Málaga and cruising. . . . . . . .

Málaga, capital of the province of the same name on the Costa del Sol,

 it is one of the oldest towns in Spain and in the beautiful region of Andalucia.

 It is surrounded on three sides by relatively high mountains and enjoys the mildest

 climate in Spain.

Early morning arrival - Málaga at daybreak.

Some those mountains are visible here - and the sun was out for a

 short time but then it clouded up and we had showers for much of the day.

No problem finding a juicy Spanish orange on the streets of Málaga.

We enjoyed our usual overview of the city via the Hop On Hop Off bus,

 then spent time wandering through the old city viewing the buildings and

 doing a little shopping, however it was not a beach day, and there are

 some lovely ones here along the Costa del Sol which attract hundreds of

 thousands of tourists in the Summer months.

The star marks our stateroom on this recent cruise.  

We really liked this location of our balcony cabin. 

It was very quiet, but close to the elevators and stairways, and high enough

 above the dining room that we were not bothered by late night cleanup noise

 which we did experience, and found somewhat annoying, on the previous

 cruise when we were in the same area but one deck lower. 

We enjoy longer walks - after all that eating - through the length of the

 ship to reach the entertainment areas - ballroom, theatre, pub, bars, music

 venues, library etc., all of which are usually forward in the bow of these ships.

Regarding choosing accommodation, some of you have asked for tips on

 selecting a comfortable/affordable cabin on a cruise ship.

 This was our second cruise on the Queen Victoria. Other mid-size ships

 we've sailed on have been Cunard's Queen Elizabeth and the Crystal Serenity. 

Ships of these proportions are really nice, hold no more than 2,000

 passengers, and don't feel at all crowded.

This link below to Cruise Critic's article on ship sizes and their offerings will be of

 great help if you are considering a cruise. For us the mega-ships will never be on

 our list, however the even smaller expedition ships are high on the list as always

 and we'll be cruising on another of those later this year.

Cruise Critic

Cruising is not for everyone, however it is an opportunity to see a lot of countries 

on one trip, with the comfort of only having to unpack once, and personally

 I really love that part!  

Cost can range from very expensive to a surprising bargain. 

I'm not an expert by any means, however if you are considering a cruise

 and need any further information I will be glad to point you in the direction

 of those who can help. . . . . .or answer any questions you may have regarding

my own personal experiences from exciting shipboard life.