But if you've never been to Gibraltar, you must go," they pushed, "if for nothing more than the apes."

Did they say apes? Had I misheard their British accent?

"Yes, apes. Gibraltar is known for the Barbary apes. But you must hold on tight to your purse and your camera or they'll snatch them from you."

Wild apes cavorting with visitors? We were hooked.

Luckily, there were two tickets left on an excursion called "Rock of Ages." First on the journey was a trip by cable car up to the Apes' Den and summit, where we might get close to the famed Rock of Gibraltar and the best view downward to the coast of Morocco. The cable ride was fairly rickety, and we held on to whatever was nearby — which included our fellow passengers. The conductor's assistant told us "Yanks" not to worry about the cable car.

One of Gibraltar's legendary Barbara Apes joins a tour-bus driver who is known to have a bag of snacks onboard. Photo courtesy of Marilyn Zeitlin.

"We're British," he said. "We take care of things."

Before we left the cable car, he told us not to feed the apes and that if they chattered their teeth we should keep our distance. A handout from the ship added that we should not touch the apes since they are wild animals. Leaving the cable car, we overheard a woman tell of a previous trip when her friend's arm was scratched by an ape who was trying to take her hat. I made sure my camera was securely around my neck and my fanny pack was tight around my waist.

Many macaques reside in the Ape's Den at Gibraltar's Upper Rock Nature Reserve. Photo courtesy of Clare Wilk.

Then someone shouted, "Look up!" There was a Barbary Ape sitting on the ledge of a cafeteria, just looking at us. Apparently used to visitors, it seemed more bored than frightened.

The word "ape" had me thinking more gorilla than monkey, but there was the Barbary — more monkey than gorilla, a cute little thing weighing about 25 pounds (according to the guide), with smooth, light brown hair and large, gentle eyes — the kind of animal you might want to hold and pet. As we made our way up a bunch of steps, we saw a few more apes, in golden to dark-brown hues.

When we met our bus for the trip downhill, one small ape suddenly jumped into our driver's window. He kept a bag filled with raw pasta, and this was apparently common knowledge among the ape population.

"I give them snacks that are good for them," he told me, "but tourists often give them chocolate, and the apes get sick."

He added that some of the animals have tested positive for diabetes. As with apes in zoos, signs abound asking tourists not to feed the animals.

Gibraltar's apes are not indigenous and were most likely brought from North Africa. A guide told us that Moroccan traders brought the animals when they settled in the 1700s and kept them as pets.

Gibraltar is an independent British territory that had been in Spanish hands until the 18th century, when Spain ceded the property to Britain in perpetuity. It's no secret that Spain would like to get Gibraltar back, but the British say that will only happen "when the last ape leaves Gibraltar."

A 45-minute walk brought us to a cave that had been blasted into many tunnels by the British to defend themselves from the Spanish who came by sea during the Great Siege of 1779 to 1783. During World War II, the Allies extended the tunnels to defend their ships from the German navy and air force. By the end of the war, the tunnels had reached a winding distance of over 30 miles. The maze of tunnels is one of the most ingenious defense systems ever built, says one guidebook. Long before modern times, the caves housed Neanderthals.

Although my husband and I are seasoned cruisers, we neglected to keep track of the short time (four hours) in Gibraltar since half the time was spent on our tour. After a snack, a quick visit to the Gibraltar Museum, a walk around the 1,396-foot-high limestone Rock of Gibraltar and viewing the water, our time was up. We had to scurry to catch the bus to the ship.

We would like to have gone dolphin-watching or participated in water sports in this sunny, subtropical climate, or taken a leisurely walking tour. Back on ship, admiring some of the silver necklaces and bracelets purchased in Gibraltar at reasonable prices, I would have liked shopping for jewelry.

We might have even wanted to stop for tea. But for that we had the Queen Victoria, well steeped in the custom of English tea with cucumber sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and a vast selection of teas served in lovely china, something we enjoyed nearly every day.

IF YOU GO

The Queen Victoria will call on Gibraltar in "Jewels of the Mediterranean," a 12 day cruise sailing from Southampton on Aug. 15, 2010. A seven-day cruise, "Mediterranean Moments," departs from Rome on Nov. 24 and includes a Gibraltar stop. Other Cunard ships — the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Elizabeth — will also visit Gibraltar this year. Visit www.cunard.com for further information about sailings.

For further information about Gibraltar, visit www.discovergibraltar.com

The free Discover Pocket Guide to Gibraltar is an excellent resource for restaurants, hotels (including a youth hostel) and detailed information on all activities and sights: www.discover.gi.

There's not a bad time to visit Gibraltar, but the rainy season is in late spring, usually around Easter.

The residents here speak Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and English.