Barcelona: our first ever port of call

The first port we ever sailed into on a cruise was Barcelona. We were on Emerald Princess in an Oceanview cabin on deck 5. We were woken quite early in the morning by noise in the bowels of the ship as the pilot came on board and we prepared to dock, and we looked outside excitedly to see what we could see (as you can see, it was not that scenic!). 

Oceanview of Barcelona

The second time we visited Barcelona we were on Crown Princess and had a balcony cabin, so the view was a bit more picturesque! We made sure we woke early so we could sit on the balcony to take in the scenery as we arrived. A room service breakfast was a perfect accompaniment.

A balcony view of Barcelona

Now, bear in mind this was the first port of our cruise, so everyone was keen to get off early. But we were surprised and unprepared for the queues when trying to disembark. They wound all around the Promenade deck, up and down the stairs near the panoramic lifts, and trying to find the end of the queue was tricky! We eventually decided to sit in the International Cafe with a coffee and a pastry and wait for the queue to shorten, which is the best advice I can offer for this port! Do not rush yourself! Or book an excursion with the ship so you disembark as priority in a group.

Barcelona cruise terminal

Once we disembarked, we made our way out of the cruise terminal building and into the car park, where coaches were lined up to take you on excursions or shuttle you into the city. We didn't want to pay the high price for the cruise ship shuttle, so instead opted to walk about 50 metres around the corner, to the port shuttle bus, which cost us a fraction of the price and dropped us at the end of Las Ramblas by the Mirador de Colom. (We did also see people walking out of the port, but it is a long walk (probably 2 miles).

Mirador de Colom, the statue of Columbus, near where the port shuttle drops you

Once off the bus we had to decide what to do! There is so much to see, and we are travelling with children (age range 5 to 14 years) so need to do something they will enjoy. Do we go to the beach? Should we go to the Sagrada Família or would the children be bored? Perhaps we could get a Hop On Hop Off (HOHO) bus and see as much as possible? 

Our children are good walkers, so the first visit to Barcelona we plotted a walking route using Google Maps to the Sagrada Familia, via the narrow streets and open parks. Our route took us past the Arc de Triompf, where we stopped to play in the park and pop huge bubbles that a street artist was creating (not something you would get to do on the HOHO bus!).

Arc de Triompf

Once we reached Gaudi's cathedral, we took some photos, then made our way back to the ship, via  Las Ramblas for some lunch and to look at the market stalls and street entertainers.

We passed Gaudi's hotel on our walk

If walking is not for you, then the HOHO buses are a way to get around the city and see the sights. There are several routes, so check the map carefully for which lines and stops you want to get on and go to. On our second cruise, we walked through the shopping centre MareMagnum and along the marina, then took a HOHO bus from the old port area (Port Vell) to the old bullring.

Port Vell

Sort of enjoying themselves

View from the HOHO bus

Now, there are a few problems with the HOHO bus. First, is that the traffic slows the bus down, so you feel like you will never get to the end! Second, it is HOT in Barcelona in July and August, and there is no shade unless you sit downstairs (which defeats the object of catching the bus to see sights). Third, the buses are busy, so if you get off at a stop, you might have a long wait to catch another bus. We wouldn't get another HOHO bus for these reasons.

We eventually got off early at the Plaça d'Espanya, to have a look at the view from the top of the old bullring. This building has been converted into a shopping mall with restaurants and a cinema. It felt quiet when we were there as if it were only half open, possibly it is busier later in the evening. But the views from the top were incredible! You can pay to go to the top in an elevator, or you could use the escalators inside for free. We rode the elevator as it was so much fun!

View from the top of Arenas de Barcelona (Parc de Joan Miró)

View from the top of Arenas de Barcelona (Plaça d'Espanya)

We chose to walk back to the ship along Avenue del Parallel, which is a busy commercial street that comes out at the Columbus statue, and the bus back to the ship. We really enjoyed this walk back, as we got to see the bustling day to day side of Barcelona that isn't always evident in the more touristy areas.

Graffiti on a shop on Avenue del Parallel

Statue at the end of Avenue del Parallel, next to the walls of the Maritime Museum

It was good to be back on board ship, but there are always one or two stragglers in Barcelona, as people book their own excursions or spend too long at a bar or having a meal. Here is a group late back to ship, who missed boarding the conventional way and had to use the crew gangplank (and most likely had to have a word with a senior officer!).

Don't be late back to the ship!

Our recommendation for what to do in Barcelona is to walk if you can, plot a route on a map or just follow your nose and see where you end up! Just make sure you leave time to get back to the ship!