Barcelona

I have some english spoken in Barcelona, but never any canadian.

They speak Catalan

Most people speak Catalan or Spanish. In the very touristy areas you might hear some English, but I wouldn't rely on it. There is a tourist bus that is hop-on hop-off that would give you a good overview of the city in a short time, and the commentary can be heard in English. There are three routes and one ticket covers all of them.

qz,

In terms of getting around, Barcelona has a good Metro system. Some destinations will be walkable, depending on what you want to see. From the airport you can use the AEROBÚS which drops passengers right at Plaça de Catalunya, which is at one end of La Rambla (and an easy walk to the hotel suggested below).

For places to stay, you might have a look at http://www.nh-hotels.com/hotel/nh-barcelona-centro?_ga=1.238060803.2021551353.1421050704

On the language question, I found that use of English was not as prevalent in Barcelona as in other European cities, even with people working in tourist-related businesses. Spanish is used of course, but in Barcelona especially the locals prefer to use Catalan. I had a few difficulties with the language there, although with a few basic Spanish words and hand gestures, I managed OK. You might find it helpful to pack along a Spanish Phrasebook such as this one.....

http://travelstore.ricksteves.com/catalog/index.cfm?fuseaction=product&theParentId=164&id=151

On a couple of occasions while in Spain, I used a translation app on my iPhone. It didn't provide a perfect translation, but it got the meaning across.

I'd suggest using a Money Belt there, as Barcelona has a bit of a reputation for pickpockets. There was a fairly steady police presence along La Rambla, so the authorities appear to be trying to deal with the problem.

bon Viatge!

It's kind of good that Spanish is a second language for the Catalons in Barcelona. Since it's not the primary language, they tend to speak Spanish more slowly and carefully than they might if it was their first language. I found they understood my Spanish and I understood theirs (which wasn't true all over Spain).

If you don't speak Spanish, don't despair. While I agree the Spanish are less capable English speakers than other parts of Europe, they also go out of their way to help more than locals in many other parts of Europe. You will be able to figure things out even if you only know English.

The metro isn't bad, but don't be surprised that some (not all) connections involve up to several blocks worth of walking. The signage is adequate so the system isn't hard to get used to. To use the metro, be sure to have bills no bigger than tens. Most of the stations aren't manned so you have to get tickets from automated machines, which don't take American magnetic stripe credit cards or (contrary to what many tell you) 20 euro bills or larger.

I like the area around Placa Catalunya because it's central to just about everything. Try to be at least a block off the Ramblas as that is likely to be noisy at night and ask for a quiet room - they'll give you something that overlooks a quieter alley rather than a busy street.

Also agree with Ken that Barcelona has a reputation for pickpockets (particularly around the Ramblas and other crowded tourist areas). Using a money belt is a small inconvenience to not worry about losing something important. Remember to only access your money belt in private and check carefully that you haven't left or misplaced anything when you put it away.

Along with pickpockets, use care around ATM's. There are plenty of scams associated with those too. I use an indoor ATM, inside a bank or department store, unless I absolutely can't. Those ATM's aren't accessible 24 hours and are usually watched if not secured during their open hours. You're much less likely to have an indoor machine that's been tampered with and/or have a potential thief hanging around.

In addition to any information you get here, you should strongly consider getting the book Rick Steves Mediterranean Cruise Ports, since it's specifically geared to your needs.

You should also look at Cruise Critic. Here's their Barcelona review: http://www.cruisecritic.com/ports/newport_print.cfm?ID=68

Here's their Spain Ports forum: http://tinyurl.com/bmocuyb

And here are their Roll Calls, where you can join up with others on your sailing. This way, you can arrange a small private group tour, which will be lower cost and/or higher quality than the ship's tour: http://tinyurl.com/ap7h55m

Re the language question, perhaps ask yourself this: "Does everyone in Canada speak French?"

You'll have no problem only speaking English. Try and learn a couple of basic phrases, especially things like Hablo Ingles? and such. Most people are friendly enough to work with you if they don't speak English well or at all as long as you are polite and don't just launch into English unannounced.

Thanks so much for your suggestions. I will put them to good use.

We spent a week in Barcelona in 2013 and got by with almost no Spanish. We took a phrase book and learned to say Hola, Gracia, and a few other polite terms so that at least we weren't obnoxious Americans. We spoke quietly and didn't try to convince them that their way was the wrong way and the US way was better. We loved Spain so much that we're going back again this year with the same phrase book, with perhaps a couple more things added to our extremely limited vocabulary. Smile a lot.

You're talking Barcelona, a city with 12 million visitors every year from all over, with 15% of its residents speaking over 120 different languages... not only English, but you'll find many restaurants and other services offering its services in a dozen languages, from French to Russian.

If what you're expecting is to be able to chat as if you were home, that's something else, English is a foreign language therefore while many can understand and speak basic English, you're unlikely to be able to maintain a fluid conversation.

Most street signs are in Catalan -the local language-, Spanish which is co-official and English (ie. metro, bus...). As very sensibly pointed out by Bonnie, respect and good manners will take you anywhere. Since we're used to have people visiting from many countries, many locals even if you can't understand each other will go the extra mile to help.

I will also start a cruise from Barcelona in October. I did that last year too. I only speak English and had no problem at all.

For a budget hotel near the cruise port, I wrote this for Tripadvisor

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187497-d634631-r239131904-Hotel_Canton-Barcelona_Catalonia.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

Review Hotel Canton

This is a former hostel now upgraded to a hotel. It is near the Columbus Monument and a five-minute walk to the city bus to the cruise ships. [hotelcanton-bcn.com]

I had a single for 40 euros a night. Breakfast was 5 euros.

The single room was small but immaculate. The bed was a twin. The shower is modern and water pressure excellent. The bathroom fixtures are Grohe. The air-conditioning works well. There is a small refrigerator. Housekeeping is so thorough they essentially disinfect the room. The included internet connection in the room worked well but it failed one night because the night clerk did not know how to re-start the router. Then access was back on!

Sound insulation is not good and the area can become noisy at night.

I finally gave up on opening windows because of mosquitos.

The 5 euros breakfast is quite bountiful. There were three kinds of cold cut, cheese, coffee, tea, milk, juices, yogurt, bread and good croissants.

An important feature is that on the same street, at No. 5, there is a laundrymat that is open 365 days a year 8 am to 10 pm. Everything is controlled from a computer. [www.lavaxpres.com]. Four euros to wash and four euros to dry, 30 minutes each.

Taxi to the ship was 12 euros including baggage charge.