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Gibraltar as a Port Stop


Passing by the Rock of Gibraltar always brings people to their balconies or ship vantage points to take photos and see what all the fuss is about. The very narrow Straight of Gibraltar separates the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean and is a desirable, strategic location. Sitting in the straight is the iconic Rock of Gibraltar. Despite my interest in the "Rock", it took me years to finally take a cruise that actually stopped there and allow me to see the sights.

This October we headed to Gibraltar with great anticipation and very little advance planning. I had looked at various shore excursions on offer, spoke with a number of cruising friends and ultimately decided that I would not pre-book a tour at this stop. Dan and I would exit the ship and just wing it.

We arrived on a sunny, day with the sky an amazing blue and the waters calm and inviting. Perfect weather. Exiting the ship we made our way to the tourist information desk that was located in the cruise ship terminal and spoke with a representative who advised us on how best to travel to the places we had already earmarked as must see attractions. Following discussion, we selected the share a ride option which meant we exited the cruise terminal and found a group taxi tour bus. That was very easy as the drivers simply wait just outside the cruise ship terminal and ask people if they would like to join in a small group. It cost us 30 pounds per person which was lower than costs we had been quoted by private tour operators but a little pricier than some of the large group tours that would involve numbers of 45 or more persons. That 30 pound cost included the admission to all the attractions which, when I added up entrance ticket costs, came to a total of 18 pounds. So in reality, the taxi tour bus cost us 12 per person and we felt that price was quite reasonable to get to where we wanted to go and back. We had heard the odd horror stories of long walks and waits for those who chose to take the cable car and although that method got people to the top of the mountain at a significantly cheaper price, they still faced walks to see all the attractions.

The driver would not leave without a minimum of 6 people but there were two ladies already waiting so we only needed to wait for two more people to join us. With the addition of a single woman and then one other couple, we were soon ready to go. The bus comfortably fit the 7 of us and we set off. Luckily for us it was a great group. People were friendly and the driver was a wealth of knowledge with respect to the area attractions and Gibraltar history. He kept up a running commentary of useful and interesting facts.

Our first stop was at the monument called the Pillars of Hercules. It is located at a very scenic point on the mountain. Overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, one can take panoramic photos from that vantage point and see Morocco and Spain depending on the direction in which you look. As for the monument, it was large sized, with two pillars and a coin shaped plaque showing the ancient world. It stated;

To the ancient world, Gibraltar was known as Mons Calpe. One of the legendary pillars created by Hercules as a religious shrine and as an entrance to Hades to many. It signified "The Nonplus Ultra" the end of the known world.

Stop two was St. Michael’s cave which is a giant cavity in the mountain and once reported to be a bottomless cave. It is currently a tourist attraction and 600 person auditorium. I found it visually interesting but I was torn between liking the coloured lighting and finding the colours detracted from the natural beauty. If you like stalagmites, stalactites and other geological wonders, than you will enjoy this cave. There is a story that there is a subterranean passage from Gibraltar to the continent of Africa but if such a passage once existed, it is long gone.

Next up were the Gibraltar Apes who hang out at the scenic lookout points. These apes are actually tailless Barbary Macaques and there were plenty of them to see. They are fed by the state and should not be fed by tourists. Specifically, they should not be given food that is bad for them (such as chocolate), which is reported to make them more aggressive. I have seen what monkeys can do when we were in India and encountered some aggressive little monkey thieves. I deliberately did not have earrings, necklace(s), plastic bags etc. adorning my person. I did not walk near, or close to, the apes and avoided passing underneath them. Nevertheless, while I was taking a video of a few apes, another jumped on my shoulder/head and decided to give me a good grooming.

Startled at having something jump on me, I remained calm but I did not enjoy the experience. I was not worried about the ape biting me but I was a little worried about lice or fleas becoming unwanted visitors on my person. My unwelcome guest was quite content to groom me until people tried to shoo him away and then he grabbed onto my hair as that was the best way to retain his position. It was only when our taxi driver waved a fake rubber snake in his face, that he abandoned his perch in favour of easier prey. I made note to carry a fake rubber snake with me whenever I enter an area heavily inhabited by monkeys or apes.

My close encounter with the Gibraltar Ape was all well and good but I was quite happy to get back into the taxi bus and head to the Great Siege Tunnels. These tunnels were originally built in 1780 and were hand cut into the rock as a defensive system. The siege ended in 1783 with the defeat of the French and Spanish troops. There are mannequins in historical costumes placed throughout the cave along with information boards. It is easy to navigate the caves and read about its fascinating history. There are also some amazing views from various windows.

Once we finished up at the tunnels, our driver took us to several other points of interest before dropping us all off at our preferred locations. The two ladies opted to return with him to the ship, our single traveler was dropped off at the historic Rock Hotel while we were let out at the pedestrian mall so we could do a little more touring and some shopping. There are some interesting buildings and some fun street names. We eventually made our way to the main square (at the end of the pedestrian mall), where we paid 2 pounds to catch a shuttle bus to the cruise port.

I thought since Gibraltar comes under British rule that British stamps could be used to mail postcards. Since I had a book of stamps from England, I mailed a number of post cards. It ended up that I needed more stamps. Finding a place that sold stamps, I discovered that Gibraltar does not use stamps from England. Luckily for me, the mailed postcards with the stamps I bought in England did arrive at their intended destinations but I recommend buying stamps from Gibraltar if you want to mail anything from that location.

If you have any questions about Gibraltar as a port stop or comments about this article, please feel free to contact me.

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 Best of Scandinavia Cruise

Celebrity Eclipse  May 21 – June 2, 2026 (12 nights)  

Details

  • Concierge * 

  • Wi-fi

  • Classic beverage package - includes beer, wine and spirits (see Celebrity website for details), specialty coffees, all soft drinks and juices.

  • Select dining - dine at any time you prefer (no early or late dining times - you pick the time you want to dine),

* Concierge included the following Amenities

  • Exclusive Welcome Aboard Concierge Class Lunch

  • 1 bottle of Sparkling Wine per cruise upon request.

  • Daily delectable delights (hors d'oeuvres or fresh fruit)

  • Pillow selection upon request

  • Use of umbrella and binoculars

  • Celebrity embossed key holder

Stateroom Features

  • King-sized bed** or two single beds if that is your choice

  • eXhale® bedding   

  • Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors

  • Sitting area with sofa

  • Veranda with lounge seating

  • Individual safe

  • Dual voltage 110/220 AC

  • Mini-fridge*

  • Hair dryer

Services

  • Personalized Concierge service

  • Exclusive Destination Seminar

  • Laundry service*

  • Complimentary shoeshine service

Dining

  • Main & specialty restaurant seating time preference upon availability

  • Exclusive Welcome Aboard Lunch on boarding day in the main dining room. Choose the earliest check-in times so you don't miss your welcome aboard Concierge Class lunch. (Welcome lunch times may vary by ship & itinerary.)

  • 24-hour room service†

 

 

The ship is a medium size ship with a passenger capacity 2852. The ship built 2012 but scheduled for refurbishment in 2025

 The cruise starts in Amsterdam but I recommend people go there a few days ahead of time to visit the city. 

 

The cruise itinerary is: 

Day One: Amsterdam, Netherlands   

Thu, May 21, 2026  Departs: 5:00PM 

 

Day Two - At Sea – Cruising  Fri, May 22, 2026

 

Day Three - Oslo, Norway  

Sat, May 23, 2026   Docked: 8:00AM to 6:00PM  

 

Day Four - Skagen, Denmark Sun, May 24, 2026  Docked: 7:00AM to 3:30PM 

 

 Day Five - At Sea – Cruising  Mon, May 25, 2026

 

Day Six - Stockholm, Sweden  Tue, May 26, 2026  Docked: 8:00AM to 5:00PM 

 

Day Seven - Tallinn, Estonia  Wed, May 27, 2026  Docked: 10:00AM to 8:00PM 

 

Day Eight - Helsinki, Finland Thu, May 28, 2026  Docked: 7:00AM to 5:00PM 

 

Day Nine - At Sea – Cruising  Fri, May 29, 2026  View Details

 

Day Ten - Copenhagen, Denmark  Sat, May 30, 2026  Arrival: 2:00PM

Overnight

 

Day Eleven - Copenhagen, Denmark  Sun, May 31, 2026  Departs: 5:00PM    

 

Day Twelve - At Sea – Cruising  Mon, Jun 1, 2026

 

Day Thirteen - Amsterdam, Netherlands Tue, Jun 2, 2026  Arrival: 6:00AM  Get off the ship

 

Statutory Holidays during the cruise     &       Currency

Amsterdam, Netherlands   - None on May 21, 2026          Euro

 

At Sea – Cruising  Fri, May 22, 2026 – not applicable         US dollar on ship

 

Oslo, Norway  - Saturday May 23, 2026 – none but the 24th and 25th are holidays so business may close early. Norwegian Krone ($1 CAD = 7.37 Krone)

 

Skagen, Denmark Sun, May 24, 2026  - none but the 25th is a holiday so businesses may close early. Danish krone ($1 CAD = 4.78 Krone)

 

At Sea – Cruising  Mon, May 25, 2026 – not applicable      US dollar on ship

 

Stockholm, Sweden  Tue, May 26, 2026  - no holiday     Swedish krona   ($1 CAD = 7.06 Krona)  

 

Tallinn, Estonia  Wed, May 27, 2026  - no holiday            Euro

 

Helsinki, Finland Thu, May 28, 2026  - no holiday            Euro

 

At Sea – Cruising  Fri, May 29, 2026 not applicable           US dollar on ship

 

Copenhagen, Denmark  Sat, May 30, 2026  Arrival: 2:00PM – no holiday

                                                                                            Danish krone ($1 CAD = 4.78 Krone)

 

Copenhagen, Denmark  Sun, May 31, 2026  Departs: 5:00PM –no holiday   

 

Amsterdam, Netherlands – no holiday                             Euro

 

Cost is $9046 per cabin ( $4,523 per person)

©2018 by Gail Gauvreau. All Rights Reserved.

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