Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale: Transatlantic Cruise

November 2025

Two big gaps existed in my travels: one, to complete the last bits of traveling across Eurasia by train and ferry [see: two-weeks across Europe]; and two, taking a transatlantic voyage. I arrived in Barcelona tired after two weeks of intense travel. All the upcoming sea days with nothing to do would suit me fine. I navigated the city's metro and walked to the famous T3 bus that shuttles passengers to the massive cruise terminal pier. Barcelona has invested millions in its port and made itself into one of the premier cruise destinations on the Mediterranean.

One journey ended and another began - immediately.

Getting started

In the bus queue I met Robert from Colorado who was a day-trading widower who had taken numerous cruises with his departed spouse and then later on his own. He knew a LOT. Sometimes it appeared the entire cruise industry was created expressly for people like Robert. He had not been to Barcelona in a few years, but remembered a lot about the process. He was worried about an hours' long wait to board - I told him my last experience in New York had been fairly painless (but I was also concerned about 4000+ people needing to board the ship). We rode the bus onto the ultra modern pier and got off amongst a mass of people. My heart sank.

However, there was actually order to the chaos. We dropped our bags quickly and the check-in line moved rapidly. We were given our "medallions" (shipboard keys/tokens for payment) and a number. We waited to be called to immigration. Robert continued to tell me about his experiences cruising. Notably, that shareholders in Carnival, Inc get perks!

After a short wait, our passports were stamped out of Spain (although we would be in Málaga in two days?) Also, I had just read that the EU stopped stamping passports and gone fully computerized. What was up with that? It didn't matter - we got on the ship.

As per the experience cruising with my brother, if one boards early - the room is NOT ready but the buffet dining is open. Unlike other ships where the food court (buffet) is on the top deck, this one was located mid-ship and had lovely outdoor seating. Robert and I enjoyed a pleasant al fresco lunch where I mostly listened to him. Old people sure like to talk...

We reported to our muster station (same one - by chance our rooms were near each other) and then Robert went off to size up the spa. I relaxed and waited for the time to enter the room. I chose a room without balcony (but with a window) because on the last cruise I honestly did not spend much time on the balcony except for the Panama Canal crossing (which improved that experience a lot). The balcony on sea days was very breezy. I waited to see how I would like "just a room".

Since there was no balcony, the room actually felt bigger

Barcelona

After getting settled in the room, I checked the shipboard laundromat. It was packed. Apparently, many of the passengers had just done a seven-day Mediterranean cruise (same boat) and were in the same predicament as me - no clean clothes. The bulk of departure day was waiting to visit the laundry room at the right moment (which I did, eventually). I finally put away my clothes and felt settled.

Meanwhile, on the upper deck, everyone was gathered for the sail-away from Barcelona. I give the cruise ship credit for making a huge deal of it with live music and dancing. As for me, I sat down to a glass of prosecco and watched a fabulous sunset. The famous Sagrada Familia was visible from port, but the foreground is totally industrial which diminishes the experience.

I ran into Robert again later in the evening (by chance). He did take my information to contact me via the "cruise app", but only sent one message (not about meeting up but about opting out of the service charge). I think Robert came on the boat to feel less lonely and more social. I clearly did not match Robert's criteria for someone to hang out with (and I am happy he realized that early).

I had a very good sleep that night.

Day 2 (at sea)

I woke to a beautiful sunrise over the Mediterranean.

Then started the "great hunt for breakfast". Since the ship is only a year old and carries mostly the geriatric crowd (myself included), I thought it would be set up for a very early morning breakfast rush (old people wake up early). Ummmm.... not.

On the plus side, there was a place to get espresso-based drinks at the entry to the food court - unfortunately it was mobbed and understaffed. (reminder 4,000+ passengers). Kudos to those baristas who worked like maniacs with baffled old people who were confused with ordering (clearly some never visited a Starbucks)

Breakfast food with a few exceptions should be self-service, yet most of it was not. That slowed things down (and they were not ready for so many early diners). I chalked it all up to my learning curve for the ship. I got caffeinated and fibered even if it took a long time - big check. I was better prepared for the following day. Then I had a big walkabout.

The ship was large, but actually just a blown up version of the last one with a whole lot more hotel rooms (and more restaurants and event venues) - not a complaint, just an observation. The biggest difference (that people were talking about on the first days of the cruise) was having the buffet mid-ship instead of on top of the ship. "I've never seen such a thing" Some passengers were clearly not pleased. It was still possible to get food on the top deck (pools): pizza, tacos, shawarma, burgers, and.... salad! I was super pleased they had a great salad bar (never crowded) there. In fact, that was my lunch that day!

After lunch, I attended my first "onboard quiz". It was TV trivia all about Seinfeld. I watched most of those episodes... why not? OMG, the level of detail in the questions was extremely small and more shockingly, most people in the crowd knew the answers. I felt very proud I didn't watch that much TV.

Then I attended the information session on our next port, Málaga. The presenter appeared to be a woman straight out of Harry Potter, Prof. Sybill Trelawney (Emma Thompson in the films). A complete scatterbrain that literally couldn't make a presentation if AI had created the perfect one... Perhaps I had become spoiled from the last cruise where we had both an academic and a "port specialist" who was focused on practical details. I departed the session baffled about the nitty gritty on our first stop, but she held "office hours" later. I thought perhaps she would be more informative one-on-one.

I located her (there was nothing in all the literature, nor the app to tell me where she could be found - even the ship's crew didn't know) and there was already a queue. She absolutely babbled with each passenger. The man in front of me asked her the following, "Tomorrow I have an excursion to Seville but there is rain in the forecast. Is it still worth doing?" She could not answer the question (I could have). When it was my turn I simply asked about getting off the ship and getting into Málaga - she had no idea (she was the specialist for all shore-related stuff). She pointed me toward Shore Excursions who also only had a vague idea....

I guessed I would use my travel "spidey-sense" to figure it out.

My cabin was located near the bow (it was cheap - in heavy seas I soon found out why). The walk to the room was horror-film-esque. It looked like an infinite corridor with doors and, at certain times of day, it was completely empty.

As for cabin entertainment - having just finished a cruise with my brother the month before, I thought the TV/movie offerings on the ship would be completely different. They weren't. As many people (and I repeat MANY) are frequent cruisers, it was surprising that Princess didn't make more of an effort to upgrade its video library more frequently.

I relaxed, roamed the ship, chatted with friends online, and finally turned in early. The next day would be Málaga.

Málaga

I had last been in Málaga almost eight years earlier (when I worked in Saudi Arabia). On that trip I visited twice because it rained on the first attempt. Luckily for me, it was warm (23C) and brilliant sunshine when the ship arrived.

As it turns out, there was a service provided by the Port of Málaga into town for 5 euros (why was it so hard for the ship to let us know?). I bought a one-way ticket and saved energy. I had a plan that involved climbing.

On the previous visit, the climb to the top of Gibralfaro Fort was memorable and I wanted to reprise that. The bus dropped us at the edge of the port area (Málaga, like Barcelona had invested millions in its very large cruise terminal) and I headed into town. I passed its cathedral once again and remembered two things: it was difficult to take a good photo because the city had been built right up to it AND it had a ridiculously expensive entry. I pressed on.

Soon I was at the base of the castle hill and realized I needed a ticket. I only had a 100 euro note (I felt foolish to have found myself in such a position). I figured that the ticket office could give me change as they were accepting small money all day - wrong. There was no ticket office - only machines. So, I was not going to visit the castle and felt sad.

However, I then discovered a public path and viewpoint that paralleled the walls. I started the walk up (with a lot of others). Although the top required the castle entry ticket, I still saw the view I remembered from before. Málaga Castle Hill viewpoint is one of the best in Spain. I felt happy (and tired).

I returned to the ship via the modern cruise pier, awash in restaurants and shops. The place was modern but done extremely well. On the back side of the pier was a beach (which I had missed on the last trip). I didn't realize Málaga also had a beach so close to downtown.

Onboard I relaxed and looked out over the ship and the coast. As was often the case, one of the best vantage points in any port was the ship itself.

Later in the day I attended another shipboard game which ended up being a modified form of Scattergories. Oh my - the poor staff member tried valiantly to make it work for a "crowd" and it just didn't. I was also seated with a group of people who could not spell (no joke - it was like they were illiterate). I played along - it was funny and sad all at once.

At the Sun Bar overlooking everything on the top deck I found the two principal bartenders were from Bali - that was nice. Their patience in trying to understand what cocktails people wanted was amazing. The number of passengers who forgot the name of a cocktail and could only vaguely describe it was astounding. And, the bartenders usually figured it out!

I retired early - I had walked a lot. I was excited for our next stop - Gibraltar. My last attempt to visit seven years earlier was a total wash out. I was in Algeciras, Spain across the bay and planned a day trip. It pissed down rain the entire time - at best I saw a vague outline of "the Rock". Now I was actually going to visit!

Gibraltar

In December 2019 I was in southern Spain headed across the Strait of Gibraltar to Morocco. As I mentioned, my intended stop for Gibraltar got spectacularly washed out. I was disappointed, but the rest of the vacation turned out so well (it was my last before COVID), I nearly forgot about my failed attempt to visit "the Rock".

The ship arrived to overcast skies and the weather was actually cold. As long as it wasn't raining, I planned a visit, but I felt the fates had conspired against me. Was I never going to see the Rock in its entirety in the sun?

Some things about Gibraltar are unique and "must-see's". One of them is the airport. With almost no flat land, the Brits constructed an airport on reclaimed land on either side of the sandy peninsula that connects the mountain to mainland Spain. That means that the only road in and out of the territory crosses the runway. I had to see it and experience walking across an active, international airport runway (first time).

I will admit it felt odd to stand in the middle of the landing field with black skid marks on either side of me. Big planes actually landed there - wow.

Just beyond the runway, signs pointed to the border with Spain. Things had normalized a bit when Britain was in the EU, but after Brexit, the crossing went back to being a very complicated affair for tourists. Spain still claims the Rock as its own. The Cruise Director warned us several times NOT to cross into Spain or face "difficulty on the return"

Spain-Gibraltar border

One Gibraltar oddity crossed off the list (I really wanted to see the airport), the next was to get close to the Rock itself which is most easily done on the north face where the road runs right under it. I couldn't believe people live directly under that mountain (and businesses and apartments are built right to the base). Every square inch of flat land in Gibraltar has been used.

Eastern Beach is a natural beach that gives stunning views of the Rock. Cloudy, cold, windy weather aside - it was dramatic. I could only wonder how great it was in good weather just a short walk from the Rock.

I returned to the "town" to discover that "old Gibraltar" lies behind old fortifications that had been built up (sometimes in two layers) over the years. Inside the walls lies a little Spanish town (not British). I noted that locals caught in conversation only speak Spanish, not English. However, everyone in Gibraltar could speak English (unlike Spain).

I passed through a former gate in the wall and right inside, just off the Grand Casements Square, I discovered the much-recommended Lord Nelson's pub. A peek inside revealed an establishment more British than most pubs in England these days. The Lord Nelson is from another age (in which Gibraltar was frozen).

I strolled down the main street with the passengers of two huge cruise ships. It looked like the pre-Christmas rush. There were shops and old buildings galore, but the crush of humanity was too much. I reached the walls on the opposite side (and the old Trafalgar Cemetery) and headed back across the old town on a different street.

My feet were tired and I didn't feel like buying anything as Gibraltar uses its own money (Gibraltar Pounds), only good in Gibraltar - no thanks. I ended up walking back to the ship where I met some school kids walking home. One of them said to me, "You're going to Fort Lauderdale". I replied, "That's right". He said, "My gram is on that ship". ha!

I opted not to take the expensive cable car to the top of the Rock because the peak remained in clouds virtually the entire visit (and the ride was expensive). People who did take it reported they had to descend on foot out of the clouds to catch the view.

Only at the very end of the day did the clouds melt away and finally the entire mountain was visible. At least I can say I saw all of it.

And, in complete irony, as we sailed out into the Strait of Gibraltar, I could see the whole mountain from my cabin. It felt like Gibraltar was saying to me, "see, you never even had to leave the ship"

Final thoughts

Gibraltar most reminded me of Hong Kong, an ill-fitting British possession overseas. Hong Kong is populated with Chinese people and the Brits were never more than a small part of the population. It was all about politics and control - not the people. Now Hong Kong is back with China. Gibraltar is a Spanish town - the supermarkets are Spanish, the petrol stations are Spanish, hell - the whole town is Spanish. However, it follows British law, and with a handful of institutions from the UK, the Brits retain control. Honestly, it felt very retro (and dumb). With military technology these days, does it really matter that the British occupy Gibraltar?

I felt chilled to my bones. The whole day was cloudy, cold, and windy. I even took a hot shower to warm up. No aperitivo - it felt like winter for some reason. I went to bed early. I hoped Cádiz would be warmer the following day.

Cádiz

The boat arrived to a sunny but windy Cádiz. I had visited on the same trip that took me to Málaga years before. My plan was to revisit a lovely seaside garden and have a walkabout. My memories of the city were not strong - only that it was very old and gave beautiful views over the sea. Perhaps arriving by water rather than by rail would give me a better perspective compared to the last visit.

After exiting the ship (which was moored amazingly close to the port exit), I realized how gargantuan the ship actually was. Cádiz' small port buildings were swallowed up by the multi-story ship.

The first thing I noticed: how empty Cádiz was compared to Gibraltar and Málaga. The irony was that FIVE cruise ships were in port - but the old city swallowed them up and retained a "normal" air.

I walked to the seaside promenade Paseo Santa Barbara and the beautiful Parque Genovés that I remembered to find it closed for restoration. I felt disappointed because I still recalled how beautiful, exotic, and green the space was on the last visit. Nonetheless, the seaside esplanade did not disappoint. Cadiz' position on the water is extremely beautiful.

I passed one of the city's famous theatres (I didn't recall it from the last visit) and then found myself at the central market which was open and busy. An amazing place to walk around and take in the local culture of "Gaditanos" doing their food shopping, the place felt very "real". The market is original - nothing about it caters to tourists.

The market is located near the cathedral (which looks a lot like Málaga's) and a Roman Theatre (not in a great state of preservation). There I could take in the sea view from the other side of the narrow peninsula that holds the old city. From the cathedral I walked through the small medieval quarter (mostly gone) and slowly made my way back up to the seawall where I had started.

I found some very old ficus trees with amazing trunks. Everyone was getting their photos taken beneath them. I understood why - they looked incredible.

Near the end of the walk (and close by the ship) stands a row of cannons from the days when Cádiz had to defend itself against both pirates and invading powers from the north.

I returned to the boat happy that I had revisited the city and given it a closer look than my first visit (or perhaps I just didn't remember the first visit beyond the Parque Genovés?) As the sun set, I had a glass of prosecco and watched the old city slowly darken. Once again, the ship provided the perfect vantage point.

The wind was cold and I gave up on sitting at my favorite bar on the top deck. I returned to the room and relaxed. The captain came over the loudspeaker (as he usually did) to announce we were leaving and to predict heavy seas the next day (a sea day). I hoped I would be ok - I hadn't felt seasickness in years. After a bit of news catch up on TV, I turned in.

Cádiz felt the most "real" of all the Spanish cities on the journey (even more than Girona). I was sorry I couldn't have stayed longer.

Day 6 (at sea)

The captain had not understated the seas - the ship (even though large) was moving a lot and I believe, based on the lack of people in all the public areas, it must have hit a lot of passengers hard. For me, the funniest part was walking on the small track on the top of the ship with some other people. Because the ship was so large, the movement was not visually obvious, but the physical force was still there. As people walked around the track, they suddenly would shift to the left or right for no apparent reason. It looked hilarious.

Most of the day was spent relaxing. I caught up on blogging and sent a few emails. Sometimes the ship's rolling gave me a headache while working, so I had to take short breaks, but otherwise - it was fine.

John

At the bar on the top deck (pleasantly warm and sunny in spite of the seas), I met a man "John" who talked at me for more than an hour. It was an absolutely wandering conversation about his having worked on cruise ships, now cruising often as his wife was a travel agent, and his brushes with famous people due to the job. I listened politely and noted that he likely had the early stages of Parkinson's. If there is one thing I have learned from the age cohort on such boats is that people simply vomit their life stories (as in - those tales burst forth uncontrolled and uncontrollably). I cannot think of any other word that properly describes it. As with all such encounters, there are small seeds of knowledge buried amidst that ejected mass of words.... Frequent cruisers are fonts of information on how to "work the system" inside the ship.

Later, I noted the sun was setting from my cabin and caught it from the top deck.

I roamed the comparatively empty ship (we were still rolling) and noticed that the stairs at night were lit up futuristically.

I went back to the room to watch a movie on TV.

I was excited for the next day - the Canary Islands. It was the last stop before the long Atlantic crossing, but also a place I had heard much about from friends (but had never visited).

Santa Cruz de Tenerife

At breakfast in line for coffee I met "Michelle". She was in the mood to talk. Once again, a passenger just emptied their life history into my polite (yet vacant) stare as I ate a bran muffin and sipped a latte.

Michelle

A retired nurse who had married late to a man who came with two children, most of her story was about the trials and tribulations of raising step-children. It sounded nightmarish - just the kind of thing I wanted to hear about on a cruise (not). Then she told me about her son who was, of course, the opposite and living a successful life in New York City.

The other part of the conversation - more serious - was about her professional career as an ICU nurse and how healthcare in Florida was in decline. Mostly, she spoke of the end of pension schemes and the takeover of hospitals by big corporations. The knock-on effects were very serious. She was planning on leaving the state (and she was born there, not a transplant). I wondered about how all she spoke of would impact the "old" people who flocked to the Sunshine State. The hospital system appeared in disarray and set to get worse.

In a very "small world" moment, I discovered she had lived in Maytown for a few years growing up because her father was military and they moved around a lot. How about that?

Yet again, someone was just literally ready to explode with a deeply personal story and I listened...

Exploring

After excusing myself from Michelle, I went to the top deck to see us pulling into Santa Cruz de Tenerife port. The island was barren - just rocks. Although the skies and seas were blue, it was not inviting. I recalled British friends in the past saying that the Atlantic Islands were like that - not "beautiful".

Moored at the very end of the cruise ship pier, our boat was a mile from the town center. I elected to walk - the weather was perfect and the line for the bus, immense (in fact, the captain apologized at the end of the day for the long waits). I didn't mind more steps - a passenger had to balance all that food intake somehow.

The Plaza de España across from the port holds a monument with some very severe statuary. It must be the single, most-photographed place on Tenerife because it is literally the first thing everyone sees exiting any ship.

My immediate goal was the Our Lady of Africa Market which I assumed was the traditional marketplace of Santa Cruz. The walk there took me by a square holding one of the city's oldest churches established by the conquistadores on their way to the Americas.

Matriz de Nuestra Señora de La Concepción

I continued toward the market and found a colorful mural. As if on cue, Santa Cruz' equally colorful tram was passing right in front of it!

The marketplace is a focal point for the city, but it is already 50% dedicated to tourists rather than locals. It had been beautifully renovated, but compared to Cadiz' market (very real), the market recommended to tourists in Santa Cruz was already on a "disney trajectory". I wondered how the locals felt?

I returned toward the center of town and found the main, pedestrian shopping street. It is beautiful and clean - lined with well-known brands. Given that FOUR cruise ships were in port, saying it was busy would be an understatement. Why would people from the ship want to shop there since most of the stores were available everywhere? The Canary Islands are a "real" part of Spain, not just a territory.

At the end of the street lies one of Santa Cruz' leafy plazas, Weyler. The place is beautiful (and very Spanish). The city was decorating for Christmas (apparently other countries rush the arrival of the season, too). From there, I continued on a long, leafy street which the locals call "La Rambla" (like in Barcelona). It was wonderfully free of people.

In one small park, I found a group of benches decorated in tile with old adverts from years before. I assumed companies formerly paid to have their businesses permanently represented on the plaza in tile.

At the end of that street, I came to the next green space (one of the city's largest), the Parque Garcia Sanabria. It is beautifully landscaped and holds several fountains and a huge floral clock. One of the statues spoke to me - not a beautiful Roman goddess or some idealized "native", but a bare-breasted, full-figured woman (with a pigeon unceremoniously perched on her head). The statue was so "honest" - maybe such works of art don't often exist much because people can't face reality. She looked like I felt.

I left the park and continued on to another square, the Plaza of the Prince of Asturias. The street leading to it is a mix of old and new architecture (as is most of Santa Cruz). The plaza itself was a let down (not much there), but the sun was hitting a banana tree through the trees and lit it up so that it was "glowing"

Farther down the street lies another of the city's famous churches, Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís. It is the second most important church on the island and holds the relic of a local miracle that supposedly stopped the outbreak of cholera in the late 19th century. The church is viewed as the "protector" of the island. Next to it, looking like another church, an old court building is still in use

Tribunal Superior de Justicia

St Francis of Asisi Church

As I walked back toward the main shopping street (and the throngs of people) I found a Starbucks that was absolutely mobbed. I am sure all the ships in port were like the Sun Princess - filled with coffee shops that made any variety of espresso-based drinks (included in the price of the cruise). Princess serves Lavazza coffee - just as good as Starbucks. Why would anyone want to use limited shore time and stand in a huge line for Starbucks?

My feet hurt - I had walked a lot. As I headed back I snapped a photo of the harbor with FOUR mega ships in port. That was nearly 15,000 people flooding into Santa Cruz. Again, I wondered what the locals thought?

Back on board I ate a late lunch and rested. Later I returned to the top deck for aperitivo and watched the last people arrive (late) to the ship. The sun was setting as we pulled out - Santa Cruz was lit up for us as we passed by.

We changed captains in Tenerife - or more precisely, the original ship's captain returned from a conference. He clearly loved his job because his departure "talk" was a lot more animated and less "facts only". I heard he was very popular from the crew.

There was much talk about the crossing from the Captain and later the Cruise Director - eight days at sea.

At least there was no rush to wake up the next day. I was happy - my feet were tired.

Day 8 (at sea)

The previous day while sitting at the outdoor bar a young, familiar man was walking past me. It was none other than the "young professor" from the last cruise. I called him over and asked if he was working on the ship or just a passenger. As it turned out, he joined in Tenerife for the crossing. He said he would be giving a lecture every day until we arrived in Florida.

Given how unimpressed I was by the last lecture I attended onboard by the "destination expert", I was delighted. He told me his talk would be at 11am the following day. I happily attended.

The topic was "other crossings of the Atlantic" where the focus was NOT going to be on Columbus, the Mayflower, nor the Titanic. He found alternate (and true) tales that are less well-known, but equally important. He gave a great presentation

Sun Bar

At the top of the ship, overlooking the pool and the sea, was the popular (in good weather) Sun Bar. As it turned out, even more of the bartenders and waiters were from Indonesia and I had a lot of fun sitting and joking with them. One of the young waiters, Sofian, was from Lombok. He is Sasak - a small ethnic group of 4 million who only live on that island. Given Indonesia has 285 million citizens, the chance of meeting someone Sasak abroad was slim to none. I felt happy to see that more than just Javanese (who dominate the country in numbers) and Balinese (who dominate in service due tourism) were starting to work overseas.

Sofian asked me a lot about my life and where I had worked. Then I asked him what his father did: "oh he died when I was small". I expressed my sadness and then asked who he had grown up with: "I was given to an orphanage". I felt like jumping off the ship right then and there. Sofian, however, was bright and cheery, and optimistic about his future. Meeting him reminded me that some people succeed in the face of overwhelming odds to the contrary.

It was another formal night on board, so after catching the sunset, I returned to the room for an evening of bad TV (and movies).

Day 9 (at sea)

Wake up, eat breakfast, see the sunrise - I was developing a routine to start the day. I declined the young professor's lecture because it was a repeat of one he had done on the last cruise. I opted for a trivia quiz on the "Mediterranean" in the Dome - a climate controlled zone for sunbathing when the outside weather was rainy or cold. I found it a strange place to play a trivia game, although I felt sure when the ship was doing the Alaska Cruises it was well-used. Since it was 75F all day with sunny skies, it wasn't all that sought after on a cruise to Fort Lauderdale.

I later attended another quiz conducted by "future cruises" which (like the last cruise) was a thinly-veiled ploy to market more sailings to an audience who were likely to do it. It was far better done than the previous one and cleared up a couple of mysteries. One, only cruise ships that are labeled as "expeditions" can actually set foot on Antarctica. Princess does sail offshore the Antarctic Peninsula for a few days, but no zodiacs may land - it is illegal. Two, the cruises to Hawaii stop in Mexico (Ensenada) before returning to the US to make them "international". An old US Maritime Law (the Jones Act) requires that any kind of shipping or sailing within the US only be done by American companies. Adding Mexico makes the journey international, so the Jones Act does not apply - interesting. [Note: Princess' HQ is in Los Angeles, but the ships are all registered in the Bahamas]

The Sun Bar on the top deck remained my haven to hang out since the winds died down and the temperatures were warmer. It was my favorite place to people watch and meet random, fellow cruisers (as long as a life-story was not ready to burst forth).

Sunset was lovely (again) and I returned to the room for a sedate evening of TV and movies. The next day I planned for TWO enrichment lectures.

Day 10 (at sea)

In decent weather there are two high points on any sea day - dawn and dusk. Sunrises and sunsets ranged from pleasant to spectacular. I was surprised how many people on our ship of 4,000 did not take time to witness nature's free show.

The ship's detailing was crafted to impress. The Sun Princess was just over one year old and is the second largest in the Princess fleet. It makes use of a lot of glass and chrome.

After a lecture on the history of world trade and sugar by the young professor, I went topside to enjoy the warm day. Had I gone with my original plan, I would have left from Rome and done the northern crossing to New York. That had to be cold! On sea days, the best part of being on the ship is sitting outside in the sun.

While quaffing a G&T, someone exclaimed "rainbow". Sure enough, a small squall near the ship had created a short-lived, but spectacular one. It only lasted about ten minutes.

the incident

The aft of the ship had an infinity plunge pool (and fantastic views of the ship's wake). It was the best place for sunrises. Roaming around, I passed in front of the glass-fronted plunge pool just as a man decided to moon his wife. I turned my head toward the pool and burst out laughing. The recipient of the "moon" (the guy's wife) was laughing hysterically. The guy had no idea what had happened and she very proudly told him. He looked at me and I said, "well, at least I wasn't taking photos" to which his wife replied, "I wish you had". We were too old to be scandalized - it was funny (and totally out of the blue).

after the incident

I skipped the second lecture. It was about life on a cruise ship: crew's perspective. I might have liked it, but I felt like it was Princess' ploy to make sure passengers didn't think the crew were exploited. They work very hard for low wages (except the officers). I could just ask the drew directly.

In the early evening, I forewent aperitivo - I had been day-drinking. Instead, I had some banana bread and a latte enjoying a young guitar player from the UK. These days many musicians (even buskers) use canned background music. I "think" I heard his actual guitar playing; at least I was sure it was him singing. He was trying hard and I gave him an "A" for effort. In actuality, the sax player before him was far more accomplished.

How do they determine who is talented enough for entertainment on a cruise ship? The bar sometimes seemed terribly low. Maybe I should semi-retire and work on a cruise ship for a few years? ha!

I went back to the cabin and watched a formulaic rom-com - it was set in and around Sydney Harbor and made me recall how beautiful that city is.

More sea days awaited....

Day 11 (at sea)

The sunrise on Day 11 started low key, but suddenly off to the side (not at the sunrise itself), clouds started to glow amazing colors.   It was likely the high point of the day (which was rather depressing since it came at the very start)

I did some blog writing in the room, listened to music, and then took in the young professor's lecture on the history of Spain under the Moors.  It was well-done, but simply too much information for 45 minutes.   It did serve to remind me that the Western world owes a debt of gratitude to the Spanish Moors who kept alive much of the knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome.   The Renaissance could never have occurred without that transfer of knowledge.   At the heart of it all, the cities of Córdoba and Toledo - two of my favorite places in Spain.

I felt bored with what I had been drinking.  I decided to mix it up and tried a grapefruit juice and vodka.   Well - it was healthy (for an adult beverage), but not destined to enter my repertoire.   I would have to try something else the next day.

Our extremely exuberant Cruise Director was hosting a "White Party" for the ship that evening.   I had a HUGE internal chuckle at a cruise ship throwing a very traditionally gay party for a bunch of old white Americans (who likely had no idea).  Life felt extremely ironic.

The seas calmed down considerably which rendered the common areas more crowded.   It almost made me miss "moderate seas" which kept a lot of people in their cabins (that sounds dreadfully selfish, but having to queue for everything made me wonder why the experience was so expensive).

No aperitivo - just a latte and banana bread.  

That evening I watched another rom-com and felt they were all very formulaic with perhaps one slightly different twist on a common theme.   It served to remind me that I don't watch movies any more because they are all just recycled plots.  Most of the time when watching a new movie, I can only sit and think how much it borrows from something else (hence detracting from enjoying it).   Old Man Syndrome, I guess.

Another sea day ahead -

Day 12 (at sea)

The sunrise did not disappoint. If I started breakfast at about 6am, by the time I was finished, the sun was just crossing the horizon.

The day was mostly sunny and actually hot.   I peeked ahead at the temperatures in South Florida and they were in the mid-80sF.   My favorite bar on top of the ship was busy most of the day:  the sea was like glass.  Even the Cruise Director commented on how unusual it was to have such calm seas on an Atlantic crossing.

I attended another lecture by the young professor on the expulsion of the Jews from the Iberian Peninsula (the Spanish Inquisition) with a focus on the myriad places and activities they took up after leaving Spain.  A few even became (or at least were involved in) pirating!   The talk was interesting and a nice break to the routine of eating and drinking.

I enjoyed two live sets of music that day and noted something increasingly disturbing.   The "bands" were using pre-recorded tracks for back up.   It was difficult to tell what the players were adding on their own and what was given to them karaoke style.   In the case of the soloist I heard in the evening, he was doing country music covers.  He held a guitar, but I don't think he actually played it.

Was this the future of live music?  I realize ultra-famous artists have been lip-syncing concerts for decades, but the ship provided less illustrious performers who did not have the pressure to sound like studio recordings.   Was live music just becoming karaoke?   The singers onboard worked hard and performed many sets - but none of them were particularly "amazing".

I stopped by the spa to make an appointment for a shave.  If there is one thing I dislike, it is pushy salespeople who do not listen.  I got that in abundance and I gave them a good tongue-lashing for not listening to what I wanted rather than trying to upsell me.   I mean seriously - did I even look like a guy who wanted a "facial"?   Having negotiated the price down to ridiculously expensive from "you-have-to-be-kidding-me-no-one-will-pay-this", I walked away feeling unsettled.   I needed the shave though (note to self: bring electric clippers on a long cruise).

The spa staff were often NOT busy on board - could it be because their treatments were so expensive?  4,000+ passengers - if half of them are guys, then a haircut and shave at a "normal" price in the US would be quite popular.   The experience reminded me of the attitude of becak (bicycle rickshaw) drivers in Yogyakarta, Indonesia:   better just to wait for the possibility to overcharge one person than offer lower prices to many people and make even more money.

I again eschewed aperitivo for latte and a pastry.   If I had drinks in the afternoon, they did not seem very special at night.  

The sunset was unremarkable.

I watched one more rom-com - perhaps my last.   I needed to switch to another genre.

Another day at sea awaited ....

Day 13 (at sea)

For the first time on the cruise, I awoke to cloudy skies and a sunrise that couldn't overcome them. In fact, the seas had turned a little rough, it rained on and off, and the outside temperatures were cooler. It promised to be a long day and the upper decks were literally empty.

I attended another of the young professor's lectures on whaling with a special focus on the history of Nantucket. I learned a lot - especially that after one economic downturn (due to politics and war), many of the Quakers of Nantucket moved to the Falkland Islands to continue their business there! I never knew about that connection.

Immediately after was a quiz on the "Golden Girls" and I thought I would give it a shot. I had seen most of the episodes at least twice. Yet again, I did poorly while some in the crowd got near perfect scores. I clearly do NOT watch enough TV (of which I am happy).

Otherwise, the day was filled with trying to get steps in on the track between showers and time resting in the cabin. I reflected a lot on how lucky we had been that all the days had been sunny until that moment. I watched a YouTube video on "repositioning cruises" (which I was on) and the presenter told viewers not to underestimate the effect of many sea days in a row and bad weather that forces passengers inside. I wondered if I wanted to do this kind of cruise again - it was getting tedious.

After sunset (a wash out due to the bad weather), I watched the same young man perform whom I had seen two nights before. At least he started "acoustic" and I realized he could actually play the guitar.

Back in the room I got my dirty clothes together.  I had to wake up and grab a washing machine first thing or I wouldn't stand a chance the rest of the day.   I appreciated having the machines onboard - there just weren't enough of them.

I watched a very dark comedy (so dark that I wondered if it was really comedy) and then slept.   Maybe those rom-coms were not so bad after all.

Another full day ahead awaited.

Day 14 (at sea)

I awoke and immediately did laundry as planned.   I was shocked to find even at 6am, one of the machines was already running.   It felt good to cross that off my list.

Our penultimate sea day was to be celebrated as "the final day" because the Cruise Director explained the actual final night the ship's crew was "too busy" in preparation for arrival and the ship's turnaround.    Somehow that felt unfair.

Whatever the case, the seas were calm and blue.   The weather was perfect without too much breeze but enough to keep everyone cool.

The ship was filled with live music both on the top deck and inside all day.   People felt festive and the mood of the entire ship jumped up a notch.

My favorite bar was mobbed from morning until evening - but that was OK.   I felt lucky to have spent as much time as I did there when it was uncrowded.   I had a "spicy bloody mary" - they used pre-made mix and I didn't like it (I wasn't surprised).  I made an immediate retreat into gin & tonic.

I tried my best to get steps in on the "seven times around" jogging track (7 = 1 mile)  - it was so tedious.   I was happy to have it, but missed the full-ship length promenade of the last ship (only 3 = 1 mile).   I was looking forward to some long walks on land.

No lectures that day (at least none that I was interested in).

Back in the room I watched a highly improbably plotted rom-com (again), but didn't feel so bad about it after the totally bizarre and disturbing dark comedy of the evening before.

Bestie from home, PM, helped me with some arrival details - using the phone on ship was not only expensive, but the service cut out all the time.    That sorted, I felt ready for arrival.   

The next day was the last full day at sea.

Day 15 (at sea)

Our final day at sea was greeted by a stunted sunrise from the clouds we had passed beneath the preceding days.   After that, however, we were in brilliant sunshine.  My phone started roaming in the Bahamas and some islands were occasionally visible offshore.

Before lunch I took in the last lecture from our onboard professor about the history of early mega corporations (namely the Dutch East Indian Company and the British East India Company).   It was a wake up call to realize that those first "corporations" laid down most of the business and finance model the world continues to use.  No wonder things are a mess - that was 300 years ago.

After lunch (very crowded), I returned to the top deck which was packed with people until early afternoon, but then it thinned out dramatically.  I assumed everyone was going to their rooms to pack.

I had one last view over the ship from the Sun Bar.

I had a terrible shave (which I needed desperately) in the spa from a guy who clearly did not know what he was doing.   I just wanted to get tidied up and he needed to be guided to the last detail.   I kept reflecting on most of my barbers in Bangladesh who spoke no English and gave me perfect shaves as per my requests.   It had to be the most expensive "bad" shave I had in my life to date.   But...I needed it.

I bid some of the crew farewell that I had interacted with frequently and returned to the room to watch the news.   We would be gaining another hour before reaching Florida.  I definitely had "boat lag" - my body clock was way off even though we traveled slowly.

Honestly, I looked forward to getting off the boat after eight days.

Fort Lauderdale

The boat arrived in Port Everglades in the wee hours.   The sunrise was visible from my window after we docked.

I went to breakfast and it was slammed (as it had been on the last cruise).  Of course, they cannot ask everyone to leave the ship in only a few hours and not expect it to be so.  I just wanted to get something in my stomach and leave.

Sometimes serendipity gets almost frightening. At breakfast, amidst all those people, I saw Robert whom I had met on the first day. Later I also saw him exiting the ship. What were the chances?

After doing a final check on mails, I disembarked.   The hotel in Ft Lauderdale provided a phone number for pick up that was WRONG, so I ended up taking a taxi.   Actually, the taxi queue was well-ordered, organized, and fast.   The only issue was arriving so early.  I thought I might get to the hotel by 9:30 or 10:00am - I ended up arriving at 7:15am (no traffic on a Sunday morning).

Anyway, I had arrived back in the US after two months of travel.  It felt great to be off the ship.

Post Script

Two cruises in two months, on the same cruise line no less!   I had learned a lot and had time not only to relax, but to reflect.

cruising

If taking cruise ships in the past had not really been my style, I was coming around to it.   Traveling in Europe had been stressful trying to navigate things on my own.  What did not bother me in the past became annoying.   And, prices had gone up dramatically. Cruising is expensive, but when the number of days are divided into the price - and hotel, food, activities, and transportation are considered - my trips were not bad deals (not cheap, but also not overly expensive).

The cabin with "window only" (just a big porthole) was actually OK for me. I appreciated the extra space inside the room - it felt less claustrophobic. I wondered if I could deal with an interior cabin? I glanced inside some that were being cleaned. No natural light whatsoever - I wasn't sure. They looked very small. Then again, most of my time in the room was spent at night when there was no sunlight. More importantly having a mid-ship cabin is important - far less motion. My cabin didn't bother me at the bow, but I would have preferred something smoother riding if given a choice.

The people onboard were still very "old", but there was a much larger contingent of "younger" people.   Most importantly (and it sounds terrible to say), the "barely alive" set was absent.  I think getting to Europe automatically filtered out many who on the last cruise only needed to travel to New York and then home from Los Angeles.   Quite honestly, I was relieved.  Cruising with the "nursing home set" was depressing.

I did try to engage people on the cruise, but most were on their first trip to Europe (perhaps their first big trip - ever) and it was hard to strike up a meaningful conversation. Most passengers wanted to talk about their kids (ugh) or all the things they had been doing in their fabulous retirement.   I felt so happy that Brian and I had travelled when we were young. Passengers felt very "boring" - or perhaps I was the boring one?

Interestingly, many on the ship were from Florida and loved to cruise simply because they lived near the big ports.  It felt like they retired to South Florida only to spend a few years cruising.   Not my style, but I found it amazing.

the crossing

The whole point of the cruise was to travel from Europe to the US by sea.   From the Canary Islands to Florida is eight full days on the water.   That was LONG (and very dull).   The main problem for me was that there were no places to walk onboard except the tiny lap track on the very top deck.  Forget about using the gym equipment for cardio - there were only about a dozen machines for thousands of people (including crew - which was fine, I would like to think they keep in shape).   I am not sure I would do so many sea days again on a similar ship unless I had a better plan for keeping active.

There are, however, people who love to cruise only for being on the ship.   Some people had done multiple transatlantic crossings!   Even if I was coming around to cruising - sea days were a different story.  I kept telling myself, "you cannot complain - you have a nice room, movies, entertainment, food, and drinks" - all true.  It still felt like a five-star prison at times.

Most importantly for me, I like the cruise ports to have easy access to a city rather than be dependent on the ship for transportation.   All of the stops on the cruise were right outside the city center and walkable (although sometimes far because the piers were so long).   The last cruise with my brother had some ports that were not near anything - for me, that made a difference.

the future

In the final analysis, I realize that I cannot enjoy retirement as I saw many doing on the ship (if indeed they were enjoying it).   Unstructured day after unstructured day with an attitude of "I had to work my whole life, now I don't want to do anything" is not what makes me happy.  I certainly cannot know what others desire for their golden years , but I know what is good for me.  Feeling that I still serve a purpose is important (and some kind of routine).

So ended a great voyage - I have been from Japan to China to Russia to Barcelona to Florida to California - all by land and sea.   

Only one piece left - will I do it? (and do I want to?)