March 27 – April 3, 2026
After months of planning, embarkation day had finally arrived.
Standing at the cruise terminal, we got our first look at Enchanted Princess, the beautiful ship that would be our floating home for the next two weeks. Carrying roughly 3,500 passengers, she seemed enormous from the dock, but before long we’d learn our way around as if we’d lived there for years.
We also knew what lay ahead: seven consecutive days at sea.
For some people, that might sound boring. For us, it was one of the things we were looking forward to the most.
Rather than rushing from port to port, we had an entire week to slow down, relax, and simply enjoy life on the ocean.
A Dramatic Beginning
Even before we left Fort Lauderdale, the ship reminded us that life at sea can be unpredictable.
While we were enjoying lunch on the top deck, an ambulance arrived at the pier and medical personnel boarded with a stretcher. We later heard that a passenger had suffered a medical emergency and had to leave the ship before departure. We never learned what happened, but we hoped everything turned out well.
Thankfully, the mood quickly shifted as departure time approached.
We wandered up to the pool deck for the Sail Away celebration, although the South Florida sunshine didn’t encourage us to stay long. Before long, the ship’s horn sounded one of the most recognizable television themes ever written…
“The Love Boat.”
Everyone around us smiled.
It was the perfect soundtrack as our retirement adventure officially sailed away from the United States.
Later that evening, we sat quietly on our balcony watching the lights of other ships pass in the darkness. It was hard to believe that tomorrow there would be nothing around us but water.
Settling Into Ship Life
Our first full day at sea was wonderfully uneventful.
We met several new friends—Lisa and John from California and Cindy from Niagara Falls, Ontario—and spent hours playing card games together. One of the unexpected joys of cruising is how quickly strangers become friends when everyone shares the same destination.
At noon we advanced our clocks one hour into Atlantic Daylight Time. Five more time changes awaited us before reaching Europe, although thankfully the rest would happen overnight while we slept.
Walking the jogging track early each morning quickly became one of my favorite routines. Around 7:00 a.m., with the ship quietly cutting through calm seas, I’d watch the sunrise spread across the Atlantic.
Somewhere beyond that endless horizon…
…North America was slowly disappearing behind us.
From our balcony we watched the ocean transform throughout the day. Every hour seemed to reveal another shade of blue. Pictures simply couldn’t capture the colors or the peacefulness of standing there with nothing but sea in every direction.
A Champagne Celebration
On our third morning at sea, Jeff and I decided our retirement deserved a proper toast.
So we enjoyed a champagne breakfast on our private balcony while the Atlantic stretched endlessly around us.
There was nowhere to be.
Nothing demanding our attention.
Just breakfast, champagne, and the realization that this wasn’t simply a vacation anymore.
This was retirement.
When the Atlantic Reminded Us Who Was Boss
Veteran Transatlantic cruisers had warned us that the weather usually changes around the third day.
They weren’t kidding.
The warm sunshine disappeared almost overnight.
Clouds rolled in.
The wind strengthened.
The Atlantic began showing us why sailors have respected it for centuries.
By afternoon, empty lounge chairs were sliding across the pool deck in the wind. Crew members stretched protective netting over the pools as the ship pitched and rolled through increasingly rough seas.
The next day wasn’t much calmer.
Our captain announced we were encountering 5-meter swells—more than 16 feet high. Some waves were large enough to completely wash over the windows on Deck 5.
Needless to say, we were very happy we’d packed seasickness medication.
The jogging track closed because of the high winds, one of the swimming pools was drained, and outdoor activities became much less appealing. Fortunately, there were still plenty of ways to spend our days.
Mornings often started in the fitness center.
Afternoons were filled with card games, reading, trivia contests (where we rarely impressed anyone), and conversations with fellow travelers.
Even when the weather refused to cooperate, there was never a shortage of things to do.
Good Food Makes Every Sea Day Better
As the seas gradually calmed, life aboard returned to normal.
One evening we enjoyed dinner at O’Malley’s Irish Pub, complete with traditional Irish music, hearty comfort food, and colorful cocktails—including one appropriately named the Lucky Charm.
Another evening, we shared dinner with travelers from all over the United States and met a delightful couple from Sweden. They were returning home after spending two and a half months visiting children and grandchildren across America.
One adventurous menu item caught both of our attention.
Octopus.
It was my first time trying it and Jeff’s second.
For anyone wondering…
No, it definitely does not taste like chicken.
Laundry Day at Sea
As our final sea day arrived, excitement began replacing routine.
The rough weather was behind us, the pools were being refilled, and tomorrow we would finally see land again.
One task still remained before Europe.
Laundry.
After nearly a week at sea, we were grateful that Princess offers self-service laundromats. Clean clothes somehow become much more exciting after several days on the ocean.
The Perfect Ending
That evening we treated ourselves to a private balcony dinner.
The food was excellent, the ocean had finally settled down, and the sunset painted the Atlantic in soft shades of orange and gold.
I joked to Jeff that the only thing that could possibly improve the evening would be seeing a whale.
A few minutes later…
I glanced out over the water.
A whale’s tail broke the surface.
I called Jeff over, and we both watched in amazement as it disappeared back beneath the waves. We scrambled for our phones and camera, but the only photo I managed captured little more than a tiny white splash in the distance.
Sometimes the best travel memories aren’t the ones you photograph.
They’re the ones you simply experience.
Tomorrow morning, after seven unforgettable days at sea, we’d finally step onto solid ground again in Ponta Delgada, Azores—our first stop before Europe.
Coddiwomple with Jeff and Gina 
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