.
A half hour or so later we arrived at the Field of Miracles in Pisa. 
Along with the Leaning Tower there was a gorgeous church and a few other buildings. The intricate architecture was offset by the expansive green lawns around the structures. It was on a the cool side and we got rained on a little bit. 
Of course there were mobs of people, many taking the classic photo of a person holding up the Leaning Tower. (Yes, we did it as well!) After taking the tour bus and then the shuttle back to the ship we rested a bit before our usual Happy Hour and dinner again in the dining room. We again skipped the show which we had seen twice before.
May 9, 2019 – Thursday – Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy (partly sunny, 68 degrees)
This morning we met in the lounge at 7:20 AM for our excursion to Rome so M&D opted out of breakfast this morning. The ship was delayed about 45 minutes docking because of the weather (high winds and rough seas) as well as other ships docking. Our tour finally left for the 90 minute drive to Rome. This tour with 48 people involved lots of walking over cobblestone walkways, often at a brisk pace. During the first part of the day we saw the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Venezia, the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and many other interesting buildings, statues,
and fountains along Imperial Forum Avenue where we walked. 
We had headsets to listen to our very personable guide Philippe as he enlightened us with historical information while we walked and observed. 
From the Colosseum we got back on the bus for a drive to the
Vatican City / St. Peter’s Square across town through the horrendous Rome traffic.
The drive gave us a chance to rest and enjoy Rome from our bus windows. After dispensing some information Philippe set us free for about two hours to wander around the square. We mainly looked at St. Peter’s Basilica and the area in front of it surrounded by majestic architecture and the many statues of the saints watching over the square from up high.
We enjoyed some panini from a street vendor as well as pistachio gelato while we sat in the square to take in our surroundings and people watch. It was unbelievable to see so many historic, ancient sights. It truly was a taste of Rome. Philippe was a great guide even though he walked a little too fast at times. His favorite saying for every little thing that happened was “Mama Mia”, and “Allora”. We were beat when we returned to the ship about 6:15 but still went to Happy Hour, then dinner, and then collapsed into bed.
May 10, 2019 – Friday – Salerno (Pompeii) Italy (mostly sunny, 67 degrees)
Another busy day but we didn’t have to get started until 8:10 AM today. We had breakfast in Windjammer then went to the meeting spot with M&D. It was about a 40 minute drive to Pompeii. We were supposed to be on our own having only paid for the transportation but the guide, Maria, said she would take anyone who wanted to go with her to hit some of the highlights in Pompeii at no charge since time was short.
She was very good but we couldn’t hear much of what she said and we even lost the group a couple times. Pompeii needs a lot of time to fully explore but what we did see was fascinating such as casts of a man, child, and dog in the positions they succumbed to Vesuvius in, as well as the enormous forum area.
It was a pleasant morning and we got some good exercise. Back at the bus parking lot we found we didn’t have a bus to take us back to the port due to a bus breaking down. Within about half an hour it was arranged that we would go back using some of the other tour buses that had seats available. A nosh at Windjammer and we were ready for an afternoon of rest.
After our busy day we were ready for Happy Hour and dinner in the dining room. There was a show with a magician but Mom and Pat couldn’t keep their eyes open so we skipped it.
May 11, 2019 – Saturday – At Sea (sunny, increasing clouds, 60’s)
Finally a relaxing day at sea! We had breakfast in the Windjammer then visited James in Next Cruise to learn about future cruises. This is our third time dealing with him and he is always so helpful and efficient. M&D went off to the spa so Mom could wash her hair and we went to a presentation on the upcoming ports. We met up at 2:30 to watch another presentation on some of the cruises RC offers. A quick visit to the casino, a light snack on deck from the Park Cafe (cool and windy!), a rest, then we started Happy Hour early. The dining room was our choice for dining again this evening. The waiters did their usual parading, singing, and dancing bit – fun, but not necessary.
May 12, 2019 – Sunday – Venice Italy (3 PM) (rainy and a cool 55 degrees)
Our usual 9:00 breakfast in Windjammer. At 10:30 there was a Top Tier Event in the theater to show appreciation for higher status guests. Most of the officers and top staff were there to greet us as we came in and do some short talks. Beverages were provided. There were some awards presented to new Pinnacle people and the cruiser with the top points (which was over 2,000). M&D went to the casino and we went back to the stateroom. 
Later we met for a nosh in Windjammer after which we went out on deck to experience our ship cruising down the Grand Canal of Venice to it’s docking spot. It was very cold, windy, and rained at times but it was absolutely gorgeous. We never realized how wide the Grand Canal was and it was a beautiful shade of green. Looking out on Venice from the ship the city was punctuated with majestic tall towers, many with crosses on top. Then we spent a short time in our staterooms until an early Happy Hour. We ate an early dinner in the Windjammer because we wanted to attend the 9:00 showing of Bohemian Rhapsody in the theater. It was an interesting movie with great music. Late to bed tonight for a change!
May 13, 2019 – Monday – Venice, Italy (mostly cloudy, showers, 60 degrees)
After breakfast in the Windjammer we took off to explore 
Venice. 
There was a free bus/shuttle from near our ship to where we could catch a vaporetto (water taxi) to San Marco Square for 15 Euros each (roundtrip). The ride was about 30 minutes and gave us a chance to observe the wonderful old buildings along the Grand Canal. We got off at Piazza San Marco which was a huge visual assault and we didn’t know where to look first! The Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace) had repeated intricate gothic architecture designs. St. Mark’s Basilica had every inch elaborately decorated with statues and beautiful pictures, some with gold and blue hues that stood out. Even the many pigeons were amazing as they flew close enough to feel the wind from their wings and landed on people’s outstretched arms looking for a handout. 
We headed for the Rialto Bridge working our way this way and that through narrow paths lined with many little shops, crossing several small bridges. We had to look every which way because there was so much to see at every turn including canals lined with old apartment buildings and gondolas gliding by. There was a lovely canal view from the top of the Rialto Bridge which was loaded with people. We reversed course returning to the ship the same way we had come. It was a little cool and overcast but it was bright out and we only had a few raindrops during our outing. A good day for walking. Mom summed it up well when she said Venice was a magical place that you can’t find anyplace else in the world. Lunch in the Windjammer before returning to our staterooms to rest. After our memorable day we enjoyed our usual Happy Hour and dinner in the dining room before turning in a little early.
May 14, 2019 – Tuesday – Split, Croatia (mostly cloudy, chance of rain, 58 degrees)
Today we woke up to high winds and rough seas which blew heavy sheets of mist past and against our stateroom window and made the ship rock a little bit. By the time we docked around 10:00 the sun had come out somewhat but it was still very windy – still a much better day than they were predicting. We ate in Windjammer then walked into town to Diocletian’s Palace which is a huge, walled area containing about 220 buildings with many shops, restaurants, produced stands, and the dwellings of about 3,000 people.
This was originally built by Diocletian between AD 295 and 305 as his retirement palace. 
We only saw a tiny portion of the area as it was a long walk there and we also had the long walk back to the ship. While sitting on a bench overlooking the harbor to rest we ran into our waiter Wency and took a picture with him. He is one very happy, energetic, exuberant man! We lunched and visited in Windjammer before returning to our staterooms to rest until Happy Hour. Our time in the Diamond Lounge was followed by a ventriloquist show in the theater. Jimmy Tamley is a current semifinalist on Britain’s Got Talent. He started out really funny but got less so as he went along but still with enough humor once in a while to keep us watching. After a pleasant dinner in the dining room we stopped in the Centrum to listen to some jazz music performed by a band and some of the Vision singers before retiring for the night.
May 15, 2019 – Wednesday – Kotor, Montenegro (sunny, thunderstorms, 64 degrees)
Early morning was gray and rainy but by the time we went to Windjammer for breakfast the weather had improved. We had a gorgeous sail in on the calm waters of Kotor Bay, through the sometimes narrow waterway with mountains looming all around us.
Some of the mountains were lush with trees and others were rocky with just spots of vegetation. We were anchored in the bay so we had to take a short tender ride to shore where we were met with an incredible gauntlet of people trying to sell us excursions.
It was the worst we’ve ever seen with posters being shoved in our faces from all sides and one persistent fellow walking beside us for quite a while before he gave up. It was annoying at first but got to the point of being funny. We wandered around the Old Town area which is surrounded by walls built from the 9th century through the 14th century. The main entrance we went in through was built in 1555 when Kotor was under Venetian rule. Above the gate is the date of the city’s liberation from the Nazi’s with a communist star and a quote from Tito.
As a guidebook said, the best thing to do in Kotor is let yourself get lost and found again in the winding streets, which is what we did. We explored little tucked away squares, poked our heads into churches, and generally just soaked in the medieval atmosphere created by the ancient buildings even though most housed shops or restaurants on their bottom levels. Kotor is known for the cats that live in the walled city and a lot of the things you can buy are cat themed. We saw about 7-8 cats lounging about while we walked around. There were a few drops of rain but otherwise the weather was comfortable and even sunny at times. Upon returning we went up to Windjammer where we had an expansive view of the bay and surrounding mountains out the front of the ship while we ate lunch. Then time for an afternoon rest. Our evening consisted of Happy Hour and dinner in the dining room.
May 16, 2019 – Thursday – At Sea (sunny, chance of rain, 65 degrees)
A lazy day at sea with weather to match – gray and rainy. Breakfast in Windjammer. Pat and Mom went to the Lunch With an Officer Event and sat with Trixy, the Digital Manager. It was hard to hear much at our end of the table but the food was good and it was something different to do. We relaxed in the stateroom in the afternoon while M&D went to the crew talent show which they said was very good. The rest of our day was Happy Hour, dinner in the dining room, watching some people dancing to 70’s music in the Centrum, and visiting the photo gallery to get some of our free pictures.
May 17, 2019 – Friday – At Sea (partly sunny, showers around, 63 degrees)
A very pleasant start to our last cruise day. We had another delicious Windjammer breakfast then went to get our other two free pictures at the photo gallery. Back at our staterooms we organized our packing so there wasn’t much left to do. Time for more relaxing! Of course we had Happy Hour. We’ve occupied the same cozy table off to the side every single night but tonight there was another couple there. We got to see the lounge from another angle for a change. Our last dinner in the dining room so we distributed our tips to the waiter (Wency), assistant waiter (Slavisa), and maitre’d (Randy) who were all wonderful during our voyage. There were lots of hugs all around when we said good-bye. We had already left an envelope for Shawn, our room attendant before leaving the stateroom for the evening. Back at the room we finished up a little bit of packing and put our suitcases in the hall. 🙁
May 18, 2019 – Saturday – Barcelona (partly sunny, showers, mid-60’s)
Our day of departure. We got the latest possible disembarking time which was 8:45 AM. One more yummy breakfast in Windjammer, back to the stateroom to get our stuff, a little time sitting in the Centrum, then we were off the ship and collecting our luggage. It was a long 45 minute wait for a taxi but we managed to cram ourselves and all of our luggage into one taxi – barely. We were dropped off at the Airbnb we reserved but it wasn’t ready yet. We were given a phone number to call to drop off our luggage at the AirBnB at 11:30, but there was no answer. After multiple attempts we were finally able to reach the host and drop off our bags at 1:30, but we couldn’t use the apartment until 5:00. So we spent 4 hours having coffee at Cafe 66 around the corner from our place, walked around the neighborhood, sat in a park, and explored a grocery store picking up a few things. We finally got settled into the apartment and Mom did some laundry. For dinner we had some delicious tapas at Teleferic. It was kind of expensive for tapas but we enjoyed the four kinds we had. The patatas bravas were outstanding. A nice short walk back “home” to finish up laundry and relax.
May 19, 2019 – Sunday – Barcelona (partly sunny, afternoon showers, mid-60’s)
A very relaxing day in the apartment watching TV, reading, and using our Kindles. We had coffee and cookies for a light breakfast. We finally went out in the afternoon and ended up in a thunderstorm so we hurried around the block and back inside where we watched TV/movies. When the weather had improved towards dinner time we went around the corner to a place called Champanillos. It was a casual tapas and sandwich place. We had a huge assortment of tapas and a bottle of red wine for only about 22 Euros ($24) and everything was fresh and delicious. It was raining a bit again on our short walk back where we once again did some of the relaxing which we are so good at.
May 20, 2019 – Monday – Barcelona (sunny, 60’s)
Laurie was out for an early morning walk before the rest of us got up. He brought back some delicious pastries which we devoured with coffee. Late morning we headed out for a walk covering lots of ground including Las Ramblas, Le Boqueria, and a bit of the Gothic Quarter. The weather was perfect – sunny and warm with a slight breeze. There were hoards of people on the main streets including lots of large school groups, but it was a little less crowded on the narrow side streets. We stopped by the grocery store for a few essentials and items for an indoor picnic dinner: baggettes, a cheese assortment, serrano ham, sliced sausage, wine, and mayo. It was delicious! In the evening we watched “Manchester By the Sea” which was an okay movie but the ending could have wrapped things up better.
May 21, 2019 – Tuesday – Barcelona (sunny, 70-ish)
Laurie covered 4.5 miles on his morning walk today! He again brought back a yummy selection of pastries to enjoy with our coffee. We relaxed in the apartment and Mom did some laundry. It was a beautiful day and we went out for an early dinner at La Flauta, about a three block walk away. The big assortment of tapas and bottle of red wine were all excellent. This restaurant was a little more upscale than some of our usual places but still the bill was only about 55 Euros and we waddled away very content. At least until we got back to the apartment where we were greeted with an uncooperative lock! Laurie tried everything he could think of and Dad gave it a shot, too, but the lock would not fully open. Just the deadbolt. The guys went to the Taste of America Store downstairs to see about getting a locksmith and came back with a long, sharp paper spindle to try to push the inside key out in case that made a difference but were unsuccessful. The owner of the store, who happened to live downstairs, came in and we snagged him to see if he could help. Although he couldn’t get the door open either, he very kindly led Laurie around the corner to a locksmith. The locksmith returned with Laurie and managed to get the lock open after trying different methods. An associate joined him and they ended up taping the one part of the lock open so the deadbolt still worked. They said it was a bad lock. Laurie talked/emailed with the owner and manager and it was arranged for a locksmith to come in the morning to fix/replace the lock. So after spending about 1 1/2 hours in the hallway and 75 Euros (which we should get reimbursed for) our adventure ended. It could have been so much worse if we didn’t get in that night! As you might guess, we relaxed the rest of the evening until bedtime.
May 22, 2019 – Wednesday – Barcelona (sunny, 70-ish)
We started the day with our usual breakfast of coffee with pastries and cookies. The locksmith came at 10:00 to see what needed to be done but didn’t fix the lock. They’ll be in touch with the owners because it sounded like a very expensive fix. Later we headed out for a walk in the glorious weather. Our walk took us past Casa Batllo Gaudi and Casa Museu Amatller, both amazing buildings designed by Gaudi. We stopped at a neighborhood coffee shop, Il Caffe DiFrancesco, and had some wonderful hot chocolate and warm churros. We shared two cups of chocolate and 10 churros for about 10 Euros. A very nice memory. Revitalized we continued our walk and went back to the apartment. Laurie and Pat made a quick trip out to pick up some bread and olives to go with our leftovers for another picnic dinner. A relaxing evening then off to bed – but not for too long as we arranged for a taxi to pick us up at 3:00 AM!
May 23, 2019 – Thursday – Travel Home Day!
Our taxi picked us up just before 3 AM. There were only a few other people and cars out and about that early. We made it to the airport about 3 1\2 hours before our scheduled 6:50 AM departure. We hung out until the Star Alliance Lounge opened at 5:00 then we enjoyed coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and cereal. Our flight took off from Barcelona on time for about a 2 hour flight to Frankfurt. We flew over some patches of clouds but mostly the sky was clear. There were low mountains with pockets of civilization in valleys and around the foothills. This preceded an expansive area of gorgeous, snow topped mountains. Though very rugged and inhospitable looking there were still towns tucked away in the valleys. A very smooth flight. At the airport we went to the lounge for about a 45 minute visit with M&D before we had to part ways after a fantastic journey together. Since their flight to Chicago departed after ours we left them in the lounge and caught our flight to Seattle which left a little late but still arrived a little early. Our flight path took us over Greenland and northern Canada then we headed south over Vancouver and flew over the amazing islands and waterways of the North Sound as we approached Seattle. Again we had no turbulence. At Seatac our Nexus cards let us breeze through Passport Security as others waited in long lines. Soon we were in a Lyft ride headed home. It was wonderful to be home but we are greatly anticipating our next cruise adventure in the fall!
Link to all photos: <LINK>