This was our fourth Royal Caribbean cruise but by far the most spectacular. Previous trips were all about the ship but this time it was all about the ports.
We arrived in Barcelona a couple of days prior to cruise to become accustomed to the time change which paid off not only in being refreshed for the cruise but in having enough time to appreciate how special a stop Barcelona is. We stayed near the Gothic quarter and enjoyed that area as well as the Las Ramblas and Sagrada Familia.
Check-in was a snap, due in part to registering online ahead of time. It was late October and we weren't sure what to expect from the weather but it was great during the entire week.