Day 1 # Departure Frankfurt - Heraklion TUI Mein Schiff 5

Today we are off. At 1:30 AM, we departed towards Frankfurt Airport. The parking garage, located a bit outside, and the transfer to the airport went super smoothly. The check-in and security control were problem-free, and we passed through quickly. Departure at 5:25 AM heading to Heraklion.

Punctually at 9:35 AM (with a +1 hour time difference), we landed in Heraklion, and everything went smoothly as we took the bus to Mein Schiff 5.

Upon arrival, we checked in and first went for a drink and something to eat at the Restaurant Ankersmannplatz. Since our cabin was not ready yet, we had to pass the time. So, we explored the ship a bit and settled down for a welcome cocktail at the bar.

Unfortunately, we were informed that the cabins wouldn't be ready until 3 PM, so we decided to move our excursion into the city forward with a complimentary shuttle bus from Aida to make the remaining two hours worthwhile. We did as planned, and off we went. With temperatures now at 35 degrees, it was quite uncomfortable to walk through the city in long pants and a backpack. Since there wasn't much to see, we took the shuttle back to the ship after 1.5 hours and were lucky that our cabin was made available at that moment.

Once in our cabin, we changed into something cool, rested a bit, and then strolled around the ship again, having a refreshing drink at the bar. At 6 PM, we had to attend the legally mandated safety briefing, which was completed in 5 minutes. After that, we went to Ankermannsplatz for dinner.

Our son then disappeared into the Sturmfrei at 8 PM for his first acquaintance with the teen group, and we sat first at the gallery bar for a drink before moving to the welcome party on the pool deck. There, we watched the departure at 10 PM and then disappeared to bed around 11 PM since it had been a long day.