Does anyone know the best way to get from the airport in barcelona to the ship. My husband and I are going on a MED cruise on May 2004 onboard the Splendor of the Seas.
Thanks

Depending on what time your flight is, just grab a taxi at the cruise terminal and have him take you on a short tour of Barcelona. The airport is about 25 - 30 minutes away from the cruise terminal and there is a lot to see before you go there.

Try to be the first ones off the ship, as if there are many ships in port, the queue for taxis can become quite long.

Enjoy!

Tom Ogg
www.CruiseReviews.com

We took a taxi from the airport to the pier. It cost about $20 in October. We had four fairly large suitcases and the driver wasn't that happy at first so we almost had to take two taxis! But it stil would have been a lot less than if we had purchased transfers through the cruise line.

Be careful traveling in Barcelona.

In 10/02 we ended our cruise in Barcelona and spent the day touring the city on a trolley.

We had heard about the pickpockets, but since my husband is very tall, we never thought anything of it until we were nearly victims in the Airport.

We were standing in line at the British Air counter checking in for our flight when one of the Airline Employees approached and said be careful, there's a pickpocket in the airport.

Two minutes later, a guy actually tried to pick my husband's wallet from his pocket by dropping a coin on the floor. When he moved behind me, I caught the action in my peripheral vision & screamed at him which really did not scare him off!!! In an instant, he went for my bag on the floor, but I had my foot on the bag. He had a knife in his hand, but security was approaching and he ran out the door.

This is a lovely & beautiful city, but please be careful.

Ingrid.

Agree about the taxi. We did that-no problems.

I will agree about the taxi drivers not being fond of lots of luggage. We spent time before and after our last cruise and the taxis to and from the airport were nice. But the ones to and from the port were grouchy. The one to the port barely had our luggage secure - I rode the whole way looking to make sure we didn't loose it on the way. But you won't have a problem getting there.

Which sailing are you going on? We are doing it again on May 29th. Meeting up with British friends we made on the first trip.

Spend four days post cruise in Barcelona, and it is as safe as anywhere. Stay in the downtown area in a nice hotel and enjoy. We loved it! Walked everywhere.

We are sailing on May 22nd. How formal is the ship? Can men get away with a sports coat and tie for formal night? We are traveling another week to Germany after the cruise and don't want to overpack.

I cannot get my husband in a tux so he wore a sportscoat the last time we did this cruise. I would have felt better if he dressed up more but everyone has to enjoy the cruise so do what you feel comfortable with. Our friend wears a tux but we felt fine - at least with them. Our last cruise in the Caribbean our table mates dressed up to the 9s every night they dined with us and made us somewhat feel uncomfortable with their attitude. But to each their own.

Are you spending a night in Barcelona? If so, what hotel. We still need to book one for the night before we leave.

Hope you enjoy - I know you will. We are going to England for several days after our cruise and I am trying to make sure we pack lightly this time.

Oh - don't forget to pack a carry on just in case. The one time I forgot, we had a weather delay. And last time, a whole container of luggage got delayed and our friends had no clothes until late on Sunday. The airline and RCCL gave them money and basics but it's not the same. And a few suitcases got dropped into the bay at Barcelona that day also. Plus, we got upgraded and our luggage was already tagged for another cabin and checked so it took a long time to find our luggage last time and we wanted to freshen up before dinner.

We are flying into Munich and spending the night there. The next day we are catching a flight to Barcelona. We are flying from San Francisco to Munich and arriving about 5:30pm. We did not want to get into Barcelona late at night and have to deal with a taxi to the hotel.

Thanks for the tip about the carry on.