“Indy” and the Lanzarote Adventure

 It wasn’t Mr Jones that arrived in Lanzarote on Monday, but another big adventurer, Independence Of The Seas, one of the biggest cruise liners in the world and the biggest with a european home port. The giant 18 storey ship slipped in majestically to Puerto de los Marmoles in the capital, Arrecife to a colourful and typically warm Lanzarote welcome. People in traditional Canarian dress welcomed the near 4,000 passengers and crew onshore at 9am, to cram in a taste of Lanzarote before their 3pm departure.

The Royal Caribbean International liner is on its maiden voyage after leaving Southampton on May 6, stopping off at Funchal, before Tenerife on Saturday and Gran Canaria on Sunday, it will then call at Lisbon and Vigo before returning to Southampton.

This really is a mammoth ship, weighing in at 158,000 tons, and measuring 339 metres long by 56 metres wide. There are 1,815 cabins, 844 with a balcony and 120 suites. If you want entertainment, there is everything from a running track, golf course, and surf area, all on deck, and countless bars, restaurants, shops, an ice rink and a casino below decks.

It’s a shame the passengers didn’t have longer to explore Lanzarote, but the ship is set to be a regular caller. There must have been a few waiters in Arrecife working overtime to serve nearly 4,000 coffees all at once, and even a glimpse of Lanzarote will have hopefully have made some impression.