Should We Stay or Should We Go

  Funchal, Madeira, was our last port of call on the European side of the Atlantic. We had never been to Madeira before, so we were looking forward to seeing a little of the island. Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean, known for its dramatic volcanic landscape, green mountains, mild climate and beautiful coastal scenery. Funchal, the island’s capital, is the main port and the centre of much of its activity. We decided we didn’t want a particularly busy day, so rather than book an excursion, we simply got off the ship and walked from the pier into town. We spent a little time wandering around Funchal, taking in the streets and getting a feel for the place. After a while, we decided to take an Uber to the nearby town of Câmara de Lobos. Câmara de Lobos is a traditional fishing town just west of Funchal. It is known for its sheltered harbour, colourful fishing boats and little streets that wind around the waterfront. It has a very different feel from a larger town...

In my last post, I talked about where all the fresh water comes from on a cruise ship. Today, I’m moving on to another one of those things we probably never think about while enjoying our time onboard. What happens when you flush the toilet? At home, we flush and never give it another thought. Everything disappears down the pipes and makes its way to a sewage treatment plant. But when you’re on a ship in the middle of the ocean, there isn’t a municipal sewer system to connect to! So how does it work? First, the toilet uses a vacuum system. Rather than relying on a large volume of water and gravity, as many toilets at home do, cruise ship toilets use a vacuum system to move the waste through the pipes. That familiar loud  whoosh  you hear when you flush is the vacuum doing its job. This system uses much less water than a conventional toilet, which is especially important when you’re looking after thousands of passengers and crew members. So where does everything go? The...

Photo by Daniel Hooper on Unsplash We’re currently crossing the Atlantic with absolutely no land around us.  We have 6 days of nothing but water. With no ports to explore and nothing much to do except relax I thought I would do some behind-the-scenes research into what makes a cruise ship work? Today I’m thinking about water - not in the sea, but what we see coming out of the taps. Where does all the fresh water come from? Think about how much water is needed on a ship like the Norwegian Viva. There are thousands of passengers and crew members taking showers, washing their hands, brushing their teeth and using the toilets. Then there are the kitchens, laundry facilities, swimming pools, hot tubs and all the cleaning that needs to be done every day. That’s a lot of water! So, does the ship carry enough fresh water to last the entire cruise? Not exactly!  The answer is that the ship makes most of its own fresh water from the sea. The Norwegian Cruise Line fleet uses two main ...

Our next port of call was Motril, Spain, and unlike some of our other stops, we really hadn't done any research ahead of time to decide what we wanted to see. So, John asked ChatGPT for suggestions on what to do, and Salobreña was one of the recommendations. So far, ChatGPT hadn't steered us wrong, so we decided to give it a try. We grabbed a taxi and set off to see what we could find. Salobreña is a pretty little town on Spain's southern coast, in the province of Granada. Sitting along the Costa Tropical, it is known for its whitewashed houses that climb up a rocky hill, with a Moorish castle perched at the very top. With the Mediterranean Sea on one side and mountains in the distance, it certainly has a picturesque setting. Our taxi driver dropped us right at the top of the hill, which we were very grateful for! From there, it was just a short walk to t he Castillo de Salobreña , the Moorish castle that dominates the town. The castle dates back to the medieval period, ...

Our first port of call was Alicante, Spain, on the beautiful Costa Blanca. Our original plan was to sleep in a little, but as we were both awake relatively early, we decided to grab a quick breakfast and head off the ship. There was no need to waste a perfectly good port day! Alicante is a coastal city on Spain’s southeastern Mediterranean coast, known for its palm-lined promenades, sandy beaches, historic old town and lively waterfront. It has a lovely Mediterranean feel, with plenty of cafes and places to wander, and the city’s most recognizable landmark sits high above it all. Our plan for the day was to make our way to Castillo de Santa Bárbara , the castle that overlooks the city and its harbour. Perched on Mount Benacantil, about 166 metres above sea level, the castle has a long history dating back to the period of Moorish rule. Over the centuries, it was expanded and strengthened, and its strategic position made it an important defensive stronghold. Today, it is one of Alican...

After arriving in Barcelona, we met up with our transport and made our way to the ship. We were excited to get this final leg of our trip underway, but getting on board turned out to be quite the experience! It was, without a doubt, the longest embarkation process we have ever encountered on a cruise. The lineups to get checked in were at least an hour and a half long. After standing in the main line for about half an hour, we realized that we should have priority check-in and moved over to that line instead. At first, it didn't seem to be moving at all, but thankfully things eventually picked up and we finally made it on board. By the time we got to lunch, it was 4:30 in the afternoon! A little later than we had planned, to say the least, but we were on board and that was what mattered. Our home for the next 17 days is the Norwegian Viva , a relatively new ship that entered service in 2023. She is a large ship, measuring about 965 feet long and weighing in at over 143,000 gross...