Spanish immersion 101. Picture 2000 people, with maybe 80% of them being Spaniards. Now imagine them all talking at the same time, with nobody listening. Add the boundless amounts of testosterone and estrogen of youth and non-stop music. Finally, liquor them up really well. I have now described what life aboard our Spanish cruise ship is like. It's a cyclone of energy amidst the calm blue waters of the Mediterranean.

We started this latest cruise not knowing what to expect . We had never been on a ship other than the North American brands, but kept an open mind as we boarded this older and smaller ship. Though it pales in comparison to today’s ships in size and amenities, we found it beautiful, with lots of character, and nice big cabins (our last ship housed us in the equivalent of an oversized broom closet).

Which brings me to our first major "Kodak moment” of this cruise. Our 7 am flight to catch the cruise had us waking at 4 am. We were onboard the ship at 1 pm, feeling groggy. We unpacked some of our stuff and settled into our cabin. After a quick lunch, we decided that a little nap would recharge our batteries. We returned to our cabin (6012), undressed, and soon fell deeply asleep. About two hours later, we ourselves in someone else’s room. Sure enough, we had gotten the cabin number wrong, and we should have been in 6102. The rightful tenants were sitting outside on the floor of the corridor with their little daughter, waiting for us to get dressed, clear out our stuff, and evacuate their room . By their dour expressions, it was clear that they were none too pleased. Nor was the cabin attendant who would have to completely re-clean and prepare the room for these guests. We sheepishly but swiftly got out of there, giggling at the absurdity of it all and hoping not to see these people again over the next week. What a way to start this voyage. But, fate has a way of righting all wrongs. Turns out that our correct cabin was brighter and more spacious than our naptime cabin. All’s well that ends well, as they say, and we do have a good story to tell.

The ship is crawling with young Spanish millenials, who we assume have finished their studies, and are celebrating with this cruise. It is Spring Break 24/7 here, with swarms of chickees and studs crowding all the facilities, the pool, the disco, bars, the casino, etc. There are some older folks onboard as well, but they are in the vast minority. The fact that all the liquor and premium coffees are included in the price of the cruise means that everyone is jacked up on one thing or another almost all the time. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, which I can say from personal experience. After a few scotches yesterday, I was transformed into Ricardo Montelban and Bonnie was my Carman Miranda minus the fruit. (If you know these names, you are revealing your age).

Seriously, though, we are really having fun on this cruise, and though we can’t understand the announcements, the cruise director, and much of everything else, we’re loving this cruise, and wouldn’t hesitate to take another with Pulmantur. One highlight, for instance, had Bonnie winning first prize in the money-grabbing tornado booth, which got us an excursion worth $75.

Today, we reached our first port, in Malta, toured around, and took a boat ride on their traditional boats called Dghajsa. Next stops will be 2 Greek islands. I have begun to bone up on my Greek and read up on possible islands to visit for our independent travel once this cruise ends. It’s all proving to be a perfect distraction from thinking about the huge job that faces us when we return to Toronto and begin in earnest the job of downsizing and hunting for our next place.