Norwegian Escape - Transatlantic via Spain, Morocco & Canaries

Where this cruise calls, day by day

9 ports and 8 sea days over 16 Nights.

1. Day 1

   Barcelona

   SpainDepart

   The busiest cruise port in Europe, and for many Western Mediterranean itineraries the place the whole trip starts or ends. Barcelona is a full-scale city rather than a port town: Gaudi's unfinished basilica, a dense medieval quarter, and a working waterfront all within a few metro stops. Ships berth on a long industrial mole well outside the centre, so the day begins with a bus ride rather than a gangway stroll.

   • Sagrada Familia - book a timed entry well ahead; walk-ups are usually turned away
   • Park Guell and the Gaudi mosaics on Carmel hill
   • The Gothic Quarter and Barcelona Cathedral, on foot from Placa de Catalunya
   • La Boqueria market and a walk down La Rambla to the Columbus monument

   Getting ashore

   All cruise ships now use the Moll d'Adossat terminals roughly 3 km from the old city; the paid blue Portbus shuttle runs to the foot of La Rambla, and walking out is not practical.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug is hot, crowded and expensive)

2. Day 2

   Marseille

   FrancePort

   France's oldest city and its largest port, founded by Greek traders around 600 BC and still visibly a working, unpolished place. The Vieux-Port is the centre of gravity, with the Notre-Dame de la Garde basilica on the hill above and the limestone inlets of the Calanques to the south. Marseille also serves as the gateway to Provence, with Aix-en-Provence about 40 minutes inland.

   • Notre-Dame de la Garde and the panorama over the harbour and islands
   • MuCEM and the Fort Saint-Jean footbridges at the harbour mouth
   • Le Panier, the hillside old quarter behind the Vieux-Port
   • A boat trip into the Calanques or a coach to Aix-en-Provence

   Getting ashore

   The cruise terminals sit in the commercial port several kilometres north of the centre, so a shuttle bus to the Joliette or Vieux-Port area is effectively compulsory.

   Best months

   May-Jun and Sep-Oct (the mistral can blow cold and hard in spring)

3. Day 3

   Palma de Mallorca

   SpainPort

   Mallorca's capital wraps around a wide bay with a sandstone Gothic cathedral, La Seu, standing right on the seafront where you can see it from the ship. Beyond the cathedral there is a genuine old town of narrow lanes, courtyards and patio bars that has nothing to do with the package-holiday coast further east. Most calls are long enough to add a mountain drive or a beach afternoon.

   • La Seu cathedral and the adjacent Almudaina royal palace
   • Bellver Castle, a circular hilltop fortress with views over the whole bay
   • The Passeig del Born and the old-town lanes around Placa Major
   • A drive over the Serra de Tramuntana to Valldemossa or Soller

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock at the Estacio Maritima terminals on the western side of the harbour, about 3-4 km from the cathedral; take the shuttle, the number 1 bus or a taxi.

   Best months

   May-Jun and Sep-Oct (Jul-Aug is very busy)

4. Day 4

   Cartagena

   SpainPort

   A naval city on a deep natural harbour, and one of the rare Mediterranean ports where the ship parks essentially in the historic centre. Cartagena's Roman theatre was only rediscovered in 1988 under a demolished quarter, and its excavation reshaped the whole downtown. Two thousand years of layers, from Carthaginian walls to modernista shopfronts, sit within a few blocks of the quay.

   • The Roman Theatre and its Rafael Moneo-designed museum entrance
   • ARQUA, the national museum of underwater archaeology
   • Castillo de la Concepcion, reached by the panoramic lift
   • The modernista buildings along Calle Mayor and the Punic Wall site

   Getting ashore

   Ships berth at the Alfonso XII quay right beside the old town - a five-minute walk off the gangway.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct

5. Day 5

   Motril

   SpainPort

   A commercial port on the Costa Tropical that appears on itineraries almost entirely because it is the closest sea access to Granada - about 70 km inland, or an hour and a bit by coach. There is very little at the pier itself, and Motril town is a couple of kilometres away. If the Alhambra is the plan, tickets are timed and sell out weeks ahead, so this is a call to book early.

   • The Alhambra and Generalife gardens in Granada, roughly 70 minutes away
   • Granada's Albaicin quarter and the Mirador de San Nicolas
   • The whitewashed hill town of Salobrena, ten minutes along the coast
   • The Nerja caves and Frigiliana, east along the Costa Tropical

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock in a working commercial port about 2 km from Motril town, with nothing walkable at the pier; a shuttle or excursion coach is essentially required.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct (Granada is very hot in Jul-Aug)

6. Day 6

   Cadiz

   SpainPort

   One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in Western Europe, sitting on a spit of land almost entirely surrounded by water. The old town is compact, salt-worn and easy to cover on foot, but most passengers treat Cadiz as the doorway to Seville, which is about an hour and a half inland. The rail station is right beside the port, which makes independent day trips unusually straightforward here.

   • Cadiz Cathedral and the yellow-tiled dome above the old town
   • Torre Tavira and its camera obscura view over the rooftops
   • The Mercado Central and the seafood bars around it
   • Seville's Alcazar and cathedral, or a sherry bodega tour in Jerez

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock a few minutes' walk from the old-town gate, so no shuttle is needed; the train and bus stations are adjacent for Seville and Jerez.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct (inland Seville is punishing in Jul-Aug)

7. Day 7

   Tangier

   MoroccoPort

   Tangier sits where the Atlantic meets the Mediterranean, and its port was rebuilt as Tanger Ville, a passenger and marina terminal a short walk from the medina gate. That proximity makes it one of the easier Moroccan calls - you can be inside the old city within fifteen minutes of stepping off. Expect persistent unofficial guides, and agree a price before you accept anything.

   • The Kasbah and the Dar el Makhzen palace museum at the top of the medina
   • The Grand Socco and Petit Socco squares and the souks strung between them
   • The Caves of Hercules and Cap Spartel, where the two seas meet
   • Mint tea at the Cafe Hafa, on terraces above the strait

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock at the Tanger Ville terminal, a 10-15 minute walk from the port gate to the medina and the Grand Socco.

   Best months

   Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct

8. Day 8 · At sea

9. Day 9

   Las Palmas, Gran Canaria

   SpainPort

   Gran Canaria's capital is a real working city of nearly 400,000 people, not a resort, with a container port, a Spanish colonial quarter and a three-kilometre urban beach. Columbus stopped here on his way west, and the house-museum in the old town leans on that. Inland the island turns mountainous fast, and the drive up to Roque Nublo is the usual excursion.

   • Vegueta, the old quarter, with the Casa de Colon and Santa Ana cathedral
   • Playa de Las Canteras, a long sheltered city beach with a reef breakwater
   • The mountain drive to Roque Nublo and the town of Teror
   • The Maspalomas dunes on the southern tip of the island

   Getting ashore

   Ships dock at the Santa Catalina quay; it is a 10-15 minute walk to Santa Catalina park and Las Canteras beach, with taxis for Vegueta.

   Best months

   Nov-Apr for warmth without heat; the island is comfortable year-round

10. Day 10 · At sea

11. Day 11 · At sea

12. Day 12 · At sea

13. Day 13 · At sea

14. Day 14 · At sea

15. Day 15 · At sea

16. Day 16 · At sea

17. Day 17

    Port Canaveral, FL

    United StatesArrive

    Canaveral is Orlando's cruise port, which is the whole point: most passengers arrive off a theme-park week or straight from MCO, about 45 miles and an hour west. The terminals - 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 - are modern and low-rise, wedged between a working cargo harbour and a Space Force launch complex. Launches are visible from the ship and worth checking the schedule for.

    • Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, half an hour north - the Saturn V hangar alone eats three hours
    • Cocoa Beach and the original Ron Jon Surf Shop, open around the clock
    • Jetty Park, where you can watch your own ship sail out from the beach
    • Historic Cocoa Village for a slower afternoon of shops and riverfront bars

    Getting ashore

    Cruise Terminals 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 are spread along the harbour with their own parking garages; Orlando International is roughly 45 miles west (45-60 minutes clear of traffic) and Melbourne is closer at about 35 minutes.

    Best months

    Nov-May (Aug-Oct is peak hurricane season; summer afternoons bring daily thunderstorms)