Transatlantic: New York to Barcelona

Day 1 Friday, September 25

NEW YORK CITY

7:00 am Welcome one and all to the Maple Leaf Lounge at the Kingston Shrine Club (3260 Princess Street at Collins Bay Road) at 7 am and meet your travelling companions, old and new! Check in with your Maple Leaf Tour Director as we prepare to journey to New York City where we will overnight in Times Square at the Marriott Marquis at Broadway and 46th Street, in the heart of Times Square! This evening, we’ll enjoy a welcome dinner together before you enjoy the remainder of the evening at your leisure.(D)

Day 2 Saturday, September 26

NEW YORK CITY

This morning a lovely included breakfast at the Marriott Marquis awaits as we rise and shine in the Big Apple! ALL ABOARD! We transfer to the New York City pier to board the wonderful Norwegian Escape for the next 16 nights. Relax and enjoy the spring scenery as we set sail! You’ll have time to settle into your cabins and get a bite to eat. But you should be on deck at about 4:00 pm as we set sail down the Hudson. Cruising past the Island of Manhattan, One World Trade Centre, Wall Street and the Statue of Liberty, sites you won’t want to miss! These memories will last forever as we set sail for the Caribbean! (B) (L) (D)

Day 3 Sunday, September 27

AT SEA

Day 4 Monday, September 28

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

This city’s seafaring roots run deep. Displays at the Maritime Museum include models of vessels and a Titanic exhibit. Excursions visit the Citadel National Historic Park, the Nova Scotia Museum, St. Paul’s Anglican Church and the Historic Properties. Many tourists make the short trip to the Bay of Fundy or Peggy’s Cove.

Day 5 Tuesday, September 29

SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA

Nova Scotia means New Scotland, and the sound of bagpipes is not uncommon here. Early Scottish settlers felt the land resembled home. The most popular excursion is a trip to the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Park, an amazing re-creation of a 1744 French fortress. Bird-watchers will want to venture out to Bird Islands to spot the Atlantic puffin and bald eagle. The sinuous Cabot Trail along the coast offers one of the most dramatic drives in North America.

Day 6-8 Wednesday, September 30 - Friday, October 2

AT SEA

Day 9 Saturday, October 3

PONTA, DELGADA, AZORES

One of nine Azores Islands sitting in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Ponta Delgada has a lush landscape that produces such unexpected flora as camellias, azaleas, hydrangeas and flame-colored wild ginger lilies. Hot springs and geysers that spew clouds of sulfurous smoke may be natural safety valves that have kept the volcanoes relatively quiet since the 17th century.

Day 10 Sunday, October 4

AT SEA

Day 11 Monday, October 5

FUNCHAL, MADEIRA, PORTUGAL

This city is the capital of the island of Madeira. Funchal, where rows of white houses climb the hillsides, is comprised of three distinct sections. The Old Zone, or Old Town, on the east side boasts historic architecture. The west side is the “touristy” hotel area, with attractions like the Casino Gardens, Quinta das Cruzes Museum and bustling Carriera Street. Between the two you’ll find the city center, which brims with museums such as the Madeira Wine Institute.

Day 12 Tuesday, October 6

AT SEA

Day 13 Wednesday, October 7

GIBRALTAR, UNITED KINGDOM

Go to Gibraltar to discover just how impressive rock can be. From the top of the Rock (over 400 metres up), you can admire the view across the Mediterranean and up the peninsula into Spain. Explore St. Michael’s Cave, a fascinating cavern once lived in by Neolithic peoples and visited by early Romans. Browse through shops filled with embroidered linens from Madeira or go see to the famed Barbary Apes. Then head to a local pub to grab some traditional fish and chips. If you really want to do as the locals do, order a beer (or two) with your meal.

Day 14 Thursday, October 8

MOTRIL, SPAIN

This Andalusian city is a gateway to Granada — the former capital of the Caliphs and Almoravids is just 40 miles to the north. Nature was generous, endowing the city with much greenery and placing it at the foot of three mountain spurs with the blue-green backdrop of the Sierra Nevada to the southeast. To the north, the dainty Darro, a mountain stream, flows through the city between two of its three picturesque hills, those of the Alhambra and the Albaicin. The third hill, Sacromonte, is due north of the Alhambra.

Day 15 Friday, October 9

MELILLA, SPAIN

A city of Phoenician origin, for centuries Melilla has been an important trading port and defensive bastion in the Mediterranean. The early Old Town contrasts with the rest of the city, which has an important group of Modernist buildings. An authentic, historic military fortress, modernist architecture and cuisine with a fusion of flavours await you. In addition, it connects directly by sea and air with the cities of Malaga, Seville, Granada, Motril and Almeria (Andalusia) and Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Palma de Mallorca.

Day 16 Saturday, October 10

IBIZA, SPAIN

This tiny Balearic island, with its sensational beaches and coves, modest whitewashed villages and dynamic international community, is a favorite of cosmopolitan tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia. The best sites here are the beaches and the villages, but you’ll also want to view the Phoenician artifacts at the archaeological museum and the cathedral with its 13th-century belfry.

Day 17 Sunday, October 11

PALMA (MAJORCA), SPAIN

Off the eastern coast of Spain, Mallorca is the largest of the Balearic Islands, with some 310 miles of sparkling coastline. In valleys along the shore, little fishing villages sit tucked away, and narrow winding lanes lead past cozy stone cottages and old Moorish estates. Due to its favorable climate and strategic location, the isle has changed hands many times throughout history, enriching it with Roman, Arab and European influences. Passengers sailing into Palma de Mallorca will get an amazing view of the hilltop Bellver Castle, dating to the 14th century, and the city’s landmark La Seu, a dramatic Gothic cathedral set just above the harbor. Most excursions visit both of these sites as well as the island’s famous golden-sand beaches, backdropped by the breathtaking Tramuntana range. Countryside tours often highlight Valldemossa’s Royal Carthusian Monastery, home to museums that showcase works from the likes of Pablo Picasso and Juli Ramos.

Day 18 Monday, October 12

BARCELONA, SPAIN

We’ll arrive in Barcelona for our 2 night post cruise stay where we’ll be greeted by our local guide for a tour of Barcelona! With mountains to the west and the sparkling Mediterranean Sea to the east, Barcelona possesses panoramic beauty. Among the most-visited sites in the Catalonia region’s capital are structures designed by Antoni Gaudi, including the colorful Casa Batllo, whimsical Park Guell and Barcelona’s most iconic building, the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, known locally as the Sagrada Familia. Walking tours are popular here, with plenty to admire in the Gothic Quarter and on La Rambla, a bustling pedestrian street lined with stalls and trees. Foodies find themselves on tours of restaurants or exploring the sprawling Mercat de la Boqueria, a covered market with roots in the 13th century. We’ll finish our afternoon as we check into our hotel, steps from La Rambla! Dinner will be on our own this evening on any of the delightful area restaurants!

Day 19 Tuesday, October 13

BARCELONA, SPAIN

After a buffet breakfast, at 9 am our day begins as our touring continues as we driving through picturesque little villages of the province, we reach the outstanding Montserrat. Montserrat is an impressive mountain, sanctuary and monastery. The Benedictine Monastery of Montserrat, founded in the 11th century, is located in a Natural Park 60 km to the west of Barcelona.
10:00 We will leave the bus at the foot of the mountain and will reach the monastery by mountain train (Cogwheel train). Once at the top, you can visit the basilica, the shops and an optional climb to the top of the hill on the rack railway (basilica and transfer to the top optional with extra charges) The landscapes are amazing, a 360º view of the area reaching from the city and beyond to the inland. 1:00 pm We’ll return back to Barcelona and there will be free time to discover the city on your own before we depart tomorrow.

Day 20 Wednesday, October 14

HOME

After breakfast this morning, we will transfer to Barcelona International Airport and check in for our flight, and begin our journey home. We’ll arrive back into Toronto Pearson International Airport where our motor coach and driver will be waiting to return us home with plenty of souvenirs, fun and happy memories of our amazing transatlantic cruise vacation.

Wednesday, October 14: Barcelona to Toronto
BA0477 Depart Barcelona 2:05pm | Arrive London 3:30pm
BA0099 Depart London 5:05pm | Arrive Toronto 8:10pm