Ahoy! Welcome back aboard the Island Princess to continue with us on our journey. We’ll return to Day 87 of our 97 day World Cruise where we depart Europe from Malaga, Spain, visit Madeira, then on to Bermuda, disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale.
We were again treated to sunny skies and calm seas of 3 to 4 feet, a glorious way to begin our journey home on the Atlantic. We enjoyed the sun on our balcony as we plied rhythmically on the deep blue sea.
4/15/24, Day 87, At sea, 68º, sunny, calm seas 3′ -4′
After the temperature increased to 75º, we spent a relaxing day on our balcony and at the indoor pool. We then prepared for yet another formal night and dinner.
The menu featured Surf and Turf, a crowd favorite, along with several other tempting selections. Of course, they were followed by delectable deserts.
Our nearly two day 670 nautical mile journey would take us to the port of Funchal on Madeira.
4/16/24, Day 88 Port of Funchal , Madeira
We docked at Funchal just before 8 am under sunny skies, 70° and a light breeze.
Madeira, “The Isle of Eternal Spring and Flowers” is an autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago in the region of Macaronesia, about 250 miles north of the Canary Islands (Spain) and 320 miles west of Morocco. Madeira is culturally, politically and ethnically associated with Europe, with its population predominantly descended from Portuguese settlers with a population of 250,000. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, on the main island’s south coast.
For an Island Tour, we decided on a shuttle to center city and picking up a Hop On Hop Off bus to tour the island.
The HOHO provided a great insight into the lovely island. Everywhere we noticed lovely architecture and well designed roadways with tight switchbacks. There were magnificent vistas and gorgeous flowers in bloom everywhere.
Our tour continued through old town and off to the San Antonio area for wonderful mountain views followed by a drive by some of the southern bays.
Prince Henry, also known as “Henry the Navigator,” is associated with Madeira because he sponsored expeditions that discovered and colonized the Madeira Islands. His bronze statue has a prominent place at the Rotunda do Infante near the entrance of Santa Catarina Park.
Santa Catarina Park is one of the most frequented green parks in the capital of Madeira, due to its central location and spectacular flower beds, trees shrubs and herbs from all over the world.
On the 9 acre terraced garden we found a pond with an island created for the birds that live here to rest and nest.
However, it is the panoramic view from Funchal bay to Ponta do Garajau, that is remarkable.
We departed Funchal at 5 pm and headed for our final Port of Call, Bermuda, some 2,400 nautical miles distant.
4/17/24 Day 89, at Sea, 66°, mostly sunny
We spent a glorious day taking in the sun on the balcony, conscious not to eat much in preparation for our special Chef’s Table Dinner at 6 pm.
The Chef’s Table on Princess Cruises is a multi-course dinner experience hosted by the ship’s Executive Chef, Nagy Dinand. The experience includes wine pairings, hors d’oeuvres, and a menu that’s not available anywhere else on the ship. The event starts with a tour of the galley.
We were provided white lab coats prior to our escorted tour of the kitchen by Director of Restaurant Operations, Daniele Rosafio. Being no stranger to a white lab coat, I felt like they may want to put me to work in the Periodontal section!
The tour was enlightening, especially being made aware of the sophisticated systems in place to ensure that all food is fresh and free of cross-contamination.
The galley is immense, extremely busy and the staff all seemed so friendly and pleasant.
After being seated at a table at the head of the Main Dining Room with 10 others, we had a moment to admire the admire the place settings and then it began. . . we were presented an orgasmic cascade of champagne, food and wine that would make a grown man weep.
The gastronomic experience was just amazing and to top it off, the ladies were presented with a lovely rose, a copy of the menu and a photo of our hosts for this spectacular dinner.
4/18/24, Day 90, 65°, mostly cloudy, seas 4-6’
After last night’s culinary extravaganza we laid low. With the realization that we had only 7 days remaining on this incredible trip, we took the time to relax and reflect.
4/19/24, Day 91, at Sea, 66°, cloudy, 6-8’ sea
The wind has picked up to 25-30 knots, so we noted a bit more ship movement than we have experienced in the past.
We attended another of Jessica Potter’s Enrichment lectures regarding West End Bermuda where we will dock in three days. Bermuda is named after Spanish explorer Juan de Bermúdez, who discovered the archipelago in 1505. The islands have been permanently inhabited since 1612 by the English.
After time for blog research and some option trading, we enjoyed the peace and quiet of our stateroom before we presented for dinner at Sabatini’s specialty restaurant with friends from Florida, Arlene and Tom.
4/20/24 , Day 92, at Sea, 62° windy, partly sunny, sea 6 -8’
We spent the last few sea days lying low, but the evening meal in the main dining room always had a few surprises.
4/21/24, Day 93, at Sea, 66°, seas calmer at 3 to 4’
After a light breakfast, we met our group of raconteurs for Sunday Brunch, as always, we had a blast!
4/22/24, Day 94, Bermuda, 70°, 20 kts. wind
We were docked at the West End of Bermuda at about 7 am. Following our usual port routine, we were off of the ship well after the crowd and made our way to the Royal Navy Dockyard.
Once known as the Gibraltar of the West, the Royal Naval Dockyard was a symbol of British military power for more than 150 years. Today, it’s one of Bermuda’s most popular spots for visitors, home to the island’s biggest cruise ship pier and many restaurants, shops and attractions. The Dockyard is still steeped in maritime history. Bermuda is located between Europe and the New World, so it was the perfect spot for the British Navy’s western hemisphere hub.
With its 100 foot towers, the Clocktower Mall is one of Bermuda’s iconic sights. Built in the 19th century as administration offices for the British Royal Navy, it features beautifully restored cobblestone floors and handsome wrought iron pillars. It’s now home to restaurants and shops.
Beyond the Dockyard, there are peaceful parks with a view, waterfront dining, oceanfront golf courses, and the island’s iconic South Shore beaches, like Horseshoe Bay Beach. In addition, you can visit Bermudan Aquarium museums and the zoo. You can also opt for a Segway tour, taxi or a local bus. There are snorkel beach parks just 10 minutes away as Bermuda is home to the northernmost coral reef in the world.
After our return to the ship we engaged in luxurious napping just before we departed the dock and headed west to Florida some 930 nautical miles distant. We elected to call room service for a quiet dinner in our stateroom.
4/23/24, Day 95, at Sea, 68°, windy, 4-6’ sea
You know it’s time to leave when your luggage tags are delivered. Now it’s time to organize our closet and storage areas and start packing everything that has served us well over three months.
On the schedule was the last formal night, so we met friends David and Pattie at the Wheelhouse and enjoyed dinner at The Reserve. Tonight was also the time to show appreciation to our maitre d, restaurant manager, waitstaff and other servers with hearty thanks and envelopes containing notes expressing our appreciation along with some crisp currency. We’ll miss these wonderful people and hope to cross paths once again.
4/24/24, Day 96, at Sea, 72° mostly sunny, NE of Bahamas, calm seas
After breakfast, it was time to pack, this time it only took me 3 hrs!
We had a casual lunch, relaxed at Lido pool and enjoyed one last ice cream before preparing for our last evening aboard.
Our evening began with a martini at Crooners, where we tipped our attentive servers, who had drinks on order as soon as they saw us. We had one last dinner with our new found friends and all wish that Libby and Bob hadn’t departed in Rome. As always, lots of laughs and promises to meet again. As it turned out, we met with several of these friends on recent trips.
After a unusually lively dinner, it was time to complete packing and place our luggage outside the door realizing that our so called “trip of a lifetime” was concluding. Hopefully, this would be the first of many more to come.
4/25/24, Day 97, Ft. Lauderdale
The Disembarkation at Ft. Lauderdale went without a hitch.
We left the ship before 8 am. Our luggage was lined up and ready to go. The porter had us through customs quickly. The driver then loaded the Limo services van and we were on the road by 8:35 am.
We travelled 30, 500 nautical miles over 97 days, visited 4 continents, 18 countries and 36 destinations. We were accompanied by a bit over 2,000 passengers, 900 crew and an incredibly competent Captain Paul Slight. It was a fantastic experience.
Many say they couldn’t imagine that long of a cruise. I say, after day 30 you won’t want to leave; unless, you don’t enjoy being pampered in luxurious, comfortable surroundings by competent, affable people, and having 24 hour maid and food service. Combine all of that with life-altering experiences ashore. . . you just can’t beat it.
We have already booked a Caribbean Circle Cruise on this very ship!
You’ll be hearing from me soon.
Best regards and see you on the water,
Bobby Di