Cruise Diva's CRUISE
DIARY
~ Lisbon to Barcelona ~
 |
| Wind
Surf - Bistro Restaurant |
Marbella, Spain
May 1, 2002 -
What a glorious day! By mid-morning when I headed ashore, the mist was
beginning to burn off and the day promised to be sunny and perfect.
Although it was a national holiday (Spain's version of our Labor Day)
and many stores were closed, the shops and cafes
along the seaside avenue were open by early afternoon and the sidewalks were thronged
with residents and visitors alike. It's nice to be in the Med this
time of year before it really gets crowded.
I joined friends to tender ashore and
we consulted the Marbella map and directions provided by
Kimberly at the shore excursion desk. We walked first to one of the
city's new attractions, the remodeled "Avenida Puerta del
Mar" park, which stretches from the sea upward to the center of
Marbella. Fascinating sculptures by Dali are interspersed with
fountains and colorful flowerbeds. Reaching the top of the park, we
crossed into the old quarter of town. The heady scent of orange trees
permeates the Plaza de Los Naranjos and patrons of the cafes that fill the
square enjoy their meals beneath a canopy of fragrant green. We
pressed on through lanes and alleyways between the whitewashed
buildings, enjoying the cool shade and splashy floral arrangements
that spill over delicate wrought iron balconies.
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|
Plaza de Los Naranjos |
Everywhere we looked there were
picture postcard Mediterranean scenes. The sky and sea were incredible
shades of blue
and it was quickly apparent why Marbella has grown to be one of the
Costa del Sol's most popular and exclusive resorts. Even the trash
bins are constructed of varnished wood and fancy iron hinges. The area
around the 9th century Arabian Walls was just as neat and tidy as the
many formal squares in the old quarter. We were completely taken with everything we saw.
After making our way to a seaside
cafe for refreshments, we contemplated returning to the Wind
Surf and possibly heading ashore again after a late lunch. Our shore
tender bobbed around quite a lot so I decided to remain on board and
check out the watersports marina. It was there that I discovered we
might have a problem--the marina was being closed early because of high
waves. No problem. I didn't really want to water ski anyway. Instead
of going back ashore, I decided to unwind on board and enjoyed a
solitary stint in the huge coed sauna, followed by reading in a shaded
deck chair.
Ship Happens
- Oops. The wind really began to kick up mid-afternoon when I joined some
friends. By tea-time Captain Boylin announced tender
service was suspended. He then announced we would be sailing
immediately for Malaga where tour busses were diverted to meet the ship. Anyone
left ashore in Marbella would be met at the dock and directed to shuttles for the
40-minute drive. The arrangements were swift and impressive.
Passengers at the tender
pier when service was suspended reported that they saw boats larger
than our tenders being towed into harbor by the Spanish coast guard.
Some took quite a beating from the high wind and waves. Rather than
feeling stranded, the passengers I spoke to were in high spirits for
having experienced an adventure. Two busses of passengers on tour to
the Alhambra were delivered to Malaga where they had the opportunity
to explore for an hour before the ship docked. A nice touch were the mimosas they
were given upon re-boarding in Malaga. By 9pm all passengers were accounted for,
even the independent golfers and beach-goers.
On a somewhat prophetic note, while I
was waiting to go ashore earlier, Security Officer Nick Riccio
demonstrated Wind Surf's security scan card system to me. Boarding
cards are scanned by each passenger when they debark and re-embark.
The computer system can sort information by cabin number and name to
determine who is on board and what time each passenger left the ship
and returned.
What about the occasional passenger
who is left behind? It happens now and then, but not without the
knowledge of Wind Surf's officers. When departure time approaches and
passengers are missing, first their cabin is called. Then they are
paged over the public address system. When it's determined they aren't
on board, the ship contacts the Port Agent who checks with police and
local hospitals. The Agent stays at the dock to assist the wayward passengers
and provide follow up to the ship. The ship can't wait, but it's not because
the bridge officers don't care.
There's no chance of anyone going
astray tomorrow. We'll be at sea and in good hands--taking full advantage of being pampered
by the Wind Surf's accomplished staff.
Day Four -> Sailing
in the Mediterranean
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