After our slower morning and afternoon in Cartagena the day before, Day 6 was a FULL day. We were docked in Málaga, and our plans would take us through the Andalusian countryside to Granada and the incredible Alhambra before bringing us back to the Disney Dream for one of my favorite evenings of the cruise.
We had booked Disney Cruise Line’s Granada and Alhambra Port Adventure, an eight hour excursion from Málaga. This was definitely one of the longer touring days of our cruise, but the Alhambra was high on my list of places I wanted to experience in Spain, and I was more than happy to let Disney take care of the transportation and logistics involved in getting us there and back to the ship.
Spain with Adventures by Disney and Disney Cruise Line
Day 1: Arriving in Barcelona & Welcome Dinner
Day 2: Gothic Quarter, Park Güell & La Sagrada Família
Day 3: Montserrat, Flamenco & Viva Espana!
Day 4: Farewell Barcelona, Hello Disney Dream
Day 5: Cartagena
Day 6: Malaga & Granada
Day 7: At Sea
Day 8: Santiago de Compostela
Day 9: Betanzos and A Coruña
Day 10 & 11: At Sea
From Málaga to Granada
With an early wake up, we set our breakfast order out on the door the night before. It’s the easiest way to start a long day!
We met our group in Málaga and set off for Granada, traveling through the beautiful Andalusian countryside along the way. Olive groves stretched across the landscape, and I loved getting to see another completely different part of Spain from the windows of our motorcoach.
Granada sits at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains and has centuries of both Islamic and Christian history woven throughout the city. Having a local guide with us once again made a huge difference because there was SO much history to absorb in one day.
Our main destination was the Alhambra, and this was one of those places where seeing pictures ahead of time did very little to prepare me for actually being there.
The Alhambra
The Alhambra is a sprawling palace and fortress complex overlooking Granada, best known for its spectacular Nasrid palaces and gardens. Its history stretches back centuries, with the Nasrid dynasty transforming it into a royal city before Granada eventually came under the rule of the Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella. Walking through it felt like stepping into another world.
The architecture was extraordinary, but it was the details that fascinated me most. Intricate carvings covered walls and arches, courtyards opened onto reflecting pools and fountains, and seemingly every surface gave us something new to study. Our guide helped us understand what we were seeing and put the different spaces into historical context, which made the experience so much richer than simply walking through on our own.
This was also one of those days when I was especially happy we had chosen a Disney Port Adventure. Visiting the Alhambra from Málaga required a significant amount of travel time, timed admission and a full day away from the ship. Rather than spending the day watching the clock and worrying about transportation back to port, we could focus on Granada and let someone else handle the details.
Exploring Granada
Our day wasn’t limited to the Alhambra. We also had the opportunity to see more of Granada and learn about the city’s fascinating history, including the enormous changes that came with Ferdinand and Isabella and the end of Muslim rule in Granada.
We visited Granada Cathedral, explored more of the city and, because we were apparently determined to conduct a very thorough study of Spanish cuisine on this trip, there were tapas and local wine involved. And churros. MORE CHURROS. At this point in the trip, I had gone from arriving in Spain completely unaware of the importance of churros to feeling personally responsible for sampling them whenever the opportunity presented itself. Travel is educational.
By the time we headed back toward Málaga, we had covered a tremendous amount of ground. It had been a long day, but it was exactly the kind of port day I had hoped for when we chose this itinerary. We hadn’t flown all the way to Spain to stay within a few blocks of the ship, and I loved that cruising gave us the opportunity to use each port as a jumping off point to see so much more of the country.
Back Home on the Disney Dream
After a full day of touring, coming back aboard the Disney Dream felt especially wonderful.
We changed out of our touring clothes and headed to the Concierge Lounge for appetizers, happy hour and cards with friends. One of my favorite things about sailing Concierge was having this space to come back to at the end of a long port day. We could grab something to eat and drink, settle into a game of cards and decompress before deciding what we wanted to do with the rest of the evening.
And because apparently we had established a vacation routine, sail away meant it was time for the Concierge sun deck hot tub. This time we arrived armed with crispy Coke Zeros, climbed into the hot tub and watched Málaga disappear behind us. PERFECTION.
Swimsuits, Burgers and Muppet Treasure Island
After spending most of the day touring Granada, we had absolutely no interest in getting dressed up for dinner. So we didn’t.
We stayed in our swimsuits, grabbed burgers and watched Muppet Treasure Island on Funnel Vision out by the pool. It was casual, easy and exactly what we wanted after such a full day.
This is one of the things I love about Disney Cruise Line, especially on a port intensive European itinerary. There are beautiful dining rooms, Broadway style shows and plenty of opportunities to dress up and make an evening of it, but you don’t have to do any of that. Sometimes the perfect dinner is a burger in your swimsuit while Kermit and Miss Piggy are on the giant screen above the pool.
We even found enough energy to ride the AquaMouse before calling it a night. Except the night had one more surprise for us.
Sailing Through the Strait of Gibraltar
As we continued sailing that evening, the Disney Dream made its way through the Strait of Gibraltar. This was SO COOL.
The Strait of Gibraltar is the narrow passage connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, separating southern Europe from northern Africa. We were literally sailing between two continents, with Europe on one side of us and Africa on the other.
It was one of those moments I hadn’t fully appreciated when I looked at the itinerary before the trip. I had been focused on Barcelona, Cartagena, Málaga and all of the places we would visit ashore, but I hadn’t really thought about the route the ship itself would travel.
Why I Love Disney Cruise Line in Europe
By this point in our trip, I was starting to recognize what I loved most about cruising Europe with Disney. It wasn’t simply the destinations, although those were obviously incredible. It was the contrast between our days ashore and our time onboard.
We could spend eight hours traveling through Andalusia, exploring the Alhambra, learning about centuries of Spanish history and eating our way through Granada, then return to a ship where everything was familiar and easy.
Within an hour of getting back onboard, we were playing cards with friends and having drinks in the Concierge Lounge. Then we were in a hot tub for sail away, eating burgers in our swimsuits, watching a Muppet movie and riding the AquaMouse.
And later that night, we sailed between two continents.
That combination of immersive travel and actual vacation time is incredibly difficult to recreate on a traditional European land trip, and it was becoming one of my favorite things about this itinerary.
Planning a Disney Cruise in Europe?
By the time we took this trip, I had sailed with Disney Cruise Line 21 times, on every Disney ship at least twice and in Concierge on every ship. I’ve also experienced Disney cruises across very different destinations, including the Bahamas, Caribbean, Alaska and Europe.
That experience is important when I’m helping a family plan because a port intensive European cruise is very different from a relaxing Caribbean sailing. The itinerary matters. Your stateroom matters. Your Port Adventures matter. Even decisions about dining, onboard activities and how much you schedule can affect how the vacation feels.
I help my clients look at the entire trip and figure out the combination that makes sense for their family, rather than simply choosing a ship and clicking “book.” My planning services are complimentary when you book your Disney cruise with me.
If you’re considering a Disney cruise in Europe, I’d love to help you find the itinerary, stateroom and experiences that are right for your family.
Up next: a much needed day at sea aboard the Disney Dream.
