Day 6 – Malaga & Strait of Gibraltar

8 November, 2024

Not a day we specifically chose to stay on the ship, but a lack of compelling tours of an appropriate activity level led us to enjoy the ship. We started with a leisurely breakfast (I maintained my streak, and the poached egg master in the kitchen also maintained theirs.) Then it was back to the cabin to collect our things and find a spot to hang out for a while.

We started in the Solarium, which was comfortable for a while but became a bit stuffy as the clouds opened up. In general we're not overly fond of the forward Solarium placement on the Quantum class ships due to the humidity and chlorine intensity. On the Radiance class ships, with an aft placement, the open roof generates a healthy airflow and temperatures tend to be moderate even when the roof is open on cool days. The only time we've seen the solarium closed on Radiance class ships is during rainy weather.

After some time in the Solarium we packed up and retreated to Two70, which was much more comfortable. I did my best to deplete the coffee supply and tried desperately to avoid the cookies, but succumbed to temptation a couple of times (only one cookie at a time, even though I wanted many more.)

Gibraltar

We wandered up to the Windjammer for lunch which was lightly utilized on a port day. We hung out for a while, enjoying the different view and easy access to soda, as well as the easy access to additional snacks. Eventually we made our way back to Two70, continuing our reading/knitting/movie/music enjoyment. Never underestimate the value of a good set of earbuds or earphones when you're on vacation. They're nice to have for more than the journey to and from your destination.

We had dinner reservations at Giovanni's Kitchen, a more relaxed incarnation of the original RCCL Italian specialty dining venue, Giovanni's Table. The menu is simplified, with the addition of several pizza options and an expanded appetizer offering. Our server, Sanjay, helped us navigate the unfamiliar menu and supplied just enough energy to make the experience fun without ever giving the impression that he was trying too hard. Our dinner was excellent and the portions were ample to the point that we couldn't finish everything they served. The next time we're on Odyssey we'll probably visit more than once and, hopefully, we'll see Sanjay again.

Later in the evening we claimed a spot on Deck 14 to watch our passage through the Strait of Gibraltar. The weather was a bit foggy, so photos were challenging, but being able to clearly see Europe on one side of the ship and Africa on the other side was one of those unexpected "Wow" moments that hit you out of nowhere.

Africa