I was a cruise virgin,

I have visited many cruise ships, and been wined & dined on them in my past life as a Travel tour operator, but my sailing away, was limited to many Portsmouth – Bilbao crossings on a ferry through the bay of Biscay, not really a comparison.

So last week-end, a treat from my girlfriends I was whisked away on a cruise from Malaga to Morocco, 4 days, of cocktails, cruising oh and a little culture .  We started how we meant to go on, with a chilled glass of white in the wonderful Muelleuno port in Malaga (Morocco take note) , before embarking and being sped through to the dining room ready for our lunch, well it would’ve been rude not to, for this cruise was fully inclusive.

Our ship the Pullmantur Empress, was perfect for the short break, cabins compact & bijou, but we were not planning to spend much time in them 😉 .  The cuisine, was well presented, plentiful, and to suit every taste, wine forever flowing & breakfast was leisurely and calm, (much needed) and enjoyed with Mimosa’s to kick start our days.

Our first port of call Casablanca,  not for the faint hearted, I had be warned, but even then I was shocked.  I have never in my life been in a taxi so unroad worthy, with a driver reading the newspaper as we went ! I prayed 😉  The site of the Grand Mosque Hassan II was a welcome site in a city for of chaos, even on a dismal day, the mosaics and towers shone in all their glory.

We visited a herbalist and bought the obligatory Argan Oil and spices, paying was an experience !!

Second port of call Tangers, more up my street, for one thing we could walk into town, so no dicing with death in a taxi.  We wandered the streets, and markets, watching the people go on about the daily business, bought tagines, baskets & sheeshas, from bazaars ladened with goodies.

I enjoyed a time, of dancing till the early hours, feasting, laughing till it hurt, letting my hair down, meeting people, bartering, praying for my life (taxis in Casablanca, enough said) , getting drenched (it never stopped raining), bunk-bed sleeping & prank playing.

I returned back home, needing sleep & rehab, but with memories that provoke laughter.