Malaga….Marseille…Morocco…..these are just a few of the ports that Sylvia Keys and her friends visited during their recent Mediterranean cruise that sailed from Lisbon, Portugal. The itinerary also included Barcelona, Spain and Genoa, Italy. 
These ladies have been globetrotting together for some time and have been to Dubai, the ABC Islands, Australia and Fiji. They work in various professions and each brings her special skills and talents to the group. Sylvia is the group leader and researcher who finds the trips, studies the travel books and scopes out the best shopping deals wherever they go (like the Jade Market in Tokyo). The financial analyst maps out the costs of each trip. Several of the ladies work in the medical field and focus on keeping everyone healthy. One is a doctor who has loads of Marriott points (a great benefit to everyone).
They selected MSC, an Italian-owned cruise line because it offered an itinerary with the ports that they all wanted to visit. 
Since the ship sailed from Lisbon, they spent time exploring the city and learning about its rich history. Before long it was time to board the ship and set sail on the MSC Preziosa. 
As an experienced cruiser, Sylvia provided good information about the Preziosa and their onboard experience. The other passengers were mostly from Russia, Eastern Europe, Australia, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia and Portugal. There were only ~10 other Americans onboard. There were only 18 Black people, all total. The ship was large and very well maintained. 
The cabins were comfortable with large showers and large balconies. They even cleaned the balcony doors several times when the ship was in port. 
Customer service was excellent and Sylvia described the staff as FABULOUS. Most of them were from Madagascar, South Africa and the Caribbean; all spoke several languages. 
Entertainment was different from other cruises they’d experienced – no musical or comedy shows – probably due to the fact that the passengers spoke so many different languages. Other onboard amenities were standard and included swimming pools, a casino, spa, hair salon and even a 4D movie theater. 
Food was fresh and included fresh fish, Indian food and burgers. 
As much as they enjoyed the shipboard experiences, the real fun began when they docked. Barcelona was the first port of call and they enjoyed its many sites, including La Sagrada Familia.
Sylvia even remembered to send regards to our BFTT group. 
In France they explored the port city of Marseille, gateway to the Provence region. 
Even though it rained some, that did not dampen their spirits.
Then it was on to Genoa, one of Italy’s most underrated gems. 
One of the highlights of the trip (and there were many) was visiting Morocco. 
In Casablanca they shopped in the bazaar for about four hours, visiting vendors who sold herbs, textiles, rugs, Goyard items and other souvenirs. The bazaar can get pretty hectic, but they found someone who guided and protected them from the more aggressive vendors, and even helped them find ATMs and taxis. 
The bazaar has ~400 kiosks, shops and stores. It really was the shopping experience of a lifetime.
It really sounds like these ladies had the trip of a lifetime. It must be great to have travel buddies that you can travel with regularly. If you’ve ever traveled with a group, you know that group dynamics can be “interesting”. But even with five different personalities and mindsets, these ladies seem to have it figured out. As a matter of fact they are already making plans for their 2019 trip.