TUI Mediterranean 2019 · Page 2

We took the bus back. The bus connections on Mallorca are really exemplary. Every journey (except to/from the airport) costs 1.50 euros for tourists and can be paid directly to the driver.

A small tip: to make the buses stop, you have to raise your hand at the bus stop – otherwise they drive straight past.

The buses run very regularly, sometimes every 10 minutes. To choose buses and check times we used the Moovit app, which is available free in the app store. You simply enter your destination and the app shows the whole route with changes. All bus numbers are listed and the journey is shown live, so you can always see in the app when you need to get off.

As we generally only book breakfast at the hotel, we ate in the evenings at various restaurants in Arenal. Not many restaurants are open at this time of year, but there were some very good ones.

On Tuesday a massage was on the programme, and there are several spas near Ballermann 12. Unfortunately we ended up in a very bad one: the Asian-run shop offered not only massages but also nibbling fish, pedicures, manicures, and a small area was a hairdresser's. The atmosphere was more like a living room – dishes were standing around, a cot with a toddler stood in the shop, and everything looked very run-down. The massage was also very bad, so that the next day we even had a few bruises.

After a few great, quiet days, on Thursday at midday we went to "Mein Schiff 4", which had docked in Palma that morning. Here too the app helped us with the best route, and the bus took us right to the port entrance. Mein Schiff 4 lay in port in all her splendour.

At check-in we got to know Klaus and Marion straight away; we hit it off immediately, and over a first cocktail the next tasks were agreed.

As Klaus and Marion were on a TUI ship for the first time, like us, we took part in the ship tour, got to know the ship and could make our first comparisons. We'll share a few of our impressions here, but we won't make a general comparison.

Our balcony cabin on deck 6 was very nice. The light colours made the cabin look very elegant. The cabin and the balcony are larger than on AIDA ships, and everything looks very harmonious. A coffee machine is part of the standard equipment of every cabin on TUI ships.

After our tour we immediately noticed that the whole ship somehow feels more open. The areas aren't so strictly separated and flow into each other very harmoniously.

In the evening the four of us went to the Atlantik restaurant, one of the many "inclusive" areas. Some restaurants and bars are exclusive, which means extra costs may apply that aren't covered by the fare – but this is explicitly pointed out. On arrival at the Atlantik came the first pleasant surprise: please wait until you are allocated a table. So no aimless wandering through the restaurant looking for a table for four. Less than a minute later we had a table for four, and the waiter brought us the menu straight away. Drinks of all kinds are served, and the menu can be put together individually. The waiters and waitresses were always very friendly and attentive and never seemed annoyed or stressed. The 5-course menu was quickly chosen. Here too there's a big difference from AIDA: no walking around from buffet to buffet, and no guests constantly walking past you looking for a free seat. There's no time limit, so it's a really wonderful and relaxing meal.

Friday was our 1st sea day, and we continued exploring the ship: from the games corner with 6 PlayStations and table football (all free of charge) through the shopping area to the library.

In advance we had booked the gourmet package, 75 euros per person. It includes all 3 exclusive restaurants.

On the first sea day we had reserved Hanami, an Asian restaurant by Tim Raue. It was a real joy and pleasure to eat at Hanami – at times an explosion of flavour in the mouth. A clear recommendation from us. You don't have to book the gourmet package for it, which reduces the price noticeably and is a good money-saving tip.

We had been told in advance that on "Mein Schiff" the waiters aren't so attentive, as they don't earn any extra money from it. We didn't notice this rumour at all – quite the opposite. Although the TUI Bar was full, we always got our drinks at the table very quickly.

On Saturday we sailed into Cádiz, our first stop on the trip. We went straight ashore and were already in the old town. Cádiz is very easy to explore on foot, and an excursion isn't necessary.