2025 - April - The Entire Journey

This kind of journey isn't made every year. Three weeks, by ship, train, and with large luggage.

Each day was exciting in its own way, none were boring. Whether it was the naming ceremony of the Mein Schiff Relax with Robbie Williams, the daily intense excursions, or the cities before and after the cruise – everything was simply beautiful.

The most exhausting part was definitely the climb up the Charles V wall in Gibraltar. My watch counted 50 stairs that day! In any case, we walked from sea level to the top of the Rock (412 m above sea level) and marveled at the Barbary macaques along the way.

In Tangier, I fell in the rain and completely drenched and disheveled encountered a very well-presented Isabel Varell. How embarrassing!

I liked Valencia the most as a city. The three extra nights there were a very good decision: the beach, the Turia Park, the impressive architecture – simply amazing! Additionally, the Good Friday processions, both in the city and at the beach, came as a complete surprise.

Also by coincidence, we experienced the St. George's Festival in Barcelona on April 23 – the day when red roses and books are given away. People there go wild!

And of course, my birthday: My son and his girlfriend traveled to Narbonne especially for that (my daughter was busy studying in the meantime). We went together to the Grands Buffets – a day full of excitement and indulgence! Initially, our hard-won seats were suddenly canceled, but eventually, we got to experience exceptional dishes like never before.

From Narbonne, I took my birthday bouquet with me on the subsequent journey. A small damp cloth, wrapped in a shower cap, kept it alive to some extent.

During the trip, one of our suitcase wheels broke off, we both caught colds for a few days, and we still need to reclaim a mistakenly charged no-show fee – but otherwise there were no notable mishaps.

We cannot recommend the ferry from Palma de Mallorca to Valencia with GNV. The handling took forever, the service was poor, and during the crossing, some passengers had to sleep on the floor because there were no seats left.

Aside from that, I would plan the trip exactly the same way again. It was simply fantastic.

Here once again the stations in overview:

04.04.2025 Departure Erfurt – Arrival Paris

05.04.2025 Departure Paris – Arrival Barcelona

06.04.2025 Ferry to Palma de Mallorca (overnight voyage)

07.04.2025 Palma de Mallorca

08.04.2025 Embarkation Mein Schiff Relax – Start of the cruise

09.04.2025 Ship naming ceremony and concert with Robbie Williams

10.04.2025 Málaga

11.04.2025 Tangier

12.04.2025 Gibraltar

13.04.2025 Sea day

14.04.2025 Barcelona

15.04.2025 Valencia

16.04.2025 Palma de Mallorca

17.04.2025 Disembarkation Palma de Mallorca / Ferry to Valencia

18.–20.04.2025 Valencia

20.04.2025 Departure Valencia – Arrival Madrid

21.04.2025 Madrid

22.04.2025 Departure Madrid – Arrival Barcelona

23.04.2025 Departure Barcelona – Arrival Narbonne

24.04.2025 Narbonne

25.04.2025 Departure Narbonne – Arrival Paris

26.04.2025 Paris

27.04.2025 Departure Paris – Arrival Erfurt