The last time I was in Europe I was 24 years old, which was ironically 24 years ago (the year 2000). And strangely enough this year happens to be 2024.

Too much time had passed since I last traveled to Europe and we had never gone as a family. We wanted to wait until the kids were old enough to really understand and appreciate the places we would be going. Additionally, traveling as a family to Europe is relatively expensive so it wasn’t something we could afford to do without a bit more time planning and saving. Which was well over a year.

Finally we just decided 2024 was a special year, being our 20th wedding anniversary year and both kids graduating (my oldest from high school and my youngest from grade school into junior high). So it was the right time to make not only a Europe trip, but a BIG Europe trip.

We spent time looking at a number of different trip concepts that might visit various countries before deciding that, because we were traveling as a family and were no longer twenty-something backpackers, it would be easier to not have to relocate our luggage frequently from hotel to hotel and train to train.

So we decided to look at options for a Mediterranean cruise. But if we were doing a cruise I wanted to make sure it hit a lot of ports that we wold find interesting as a family. While I had visited Italy in my twenties, the rest of the family had not. I have always been interested in Greek history so that was another country that was high on our interest list. And finally, Spain and Barcelona in particular, was a country I had missed the last time I was in Europe and was pretty determined to visit the next time I made it to the Old World.

So if we could link together a cruise to those countries, and any others that might be come with it, we’d be pretty happy. Fortunately we did indeed find a repositioning cruise on Norwegian Cruise Lines that would travel from Barcelona, Spain to Cannes, France, to four ports in Italy, and three ports in Greece before disembarking in Athens.

A nine day cruise with two additional days in Barcelona and two more in Athens. Thirteen days (fourteen with the flight time). I did look into extending it a little more too so we could visit more of Spain, but realized that we would be better served just focusing our time in Barcelona and saving the rest of Spain for a future trip. And I also knew our work schedules just wouldn’t allow going past fourteen days. So there it was.

While a cruise would seem simple to plan, it was actually quite a bit more challenging since we would be flying out in the height of the European travel season and had to fly into and out of Barcelona and Athens on specific days with no flexibility in the schedule. And for whatever reason the price of flights to and from Europe has just been much higher than it has been in previous years. Part of that is travel demand. Part of that is fuel prices. Part of that is just BS from the airlines.

But we had over a year to plan and watch prices. Eventually in December of 2023 we realized the flights weren’t going to decrease in price and just booked what seemed the best flights to fit our work schedules and to arrive at the best possible times. And I watched all the local ticketing sites to be sure to buy our entrance tickets to attractions ahead of what I knew would be massive crush of other tourists in many of the cities.

We put so much time into researching everything about the places we were going and getting every itinerary for every day hammered out in advance that we were almost tired of it by the time we were ready to depart. But we knew that because we were taking a cruise, we’d have to be extra diligent about our time on shore at each stop. Additionally, we didn’t want to pay the inflated prices the cruise line wanted for excursions. We’d either do it on our own or book with a third party.

I will say at the outset that all of the many, many hours spent planning was what made difference in the eventual outcome of this epic journey. I will also say that we had to overcome a lot along the way and we learned a great deal from the experiences. No, this was not a relaxing vacation. It was never meant to be, but it was also at times highly stressful. To a degree we’ve never endured before on a vacation.

I do hope that if you have read this far you’ll take the time to read the whole account. And truly, it is a story that is filled with highs and lows but ultimately I think it’s one that is a testament to our ability to persevere and take on every challenge that comes our way.

The Flight Out

We booked flights on United Airlines. We’ve been Mileage Plus miles collectors for years. We have United Explorer visa cards and we typically convert our Chase Sapphire points to United miles. We used United for almost all of our recent air travel, either cashing out miles for free flights or buying the flights and acquiring the miles with it.

And on top of that we booked the cruise with United Cruises. Just to get the bonus miles post-cruise. Basically, we pile up miles so that we can travel more. On United.

We were never going to have enough miles to get free flights to Europe so we decided to just buy the flights (reluctantly) and earn the resulting miles from trans-Atlantic flights. Since we had the visa cards we can board the plane early and we could use the United lounge in Denver before the long flight out.

Almost nothing went without a hitch in the days leading up to our departure, but fortunately we did manage to all get in the car and arrive at the airport on time. And even though the parking experience was chaotic, we did get through security and to the lounge without too much trouble.

The United Lounge in Denver was a lot more crowded than we expected, but at least there was free food and drinks before the long flight to Munich, where we would connect on a Lufthansa flight to Barcelona. And clean, private bathrooms to get ourselves prepped to sleep on the flight.

When it was time to arrive at the gate for boarding we were there. We got into line right at the front of our boarding group. And readied ourselves to board the flight.

Then it was announced. We were delayed. Not because of weather or a late arriving plane. We were losing our pilot and crew to another flight to London that had been delayed two hours already. The unprofessional employees at the gate assured the waiting travelers that another crew was on their way. In the meantime we could eat snacks and drink bottled water.

We weren’t concerned. We have given ourselves a five hour cushion on the connection. That cushion would save our butts. Or so we thought.

We waited with several hundred agitated travelers as the hours passed and the delays continued to be extended. The gate employees laughed and chatted while frustrated passengers explained that they were now unlikely to make their connections and if there were other flights available. The employees nonchalantly either ignored the passengers or repeated the claim that a new crew was on their way.

We’re ok though. The hours were ticking by. The five hour window was now whittled down to two hours. No longer enough time to eat a restaurant meal in Munich.

At midnight, we were suddenly slammed with unbelievable news. The flight was canceled.

The Flight is Canceled?! Are you !*#$@& Kidding Me?

No, the flight was really canceled.

Now what do we do? Ok, we did have two full days in Barcelona planned before boarding the cruise. But the number of flights available to us at such short notice that could accommodate four passengers was limited.

Had United not toyed with us all night we might have had more options. But now our entire trip was in jeopardy.

My wife Shelley and I looked online for a substitute flight. We got on the phone with United customer care and booked the next, best available flights: Air Canada from Denver to Montreal, and then to Frankfurt, followed by a Lufthansa flight to Barcelona. We would arrive a day late and would lose a day in the hotel. Would they even keep our reservation?

We demanded a hotel at the hotel from United and were given two rooms at a hotel several miles away (fine), and then went to reclaim our checked luggage. By the time we arrived at the hotel it was already about 3:00 AM, and we still had to check into our Air Canada flights online and call the hotel to let them know we were still coming. Just a day late.

We had to get up at 6:00 AM in order to shower, eat breakfast at the hotel, and take an Uber back to the hotel (the shuttle was already fully booked for the time we needed). We ended up getting no sleep. While lying in bed I booked a new entrance time at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona since we would no longer be there at 9:00 AM the following day.

We managed to get back to the airport and checked in with Air Canada. And luckily this time we took off on schedule. At last we were going east now.

We arrived in Montreal and went through passport controls. Our next flight to Frankfurt was another Air Canada flight which made the connection easier. Still, we had to deal with an announcement that Air Canada would force everyone to check their luggage if not enough people voluntarily checked their carry-ons. We began stuffing clothes into our backpacks. The entire point of the carry-ons was to cover us just in case there was a problem with our luggage.

Despite the threat, we were never forced to check our carry-ons. We boarded the plane and had an inner section of four seats all to ourselves. Had it not been for the two obnoxious German twenty-somethings sitting behind us we might actually have been able to sleep. Instead we spent the flight having our seats pushed and listening to them loudly chat and laugh. A couple of Deutsche bags.

We did cross the Atlantic. That was the hard part. Even if the Lufthansa flight was somehow screwed up, we had many options now with all the regional airlines in Europe. The only thing we had to deal with now was our own exhaustion and getting through the Frankfurt airport security.

And another delay. This one only an hour. I had canceled our Welcome Pickup from the prior day an had booked a new one for our arrival in Barcelona. I messaged the driver on Whats App that we’d be coming in a bit late but we’d hurry through security and baggage claim. Fortunately, there was no security check on arrival in Barcelona.

Exhaustion was taking a toll and we were starting to get irritable, but inevitably we arrived in Barcelona. Our checked luggage arrived too. And after a quick stop at the bathroom we were almost feeling relieved.

Day 1: Barcelona At Last

I mentioned Welcome Pickups in the prior section and I want to tout it here again. I first heard about it on a YouTube video by a guy that does travel videos in Spain. I looked it up and booked us a pickup from the airport to our hotel: Hotel Balmes.

Our Welcome Pickups driver Cesar was great. Friendly, full of information, and ready to assist us any way we needed. I looked at the time and reluctantly admitted we were not likely to make it to the Sagrada Familia in time for the 2:00 PM tower visit, Another set of tickets lost and the opportunity to see Sagrada Familia in person gone.

Well, it was only 1:15 PM. There’s still a chance. Right? Cesar called our hotel and arranged for us to drop off our luggage and then check in later. And to have a taxi waiting to take us from the hotel to the Sagrada Familia. How cool is that?

Sagrada Familia

When all seemed lost we were walking around the outside of the cathedral looking for the entrance. We found it, showed them our tickets, and we were the very last people into the tower before closing on a Saturday afternoon. Everyone in Barcelona seemed to be really nice.

Again we landed at the airport at 1:00 PM and we were taking these photos at 2:00 PM. The very fact that we were able to visit Sagrada Familia with it closing only moments later and with no availability the next day was an enormous win. We took the stairway down the tower (the view from the towers is admittedly not that great), but we were able to enjoy the stained glass at its best.

After an hour we decided it was in our best interest to head back to the hotel and check in, as well as get desperately needed rest. Well, at least a shower and a change of clothes.

Hotel Balmes is in the Eixample neighborhood and I highly recommend it. It’s very difficult to find rooms in Europe for four people. Hotel Balmes has some great family rooms set on two levels with outdoor porches that worked great for us. Also the staff was very nice and helpful. And finally, it’s not necessarily a short walk to most of the attractions, but if you are willing to do a bit of a hike, you can get to the Gothic Quarter or Sagrada Familia.

Both kids wanted to sleep, which was absolutely fine. Shelley and I wanted Tapas. We didn’t go all this way to be denied our Tapas. And luckily there is a great Tapas restaurant only a couple blocks from the hotel called Cerveceria Catalana.

I had effectively done 24 hours+ without sleep when this picture was taken at the Tapas restaurant. I know the food was great though and the two beers we each had hit the spot. I remember the cuttlefish in particular. Oh to have had another night and a slower pace in Barcelona.

The Gothic Quarter

After two hours of bleary-eyed tapas enjoyment, Shelley and I took our churros and chocolate desserts for the kids back to the hotel. They were both largely awake and I said we would go to the Picasso Museum as a family. After all, I had paid to book new tickets for a new time and we were not going to miss out on anything we could do before boarding the ship.

I will admit that was a mistake. The family was past the point of exhausted. We should have just gotten some food and let everyone sleep. Instead we hopped in a taxi and hopped out in the Gothic Quarter a half block from the Picasso Museum.

As we were standing in the museum our teenage son Daniel asked to see my phone. He wanted to check Live 360. He had left his phone in the taxi, and we could see it was moving from stop to stop nearby.

I didn’t know what to say other than to console him. Getting it back would be a tall order. I won’t go further into details but the rest of the evening was not much fun because he simply wouldn’t keep his emotions in check.

Losing a phone is hard. I broke one several years ago on vacation, and another time I dropped one in the San Antonio Riverwalk right at the start of our vacation. In many of the photos you’ll see myself and Shelley with lanyards either at our hip or over our neck. The lanyards are there to protect from the potential of either dropping our phone or having it pickpocketed. I highly recommend getting one.

We managed to get through the museum and to be honest, it wasn’t as good as I was hoping but the medieval palace that houses the museum was itself worth seeing. It was hard (impossible) to relax though because of the complicated phone situation.

Because of the flight fiascos and the my son’s losing a phone I felt like Barcelona got short-changed on the trip. Shelley and I want to come back and we’ll probably do it as part of a Spain-only trip (Portugal and Morocco might sneak in there too).

I will say that of all the places we went, the Barcelonés were the nicest and most welcoming.

Day 2: Barcelona and Boarding the Cruise Ship

With all we had been through in the past 48 hours it was feeling as if our vacation was going sideways badly. The next morning we made a last effort to recover the phone before we left the city, while still trying to regroup enough to get the vacation back on track.

We ate breakfast in the hotel and then I left my phone with Daniel so that he could remain in the room and respond if anyone did report finding his phone. Shelley, Evan, and I walked to nearby Casa Mila.

Casa Mila

Casa Mila was enjoyable and quite impressive. We needed a chance to decompress and the whimsical house was a perfect place to do it. We could do nothing about the missing phone and Daniel was still aggrieved over it, but we also needed a chance to enjoy ourselves.

Barcelona was Antoni Gaudi’s personal art studio and his architectural dreams are to be found all throughout the city. I was disappointed to not be able to visit Park Guell (we were supposed to go that morning), but I think Casa Mila was in many ways a bit better for us at the time.

What I enjoyed the most was the attic space where his vision came to life in the exhibits. Gaudi loved the natural world and looked to it for inspiration. He also was a brilliant architect and understood how to take simple chains and turn them into models for his structures.

As noon approached it was time to walk back to the hotel and check out. Daniel’s phone was still missing. We would have to leave without it. Perhaps it would be returned to the hotel after we departed and could be sent back from there.

We took a cab to the port and got in line. Daniel was still upset but was gradually beginning to accept the reality that his phone was gone. The trip had to go on. We made it on board and ate the first of what would be many less than stellar meals on the Norwegian Getaway.

Norwegian Getaway

Our cabin was a family ocean view on deck five, and it was in am ideal location for debarking and reboarding the ship since we were only one level above the gangway. And the bathroom in the cabin was quite nice since it had a double sink and a bathtub.

Once onboard we really needed to go to sleep. Desperately. We eschewed everything going on on the ship and called it a very early night. We’d been through a lot and just needed a rest. Tomorrow would come soon enough and we were ready to start the voyage.

I will tell you a lot more about this ship as we continue in the blog post, but to cut to the chase, while we really liked the ports that the cruise took us to, we didn’t care much for the ship or NCL as a whole. Of all the cruise lines we have been on we found that NCL was the most lacking when it came to matching price to value.

Day 3: Ile Saint-Margarite and Cannes, France

We had one stop in France on the cruise and and it was to Cannes. I will say that there are two sides to Cannes: The old, historic section, and the obnoxious wealthy red carpet film festival area. Don’t bother with the red carpet area.

I had researched this port and decided that we would enjoy most taking the ferry to Ile Sainte-Margarite which is just offshore. The island is about 30 minutes by ferry and the ferry departs right next to the same port where the cruise ship tenders arrive.

Cannes is a tender port, meaning that cruise ships cannot dock right at the city port but must anchor offshore and then use ship tenders to ferry passengers to land. We bought the priority pass from NCL to be among the first group with access to cruise tenders. On a ship with 4,000 passengers that makes a huge difference in terms of how soon you will be ashore doing activities versus waiting for your turn on the tender.

If you enjoy nature and history and just want to enjoy a quiet getaway from traffic and commotion, Ile Sainte Margarite is a great place to go. In many ways I wish we had just spent our entire day there and didn’t head back into Cannes, because we lost the chance to find some secluded beaches to enjoy. On the entire trip, despite being on numerous islands and in places known for beaches, we had zero beach days. 🙁

Fort Royal

As you can see from the video and photos we first made a stop at Fort Royal which has an interesting history as a prison fortress. The Man in The Iron Mask was held in a cell here, as were many other political prisoners over the years.

The fortress also house a Museum of the Sea and displays many of the artifacts found in the seas nearby dating back 2,000 years (although to be honest the signage at the museum could be improved). The ramparts are also a terrific location to take in views over the surrounding coastline.

We greatly enjoyed walking the trails that criss-cross the island. We really needed a respite from all the craziness that had occurred the last couple days and it was relaxing to just wander about the island. Daniel was also finally starting to smile and enjoy himself. He enjoys hiking and he taken some French classes in school which he could now, years later, put to some good use.

There are some restaurants on the island and if I would have known that another museum on the mainland would be closed I probably would have just had us stay on the island until it was time to go back and skipped the dreadful red carpet area.

Old Town Cannes

After a couple hours we took the ferry back to Cannes and set about finding some authentic French food somewhere in the Old Town. Cannes is frightfully expensive the closer you are to the port but I had done some research in advance and found a fairly authentic and reasonably priced restaurant up the hill in the Old Town called Le Bistrot de Grand Mere. It was indeed good and we enjoyed sitting outside.

I wanted to go to the Musee des Explorations du Monde partly or mostly because it is housed in a medieval castle (and can you go to Europe and not see at least one castle?). Unfortunately once we walked up there from the restaurant we found that it was closed. Apparently the museum is closed on Mondays and we were there on Monday.

So other than getting an opportunity to walk the streets of the Old Town and have a pretty good lunch, we didn’t accomplish much.

I didn’t really want to go to the Film Festival area and think the entire glitz and glam side of society is stupid. But Shelley had said she wanted to take a picture on the red carpet so we walked down the very hot streets along the port to the Film Festival site. It was also closed except for the souvenir shop. We didn’t buy any souvenirs there. Not our thing.

We walked back up the street along the port and stopped at a couple souvenir shops. We bought our youngest son Evan a red fedora. He wanted it and then later said he felt uncomfortable wearing it, then decided he like it again. But I will tell you it was a great thing for him to be wearing amid the huge crowds in the European cities. You could pick him out easily in that red hat.

We could have stayed longer in Cannes, but knowing we had to take a tender back to the ship, and the fact that we had covered most of what we could and wanted to do in Cannes (other than find some pastries to eat), we decided to call it a day.

So in the end, I highly recommend visiting Ile Sainte-Marguerite. It’s a great place to unwind and enjoy the southern coast of France. And just skip the stupid Film Festival area.

In the next post I’ll cover our Tuscany, Italy stops.