Tipps and Infos
as of January 2018 – my subjective take.

Booking
Such tours are a little bit harder to book than city weekends in London via Expedia. Although ferry booking portals such as Direct Ferries or A Ferry give a first overview, my booking requests on both sites only returned error pages. Booking directly with Trassmediterranea worked better althogh the exact itinerary with stopovers, cabin occupancy or the check-in info were missing in the final confirmation.

The fact that the ticket price includes full board was not communicated either.

The nearest airport is Jerez de la Fontera, located directly on the Seville – Cádiz train line. Seville and the airports of Malaga on the Costa del Sol and Faro on the Portuguese Algarve are also well connected.

By the way, a handy website for researching bus and train connections to Cádiz from all over the Iberian Peninsula is www.rome2rio.com (as the URL says, it is also quite useful in other parts of the world).

Embarkation
Unlike the veritable odyssey through the port of Livorno on my trip from Livorno to Tangier three years ago, the check-in in Cádiz is quite easy to find, as you can see the white-red ship from the train station already. From there, however, you will walk another quarter of an hour, so with a lot of luggage a taxi could be useful.

Ferry“terminal“ in Cádiz port

The „terminal“ seems pretty makeshift. A small portacabin structure which smells of wet dog and features a defunct coffe- and a working but overpriced snack machine.

The staff is consistently unfriendly.

NB: After receiving several, super-urgent, emails (in Spanish) about one week before departure, I did something which felt like an online check-in, generating something that resembled a boarding pass. Nevertheless, an employee urged  me to check-in with him again at his desk. Whatever that online check-in was remains a mystery.

About two hours before departure an airport-based security line opens and everyone passes with all their luggage. In the process, I watch a small drama unfolding as a traveling companion in his late forties, receding hairline, completely dressed in black with a long, black leather coat (island reverend, death metal fan??) traveling with two suitcases, a backpack, two bags and a folding stool laboriously ties these objects together with multiple straps and expanders for over half an hour just to have the security guard make him disassemble everything to pass through the baggage scanner.

The whole check seemed merely symbolic to me, because identity cards were not checked and all the luggage in the cars also went through without inspection. At the ports on the Canary Islands, security checks were missing altogether . Well…

After the security check, foot passengers and their luggage are shuttled in a minibus directly to the main deck of the ferry. From there it is only a few steps to the reception where you exchange your boarding pass for a cabin key-card.

The Ship

M/V Albayzin Docking in Santa Cruz de La Palma

With 185 M length, 25.6 M width and 6.6 m draft, the Ro / Ro ferry M/V „Albayzin“ is a rather smaller vessel that can accommodate a maximum of 172 vehicles and 949 passengers. Also, the 22 knots maximum speed are rather leisurely. The operates under Cypriot flag for the shipping company Trasmediterranea which is part of the Acciona group. 

Apart from flagging out ships and selling passports to rich Russians, Cyprus’s contribution to the EU is exactly what?

Provided with a dynamic white and red livery, the Albayzin, named after Granada’s oldest district, looks dynamic and inviting. The good impression continues in the public areas inside the ship, all of which look fresh and clean.

The decks and outdoor areas, however, seemed neglected and were never cleaned during the crossing.

The „living quarters“ such as sleeper chairs and cabins are clean but old fashioned and worn. It is actually hard to believe that the ship was built in 2004, since the design of the cabins would have been pretty retro even back then.

Inside cabin aboard the Albayzin

Before the „Albayzin“ sailed on the Canary Islands route for Trasmediterranea, she was called „Golfo degli Angeli“ and „Maria Grazia On“ touring  the mediterranean sea for Moby Lines and was heavily used obviously. A full renovation of the cabins and outer decks seems to be due soon.

Life on Board
Facilities

With two bars, one self-service and one formal restaurant and a children’s area as well as duty-free shop and various sundecks, the facilities on the Albyzin are quickly outlined. In the evening there is even a DJ in the bar on deck 6 and tries to put on some evening entertainment – think tea dance in a retirement home meeting talent show in a North Korean holiday camp.

Outside area with sumptuos gardening on deck 7

Join the beercan-shuffleboard in the roomy outdoor areas

The covered deck 6 deck is quickly occupied by smokers and dog owners – both groups of people well-known for their cordial consideration for fellow travelers

Food & Beverage
During the crossing breakfast and a three-course lunch and dinner are included in your passage. The food is OK: Continental breakfast  with muesli and croissants, juice and coffee, and for lunch and dinner a salad or pasta course, followed by a main  of fish or meat or a vegetarian dish. Fruit, yogurt or packaged flans are available for dessert. Solid canteen level and adequate considering the price. These free on-board meals are also served during port aytime.

Costs of living
Everything is paid directly in euros or by ec-(debit) card and there are no onboard accounts like on a cruise ship.

With main meals included and relatively few additional offers you get by relatively little money. A café solo (espresso) costs 1.65 €, the café con leche (milk coffee) 1.85 € and the classic beer and chips combo sells for 3.50 €.

There is little need/ocassion for tipping either, except that you can always leave some change at the bar.

Clientele
Dominant group on board on this tour were German emigrants who wanted to return to their island after their christmas holiday and were joined by German low season holidaymakers and a large group of pretty freaky Italians as well as some locals.

Shore excursions
If the timetable permits, you can stretch your legs in the port cities for some hours. Each time you go ashore, check in and out at the reception and someone from the crew will drive you to the port terminal.