2026 Copenhagen Atlantic Crossing Cruise

While in Madrid we will be staying at Hotel Room Mate Alicia. This hotel is located in the heart of the Las Letras district, the hotel is an early 20th-century industrial building overlooking Plaza de Santa Ana. We have learned the best way to recover from jetleg is to stay busy. Thus we have planned a number of activities to do during our Madrid days.

• Our first activity is a 2.5-hour walking tour around the area where our hotel is located. The purpose of this activity is to help get familar with the immediate area around our hotel.
  
  
• In the late afternoon of the same day we have booked a "Highlights City Tour by Electric Tuk-Tuk". This tour provides a private, eco-friendly, and open-air guided tours of Spain's capital, offering a flexible way to explore both historic and modern sites. This tour is said to be excellent for getting an initial layout of the city at the start of a trip.
  
  
• The next day is a full day activity, "Toledo Tour with Cathedral" guided tour. Toledo is known to some as the city of three cultures-because of its Muslim, Christian, and Jewish heritage-Toledo is a stunning medieval city (image right) that's an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Enjoy sights like the old city walls, 12th-century synagogue, and Primate Cathedral (Catedral Primada).

• Another full day activity is "Avila and Segovia" guided tour. Ávila and Segovia are two historic UNESCO-listed cities near Madrid, famous for their, respectively, well-preserved medieval walls and ancient Roman aqueduct. Ávila is known as the "City of Stones and Saints" (featuring 11th-century walls), while Segovia is renowned for its 1st-century aqueduct and fairy-tale Alcázar castle.
  
  
• We are always game to add additional activities once we arrive and acclimate.

After five days in Madrid and mostly recovered from jet-leg we will take a short flight to Copenhagen, Denmark. We have also scheduled five days in Copenhagen before boarding the Sapphire Princess. While in Copenhagen we have booked an apartment, specifically Apartments by Brochner Hotels. Having a full kitchen we will have the option to have some meals in our apartment, especially if we have a view. The activities we have already scheduled are:

• Hop-on, Hop-Off bus to see all the local sites
• A canal boat tour in the afternoon followed by a water side dinner.
• Visit the famous Tivoli Gardens located very close to our apt.
• Visit one or more of the many castles, again located relatively close to our apt
• A full day tour: "Hamlet and Sweden" tour. This popular full-day (8-9 hour) excursion from Copenhagen that allows you to visit two countries in one day, focusing on Shakespeare's inspiration in Denmark and highlights of southern Sweden. Included in this tour:
  • Helsingør (Elsinore), Denmark: Visit the UNESCO-listed Kronborg Castle, famous as the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet. Participants usually have time to explore the castle (often at their own expense) or visit the M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark.
  • Ferry Ride: Cross the Øresund Strait by ferry from Helsingør to Helsingborg, Sweden.
  • Lund, Sweden: Visit the ancient university city of Lund to see the 12th-century Lund Cathedral and walk through its historic streets.
  • Malmö, Sweden: Explore Sweden's third-largest city, including landmarks like the Little Square (Lilla Torg) and the Turning Torso skyscraper.
  • Return: Return to Copenhagen across the impressive Øresund Bridge.
• More activities will be added if time and energy allows.

After learning and visiting all of Copenhagen that 5 days allows it is time to find our Princess ship. Typically Princess uses Ocean Quay located in the north harbor area, which is the main, modern terminal for large cruise ships, about 25-30 minutes from the city center. Our ship the Sapphire Princess entered service in 2004 as the sister ship of Diamond Princess and most recently refurbished in 2025. At the time she was one of the world's largest cruise ships, with a capacity of 2,670 passengers and is the second Gem-class ship built by Princess Cruises. Sapphire Princess was christened on 10 June 2004, in Seattle-the first cruise ship ever to be christened in that port. Despite being technically similar to her Grand-class sister ships, she lacks the "wing" across the rear and above the stern that housed the Skywalkers Nightclub.

The Sapphire includes plenty of bars and lounges:

Vines Bar (Plaza Deck-5): in Piazza - specializing in wine.

Good Spirits (Plaza Deck-5): Piazza - where you can get specialty drinks

Wake View Bar (Fiesta Deck-6): An aft-facing bar offering scenic ocean views.

Crooners Bar (Promenade Deck-7): A classic, cozy martini and piano bar.

Wheelhouse Bar (Promenade Deck-7): Features a nautical theme, often with live music.

Explorers Lounge (Promenade Deck-7): A venue designed for cabaret shows.

Club Fusion (Promenade Deck-7): A large, multi-purpose lounge for daytime activities and evening entertainment.

Poolside Bars (deck 14): Tradewinds Bar, Mermaid's Tail Bar, and Oasis Bar.

Skywalker's Nightclub (Sky Deck-17): A large, popular lounge located aft with stunning views.

The cruise map to the right shows our location for every day of the cruise. Below is our day-by-day schedule alone with arrival and departure times.

Day 1 -- Copenhagen, Denmark ------- Depart 6:00pm ==>Embarkation

Day 2 -- at Sea

Day 3 -- Lerwick, Shetland Islands --- Arrive 7:00am -- Depart 5:00pm

Day 4 -- Stornoway, Scotland ---------- Arrive 8:00am -- Depart 5:00pm

Day 5 -- Belfast, Northern Ireland --- Arrive 7:30am -- Depart 8:00pm

Day 6 -- Liverpool, England ----------- Arrive 7:00am -- Depart 5:00pm

Day 7 -- Cobh (Cork), Ireland -------- Arrive 10:00am - Depart 9:00pm

Day 8 -- at Sea

Day 9 -- at Sea

Day 10 - at Sea

Day 11 - at Sea

Day 12 - at Sea

Day 13 - Sydney, Nova Scotia --------- Arrive 7:00am -- Depart 4:00pm

Day 14 - Halifax, Nova Scotia --------- Arrive 8:00am -- Depart 9:00pm

Day 15 - at Sea

Day 16 - Boston, Massachusetts ----- Arrive 7:00am ==>Disembarkation

Booked Ship Excursions

Lerwick, Shetland Islands=>Sumburgh Head tour: A guided tour for close-up viewing of Puffin birds in their natural habitat.

Stornoway, Scotland=>Lews Castle: Nestled on wooded grounds overlooking Stornoway harbor, Lews Castle is a sight to behold. Built between 1847 and 1857 to resemble a Tudor castle, Lews has seen life as a home for Sir James Matheson, as a WWII hospital, and as a college. From the pier your guide will lead you through the waterfront dotted with delightful fishing boats, across a bridge and a pathway along the coastline to a small jetty offering fantastic views of Stornoway's colorful houses across the bay. Then, you'll climb a path through the forest into the heart of the castle grounds, featuring large gardens and beautiful landscapes. From here, you'll start your descent back to Stornoway.

Belfast, Northern Ireland=>HOP-ON HOP-OFF: This open-top bus tour of the city covers 19 key stops including the Titanic Quarter, City Hall, and the Peace Walls, with live, multilingual commentary.

The Titanic Belfast visitor attraction extends over nine galleries, with multiple dimensions to the exhibition. Drawing together special effects, dark rides, full-scale reconstructions and innovative interactive features you will explore the Titanic story in a fresh and insightful way from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her construction and launch, to her infamous maiden voyage and catastrophic demise. The journey goes beyond the aftermath of the sinking, to the discovery of the wreck and continues into the present day in the Ocean Exploration Centre.

Liverpool, England=>HOP-ON HOP-OFF: an open-top bus tour of the city picks up and drops off right outside the cruise terminal, offering an effortless and exciting way to explore Liverpool's must-see attractions, Beatles landmarks, and cultural icons.

Cobh (Cork), Ireland=>Legenary Blarney Castle & Kinsale Shore Tour: a full-day excursion combining historical sightseeing with the "Gourmet Capital" of Ireland. The tour highlights include:

• Blarney Castle & Gardens: Approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to explore the 15th-century castle, walk the grounds, and kiss the famous Blarney Stone to gain the "gift of gab".
• Blarney Woollen Mills: A stop at one of the world's largest Irish stores for shopping, located near the castle.
• Kinsale: Free time to explore this charming coastal village, known for its colorful streets, harbor views, and high-quality seafood.
• Panoramic Drive: A scenic tour through Cork city, highlighting landmarks such as St. Fin Barre's Cathedral and the English Market.

Halifax, Nova Scotia=>Halifax Harbour Hopper City & Water Cruise in a Duck Boat: This is a one-hour amphibious sightseeing excursion. The tour utilizes retrofitted Vietnam War-era vehicles that operate on land and water, offering a mix of historical commentary and unique views of the city's waterfront.

Boston - after criuse:

After the cruise we are spending a three days in Boston to try and figure out why their tea is worth fighting for!!! While in Boston we will be staying at the Harborside Hotel, a city view room. The hotel is located in the heart of downtown near the Financial District and waterfront. It offers a prime location steps from Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, the New England Aquarium, and the Aquarium subway station.

Our first activity is to use the Old Town Trolley tours (route map to the right) to get a feel for the area in Boston where we are staying. Our hotel is near the green "1" on this trolley map. The trolley has many fun stops and thus a good way to get our land legs after being on water for the last 2+ weeks.

Another must see/do activity is the "Guided Seafood Tasting and History Tour". Besides being a great introduction on some good places to eat we will also get a good overview of history sites that are must-see.

We will also do the "Official Freedom Trail" a 2.5-mile marked path-featuring a red brick line-through central Boston that leads to 16 official historic sites significant to the American Revolution. Established in 1951, the trail passes through downtown, the North End, and terminates in Charlestown.