A Dose of Vitamin Sea | AIDA Cruises
A few weeks ago, I embarked on a my first ever cruise; and what a cruise it was! From always opting to fly here n' there, the concept of sailing never crossed my mind - but my time on the AIDAperla Cruise liner opened my eyes on a whole new & enjoyable way to travel! As you've likely seen on my Instagram, this 7 day trip took me to some of the Mediterranean's most loved cities: Palma de Mallorca, Rome, Florence & Barcelona.
After a quick flight hop over the English Channel & Spain, I landed at my first point of call, Mallorca! This stunning island, surround by warm, azure waters & dotted with historic, fishing villages, became home for our first night onboard the AIDAperla, the newest ship in AIDA's fleet. Her sheer scale blew my mind, in the small port of Palma, her 300m length dominated - that's the same height as the Eiffel Tower in Paris! Over sixteen hundred cabins had a capacity to hold over 3000 passengers & had the facilities of a city to host the needs of every soul stepping on deck; a spa, saunas, infinity pools, cinema, 10 restaurants catering for every cuisine (the Sushi was delicious!), 5 bars, a club, a climbing wall, a waterpark with 3 different slides & even a football court & golf course!? It was incredible to experience all that this ship offered on those days at sea; having a view of endless ocean whilst scoring a goal on the pitch was utterly surreal!
After two days at sea, our first stop took us to Rome, Italy; one of my all time favourite places. We had an entire day to wander the cobbled alleyways ticking of each attraction with gelato(s) in hand. The Trevi Fountain, The Vatican to the Colosseum, our day was full of culture & history.
Another day, another city! Day 3 brought us to Florence. Another beautiful destination that was free for us to roam & capture to our hearts content. A definite highlight of our time here was getting to climb the Duomo of Florence cathedral. I highly recommend going as the views once you reach the summit are incredible; be prepared for a climb though - narrow two way spiral staircases will send your head into a spin! Once we reached the bottom, we meandered the streets to the Ponte Vecchio where a pizza fuelled lunch awaited. Sunset from the Michelangelo lookout rounded off the day before making our way back to the boat.
Barcelona was our final port of call before returning back to Mallorca. We had the chance to this time take to the skies with CatHelicopters & view the city from the above! The 30 minute flight saw us soaring over the Sagrada Família & Montserrat before landing back near the Gothic Quarter, where we spent the rest of our time to enjoy the stunning architecture & food.
Big thanks to AIDA & their wonderful team who took care of every single one us on board & all our needs as well as spoiling us with experiences in each destination. Special thanks also to all fellow friends who joined along for the ride, making this journey a trip to remember - especially @alenpalander & @alliemtaylor for their help to document every momet. <3
For information on the route I sailed on board the AIDAperla, click here.
J A M E S R E L F D Y E R