This trip was my first cruise and my first time in Europe! I took an 8-day cruise on the Harmony V with my mother in August and had a wonderful time! We sailed on rivers and went through locks and explored beautiful city centers in Spain, ate local dishes such as paella and sangria and encountered beautiful architecture and beautiful gelato in Lisbon!
In August, I set out to Lisbon to embark on my very first cruise on the small Harmony V yacht. Having traveled more independently in the past, I was interested to see how the cruise experience might compare to my previous travel experiences. I had certain expectations for the cruise and below I will outline some of my expectations for the cruise versus what I actually experienced onboard.
-Expectation: A more mature and less active crowd.
-Reality: I am in my 20’s and I was expecting to be one of the youngest passengers on this cruise. I was surprised to see a diverse range of ages on board! There were also people from different countries on board like England, New Zealand, Italy, Greece, the UK and the United States. Many people on board had cruised with Variety Cruises before, which tells you how awesome these cruises are! Tour guide and tour bus (Jane Packer)
-Expectation: Being herded around in large tour groups on big tour buses.
-Reality: Our excursion groups were only around 8–10 people on average, all led by local English-speaking guides.They were all super knowledgeable and fun. As someone who doesn’t participate in organized tours often, I found these excursions to be really informative and enriching to my experience.
-Expectation: A stuffy experience where I would have to dress up for meals.
-Reality: I was happy that the cruise was quite relaxed. The crew and other passengers really made you feel like you were at home and a part of the on-board family. The dress on board was casual. Think sundresses or khakis. It is hot in Spain and Portugal so being comfortable is most important.
Cocktails with the captain (Jane Packer)
I had a wonderful experience on board! Keep reading to learn more about the Harmony V and some of the ports we visited while on the cruise.
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After booking a cruise directly with Explora.com, Mary Curry ace it simple to transfer our booking to Adventure Life, and we were surprised and delighted to receive onboard credits from switching to a third party agent.
Jean
2 days ago
Even before I had decided on my trip and committed to using Adventure life, they were helpful in providing objective options and alternatives, which helped with my decision making. They followed up without being intrusive or giving the "hard sell"
Adventure life provided a one-stop shop for all the arrangements and were timely and responsive to queries. There was really nothing left for me to do by the time I was ready to travel.
Rudy
3 days ago
The rich culture in Rio de Janeiro and the nature wonder such as Lencois Maranhenses National Park) made this trip unforgettable!
The trip itinerary was fully customized to fit our needs. The guides, drivers and accommodations were met our expectations.
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