The Grand
Mediterranean
Adventure

TFS vs TFN Airport (Thu Jun 25)
You land at TFS (Tenerife South) Sun Jun 21 but fly out from TFN (Tenerife North) Thu Jun 25 at 7:10 AM. They're ~1 hour apart — pre-book a 4 AM cab to TFN North.

🚇 Rome Metro & Termini pickpockets (Sat Jun 13)
Line A (Termini ↔ Vatican) is the #1 pickpocket route in Europe. Termini station + Civitavecchia regionale + Leonardo Express are all targeted. Wallets in front pockets, bags zipped & in front. Don't engage with anyone showing a "lost ring" or asking for help on the platform.

🚆 Civitavecchia → Rome timing (Sat Jun 13)
Cruise disembarks 6 AM. Civitavecchia → Roma Termini regionale ~1h10m, every 30 min, ~€5. Drop bags at Termini left luggage (~€6/bag) before sightseeing. Be back at Termini by 4:30 PM for Leonardo Express to FCO (32 min, €14, every 15 min from platforms 23/24).

🇲🇦 Marrakech medina scams
"This way is closed, follow me" → redirects you to a shop. Pickpockets target Djemaa el-Fna at night. Carry small cash, leave passports in the riad safe. Don't photograph people without asking — fights happen.

🚰 Don't drink the tap (Morocco only)
Bottled water in Marrakech and Essaouira. Brush teeth with bottled. Spain, France, Italy, Qatar, Tenerife = tap water all fine.

🌡 Doha extreme heat (Mon-Tue Jun 1-2)
📡 LIVE forecast: 112°F mid-day, heat index 125–130°F. Hydrate aggressively. Sightsee morning before 10 AM and after 6 PM. Indoor between 10 AM–5 PM. Stay near AC.

🍺 Spain: late dinner, late everything
Madrid/Barcelona/SS restaurants open dinner 8:30-9 PM at earliest. Showing up at 7 PM = empty restaurant or closed kitchen. Clubs don't fill until 1-2 AM.

😴 Jet lag plan for Madrid
Stay awake on SAT → DFW. Try to sleep hard on DFW → DOH. Keep the Doha layover light. Once you land in Madrid, do no long nap and force a normal local bedtime.

🚇 Barcelona pickpockets on La Rambla & Sagrada
Cross-body bag, zipped, in front. The "lost ring," "is this your wallet," and crowd-distraction tricks all happen here. Plaça Catalunya metro is the worst.

🚇 Madrid pickpockets — Sol, Gran Vía, line 1
Sol metro and Gran Vía rival Barcelona for theft. Phone in front pocket, wallet zipped. Watch for distraction teams (one bumps, one lifts). Plaza Mayor terraces are also targeted.

🍹 Drink-spiking awareness (Barcelona, Madrid, Paris clubs)
Never leave a drink unattended. Watch the bartender pour. Stay with each other on dancefloors. If anyone feels suddenly off (way more drunk than the drinks justify) — leave together immediately. Tibu/Tramps Tenerife + Monk/Sips Barcelona reported incidents in 2024-25.

🧕 Marrakech medina — modesty + catcalling (for Danielle)
Inside the riad/private courtyards: anything goes. Walking the medina: shoulders + knees covered minimizes hassle. Long linen pants + a light scarf works. Hassle is verbal not physical — ignore and keep walking, don't engage. Stick with Eddie after dark. Djemaa el-Fna at night gets pushy — keep moving.

👔 Cruise formal nights — pack accordingly
Sun Princess has 2 formal nights on the 7-day itinerary. Dress code: cocktail/formal in main dining rooms (no shorts/tank-tops/flip-flops). Buffet and casual venues = no enforcement. Eddie: dark slacks + button-down. Dani: cocktail dress or jumpsuit.

⛪ Sagrada dress code — enforced
Shoulders + knees must be covered (both Eddie and Dani). Sleeveless tops, short shorts, mini skirts = turned away. Bring a light cover-up if you're in summer clothes.

🚖 Port-day taxi scam (Civitavecchia, La Spezia)
Unmetered "tourist taxis" at the port quote 2-3× the real fare. Use only marked white taxis with a working meter, OR walk to the station (Civitavecchia ~500m). Confirm meter is on before pulling away. Florence + Rome regular cabs are safer but always look for the meter.

🚇 Paris RER B + Line 1 pickpockets (Mon-Thu Jun 29 – Jul 2)
RER B (your CDG airport line) is the #1 pickpocket target in Paris. Phone in zipped pocket. Watch for groups distracting you at Châtelet, Gare du Nord, and on Line 1 around the Louvre.

📱 Sagrada Família app required (Fri Jun 5)
Tickets + audioguide are in the "Sagrada Família Oficial" app. Download BEFORE you leave for Spain (could be slow on hotel WiFi day-of). Bring photo ID for entry. Locator 98413953. Slot is 10:30 AM Basilica / 11:15 AM Towers (original time — change request was denied, day rebuilt around AM start).

💳 Cash-heavy in Morocco; tap nearly universal elsewhere
Spain, France, Italy, Qatar all accept Apple Pay/tap. Morocco = cash heavy. Pull MAD from BMCE or AttijariWafa ATMs INSIDE banks for best rates. Avoid airport ATMs.

🚭 Med sun on the cruise (Jun 6-13)
Reef-safe sunscreen for Cinque Terre swims. Top deck has no shade. Re-apply every 2 hours.

🔥 Noche de San Juan (Tue Jun 23, Tenerife)
Walk 20 min from Cleopatra Palace along the promenade to Playa de Los Cristianos. Bonfires lit 9 PM. Midnight ocean swim ritual. Bring towel, swimsuit, lighter, snacks. Arrive by 9 PM for a good spot.

🚆 Florence day from La Spezia (Fri Jun 12)
Frecciarossa La Spezia ↔ Florence ~2 hrs. Book seats online ahead at trenitalia.com (~€20-40 RT). Latest train back to make ship: 2:30 PM Florence → 5 PM ship departure. Don't miss it — overnight ends.

📵 No ride apps in Essaouira
Use petit taxis (blue/white) — flat 7 MAD (~€0.65) anywhere in town. For airport, use a grand taxi or hotel transfer. Max 3 passengers per petit taxi.

🚑 Emergency numbers + insurance
EU (Spain/France/Italy): 112 (police/fire/ambulance, English-speaking). Morocco: 19 police, 15 medical, 150 tourist police. Qatar: 999. US Embassy emergencies abroad: +1-888-407-4747. Card travel coverage details in the next block ↓

💳 Credit-card travel coverage — Chase Sapphire + Amex Platinum
Pre-trip TODO by Tue May 26: (1) Call Chase + Amex to flag travel dates May 31–Jul 2 so foreign charges don't get flagged. (2) Save every number below into the iPhone Notes app + screenshot it for offline access. (3) Charge non-refundable trip costs to whichever card you want backing the claim — coverage attaches to the card that paid.

🟦 Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve — Benefit Administrator (24/7, one number covers trip delay, baggage, rental CDW): 1-800-350-1697 (from US) or +1-303-967-1093 collect from abroad. Trip cancellation / interruption claims: 1-888-320-9961. Online claim portal: eclaimsline.com (also reachable via cardbenefits.chase.com). Reserve = primary CDW worldwide up to $75K; trip delay kicks in after 6 hrs (Reserve) / 12 hrs (Preferred), up to $500/person. File within 20 days of incident, return forms within 100 days.

🟩 Amex Platinum — Premium Global Assist Hotline (24/7 medical/legal/travel coordination while abroad — this is THE emergency line): 1-800-345-2639 (1-800-345-AMEX) from US, or +1-715-343-7979 collect from abroad. Trip delay / cancellation / interruption claims: 1-844-933-0648. General claims line: 1-800-228-6855. Online claim portal: americanexpress.com/protectionbenefits. Trip delay kicks in after 6 hrs, up to $500/trip (max 2 trips/yr). Baggage: up to $2,000 checked / $3,000 carry-on combined; no baggage-delay coverage (Chase has that).

⚠ What's actually covered (plain English): Flight delay >6h (meals/hotel reimbursed), lost/delayed/stolen bag, rental-car damage, trip cancellation for covered reasons (illness, weather, jury duty). Premium Global Assist will coordinate a doctor, lawyer, or translator in any country and arrange medical transport. NOT primary medical insurance. If you need real care abroad: pay cash or card on the spot, get itemized receipts in English if possible, then claim back via the card travel coverage. For true medical evacuation (helicopter, air ambulance — can be $50K-$200K), neither card covers it adequately — consider a one-off GeoBlue or Allianz evac policy before departure if you want that safety net.

🆘 Lost passport / wallet / phone — emergency playbook
Pre-trip (do by departure): Scan both passports + every card front/back into iCloud Notes (folder "Trip 2026 / Docs"), email a copy to yourself, drop an AirTag in each main bag, enable Find My + Family Sharing on both iPhones, stash one backup card in your spouse's bag so a single theft doesn't strand both of you.

🛂 Passport — go to the nearest US embassy/consulate in person (walk-in OK for emergencies, bring police report + photo ID + passport photo if you have one; replacement 3-5 business days, emergency same-day if proving onward travel):
• Qatar — Embassy Doha: 22nd February St, Al Luqta · 24/7: +974 4496-6000 · qa.usembassy.gov
• Spain — Embassy Madrid: Calle Serrano 75 · 24/7: +34 91 587-2200 · es.usembassy.gov · Consulate Barcelona: Pg. Reina Elisenda 23 · biz hrs +34 93 280-2227, after-hrs use Madrid line
• Italy — Embassy Rome: Via Vittorio Veneto 121 · 24/7: +39 06 46741 · it.usembassy.gov
• Morocco — Consulate Casablanca (closest to Marrakech/Essaouira, ~3 hr by train): Casa Finance City · 24/7: +212 537-637-200 · ma.usembassy.gov
• France — Embassy Paris: 2 avenue Gabriel, 75008 · 24/7: +33 1 43 12 22 22 (press 1 then 9) · fr.usembassy.gov
• State Dept fallback (any country, 24/7): +1-202-501-4444 from abroad / 1-888-407-4747 from US

💳 Wallet / cards — call collect immediately (free from any hotel/landline phone, tell operator "collect call to the US"):
• Capital One: +1-804-934-2001 · Amex: +1-336-393-1111 · Chase: +1-302-594-8200 — all 24/7. Freeze first via app if phone still works. File a local police report (needed for card disputes + travel-insurance claims).

📱 Phone — within 10 min: from spouse's phone open Find My → Mark As Lost (locks + shows return message), then Erase only if you can't recover. Both Eddie + Dani are in the same Find My family so either can do this for the other. Carrier report-stolen: T-Mobile +1-505-998-3793 from abroad / Verizon +1-908-559-4899. SIM/eSIM swap to spouse's spare phone if needed.

🎒 Ryanair RAK → TFS bag-weight trap (Sun Jun 21)
Ryanair Basic = 10 kg cabin only, gates strict, fees punitive (€60-75 each at gate). After Marrakech/Essaouira shopping, the suitcase WILL be heavier. Weigh in the riad before the transfer. If over: pay online ahead of time for a 20kg bag (~€20-30) — not at the airport.

✅ Sagrada Família time-change: DENIED — 10:30 AM original time stands
Sagrada couldn't move the slot. Sticking with 10:30 AM Basilica / 11:15 AM Towers, Fri Jun 5. Locator 98413953. Friday schedule rebuilt: Sagrada AM → Born/Santa Caterina market PM → nap → Aire spa 5:30 PM → speakeasy crawl. Hard cap Thu Moog at 2:30 AM.

La Paella de Su confirmation email still not in hand
The Friday, June 5 dinner for 6 people at 7:45 PM is on the plan, but the actual confirmation email is still being watched for.

Essaouira → Marrakech airport transfer still missing
You have the June 21, 2026 Ryanair FR826 flight from RAK to TFS at 3:55 PM, but the site still shows the morning Essaouira → Marrakech transfer as not booked. This needs a real pickup booked soon.

El Rincón de Juan Carlos is still only waitlisted
Tenerife still shows El Rincón de Juan Carlos on the waiting list for June 22 or 24. Decide whether to keep chasing it or drop it fully.

May 25, 12:00 PM — Last moment to cancel Al Najada Doha Hotel free. After noon = 100% charge.

May 28 — Last day to cancel Hotel Praktik Rambla (Barcelona) free (7 days prior to Jun 4 arrival). After that = full prepayment charged.

June 4 — Last day to cancel Riad Emotion (Essaouira) free (14 days prior to Jun 18). Jun 5–17 = 50% penalty, no-show = 100%.

June 25 — Last day to cancel Pensión Alemana (San Sebastián) free (2 days prior to Jun 27).

WAKAFLATS 2 (Madrid) · MalagaHome · Cleopatra Palace (Tenerife) — prepaid · BYPILLOW Bilbo (Bilbao) · Paris Marais Arev
If you cancel any of these for any reason, you forfeit the full amount. If plans shift, prioritize keeping these nights — rework the refundable ones instead.

Riad Palais Sebban (Marrakech) — Booking.com lists policy as "varies by accommodation type." Log in and check the actual terms on your reservation before assuming.