2026 Week 08 (The Mediterranean Cruise)
The Cruise
This week was about our cruise — traveling from Barcelona through the Mediterranean Sea and back to Barcelona.
Since Berlin is basically landlocked, we had to travel to Barcelona to catch the ship. We went with MSC Cruises, and the decision happened pretty fast — we discovered the option early in January and chose it within the week. We’d never done a cruise before, and since we already planned to travel more this year, it felt like a good way to explore a few places while also experiencing what it’s like to be on a ship at sea. Luckily we had some money saved, so it felt like a realistic opportunity to take.
We arrived at the airport on Friday, which was also the same day we were meant to depart from Barcelona. I’d never been to Spain — and never been to Barcelona — so even that alone felt exciting. We went straight to the port and boarding was pretty straightforward.
The ship itself was enormous. One thing I kept thinking was: pictures don’t do justice to the size of these ships when you see them at the port.
The ship we were on was MSC World Europa. From what I remember, it’s one of the biggest in the world — and the biggest passenger ship in Europe. It can carry 5,000+ passengers and 2,000+ crew, which still feels unreal when I think about it.
I was really looking forward to the experience, mostly because it was something I’d never done before, and honestly I never really pictured myself doing it either.
A small scare before boarding
A few hours before we were meant to get to the terminal, the app we were using to track our booking suddenly stopped showing the booking. I don’t know if it was intentional on MSC’s side (maybe to avoid changes close to boarding?) but it was worrying.
Luckily, Mercy also had the app set up on her phone and the booking was still visible there. My mind still went to worst-case scenarios like whether someone tampered with my email but I kept reminding myself that I still had confirmation emails and proof of booking.
When we arrived for our scheduled boarding time, showing the booking on Mercy’s phone was enough. We dropped our bags, made our way through security, got our cards and got in.
I really appreciated how organized everything was. It felt smooth and free of hassle, and while we were in the queue a big part of me was just looking forward to finally stepping inside the ship, especially after watching so many videos showing the interiors.
Eventually we made our way in, and it felt even bigger than the videos made it look. Walking from the boarding platform into the ship almost felt like entering a building. It was hard to tell you were on a ship at all.
As first-time cruisers, we did what you’d expect: that first evening we basically explored every corner we could find going from deck to deck, riding elevators, standing by the water-facing sides, trying to see as much as possible.
Marseille
The next day we woke up already in Marseille.
It still felt surreal to sleep and wake up in another city. You can say the same thing about flying, but this felt different in that you can feel the ship moving, the subtle wobble, and then you fall asleep and wake up to the ship docked.
That morning we looked out from the balcony and watched the ship dock (I think it was around 5 AM). Seeing that process was genuinely fun, and it also triggered a different kind of thought: the engineering of it all.
This massive structure can stay afloat, move across water, dock precisely, and hold thousands of rooms and people. It’s kind of an engineering marvel in a very visceral way.
After breakfast on the ship (which was included), we went out into Marseille and explored.
We visited Cathédrale La Major, and we went up to Notre-Dame de la Garde, which was one of the best spots to see the city from above.
A big part of the fun was also just walking around discovering random streets and corners, seeing different faces of the city in a way you can’t if you’re only moving from point A to point B.
We made our way back to the ship and waited for departure again. Since I was curious about how the ship works, I also wanted to see how it leaves the port and starts moving. It was nice noticing that other people were just as interested, standing around watching the same thing.
Genoa
The next day we woke up in Genoa.
This time the ship docked close to the city center, so we didn’t need much transportation. We just walked from the port into the city, and that was one of my favorite parts - the feeling that we could simply explore for a while without rushing.
On the way out, a woman approached us asking if we were interested in a bike tour. Initially I wasn’t sure. I wasn’t really in the mood to ride a bike myself it doesn’t feel convenient if you want to stop and take pictures. But the idea was different: they would ride, and we’d sit behind.
We were 50–50 on it but decided to take the gamble. We didn’t know the city at all, and even a guided overview would be useful. We also still wanted to make time for places we had in mind, like the aquarium.
Before we even got to the meeting point, we ran into something that instantly caught my attention: a large wooden ship used in a pirate movie from the 1980s.
I’ve never really seen a wooden ship like that in person. We paid to go inside, and it felt like a museum — cannons, the captain’s area, the spaces where people would have stood during battles. Seeing it made me think about the arc of human progress: from building wooden ships like that, to building something as massive as MSC World Europa.
During the bike tour we saw many parts of Genoa — port-side areas, historic buildings, and the lighthouse.
One story that really stuck with me was about fake windows. At one point in history, the number of windows you had affected how much tax you paid. So some buildings had painted windows to look real. Our tour guide pointed out one building (the Palace of the Sea) where this was visible, and even after he told me, it still took me a minute to notice. The painting was that detailed.
He also mentioned that Marco Polo wrote some of his journal while being held somewhere around there. I can’t remember the exact reason, and I haven’t verified it myself, so take that as “tour-guide knowledge” for now.
As we went deeper into the city, the streets became narrower and steeper. Genoa felt very hilly with buildings stacked down from higher points, lots of tight paths and narrow routes.
By the end of it, we were happy we took the tour. It gave structure to exploring a city we didn’t know, and it helped us notice details we would probably have missed.
After the tour, we went to the Genoa Aquarium, which is one of the largest in Europe.
I’ve seen aquariums in movies and online, but not at that scale. We saw sharks, dolphins, jellyfish (first time I’d ever seen one in real life), and a lot of sea creatures I didn’t even know existed. Some of them honestly looked like monsters.
One of the coolest parts was how the aquarium was designed: you’d see some animals from above first, and later you’d walk into a section where you’re essentially looking at them from underwater. Seeing the dolphins from below after seeing them from above felt like a highlight of the day.
By the time we finished, we were tired and made our way back to the ship to get ready for dinner and departure.
Civitavecchia (Rome) and the near-miss
The next day we woke up in Civitavecchia, which is close to Rome.
I was really looking forward to Rome. The challenge was that Civitavecchia is farther from the main Rome spots compared to the other cities, so getting into Rome took more planning.
We left the ship, made our way to the station, got tickets, and took the train down to Roma Termini.
From there we walked around a lot. Even just leaving the station, you start seeing ancient architecture and landmarks. It felt like being inside a movie - just surrounded by history.
We walked to the Colosseum (about 20 minutes), spent time around that area, and saw a lot of nearby ruins and structures too.
After that, we wanted to get to the Vatican. We tried public transport first, mostly because we wanted to keep costs down and we’re used to public transport working well. But after exhausting the options, we ended up taking a taxi.
Seeing St. Peter’s Square in person was one of those reminders that pictures don’t really capture scale. The square is huge.
Unfortunately, by the time we got there, the museum had already closed, and we also couldn’t go into St. Peter’s Basilica because mass was ending.
Even so, just seeing the place was already worth it. We walked around the area, and we eventually found a gelato shop and sat for a while.
Then we headed toward Roma San Pietro station to take the train back.
This is where things got stressful.
The walk to the station was longer than we expected, and we hadn’t planned the train schedule properly. Trains were roughly every 30 minutes. When we got there, the train was still at the station.
But while we were trying to get to the ticket machine, police officers stopped us and asked questions — where we were from, where we lived, to see ID, etc. It took enough time that by the time we finished, rushed to buy tickets, and ran back to the platform, the doors had closed and the train left.
We literally watched it leave in front of us.
At that point, it stopped being fun. Missing that train meant the next one would be 30 minutes later, and that risked us missing boarding for the ship.
I tried calling the number on the card to contact the ship, but it didn’t go through. It was a satellite emergency number, so maybe that’s why - I’m not sure. The app also wasn’t helpful because after boarding the ship, it was configured to work only on the ship Wi‑Fi.
So we couldn’t reach anyone, and waiting for the next train felt too risky.
We ended up taking a taxi back to the port for a whooping €150.
The driver understood the urgency and drove like someone who knew we were racing a clock (safely, but very intentionally). That ride was tense — the whole time thinking about what would happen if we missed the ship, how complicated it would get trying to rejoin it later, and how much it would throw off the rest of the trip.
When we finally reached the port and got back on board, it felt like the entire mood of the day changed back to relief.
We didn’t plan to spend that €150, but I was glad we made it back.
It also felt like a reminder: you need to be prepared for plans to shift, and in moments like that you have to gather yourself quickly and decide. The longer you delay, the fewer options you have.
Messina
The next day we woke up in Messina.
After the stress of the Rome day, we were cautious. We didn’t feel like going far, but luckily the ship docked very close to the city.
We found one of those small guided tours — the little cars that drive you around and show you different parts of the city and we did that instead.
We also did some practical shopping for things that would have been more expensive on the ship.
Our stay wasn’t very long, but we still enjoyed walking around and seeing old architecture. Italy has a distinctive feel to its buildings — the façades, the style — and after seeing Genoa, Rome, and now Messina, I started noticing the shared patterns more.
We also tried not to let the €150 incident dominate the trip. We didn’t want one stressful event to overshadow the point of the whole journey, which was to have fun and see new places.
Malta (that didn’t happen) and a sea day
One of the next parts we were looking forward to was Valletta, Malta.
We had friends there we wanted to see, and we were also excited about warmer weather and sunlight.
But we got an announcement that bad weather was predicted and docking in Malta wouldn’t be safe. So the stop was cancelled, and the route changed to Palma de Mallorca instead.
That was a real bummer. We had to call our friend and let them know we wouldn’t make it, and it was frustrating because it was completely out of our control. At the same time, safety is safety, and we understood why.
It also made me think that we’ll still get to Malta someday - just not this time.
Because Palma de Mallorca was farther, the route change pulled forward a full sea day.
We slept that night and woke up still on the sea, which felt different from the other mornings.
That sea day actually became one of my favorite parts. The ship is basically a moving city, and there’s always something new to notice. But more than that, I loved simply seeing the sea — the calmness, the wind, the darkness at night when you can’t see anything, and then the sudden moments where you see land or a lighthouse.
It’s hard to put value on that experience. I’ve watched the sea in movies, but this was different: being on the Mediterranean, sailing for so long, watching waves and wind in real time.
Palma de Mallorca
After the long sail, we arrived in Palma de Mallorca.
I’d heard a lot about Mallorca from friends and colleagues, but I never imagined we’d end up there on this trip. Still, we decided to just make the best of it.
We walked around the city, saw remarkable buildings and cathedrals, explored markets, and took a lot of photos.
We also found a manga/comics shop, and I saw a Solo Leveling figure I wanted to buy - but the person working there was going on lunch. By the time they said to come back, it didn’t feel practical to return, so I just noted it mentally for “next time.”
Mallorca felt neat and calm, and it also became our second city in Spain, which wasn’t part of the original plan.
Back to Barcelona, and plans changing again
The next day we made our way back to Barcelona, and that was where the cruise itself ended.
A part of us wished it didn’t have to end. There’s something about cruise life that feels almost too convenient: waking up and breakfast is ready, lunch is ready, dinner is ready. It removes a lot of daily stress.
Our plan was simple: explore Barcelona that afternoon, then head to the airport in the evening and fly back to Berlin.
At least, that’s what we thought.
While we were on a guided tour around Barcelona, I got an email from Ryanair saying our flight to Berlin that night was cancelled because planes couldn’t land in Berlin due to black ice.
It was frustrating - the second time on this trip that weather forced a major plan change.
We paused the tour, went to eat (we were hungry anyway), and started figuring out what to do next. Since we also needed to be in Amsterdam the next day for an important event in a friend’s life, we started exploring alternatives.
We considered flying to anywhere nearby - Belgium, Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Czech Republic, Poland - anywhere reasonable and not insanely expensive.
In the end, the best option we found was a Vueling flight to Amsterdam the next afternoon (Saturday). When we compared costs (flight + hotel) it was still better than flying to Belgium and then taking a train, and it also meant we got an extra day in Barcelona.
So we booked a hotel, slept, and used the extra time to explore Barcelona properly and in peace. We eventually saw Sagrada Família, and I have to say again: pictures don’t really do justice.
Barcelona felt beautiful, clean, and balanced in temperature - a good mix of sun and calm weather. Having more time there made the whole detour feel less like a disruption and more like an unexpected bonus.
The next day we flew to Amsterdam.
Overall
Overall, this was a really good experience for us. The ship, the sea, the cities, the things we saw - it all felt like a perspective-expanding trip.
For me, one of the biggest highlights was the sea itself.
I’ve lived and traveled on land, and I’ve flown through the air, but water covers most of the planet and it’s probably the environment I’ve interacted with the least. Being out on the Mediterranean, watching the map, seeing different sections like the Tyrrhenian Sea, and just experiencing what it means to be on water for long stretches - that felt genuinely meaningful!
I’m already looking forward to getting back on the sea again. If I had my way, this is something I’d do every year.