Taking the Plunge: My First Snorkel at 62 on MSC Seascape

I'll be honest: I was terrified. Not of the ocean itself, but of looking like a fool in front of my wife and hundreds of other cruise passengers. Here I was, a 62-year-old man who'd spent most of his life as a landlubber, about to strap on a snorkel and mask for the first time in my life aboard the MSC Seascape. It sounds dramatic, I know, but when you've avoided anything remotely adventurous for your entire retirement so far, even a simple snorkeling excursion feels like summiting Everest. My wife Linda had been after me for years to try snorkeling. Every time we cruised, she'd come back glowing, talking about the fish and the coral and how "alive" she felt underwater. I'd nod politely and stick to the pool deck with my book and a Piña Colada. But this time, something shifted. Maybe it was turning 62 and realizing that life wasn't getting longer. Maybe it was watching a couple in their seventies board the tender with snorkel gear, laughing like kids. Whatever it was, I decided that this Caribbean cruise on the MSC Seascape was going to be different. The ship itself is gorgeous—I have to give MSC credit there. The MSC Seascape has this perfect balance of being massive but not over…