Leg 10: Sardinia, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and USA

Olbia, Sardinia is a charming island town in Italy with friendly locals and a relaxed vibe. Our visit today was brief, just from 7:00 am to 1:30 pm, but Olbia is compact and easily walkable, especially on a crisp, cloudless morning of 57 degrees.

By 8:00 am, the old town was still quiet when we reached the city center, home to about 60,000 residents. We found one open café, ordered two cappuccinos, and mapped out a walking route to hit the town’s highlights.

We began with Corso Umberto, an inviting pedestrian street lined with boutiques, cafés, and handsome old buildings. Just a block away, the Church of San Paolo caught the morning light, its colorful tiled dome vivid against the sky.

From there, we wandered through narrow alleyways, quiet neighborhoods, and sunlit piazzas until we reached the expansive, recently developed Parco Fausto Noce. The park featured an amphitheater, fitness stations, a fountain, and striking bottlebrush trees in bloom.

Olbia also revealed its playful side, with a brightly painted carousel and Ferris wheel in their coastal park, along with a quirky, themed laundromat inspired by the TV series “The Jeffersons.”

Barcelona, Spain: A memorable two-day stop in Barcelona awaited passengers aboard the Zuiderdam and her sister ship, Volendam, who was also in port. The Volendam was midway through her ambitious 133-day Pole-to-Pole itinerary, and the two ships docked stern-to-stern in close proximity. In fact, Staff Captain Karl shared with us that the ships had to request a special deviation from the port authority to reduce the standard 200-foot clearance between docked vessels. The harbor masters approved, and just 100 feet separated the ships, making for an unusually cozy and photogenic tie-up.

Event planning had been in the works for months on the “Grand Meet Up”, including a nighttime drone show visible from either ship’s aft deck. While crews busied themselves with preparations for the evening’s festivities, we went ashore to do some sightseeing. Having visited Barcelona before, we decided to explore the Gothic Quarter, an area that was new to us.

We strolled along the lively Rambla, taking in the familiar sights: the Columbus Monument, rich architecture, street performers, and bustling cafés. Veering off to the right, we wandered into Plaza Reial, where we sipped cappuccinos and enjoyed some relaxed people-watching. From there, the labyrinthine alleyways of the Gothic Quarter drew us in with their medieval charm. The aromas from a tiny pâtisserie filled with locals drew us in and we ordered a rustic toasted ham and brie sandwich. No tourists in sight, just authentic, delicious simplicity.

We returned to the pier early, eager to tour the Volendam, which recently underwent a multi-million dollar refurbishment and looked pristine. It will be our ship for next year’s cruise, so getting a sneak peek was a treat.

As late afternoon arrived, passengers from both ships gathered for the two-ship gala; a festive food and wine reception filled with laughter, music, and reunions. Many travelers on board Zuiderdam and Volendam knew one another from past voyages, so it felt like a floating reunion.

Once darkness settled over the harbor, the much-anticipated drone show was introduced by Holland America Line’s President and CEO. It was a dazzling display of each ship’s journey illustrated in the night sky and commemorated this special rendezvous in Barcelona. It was a magical night, filled with friendship and celebration. Many thanks to our friend, Brad, who shared his video of the drone show:

The Holland America “Grand Meet-Up” in Barcelona was an unforgettable highlight of our cruise!

The following morning, we were part of a group of ten friends—five from each ship—for a six-hour guided tour of Gaudí’s strange and beautiful masterpieces. First, the towering spectacle of Sagrada Família:

Next, was the whimsical and bizarre Casa Batlló (The “Bone House”), where hardly a flat surface exists:

And lastly, the sprawling Park Güell, with impressive stonework and vibrant mosaics:

Gaudí’s visionary designs felt like stepping into a dream. He was an architectural genius, far ahead of his time. Thanks to our friend, Jo, for planning such a fun day!

Just 220 nautical miles down the Spanish coast, we arrived in the harbor of Alicante. After the bustling energy of Barcelona and the gala festivities of the Grand Meet-Up, this medium-sized coastal city offered a welcome change of pace.

We set out to explore the Old Town, climbing its many winding staircases lined with colorful doorways and vibrant flower pots, making our way up to the Castle of Santa Barbara.

Perched high above the city at an elevation of 545 feet, this 9th-century fortress offers panoramic views of the coastline and surrounding landscape.

Back in the town center, we wandered through the lively mercado, past traffic circles, sunny plazas, and charming cafés, where we paused to share a juicy steak sandwich, recommended by the owner.

As the day wound down, we made our way back toward the harbor along their iconic palm-lined Esplanade, said to be paved with more than six million mosaic tiles.

And the adjacent beach was perfect finish to a relaxed and scenic day in Alicante!

Lisbon, Portugal Early morning sun reflected off the yellow buildings surrounding the expansive Commerce Square as we walked inland beneath the Rua Augusta Arch. Completed in 1873, the magnificent arch celebrated the reconstruction of Lisbon after their devastating 1755 earthquake. 

Our day in Lisbon started with a ride on the legendary Tram 28, winding its way uphill to the charming neighborhoods of Graca and Alfama. We enjoyed cappuccinos with sweeping views of the city and another rare double sighting of our ships, Volendam and Zuiderdam, docked together once again.

Of course, no visit to Lisbon is complete without sampling the local flavors. We indulged in the famous pastel de nata (a rich egg custard tart), a savory Iberian ham and sheep cheese sandwich, and a Banfi hot pork sandwich—hot, juicy, messy, and totally worth it.

Things took a turn just as we headed toward another cobblestone plaza. Suddenly, the power went out. We stopped at a café for a drink and were told: no food, no cards, no bathroom—drinks only. At first, we figured it was a local outage. But while people-watching from our café table, we overheard a nearby patron mention the power failure extended across Portugal, into Spain, and even parts of northern France. At that point, it was clear this wasn’t just a local glitch, and we weren’t sure what might come next.

We decided it was prudent to head back toward the port, just in case. Just outside the cruise terminal we bumped into Captain Frank, who was waiting for his wife, Alexandra, to return from an excursion. We chatted about the breaking news, while trams sat frozen in the middle of intersections, traffic lights were out, and vehicles were at a standstill. And the subway? We could only imagine.

Naturally, our ship is its own independent power plant, so Zuiderdam was not being affected in the least. Since Captain Frank felt that there was no immediate cause for alarm, Alexandra joined us to rendezvous with our friends from the Volendam. The café where we waited near the ship became a hub of speculation. People were abuzz about the blackout. We were still limited to drinks only, so we made the most of it with white sangria, water, and sodas.

By 2:45 pm, we returned to the ship for the 3:30 all-aboard, but things weren’t quite wrapping up. Ten passengers were still missing, reportedly caught somewhere in the city amid the outage. The Zuiderdam crew rose to the occasion with a gluttonous seafood feast: oysters on the half shell, snow crab, lobster tails, mussels, sides galore, and complimentary wine while we waited and listened to regular updates from the captain.

He kept us informed not only about the missing guests, but also about the pilot’s delayed arrival, tide concerns, and building winds in Tangier, our next port.

Hours later with all guests aboard, Zuiderdam turned south into the rising swells, making her way 308 nautical miles south to Morocco—our final stop in the Mediterranean region.

A cool, cloudy, and breezy day greeted us in the Port of Tangier. Just two days ago, strong winds threatened to cancel our arrival altogether, so we were grateful for an improved forecast. A three-hour late departure from Lisbon meant a matching delay into Tangier, leaving us shore time from noon to 5:30 PM…plenty of time to retrace our steps from our 2023 visit, with a few welcome deviations.

Tangier is a highly walkable city, with its must-see landmarks clustered within the Medina, including the Kasbah Terrace and the bustling souks. But here, it’s not so much about the “sights” as it is about the sightings. Intricate mosaic tiles embellish walls, entryways, and walkways, reflecting Tangier’s rich Islamic heritage.

Shopping in Tangier is a colorful barrage of tightly packed stalls, each offering its own unique collections: scarves and shawls, shoes, spices, jellabas, and kaftans (robes/dresses).

The city’s tight, winding alleyways always seem to lead to unexpected corners—even if you’ve visited before. This time, we discovered a couple of rooftop restaurants offering spectacular views of the city, home to 1.2 million people.

Morocco never disappoints, and Tangier delivered with its coastal beauty and old-world intrigue. It was a bittersweet feeling amongst our shipboard community, knowing we were leaving our last foreign port of this voyage.  

As we headed into the Atlantic, the Captain altered course to avoid the brunt of a large low-pressure system that would cross ahead of us.  While this minimized some motion of the ship, we still experienced the outer bands of storm circulation that fed us with strong winds and lumpy seas.  Pools were drained, outer doors were closed off and Zuiderdam shuddered and shook for 36 hours. Overall, we can’t complain. There were really only about 5 or 6 sea days on this entire 124-day circumnavigation when the ship had any significant motion. Zuiderdam has taken good care of us!

Six sea days later, we arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico, a warm, tropical finale to our whirlwind itinerary. Not only is San Juan a vibrant and welcoming destination, but it’s also an efficient port for clearing us back through U.S. Customs and Immigration, which means our final disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale will be quick and hassle-free.

Once cleared, our group of ten made our way to Old San Juan, where we had appointments at Anam Spa & Lounge for much needed mani/pedis and foot massages. According to Tom’s iPhone, we have walked 581 miles during this journey, so those massages were well-deserved…and the accompanying margaritas, very well-received!

Old San Juan is looking revitalized with fresh paint and renovations made since the damage caused by the 2017 hurricanes.

It felt really good to be back on U.S. soil and see the American flag waving once again. Traveling abroad offers plenty of reminders to be grateful for the freedoms we enjoy.

What a journey it’s been! 39,319 nautical miles, 32 countries, and 49 ports later, we’re still trying to wrap our heads around it all. This world is even more beautiful and surprising than we ever imagined, and we feel incredibly lucky to have experienced so many different places, people, and cultures. There were moments of awe, fleeting perplexity, and plenty of joy along the way.  We’ve returned home with full hearts, way too many photos, and a deep appreciation for just how big…and small…our world can feel.  What a gift it is to explore this world, and what a privilege it was to do so on this unforgettable voyage.

“Travel isn’t always about finding new landscapes but seeing with new eyes.” –  Marcel Proust