In just NINE short days, 80 FIU students cruise away on Carnival’s “Horizon” out of Barcelona, Spain! We are all lucky enough to be cruising on a brand new ship that will be out and about in the Balearic Sea for the first time EVER.
There is no doubt that this past week has been stressful for all of us with finishing finals, preparing for graduation, moving out of dorms, and packing for our cruise. But school is officially over, and now we get to visit 7 cities in Europe, Canada and the United States in the span of 15 days!! During our sea days, students will be taking law classes, cruise line management classes and personal empowerment classes on board. (Kind of like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody on Deck!!).
Our itinerary:
- Board ship in Barcelona, Spain
- Malaga, Spain
- Gibraltar, United Kingdom
- Lisbon, Portugal
- Vigo, Spain
- 6 Sea Days
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Arrival at Port of New York
Since we will be visiting various places, we can anticipate the weather to fluctuate throughout our days. As of now, the temperature is predicted around 70 F and low 55 F for Barcelona, Malaga, Gibraltar and Lisbon. I know you may be saying, “70 degrees is the perfect climate!,” but coming from 85 degree sunny weather in Miami, it may be a tad bit difficult to get used to for some of us! It may be slightly cooler in Vigo and Halifax — expected to be 10 degrees cooler. From past experience on a transatlantic, I arrived in France and I had to spend half of my day searching for a jacket to keep me warm. When we make our journey home across the Atlantic Ocean, it will most likely be windy and cool on deck. Also, rain is likely at times. Here are SOME traveling necessities for a transatlantic cruise:
Transatlantic Packing Checklist:
-
- Sweatshirt / Rain Jacket
- Extra Hangers
- Extra carry on bag (For souvenirs)
- Dramamine (For sea sickness)
- Formal dress for the ladies (Captain’s Dinner)
- Formal dress shirt for the men (Captain’s Dinner)
- Scarf / Warm Hat
- Boots / Sneakers
- Sandals / Bathing Suit (For Hot Tub)
- Mini White Board for Cabin Door (For communicating with your roommate)
- Travel Cup
- Headphones / Book
~ Sacelia Rose-Marie