April 18, 2026: Canary Islands

 

April 18, 2026

Overview from deck 16 looking down on 14


Six days at sea

Nine days since we left Miami

Over 3,000 nautical miles traveled across the Atlantic

We are approaching Europe

Tomorrow we reach the Canary Islands off the Western Sahara Desert

We're looking forward to having some time off the ship to explore a place we once visited before on a trans-Atlantic crossing several years ago. Passing time has been without problem. Numerous bands playing everything from hard rock to Salsa to Disco and more are available throughout the afternoon and evening in a variety of venues. Conversations with casual friendships made throughout the journey allow us time to share perspectives and thoughts as well as to recount our activities on board our ship, the MSC Divina.

The food has been much better than I expected it might. Given that our last trip across the Atlantic on the MSC Lyrica was a gastronomic disaster, we are pleasantly surprised with what we are finding aboard this behemoth of a boat. MSC is generally known as a budget cruise line with highly competitive pricing. They hope to attract folks onboard who will then spend money in the casinos, on alcohol and on special treatments in the spa. So far, no one on the ship or in the spa has given us a massage on our wallets. We're frugal Yankees and generally easy to please with the simple pleasures in life that don't have an upcharged price tag associated.

The ship is large. It's over 100,000 tons, is nearly a a quarter mile in length and has 16 decks that, on the very top, makes the ship the highest skyscraper when we dock in most ports. The crossing of the Atlantic Ocean has been, at least from our perspective in this huge ship, uneventful. At times, it is difficult to discern that we are even moving through the water at about 33 kilometers per hour. Our cabin has been a joy to reside in. Opening the slider to the deck gives us a view into the endless ocean behind us. We're at the very back (aft) of the boat on the eighth deck. Besides our bed and bathroom with shower, we also have a loveseat couch and a writing desk. Relaxing chairs on the outside veranda round out our accommodations.

Amazingly, this 18 day voyage has taken us to the Virgin Islands, then on to the Canary Islands, mainland Spain, France, Italy, Greece and finally Turkey. With all of our entertainment and food and lodging covered, we are spending less than if we took a flight to Turkey in economy class. We've improved our health through the included gym membership onboard as well as the many hours of dancing we are doing every night. I've brought my resting pulse rate down to 67 and my oxygen levels SpO2 to nearly 98%. I guess that's not to shabby for being the age I am.

I write this from the buffet on deck 14, sitting at a table at the far end of what amounts to huge buffet cafeteria. It's amazing to listen to the many languages of so many people from so many different countries. There are likely more but from what I have seen, there are people traveling on this ship who hail from Spain, Portugal, France Italy, Germany, Canada, Quebec (a wholly owned independent subsidiary of Canada), Romania, Bulgaria, Brazil, Argentina, The USA of course, Dominican Republic, the Philippines, India, Sri-Lanka, Malasia, Vietnam, Laos, China, Japan, South Africa, the Ukraine, a variety of Middle Eastern countries and many more. We've had some amazing conversations and have exchanged WhatsApp information with quite a few. What fun it has been in this cultural mixing pot.

I suppose there are those who have not cruised who have some suspicions that plagues and contagions run rampant on cruise ships, and while this can be true, thus far, it seems that the nearly 3,000 people on here have been disease free and I can happily report that we are enjoying a ship that is being maintained to high hygienic standards. Personal wash stations abound and the crew is constantly cleaning and disinfecting surfaces in common areas. We realize that things can change quickly as we make port in new and distant lands, but for now all seems to be well and we are thankful for that. Being cooped up in a plane for 10 hours, packed like sardines cheek to cheek, would seem a worse fate in my honest opinion.

We're off to a whole slurry of museums tomorrow when we dock in Tenerife, Canary Islands. It will be nice to stand on a Terra Firma and smell the land once again.


Retractable roof over one half of the upper deck

Impressive mosaics

Use of mirrors and lighting to enhance scale

Attention to detail.  Do you see the ship in the wall?

Art galleries are installed in various locations 



 

 

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