We are a couple in our early 60's who have been on 8 cruises, and this was our 4th in the Mediterranean. We booked this cruise because it offered an excellent value, and an interesting itinerary. We were especially interested in seeing Rome again, one of our favorite cities. This is the same ship we sailed on our first cruise 6 years ago. Although gaining in years, she is still beautiful and in great shape, just like us! ?

We started our vacation on Thursday when we few from Kalamazoo, Michigan to Detroit, then to Paris, and finally to Malaga on Air France/Air Europa. All flights were very long (and expensive), but they were on time and uneventful until we tried to pick up our luggage, and my husband discovered that his suitcase was missing. Thankfully, mine had arrived. There was a line of sad folks at the lost luggage counter, all of them from the USA. We were told that it is very common for Americans connecting in Paris to have lost luggage. Based on that report from the airlines, I would NOT recommend connecting in Paris! Anyway, we filed our claim and proceeded to our hotel conveniently located in the heart of the historic section of Malaga.

Our hotel, The Vincci Seleccion, was new and modern, and was built on Roman ruins that remain for viewing. Our room had three small balconies that faced the street because the hotel had received a free room upgrade! The architecture was very interesting! Malaga reminded us of a smaller version of Barcelona, with a lovely pedestrian mall full of shops and cafes. We walked around the city in the evening, enjoying the sights and had dinner at midnight at a sidewalk restaurant. The city was very clean and seemed very safe. Read more