Barcelona: The Beginning.
Day -3:
To begin our trip around the world, we first have to get ourselves to the start point which was Barcelona, Spain. The MSC Poesia World Cruise actually has four start points—Genoa, Rome, Marseilles, and Barcelona—with the same four ports serving as end points for the World Cruise.
Our flight from Houston to Barcelona was uneventful. We took the opportunity to get a drink at the American Express Centurion Lounge in Houston before our flight and relaxed in the Aspire Lounge at Heathrow during our modest layover.
In Barcelona, we were quickly met by our private transfer to whisk us off to the Monument Hotel. We loved the room and the concierge gave us a great recommendation for dinner at a nearby tapas restaurant. This was a great beginning to our trip.
Day -2:
We elected to come to Barcelona three days early in order to see the city and ensure we had everything we needed for the cruise—including our mandatory COVID test. We had made arrangements to get our test but did not realize that our appointment date was on a holiday and the laboratory closed early—30 minutes before we arrived. Fortunately, there was someone there and after showing her our appointment we were able to get our testing done for the cruise.
This was the eve of 3 Kings Day which is one of the most important events in Spain. Once again, our concierge helped us out by explaining to us the parade that would wind its way through the city and recommended where we might best view the spectacle. We got to our planned location along the street over 1-1/2 hours early. Being early is absolutely important as the sides of the streets become very crowded quickly. However, the wait was worth it as the parade was a remarkable experience as each of the three kings and their festive entourages sang and danced past us for nearly 2 hours.
Day -1:
Last day in Barcelona before we board the MSC Poesia. We take this opportunity to repack our luggage to ensure we had everything when we board the ship the next day, then we take a stroll down the La Rambla. The La Rambla is a pedestrian area of the city filled with shops, restaurants, and bars. Eventually, we make our way to the Christopher Columbus monument. Barcelona is where Columbus made landfall in Europe after discovering the New World. We thought it fitting that before we set sail to discover the new worlds ahead of us to take a picture at this monument.
We then take a cable car up Montjuïc which is Barcelona’s most famous hill. It towers 581 feet (178 meters) above the sea and gives a wonderful scenic overview of the city. More importantly for us, it gives us the opportunity to gaze upon the cruise port where the MSC Poesia will meet us the next day to whisk us around the world.