Please remember you have up to 4 days prior to your sail date to purchase your Royal Caribbean International Shore Excursions online. If you are within the 4 days, you will then need to purchase your Shore Excursions on board; land excursions would need to be purchased directly through your tour director on the land portion of your Cruisetour.
*Prices shown above are representative. Dates, times, and prices are subject to change and may not be available for your sailing. To purchase a Royal Caribbean International Shore Excursion, you must already have a reservation number for a cruise and have made a payment towards that reservation. Shore Excursions must be purchased in the same currency as your cruise reservation. Exchange rates are determined by a competitive pricing program and may be subject to change without notice. All monetary exchanges onboard are processed in U.S. Dollars directly to your SeaPass® onboard charge account unless otherwise specified.
Barcelona & Montserrat with Lunch - BR13
Depart port & proceed to Sagrada Familia (exterior photos) bound for Catalunya Square. Continue on pano drive along Passeig de Grącia. Reaching Diagonal Avenue, drive to Montserrat, mountain & Benedictine Monastery. Besides visiting Benedictine Abbey Monastery, admire Patroness of Catalonia. Besides monks, students live in Montserrat that form oldest boys' choir. Attend choral concert. Finish visit with lunch before return to ship (1.5-hr drive). En route to port, enjoy pano view of Cathedral & Gothic Quarter. Note: must walk approx 2 miles over even, cobblestone surfaces, inclines & 45 - 50 steps. Have approx 35 mins for shopping. Respectful attire suggested.
At first glimpse, you will notice that Barcelona is a city with charming streets, busy with people, and full of life. The old town, comprising the Gothic Quarter, the Ribera and Raval districts are famed for its historical monument, narrow streets and Bohemian atmosphere, is a perfect place for a stroll. The city also has the biggest selection of modernist architecture: a genuine open-air museum. Barcelona is the only European capital with over four kilometers of beaches where you can enjoy the most modern amenities.
As your tour departs from the port, the coach will take you to the Sagrada Familia (exterior views only), through some of the main streets of Barcelona to reach the Catalunya Square, considered the heart of the city. From there, you will continue on a panoramic drive along Passeig de Gracia, the best known boulevard in town, where guides will point out one of the masterpieces of Gaudi's architecture: the Casa Mila or known by Barcelonans "La Pedrera House" and Casa Batlo. Once reaching Diagonal Avenue, you will drive to Montserrat, the mountain and the Benedictine Monastery of Montserrat was founded there in the 11th century and is located in a natural park 60 km to the west of Barcelona. Besides visiting the Benedictine Abbey Monastery, you will admire also the Patroness of Catalonia, The virgin of Montserrat that is worshipped at the shrine in the Monastery. The Benedictine community, now numbering some eighty monks, has served the shrine for almost a thousand years. They are dedicated to a life of prayer, to working and to welcoming pilgrims, making the site a place for dialogue, prayer, and culture. Besides the monks, escolars (students) also live in Montserrat, which form the oldest boys' choir in Europe. You will attend a choral concert given by the escolans. Finished the visit, you will have lunch in the Montserrat Restaurant before reboarding the coach and returning to Barcelona. En route to the port, you will enjoy a panoramic view of the Cathedral and the Gothic Quarter.
Important Notes: Guests must be able to walk approximately 2 miles over even cobblestone surfaces with numerous inclines and 45 - 50 steps. Comfortable walking shoes, hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen are recommended. Time permitting; guests will have approximately 35 minutes for shopping and browsing. The Cathedral is closed to tour groups every Saturday afternoon, Sundays, and during mass services. Should this occur during your visit, guides will give an explanation outside and guests will then enter on their own. Respectful attire that covers shoulders and knees should be worn in order to enter the Basilica. The touring in Barcelona will consist of a panoramic drive through the city centre with an exterior photo stop at Sagrada Familia.
Please note La Pedrera will not be seen on this tour due to venue restoration in 2014. However other modernist houses will be seen at Passeig the Gracia during your drive through the city.
