Traveling Home by Ship

When Karen and I started thinking about this trip our biggest concerns were packing, the length of our trip and the distance. The packing challenge was addressed after educating ourselves on the virtues of using only carry-ons. YouTube became our go to resource on types of luggage, clothing materials selection, like Merino wool, and packing cubes. Honestly, after what we have learned, we will almost always pack this way in the future with the only exception being a scuba diving trip..

The travel distance and time zone differences was another challenge all together. San Francisco to Istanbul is a 13 hour flights with 11 time zone changes. This turned out to be a huge issue for me when we arrived. It took days for my circadian rhythm to get back to normal. It didn't prevent us from doing any of the activities we planned, it just meant we were up earlier in the morning than usual and ready for bed earlier in the evening. So in an effort to minimize another long flight returning home and the time change back to Texas we entertained this crazy idea of taking a re-positioning cruise instead.

For those not familiar with this type of cruise, a re-positioning cruise is a one-way voyage where a cruise ship moves from one home port to another, often to follow seasonal weather patterns or change its home base. They are typically offered at discounted rates and can include long itineraries with more days at sea, such as transatlantic and transpacific routes, providing unique travel opportunities.

After doing our research we decided on the Sun Princess 15 day cruise from Barcelona, Spain to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We were able to book a balcony cabin for the entire cruise at $2688 ($89.60 per person per day). For a little more than a return flight we got a relaxing 15 day cruise that provided our transportation, entertainment, a lovely cabin to live in and all the food anyone could ever wish to eat! We felt like we we getting such a great deal we opted to upgrade to the "Princess Plus" package that included wifi for one device each, their 15 drink per day package, specialty dining in two of the optional restaurants. It also included the gratuity charges which are typically added to your onboard account at the end of the cruise. The Princess Plus was $60 per person per day so we tacked on another $1800 for conveniences making the cruise total $4488. Still an amazing value at $149.60 per person per day for everything. In addition, we received $550 of onboard credit plus an additional veteran's onboard credit of $250 after speaking to another seasoned cruiser on board. $800 more for the spa and excursions!

The boarding process was easy and seamless. Barcelona has a new cruising terminal that is expansive.

We boarded the ship on November 1 at 1 PM and departed the port by 6:30 PM. With only carry-on luggage we were able to go directly to our beautiful starboard side balcony cabin midship. We unpacked and started exploring our new home for the next 15 days.

The Sun Princess is the first of the PRINCESS SPHERE Class ships in the fleet and can carry 4320 - 5189 passengers. She has 20 decks and 1550 cabins. Completed in 2025 at a cost of 950 million EUROS (1 billion dollars U.S.) the ship is 1,132 feet in length and has a width or beam of 154 feet. The ship is the largest in their fleet at 177, 882 gross tons with a cruising speed of 22 knots (25 mph for you landlubbers).

This is the panoramic view from our balcony. We have two chairs and a small table and hope to have some nice weather on the crossing to spend time enjoying it.

This cross Atlantic cruise is about 85% of capacity but because of its size there appears to be plenty of space in the common areas like the eateries and pools.

This is the view from deck 17 looking aft from the bow on the port side of the ship. It's for adults only and my happy place . It has its own bar, pool and hot tubs in front of the dome structure. It sits above the ship's bridge and offers some incredible view.

We departed Barcelona around sunset and headed west on our first sea day, Tuesday, November 2. Cruising just off shore the Spanish coast, our first port of call on Monday, November 3 is Malaga, Spain.

While waiting for our HOHO bus we had a great view of our ship the Sun Princess.

Malaga is the international gateway to the Costa del Sol; we used the Hop ON Hop OFF bus again to see the highlights. We decided not to walk up to the Alcazaba, an old Moorish fortified palace which has stood guard over Malaga for nearly a thousand years, and stayed on the bus to see more sites. This current complex was begun in the 11th century and was modified or rebuilt multiple times up to the 14th century. It is one of the best-preserved alcazabas in Spain.

This impressive building is undoubtedly the finest surviving example of a Moorish citadel in Spain. The Alcazaba is a palatial fortification built during the period of Muslim-ruled Al-Andalus. At the top of the hill is the Castillo de Gibralfaro.

Our highest HOHO destination was the Castillo de Gibralfaro. Over a thousand years old, this imposing Moorish castle takes its name from a Phoenician lighthouse that was built on the site more than two millennia ago!

Known locally as "El Cubo," this structure sits in the port and is recognizable for its vibrant, translucent panels.

After touring on the bus we walked around the "Malaga cube structure". This iconic, colorful glass cube houses the Centre Pompidou Málaga, an outpost of the famous Paris art museum. The building itself is a work of modern architecture, designed by architects Juan Antonio Marín Malavé and Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra, and has become a famous landmark in the city.

From Malaga, Spain we cruised the 82 nautical miles to Gibraltar, the historic British port and fortress Rock of Gibraltar, arriving on Tuesday morning, November 4. We booked an electric-bike excursion around the Rock of Gibraltar for the afternoon.

Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory and headland on Spain's south coast. It’s dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, a 426 meter high limestone ridge. First settled by the Moors in the Middle Ages and later ruled by Spain, the outpost was ceded to the British in 1713. Layers of fortifications include the remains of a 14th-century Moorish Castle and 18th century Great Siege Tunnels, which were expanded in WWII.

We felt Gibraltar was worth visiting for its blend of British and Mediterranean culture, rich history, and natural beauty, especially using a two hour tour to explore on E-Bikes. They provided us an efficient means to cover our route around the entire headlands. In my opinion we avoided the traffic issues and navigated more easily than any other form of transportation available.

Because of a 6:30 PM departure from Gilbraltar, we had to limit exploring to the bike trip only. Some of the cruisers took the tram up to the top of the rock. There they could visit Europe's only wild monkeys, the Barbary Macaques, that roam freely on the Rock.

Our bike route took us around the entire territory through tunnels, up and down some steep and narrow roads shared with motorcycles, cars and even large trucks. Much of "The Rock" is covered with a network of tunnels connecting many of the former military installations and batteries. The material from these tunnels was used to expand the land for development including their airport.

Europa Point defines the boundary between the Straits of Gibraltar in the Atlantic Ocean, and the Alboran Sea within the Mediterranean.

Europa Point is Gibraltar's southernmost point, located at the southern extremity of the Iberian Peninsula and known for its panoramic views across the Straits of Gibraltar to Africa. It is home to several significant landmarks, including the Europa Point Lighthouse, the Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, the Sikorski Memorial, and Harding's Battery.

One of the most unique features of Gibraltar is it's airport. What is special about the Gibraltar Airport?

Crossing the Runway! Many visitors to Gibraltar cross the international airport's runway to get into the city. It is one of the many unusual tourist attractions of Gibraltar. Only bike and pedestrian visitors are allowed to walk across the runway. We had to wait to cross while we watched an airplane take off right in front of us!

Winston Churchill Avenue crossing the runway with the Rock in the background.

After our two hour tour around Gilbraltar we returned our E-Bikes and walked back to the ship. It was another full day of sightseeing in this very unique and historical place.